This Shabbat has a special name, Shabbat Chazon, the “Shabbat of Vision,” named after the Haftarah, the reading from the books of the Prophets, which comes from the opening chapter of the book of Isaiah. This week, we also begin the Book of Deuteronomy (Devarim), the last book of the Chumash, the Five Books of Moses. Parashat Devarim and this Haftarah are always read the Shabbat before Tishah B'Av, the ninth day of the month of Av.
Tishah B’Av is the concluding fast day of the Three Weeks, when we remember and commemorate not only the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem but many other tragic occurrences in Jewish history. In this article we will try to show how these three events are connected.
Words from the Heart
The book of Deuteronomy, in Hebrew, is called Devarim, which literally means “words” or “sayings.” These are the words that Moses spoke to the new generation that would be entering the Land of Israel after 40 years of wandering in the desert. The entire book of Devarim spans a mere 37 days and was Moses’ last will and testament to his beloved people.[1]
There is an expression from the Sages that “words that come from the heart, enter the heart.”[2] During these 37 days Moses was speaking from his heart to the people. 37 is also the numerical value of “the heart” (הַלֵּב). Thus, we see an intrinsic connection between the saying of the Sages that “words that come from the heart enter the heart” and the book of Devarim. This connection is strengthened by the tradition that this book differs from the previous four books of the Chumash in that those books are written in the 3rd person, whereas Deuteronomy was spoken directly by Moses in a first-person narrative. According to tradition, the Shechinah, God’s Divine Presence, spoke through the throat of Moses,[3] yet at the same time his words emanated from his inner most heart.
Permutations of the Heart
The letters of the word, “the heart,” when permuted, create a very meaningful phrase of three words: “the vapor ]of the mouth] enflames the heart”[4] (הֶבֶל לַהַב הַלֵּב). The hevel, the vapor that come out of the mouth, enflames and inspires, lahav, the heart, halev, of the one speaking as well as those listening. This phrase is another way to express that “words that come from the heart enter the heart.”
Shabbat Chazon
Inasmuch as we are speaking about the power of words to inspire, the special Haftarah after which this Shabbat is named, Shabbat Chazon, comes from the great prophet Isaiah, whom many consider the greatest prophet other than Moses. In this Haftarah, which is always read before Tishah B'Av, he is warning the people that their deeds are leading to catastrophe—that their lack of justice one to the other and their lack of deep connection to the Torah and God is propelling them toward disaster.[5] His ultimate purpose was to inspire Israel to repent, thus avoiding catastrophe.
It is important to note that in the vision of Isaiah, he uses the word the poetic form of “how” (אֵיכָה): “How could it be that [Israel and] Jerusalem has [metaphorically] become a harlot, disloyal to God.”[6] In the portion of Devarim, Moses also employs this same word when he says, “How can I carry the burden of all of your complaining?”[7] Finally, the name of the book that the prophet Jeremiah composed to document and mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple is this same word, Eichah,[8] the poetic for of “How”: “How could it be that the majestic city of Jerusalem is sitting in solitude?[9]” This is the book we read in our mourning on Tishah B'Av. Thus, we see how parashat Devarim, Shabbat Chazon, and Tishah B’Av are all connected by the word Eichah, the poetic “How.” Even more so, Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, each in their own ways were sharing words of their inner heart to inspire the people to walk a straight path of Torah and closeness to God. Although the people at that time did not heed their words, their eternal relevance has subsequently moved hearts for millennium.
It is important to note that the word eichah (אֵיכָה) has an even earlier Biblical source. After Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they hid in the Garden of Eden hoping to avoid the inevitable confrontation with God. God called out to Adam, Ayeka? “Where are you?”[10] (אַיֶּכָּה), which is spelled identically to Eichah, but is pronounced slightly differently. God, of course, is not literally asking Adam (and Eve) where they are for He is Omniscient; rather, he is challenging them to answer a series of existential questions: How could you have done such a thing? Where are you now that you have done this? What motivated you to distance yourselves from Me to such a degree that now you feel you must hide from Me? What will you do to rectify the situation?
The Vision of the Third Temple
The famous Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, a contemporary and close friend of the Alter Rebbe, stated that on this Shabbat, every Jew, in potential, can have a vision of the Third Temple. This very important teaching has been repeated for generations.
Chasidut explains that Rebbe Levi Yitzchak’s meaning was that we seek not just a vision of the physical Third Temple, but a much more inner vision. For in fact, the first two Temples were destroyed. Therefore, we do not want only what was once, rather we are seeking a vision of something deeper, more profound, an ohr chadash, a “new light.” This sort of vision is available on Shabbat Chazon.[11]
When God first commanded the Jewish people to build a Tabernacle, the Torah states: “Make for me a holy place and I will dwell within them.”[12] What followed were the instructions to build the Tabernacle, the Mishkan. Yet the precise the language is not “I will dwell in it,” but “I will dwell in them”—in the heart and soul of each and every person.
That is the ultimate revelation of Godliness in the world. Visualizing the physical Third Temple provides us with only a superficial vision. What is called for, and is possible on the Shabbat of Vision, is to see God’s Presence emanating from the Temple and infusing all of creation, making it possible for every individual to become a dwelling place for the Divine Presence.[13]
Salvation from Trouble
“A time of trouble has come upon Jacob and from it salvation will come.”[14] Chasidut explains that in a very literal translation, it reads “and from it”—to mean salvation will come from the time of trouble itself. This is an important theme that runs through these Three Weeks when we adopt various mourning customs to emphasize the tribulations and trauma of Jewish history. Yet this must not be the end point. The idea is to see that from the destruction, from the time of sorrow itself, will come the redemption. Redemption is thus born from faith in a rectified future which is then drawn into the present itself.[15]
An example of this idea is found in a story about Rabbi Akiva and his companions, who were walking in Jerusalem past the site of the destruction of the second Temple.[16] Rabbi Akiva’s companions, all sages, ripped their clothing and cried, but Rabbi Akiva laughed. They said to him, “How could you be laughing?” He said to them, “Why are you crying?” They said, “Is it not obvious? We are witnessing all the prophetic warnings of the destruction come true before our very eyes.” Rabbi Akiva explained to them that now that we have seen that the prophecies of destruction have occurred, we can be assured that the prophecies of consolation and redemption will also occur. They said to him, “Rabbi Akiva, you have comforted us.”
Rabbi Akiva was able to see beyond the destruction, even when all that could be seen were the ruins of the Temple. For he understood that Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah (along with many other prophets) not only warned the people of catastrophe if they did not change their ways they also prophesied consolation, redemption, and promises of God’s eternal love as well. Rabbi Akiva could see that within exile was the seed of a future redemption. His attitude of faith was actually helping manifest that future redemption.
Consolation and Joy
Another way that we can see this same idea of redemption coming from destruction is that the Haftarah from Isaiah that we read before Tishah B'Av is followed in the subsequent weeks from after Tishah B'Av until Rosh Hashanah with seven Haftarot of consolation, all from the book of Isaiah.[17] The same prophet who rebukes the people and warns them from his heart that they must do teshuvah, becomes the messenger of consolation in the seven weeks after Tishah B'Av. Once again, we see the theme that from destruction will come redemption.
Another of the great Chasidic Rebbes was the Choizeh, or Seer of Lublin. The word, Choizeh, comes from the same root as the word chazon, “vision.” He interpreted in a unique manner a statement by the sages: “When the month of Av begins, joy is lessened.”[18] He rendered it as, “When the month of Av begins, we lessen with joy." Certainly, the Choizeh of Lublin fulfilled all of the mourning traditions of these days, but he was emphasizing that commemorating and remembering the various destructions should not bring us to sadness or depression. Rather it should lead us to adopt a determined inner, hopeful and joyful attitude to rectify past mistakes, inspiring us to act in a manner that would bring redemption ever closer. Thus, as the Sages taught: Those who truly mourn over the destruction of the Temple will merit to see it rebuilt.[19] Mourning and joy are not mutually exclusive; they can actually strengthen each other.
The Sprout of Redemption
What then is this inner joy the Choizeh of Lublin was advocating? This joy is expressed in the tradition that Mashiach is born on Tishah B'Av.[20] On the very day which is metaphorically the lowest day of the year, when we literally sit on the floor and mourn for the various destructions throughout Jewish history, on this very day we are assured that out of all of our exiles will come the ultimate redemption of the Messianic era.
The Sages teach: “Who is the wise? One who sees that which is born.”[21] That which is born refers one who sees all the potential in the present moment and how it will actualize in the future. During the Three Weeks this means envisioning redemption that will come from destruction, light from darkness and sweet from bitter. Although the vision of Isaiah we read on Shabbat Chazon begins with harsh rebuke, it ends with the promise of reconciliation between God and the Jewish people and the promise that the days of the future will be days of hope, healing, and redemption.[22]
When the Choizeh of Lublin said that we should lessen with joy, he was encouraging us to not only hold on to the hope of the future but to joyously experience it in the present moment. The letters of Mashiach, (מָשִׁיחַ) when permuted, spell “he will be joyful” (יִשְׂמַח). And so, in these days, which are days of seriousness, deep contemplation, and the realization of the tragedies of Jewish history, there is a spark, a sprout of redemption that is waiting to open up and flower.
One of the names that we refer to the Mashiach is Tzemach, which means “sprout.”[23] All vegetation begins from a sprouting seed. May it be that on this coming Shabbat, we open ourselves to a vision of the future, of a truly “new light.” From the darkness will come light, from the bitter will come sweet, and from exile will come redemption.
[1]. Deuteronomy 1:3 states that Moses began to speak on the first day of the 11th month (Shevat) and the Torah ends with Moses’ passing, which according to tradition was on the 7th day of Adar, a total of 37 days.
[2]. Based on Berachot 6b.
[3]. Zohar 3:232a.
[4]. Mivchar Sheurei Hitbonenut, vol. 3, Adameh L’Elyon, p. 98.
[5]. Isaiah 1:1-27.
[6]. Ibid 1:21.
[7]. Deuteronomy 1:12.
[8]. In English it is titled Lamentations.
[9]. Lamentations 1:1
[10]. Genesis 3:9.
[11]. Yaiyn Yitzchak, Devarim/Shabbat Chazon, pp. 205-208.
[12]. Exodus 25:8.
[13]. Yaiyn Yitzchak, loc. cit. Hazman HaPenimi, pp. 329-331.
[14]. Jeremiah 30:7.
[15]. Ma’ayan Ganim, Devarim. Awakening the Spark Within, pp. 5-6.
[16]. Makot 24a-b.
[17]. For an explanation of how the three Haftarot before Tisha B’Av and the seven afterwards correspond to the ten sefirot, see Yaiyn Yitzchak, loc. cit.
[18]. Mishnah Ta’anit 4:6.
[19]. Ta’anit 30b and Bava Batra 60b.
[20]. Jerusalem Talmud Berachot 2:4.
[21]. Tamid 32a.
[22]. 1:18-19 and 1:26-27.
[23]. Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15. Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12.
