Yitro 5785 | Haftarah Isaiah 9:5 Imagining peace

Parashat Yitro / Haftarah Isaiah 9:5 - imagining peace

I'm sitting at my table, studying Parashat Yitro and its accompanying Haftarah, verses from Isaiah 6:1-7:6 and 9:5-6. It's Shabbat Yitro, 15 February 2025 / 17 Shevat 5785.

One particular verse from the Haftarah catches my eye:

ישעיהו ט׳:ה׳

(ה) כִּי־יֶ֣לֶד יֻלַּד־לָ֗נוּ בֵּ֚ן נִתַּן־לָ֔נוּ וַתְּהִ֥י הַמִּשְׂרָ֖ה עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ פֶּ֠לֶא יוֹעֵץ֙ אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר אֲבִי־עַ֖ד שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם׃

Isaiah 9:5

(5) For a child has been born to us, A son has been given us. And authority has settled on his shoulders. He has been named “The Mighty God is planning grace; The Eternal Father, a Prince of Peace..."

So I think to myself, I'd like to listen to the section of Handel's Messiah that is a setting of this verse. So I find this version - the Warsaw Philharmonic (recording from 24 December 2018):

... and as I'm listening, suddenly I'm crying. Moved by the timeless beauty of this setting. Moved by the universal yearning for peace, and for leadership that would be called "wonderful" and "glorious". Moved by the fact that this is a recording of the Warsaw Philharmonic.

Yes, here I am, a Jewish elder, soon to be ordained as a Rabbi, sitting at her table on Shabbat morning, crying as she listens to Handel's Messiah.

Do you yearn for peace as well? Is your heart broken by the violence in the world, as is mine? How to carry on?

In this week's Torah portion, Parashat Yitro, the Ten Utterances (often referred to as the Ten Commandments) are announced, are given, to Moses and to bnei Israel, in the wilderness. These utterances are at the heart of the moral compass of so many of our world's inhabitants.

What is the state of mind required of us, to be receptive to receiving this fundamental moral guidance?

We all know that the Commandments / Utterances include:

שמות כ׳:י״ג-י״ד

(יג) לֹ֥֖א תִּֿרְצָ֖͏ֽח׃ {ס} לֹ֣֖א תִּֿנְאָ֑͏ֽף׃ {ס} לֹ֣֖א תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב׃ {ס} לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר׃ {ס} (יד) לֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ {ס} לֹֽא־תַחְמֹ֞ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֗ךָ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ וְשׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃ {פ}

Exodus 20:13-14

(13) You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (14) You shall not covet your neighbor’s house: you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox or ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

Sitting here today, in the midst of violence and rapacity filling our country and world, it seems to me that these verses speak for themselves.

Today, Shabbat Yitro, I invite you to study just this one verse from Isaiah, 9:5, and see where it takes you.
Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Anita Josefa Barzman MD Founder, micro-mishkan.net

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