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Haftarat Parashat Bo

Haftarat Parashat Bo

Jeremiah 46:13-38

46:13 הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ הַנָּבִ֑יא לָב֗וֹא נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל לְהַכּ֖וֹת אֶת־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

46:14 הַגִּ֤ידוּ בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ וְהַשְׁמִ֣יעוּ בְמִגְדּ֔וֹל וְהַשְׁמִ֥יעוּ בְנֹ֖ף וּבְתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑ס אִמְר֗וּ הִתְיַצֵּב֙ וְהָכֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־אָכְלָ֥ה חֶ֖רֶב סְבִיבֶֽיךָ׃

46:15 מַדּ֖וּעַ נִסְחַ֣ף אַבִּירֶ֑יךָ לֹ֣א עָמַ֔ד כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה הֲדָפֽוֹ׃

46:16 הִרְבָּ֖ה כּוֹשֵׁ֑ל גַּם־נָפַ֞ל אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֗הוּ וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ ק֣וּמָה׀ וְנָשֻׁ֣בָה אֶל־עַמֵּ֗נוּ וְאֶל־אֶ֙רֶץ֙ מֽוֹלַדְתֵּ֔נוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י חֶ֥רֶב הַיּוֹנָֽה׃

46:17 קָרְא֖וּ שָׁ֑ם פַּרְעֹ֤ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ שָׁא֔וֹן הֶעֱבִ֖יר הַמּוֹעֵֽד׃

46:18 חַי־אָ֙נִי֙ נְאֻם־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמ֑וֹ כִּ֚י כְּתָב֣וֹר בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים וּכְכַרְמֶ֖ל בַּיָּ֥ם יָבֽוֹא׃

46:19 כְּלֵ֤י גוֹלָה֙ עֲשִׂ֣י לָ֔ךְ יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בַּת־מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־נֹף֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְנִצְּתָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃

46:20 עֶגְלָ֥ה יְפֵֽה־פִיָּ֖ה מִצְרָ֑יִם קֶ֥רֶץ מִצָּפ֖וֹן בָּ֥א בָֽא׃

46:21 גַּם־שְׂכִרֶ֤יהָ בְקִרְבָּהּ֙ כְּעֶגְלֵ֣י מַרְבֵּ֔ק כִּֽי־גַם־הֵ֧מָּה הִפְנ֛וּ נָ֥סוּ יַחְדָּ֖יו לֹ֣א עָמָ֑דוּ כִּ֣י י֥וֹם אֵידָ֛ם בָּ֥א עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם עֵ֥ת פְּקֻדָּתָֽם׃

46:22 קוֹלָ֖הּ כַּנָּחָ֣שׁ יֵלֵ֑ךְ כִּֽי־בְחַ֣יִל יֵלֵ֔כוּ וּבְקַרְדֻּמּוֹת֙ בָּ֣אוּ לָ֔הּ כְּחֹטְבֵ֖י עֵצִֽים׃

46:23 כָּרְת֤וּ יַעְרָהּ֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֖י לֹ֣א יֵֽחָקֵ֑ר כִּ֤י רַבּוּ֙ מֵֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְאֵ֥ין לָהֶ֖ם מִסְפָּֽר׃

46:24 הֹבִ֖ישָׁה בַּת־מִצְרָ֑יִם נִתְּנָ֖ה בְּיַ֥ד עַם־צָפֽוֹן׃

46:25 אָמַר֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הִנְנִ֤י פוֹקֵד֙ אֶל־אָמ֣וֹן מִנֹּ֔א וְעַל־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְעַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וְעַל־אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ וְעַל־מְלָכֶ֑יהָ וְעַ֨ל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְעַ֥ל הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃

46:26 וּנְתַתִּ֗ים בְּיַד֙ מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֔ם וּבְיַ֛ד נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל וּבְיַד־עֲבָדָ֑יו וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֛ן תִּשְׁכֹּ֥ן כִּֽימֵי־קֶ֖דֶם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

46:27 וְ֠אַתָּה אַל־תִּירָ֞א עַבְדִּ֤י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ וְאַל־תֵּחַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֠י הִנְנִ֤י מוֹשִֽׁעֲךָ֙ מֵֽרָח֔וֹק וְאֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁבְיָ֑ם וְשָׁ֧ב יַעֲק֛וֹב וְשָׁקַ֥ט וְשַׁאֲנַ֖ן וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃

46:28 אַ֠תָּה אַל־תִּירָ֞א עַבְדִּ֤י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אִתְּךָ֖ אָ֑נִי כִּי֩ אֶעֱשֶׂ֨ה כָלָ֜ה בְּכָֽל־הַגּוֹיִ֣ם׀ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִדַּחְתִּ֣יךָ שָׁ֗מָּה וְאֹֽתְךָ֙ לֹא־אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה כָלָ֔ה וְיִסַּרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט וְנַקֵּ֖ה לֹ֥א אֲנַקֶּֽךָּ׃

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

This haftarah is one in a series in which Jeremiah prophecies against Egypt, pronouncing a profound destruction of the land as well as a dispersal of the Egyptian people among the nations. Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon is mentioned (Jer. 46:13) as the tool which God will use to carry out his plan. The numerous Babylonians will overcome Egypt as a swarm of locusts (Jer. 46:23). In Parashat Bo, Moses and Aaron serve as God’s emissaries to Pharoah (Ex. 10:1), and Egypt is indeed overtaken by locusts (Ex. 10:3-20). A further two plagues – darkness and the killing of the firstborn – finally cause Pharoah to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt in order to worship God in the desert. God’s declaration that He “will mete out punishments to all the gods of Egypt” (Ex. 12:12) is echoed in the Jer. 46:25: “…I will inflict punishment on Amon of No and on Pharaoh – on Egypt, her gods, and her kings…” The final plagues must have been terrible to witness also for the Israelites, who although unafflicted, heard the screams of their neighbors: “And there shall be a loud cry in all the land of Egypt, such as has never been or will ever be again.” (Ex. 11:6) In Jeremiah’s time, the clash between the two great armies of Babylon and Egypt must have been similarly frightening. The final words of the haftarah assure Israel that they have nothing to fear in their captivity: “Have no fear, My servant Jacob, Be not dismayed O Israel! I will deliver you from far away, Your folk from their land of captivity; “(Jer. 46:27)

Natalie Barkan

Natalie was the first girl to celebrate a Shabbat morning bat mitzvah at Emmanuel Synagogue in Oklahoma City and the first woman to read Torah at the “upstairs” adult service. She supported herself through graduate school by teaching bar/bat mitzvah students and today still enjoys chanting Torah and serving as shlichat hatzibur at Hod Ve-Hadar congregation in Kfar Saba. Natalie has lived in Israel for over 30 years studying and teaching Judaica in various frameworks. She serves on the executive board of The Abraham Fund Initiatives, working to promote equality and co-existence between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. She is married to Dani and the mother of three sons. Natalie has known Susie Dvoskin for 20 years, celebrating Rosh Hodesh together and praying at Hod Ve-Hadar. Five years ago, Natalie took the big plunge and did her first women’s triathlon. Susie is her inspiration and mentor, not only in sport, but in the art of positive  thinking! She has participated in this project out of a deep love and affection for Susie.

Recorded by
Ami Zusman

Before I recorded Haftarah Bo, I had no idea what those trope squiggles meant.  But when Susie Dvoskin, my beloved friend of nearly 50 years, invited me to participate in this marvelous project, I knew I had to do it!  With Susie's tutoring (via Skype) from 7,500 miles and 10 time zones away, I set about learning. What a wonderful learning experience it has been – one that has stretched my brain to learn a new musical language and has given me the gifts of continuing this Jewish tradition and passing it on to others.  Plus visiting with Susie during our Skype lessons! I've been an active leader at Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, a progressive, historically LGBTQ Reform synagogue in the San Francisco (California) Bay Area for over 30 years.

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