Parable of the Vineyard

נמצאו 8 תוצאות חיפוש

1. Yeshayahu 5-6

   Matan Al HaPerek

   Neta Shapira

   During Yeshayahu’s lifetime, one of the main sources of livelihood for the Kingdom of Yehuda was its lush vineyards. The prophet therefore utilizes wine-related imagery in his prophecies to attract the attention of his listeners and help them to identify with his messages. In the parable of the vineyard (1-7), Yeshayahu utilizes different rhetorical methods to convey God’s deep disappointment in the nation and to inform them of the severe consequences for their behavior. The perek then continues with a series of prophecies, all beginning with the word “Ah/Woe,” which fluctuate between rebuke and lament and which describe the nation’s adulterated distinctions between good and bad. The end of the perek prophesies the impending arrival of the great enemy. The Assyrian foe has yet to be mentioned by name, however its ominous shadow continues to approach the Kingdom of Yehuda.

2. Yeshayahu 27-28

   Rabbi David Sabato

   The first pasuk of perek 27 continues the same prophetic thread expressed by the two closing pesukim of perek 26. These pesukim describe the destruction of the world’s evil through vivid, symbolic images that connect the future redemption with the Exodus from Egypt and which hint to a war between God and His rebellious early creations. Pesukim 2-6 detail a positive ‘parable of the vineyard’ which contrasts with the critical parable detailed in perek 5. The rest of the perek describes the fortification of Israel in its land and the blessing the other nations will receive as a result. The prophecy concludes with the ingathering of the exiles in the land of Israel following the redemptive blast of the shofar.

   Yeshayahu 28 discusses the people and leaders of Ephraim (1-6), the leaders of Yehuda (7-22), and includes harsh rebuke of their drunkenness and exaggerated confidence. This perek also teaches us about the leaders’ mocking reactions to Yeshayahu’s prophecies of calamity, which warned the nation of Assyria’s imminent arrival. The perek’s conclusion includes a parable borrowed from the world of agriculture.

3. From Love to Betrayal: Yirmiyahu's First Prophecy of Rebuke

   Rabbi David Sabato

   Yirmiyahu's first prophecy conveyed to Israel is comprised of a series of sections, linked one to the next linguistically and substantively. Together they paint a difficult, varied, and penetrating picture of the moral and spiritual state of the people. The prophecy opens with one of the most moving accounts of the early relationship between God and His people, but it immediately takes a sharp turn to the difficult, spiritual reality in the days of Yirmiyahu, when the people have abandoned and betrayed their God. The description of Israel's youthful devotion in the wilderness serves only as a background and introduction to the essence of the passage – a prophecy of rebuke.

4. Tzidkiyahu

   Part 2

   Dr. Tova Ganzel

   Yehezkel continues his criticism of Tzidkiyahu by means of a parable. By relying on the king of Egypt to aid him and rebelling against Nevukhadnetzar, Tzidkiyahu decreed his own death in Babylonia. This violation was a grave breach of trust.  Yehezkel goes further by comparing the violation of the covenant with Nevukhadnetzar to violation of the covenant with God.

   This conclusion to the prophecy indicates that the potential for renewal of the monarchy in Israel rests with Yehoyakhin, who is in exile. This conclusion once again emphasizes the unique status of Yehoyakhin in Sefer Yehezkel; and, indeed, it is Zerubavel – the grandson of Yehoyakhin – who will eventually lead the nation at the start of the Second Temple period.

    

5. The Fate of the Kings of Yehuda

   Dr. Tova Ganzel

   Yehezkel’s prophecy to the kings of Yehuda in this chapter is conveyed through two parables: in the first, the royal family of Yehuda is compared to a family of lions; in the second, to a vine. To understand the significance of the first parable, the prophecy is compared with the historical events to which it refers.

   This second parable does not appear to be directed at any specific king of Yehuda; rather, it marks the end of the monarchy of the kings of Yehuda collectively. This parable is noticeably harsher than the previous one. The outcome in the first parable is the capture of the kings alive, whereas in the second parable nothing remains of the vine at all.

   This prophetic unit is entirely devoid of any mention of God’s Name. The parable does not mention His Name, and – unlike the other parables that Yehezkel uses to convey his messages – no interpretation is supplied at its conclusion. This omission is especially glaring given the many instances in which Yehezkel’s prophecy is attributed to God.

   The description of the fate of the last king of Yehuda, Tzidkiyahu, appears as part of a series of prophecies in Chapter 21 that describe the end of the kingdom of Yehuda. The message it suggests is that the kings of Yehuda have been arrogant; they have not maintained, along with their role as kings, their subjugation to God and His charge. They have not upheld God’s sanctity. In this way they have brought about the Destruction of Jerusalem and of the Temple.

6. He Speaks in Allegories

   Dr. Tova Ganzel

   Throughout the chapters dating to the years prior to the destruction there is a motif of words and terms that relate to women. This image is fully realized with the death of the prophet’s wife, symbolizing the final destruction of the city.

   The detailed description of the unfaithfulness of this woman – Jerusalem – emphasizes the chasm between her humble beginnings, with no lineage and no identity, and the abundance God bestowed upon her and His favors done for her that ultimately end in her betrayal. God’s response is a detailed description of total annihilation.

   Yehezkel compares the deeds of the city of Jerusalem to those of Shomron and Sodom. The sin of Sodom, as depicted here, is that despite the economic stability and strength of its inhabitants, they did not support the poor and needy. Yehezkel attributes only social sins to Sodom in order to emphasize the more grievous sins of Jerusalem, which are described as unfaithfulness.

   Despite the people’s actions in the present, the covenant that God remembers and maintains even in the future is a covenant of youth, and even at the time of their sin, this historical covenant will stand. This is also why the nation is rebuked just as it is being forgiven.

7. Yehezkel 15-16

   Matan Al Haperek

   Rabbi David Sabato

   Perek 15 begins a series of prophetic parables that concern the history of Jerusalem and its fate. The focus of perek 15 is a parable that compares the nation of Israel to a grapevine. This comparison is common in the Tanakh (see for example: the parable of the vineyard in Yeshayahu 5:7 and Tehillim 80:9), however, the comparison usually focuses on the grapes while the prophecy here mentions only the vine and not the fruit.

   The central theme of perek 16 is the parable of the foundling. The prophet recounts the history of the nation of Israel and its convoluted relationship with God with a dramatic, harsh and unique simile. The prophecy begins with a description of the creation of the nation that is compared to a foundling abandoned in a field at birth (3-5).  God then passes over her, takes her in, marries her and cares for her (6-14). However, her status and her beauty lead her to betray Him and to commit adultery with any available partner. She even gives them of the gifts that God has given her (16-34). As a punishment, God deprives her of all that He gave her, returns her to her position of origin and punishes her harshly (35-43). This harsh prophecy concludes with the promise of a renewal of the covenant between God and Israel (59-63). 

8. A Holistic Approach to Understanding Sefer Yeshayahu

   Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky | 55 דקות

   This shiur discusses the parallels between Sefer Yeshayahu and the song of Ha'azinu, noticing the distinct literary connections between them. By closely examining the book as a whole we can learn about the clear progression throughout the book, beginning with prophecies of destruction and ending with redemption, rebuilding, and consolation.