Concerning Edom

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1. Esav As a Brother; Esav As the Other

   Haftarot: Va'yishlah

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   There is a duality in the attitude of the Torah and prophets toward Esau. On the one hand; Esau is viewed as sinfully proud and falsely self-confident nation; and on the other; Esau is viewed as a brother to the nation of Israel; who denies the bond and attempts to take the place of his brother.

2. Yeshayahu 21-22

   Matan Al HaPerek

   Rabbi David Sabato

   This chapter is comprised of three additional prophecies regarding -the gentile nations: The "Desert of the Sea Prophecy"(pesukim 1 10) foresees the fall of Babylonia; The "Dumah Prophecy" (pesukim 11-12) tells of Se'ir and is one of the most obscure prophecies in the book of Yeshayahu; The "In The Steppe Prophecy" (pesukim 13-17) tells of the defeat of the Steppe tribes and their subsequent .wanderings Desert of the 

3. Prophecies Concerning the Nations

   Dr. Tova Ganzel

   The prevailing perception in the Ancient East was that kings were emissaries of the gods or even gods themselves, and that every nation had its own god that ensured its victor in war. The prophet counters this perception by gathering all the prophecies about the nations into a single collection. This emphasizes that God, Lord of the entire world, decides the fate of each and every nation.

   These chapters in Yehezkel, unlike the prophecies addressed to other nations by other prophets, make scant mention of Israel’s redemption.

   In Chapter 25, Yehezkel conveys brief prophecies concerning Ammon, Moav, Edom and the Pelishtim, each of which has a lengthy historical relationship with Israel. These prophecies share a uniform structure.

   The transition between the first and second parts of the book is indirectly shown here through the content of the prophecy to Ammon, In response to their joy over the desecration of the Temple and the desolation of the land and the exile, Yehezkel prophesies their disappearance and annihilation.

4. God’s Eternal Preference for Israel over Edom

   Dr. Tova Ganzel

   Although it seems that this prophecy is directed to Edom, it is actually addressed to Israel. The shared historical background of the Israel and Edom, on one hand, and the habitation of the Edomites to the south of Yehuda, on the other, presented a religious challenge.

   The nation’s fear that God preferred Esav prevailed until the beginning of the return to the land. Even after the Second Temple was built by the returnees, the status of the Edomites – the descendants of Esav – caused Am Yisrael to doubt their own status in God’s eyes. This seems to be an echo of the fear that the Divine choice of Yaakov over Esav is not an eternal choice but that God might change His mind. The impression arising from Yehezkel’s response is that the nation feels that perhaps now, following the destruction of the Temple, after it has been made clear that Am Yisrael did not uphold the covenant with God, God will continue His covenant with Avraham via the sons of Esav, rather than through the descendants of Yaakov.

   The hostility between Israel and Edom throughout the generations grew even stronger during the years of Yehezkel’s prophecies, owing to the active participation of some Edomites in shedding the blood of Am Yisrael during the Destruction.

   To alleviate the fear of the nation, Yehezkel prophesied the destruction and desolation of Edom as a punishment for their abuse of the remnant of Yehuda. The mountains of Israel will be rebuilt on the ruins of Mount Se’ir.

5. Yeshayahu 33-34 - Matan Al HaPerek

   Rabbi David Sabato

   Perek 33 focuses on Assyria's campaign against Jerusalem, prophesying God's deliverance of Jerusalem and the destruction of Assyria, followed by the glory and moral purity of Jerusalem that would follow.

   Perek 34 includes a prophecy of destruction of Edom, which is described as similar to that of Sodom.