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Haftarah Parashat Acharei Mot

Ezekiel 22: 1- 19

22:1 וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

22:2 וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֔ם הֲתִשְׁפֹּ֥ט הֲתִשְׁפֹּ֖ט אֶת־עִ֣יר הַדָּמִ֑ים וְה֣וֹדַעְתָּ֔הּ אֵ֖ת כָּל־תּוֹעֲבוֹתֶֽיהָ׃

22:3 וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה עִ֣יר שֹׁפֶ֥כֶת דָּ֛ם בְּתוֹכָ֖הּ לָב֣וֹא עִתָּ֑הּ וְעָשְׂתָ֧ה גִלּוּלִ֛ים עָלֶ֖יהָ לְטָמְאָֽה׃

22:4 בְּדָמֵ֨ךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁפַ֜כְתְּ אָשַׁ֗מְתְּ וּבְגִלּוּלַ֤יִךְ אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂית֙ טָמֵ֔את וַתַּקְרִ֣יבִי יָמַ֔יִךְ וַתָּב֖וֹא עַד־שְׁנוֹתָ֑יִךְ עַל־כֵּ֗ן נְתַתִּ֤יךְ חֶרְפָּה֙ לַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְקַלָּסָ֖ה לְכָל־הָאֲרָצֽוֹת׃

22:5 הַקְּרֹב֛וֹת וְהָרְחֹק֥וֹת מִמֵּ֖ךְ יִתְקַלְּסוּ־בָ֑ךְ טְמֵאַ֣ת הַשֵּׁ֔ם רַבַּ֖ת הַמְּהוּמָֽה׃

22:6 הִנֵּה֙ נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֥ישׁ לִזְרֹע֖וֹ הָ֣יוּ בָ֑ךְ לְמַ֖עַן שְׁפָךְ־דָּֽם׃

22:7 אָ֤ב וָאֵם֙ הֵקַ֣לּוּ בָ֔ךְ לַגֵּ֛ר עָשׂ֥וּ בַעֹ֖שֶׁק בְּתוֹכֵ֑ךְ יָת֥וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֖ה ה֥וֹנוּ בָֽךְ׃

22:8 קָדָשַׁ֖י בָּזִ֑ית וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י חִלָּֽלְתְּ׃

22:9 אַנְשֵׁ֥י רָכִ֛יל הָ֥יוּ בָ֖ךְ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁפָךְ־דָּ֑ם וְאֶל־הֶֽהָרִים֙ אָ֣כְלוּ בָ֔ךְ זִמָּ֖ה עָשׂ֥וּ בְתוֹכֵֽךְ׃

22:10 עֶרְוַת־אָ֖ב גִּלָּה־בָ֑ךְ טְמֵאַ֥ת הַנִּדָּ֖ה עִנּוּ־בָֽךְ׃

22:11 וְאִ֣ישׁ׀ אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֗הוּ עָשָׂה֙ תּֽוֹעֵבָ֔ה וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶת־כַּלָּת֖וֹ טִמֵּ֣א בְזִמָּ֑ה וְאִ֛ישׁ אֶת־אֲחֹת֥וֹ בַת־אָבִ֖יו עִנָּה־בָֽךְ׃

22:12 שֹׁ֥חַד לָֽקְחוּ־בָ֖ךְ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁפָךְ־דָּ֑ם נֶ֧שֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּ֣ית לָקַ֗חַתְּ וַתְּבַצְּעִ֤י רֵעַ֙יִךְ֙ בַּעֹ֔שֶׁק וְאֹתִ֣י שָׁכַ֔חַתְּ נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃

22:13 וְהִנֵּה֙ הִכֵּ֣יתִי כַפִּ֔י אֶל־בִּצְעֵ֖ךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑ית וְעַ֨ל־דָּמֵ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ בְּתוֹכֵֽךְ׃

22:14 הֲיַעֲמֹ֤ד לִבֵּךְ֙ אִם־תֶּחֱזַ֣קְנָה יָדַ֔יִךְ לַיָּמִ֕ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י עֹשֶׂ֣ה אוֹתָ֑ךְ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי וְעָשִֽׂיתִי׃

22:15 וַהֲפִיצוֹתִ֤י אוֹתָךְ֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם וְזֵרִיתִ֖יךְ בָּאֲרָצ֑וֹת וַהֲתִמֹּתִ֥י טֻמְאָתֵ֖ךְ מִמֵּֽךְ׃

22:16 וְנִחַ֥לְתְּ בָּ֖ךְ לְעֵינֵ֣י גוֹיִ֑ם וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

22:17 וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

22:18 בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הָיוּ־לִ֥י בֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לסוג [לְסִ֑יג] כֻּלָּ֡ם נְ֠חֹשֶׁת וּבְדִ֨יל וּבַרְזֶ֤ל וְעוֹפֶ֙רֶת֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ כּ֔וּר סִגִ֥ים כֶּ֖סֶף הָיֽוּ׃

22:19 לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה יַ֛עַן הֱי֥וֹת כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם לְסִגִ֑ים לָכֵן֙ הִנְנִ֣י קֹבֵ֣ץ אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלָ‍ִֽם׃

The commentary about the connection between the Haftarah and Torah reading was written by

Leviticus Chapter 18, Verse 25
25 And the land was defiled, therefore I did visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.
Ezekiel 22:15
15 And I will scatter thee among the nations, and disperse thee through the countries; and I will consume thy filthiness out of thee.

Details, details and more details… as one must read everything carefully in a contract, so should this parashah be read. Don’t skip even one horrific description of unforgiveable sin. There are consequences to these monstrous deeds. This parashah and Ezekiel state that the ancient Israelites were scattered among the nations for such hateful acts. Even the ground beneath their feet was defiled. Could this happen again? Beware, read all the details yet again…

Gail Shuster-Bouskila

Rabbi Gail Shuster-Bouskila has earned two degrees in education. She made Aliyah to Israel in 1978, and finished her rabbinic studies at Hebrew University. She was ordained at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia in 1979. She was the first women rabbi in Israel. Since making Aliyah, as a free-lance rabbi, she has counseled many people on life cycle events, including women’s issues, marriage and Bar/Bat Mitzvah and has lectured around Israel about modern Midrash, liberal Judaism, women's issues and the philosophy of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan. From 2005 to 2010, she held the position of Chair of the Israel Reconstructionist Foundation. She worked to deepen Israel - Diaspora Jewish relations among Liberal Jews through contact with individuals and groups. Midrash Harabah - Rabbi Gail's Torah musings: https://midrash-harabah.org/

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Sarah Friedman Hagbi

Sarah Friedman Hagbi is a lifelong learner whose most recent undertaking involved re-learning to read Haftorah (for the first time since her bat mitzvah) with Susie. Sarah moved from Maryland to Israel in 1990, and currently lives in Kfar Saba with her husband and three children. She is passionate about her work as a Clinical Audiologist treating people with hearing loss, and loves music, singing, and spending time with family and friends old and new.

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