Haftorah This Week
Welcome to Haftorah This Week, the place where you will find thoughts and reflections by CLAL faculty and associates on this week's Haftorah.
HAFTARAT VAYETZE
(Hosea 12:13-14:10)
The second verse of this Haftarah (Hosea 12:14) tells us:
Adonai brought Israel out of Egypt be-navi, and be-navi was [Israel] protected.
The word navi means "prophet." The understanding of the verse, however, rests on the interpretation of the prefix be-. Among the many meanings of this particle, the most common are "in" and "by means of." Most commentators choose the second of these for our verse: God brought Israel out of Egypt by means of a prophet, and Israel was protected by a prophet. The verse provides testimony to God's loving protection, extended over Israel through the agency of Moses, God's messenger.
A fascinating alternative interpretation is offered by the 19th century commentator Arnold Ehrlich. He refers to the previous verse (Hosea 12:13) in which we read that "Jacob fled to Aram and worked for a wife, and guarded [sheep] for a wife." Twice in that verse the word be-isha appears. Both times it can only mean "for (or "in order to acquire") a wife." Ehrlich suggests that the be- preceding the word "prophet" in verse 14 be understood as the be- preceding isha, "wife," must be understood in verse 13. Thus, God took Israel out of Egypt in order to get a prophet!
In other words, the goal of the Exodus was to create a situation in which prophetic leadership could be developed, thereby enabling the people to re-connect with God, and to respond to the behavioral demands made by the covenant. Such reconnection simply could not take place in the environment of slavery in which, we are told, the Israelites "would not listen to Moses because their spirits were withered from the severity of bondage." (Ex. 6:9) It seems that some measure of freedom is a prerequisite if we are to be able to hear the voice of a prophet.
(David Nelson)
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