In the Pesach Haftarahs, it's possible to see our current situation reflected in our current situation, either what is happening or what we should be doing.
The First Day of Pesach
On the first day of Pesach, we read Joshua 3:5-7; 5:2:15; 6:1; 6:27. (HERE is a summary.)
It refers to Am Yisrael leaving the regular world and entering Eretz Yisrael. It's not totally theirs yet, however.
Anyway, the luxury of manna ceases, which kind of reflects our situation now, in which many of us are making do without our usual level of material comfort this Pesach. Many of us did not manage to get new clothes or even the supplies we need for Pesach.
Personally, I was not able to get more pots for Pesach. So for meat, I ended up with just a large pot, 2 medium pots, and a frying pan. And then another a frying pan for dairy.
No Pesach oven either, but I've never had one and that's okay.
I really wanted to get more pots – a couple of small ones and at least 1 really big one – but oh well. I'm making do.
Thank You, Hashem, for disposable pots in the plastics section of the supermarket!
Many of us, both before Pesach and during, were & still are making do without ready-made food or eating out or ordering out like we're used to.
So that's the end of our manna for now. We're making do with "the grain of the land" instead of the delectable & easy manna. Just like Am Yisrael back then.
Before they enter the Holy Land, Bnei Yisrael either gets circumcised (for those who didn't before) or improve their original circumcision.
And that's also happening for many Jews now: Many are "circumcising" their hearts by either keeping Shabbat or other mitzvot for the first time or, if they're already mitzvah-observant, improving on what they're already doing.
And if they aren't, then reading the Haftarah gives them some pretty good advice: Get real with your Yiddishkeit! Excise that arlah!
As usual, Erev Rav was still bothering Am Yisrael, according to Rashi on Yehoshua 5:9. They were vexing or taunting them about being taken out with the star Ra'ah, which also symbolizes blood. (HERE is what the Kli Yakar says about it.)
Based on its blood association, the Egyptian astrologers predicted disaster for Am Yisrael under this star, made this prediction public, and everyone started ridiculing Am Yisrael for jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.
The Egyptians started it, and the Erev Rav continued it.
What they didn't know, however, was that the blood seen by Egyptian astrologers was the blood of circumcision.
So by circumcising (or improving the circumcision), that shut up all the leitzim (mockers & detractors), including those within Am Yisrael's ranks.
This is very symbolic of what's happening today.
The powerful & progressive surrounding culture misinterprets events & science, they mock authentic Torah Judaism & the Jews who adhere to it, and the Erev Rav (who seem just like any other Jew) follow & imitate the biggest bully instead of Hashem.
Yep, that reflects today's world pretty accurately.
And because of the mass circumcision, many people in Am Yisrael aren't feeling so good in Chapter 5 of Yehoshua. Many also died before. And so the whole Am is waiting in solitude for their fellows to recover.
Kind of like now.
And finally, in Yehoshua 6:1, we have a city shut down.
Yericho is "sogeret u'misugeret – shut & barred." Yericho is closed from within and from without, according to the commentaries.
In other words, Yericho was in bidud – quarantine.
It refers to Am Yisrael leaving the regular world and entering Eretz Yisrael. It's not totally theirs yet, however.
Anyway, the luxury of manna ceases, which kind of reflects our situation now, in which many of us are making do without our usual level of material comfort this Pesach. Many of us did not manage to get new clothes or even the supplies we need for Pesach.
Personally, I was not able to get more pots for Pesach. So for meat, I ended up with just a large pot, 2 medium pots, and a frying pan. And then another a frying pan for dairy.
No Pesach oven either, but I've never had one and that's okay.
I really wanted to get more pots – a couple of small ones and at least 1 really big one – but oh well. I'm making do.
Thank You, Hashem, for disposable pots in the plastics section of the supermarket!
Many of us, both before Pesach and during, were & still are making do without ready-made food or eating out or ordering out like we're used to.
So that's the end of our manna for now. We're making do with "the grain of the land" instead of the delectable & easy manna. Just like Am Yisrael back then.
Before they enter the Holy Land, Bnei Yisrael either gets circumcised (for those who didn't before) or improve their original circumcision.
And that's also happening for many Jews now: Many are "circumcising" their hearts by either keeping Shabbat or other mitzvot for the first time or, if they're already mitzvah-observant, improving on what they're already doing.
And if they aren't, then reading the Haftarah gives them some pretty good advice: Get real with your Yiddishkeit! Excise that arlah!
As usual, Erev Rav was still bothering Am Yisrael, according to Rashi on Yehoshua 5:9. They were vexing or taunting them about being taken out with the star Ra'ah, which also symbolizes blood. (HERE is what the Kli Yakar says about it.)
Based on its blood association, the Egyptian astrologers predicted disaster for Am Yisrael under this star, made this prediction public, and everyone started ridiculing Am Yisrael for jumping from the frying pan and into the fire.
The Egyptians started it, and the Erev Rav continued it.
What they didn't know, however, was that the blood seen by Egyptian astrologers was the blood of circumcision.
So by circumcising (or improving the circumcision), that shut up all the leitzim (mockers & detractors), including those within Am Yisrael's ranks.
This is very symbolic of what's happening today.
The powerful & progressive surrounding culture misinterprets events & science, they mock authentic Torah Judaism & the Jews who adhere to it, and the Erev Rav (who seem just like any other Jew) follow & imitate the biggest bully instead of Hashem.
Yep, that reflects today's world pretty accurately.
And because of the mass circumcision, many people in Am Yisrael aren't feeling so good in Chapter 5 of Yehoshua. Many also died before. And so the whole Am is waiting in solitude for their fellows to recover.
Kind of like now.
And finally, in Yehoshua 6:1, we have a city shut down.
Yericho is "sogeret u'misugeret – shut & barred." Yericho is closed from within and from without, according to the commentaries.
In other words, Yericho was in bidud – quarantine.
The Second Day of Pesach
The haftarah for the second day of Pesach continues HERE with major teshuvah going on in Melachim II:23 under the reign of King Yoshiyahu.
In this haftarah, people burn all their addictive non-kosher hi-tech gadgets and got rid of all the self-proclaimed leaders leading them even deeper into sin and confusion, and turn to their real talmidei chachamim instead.
Oops, I mean that they burn all their idolatrous addictive items and get rid of the pagan priests who offered incense to Baal & led the people astray.
The Jews also rediscover the Torah and experience a spiritual re-awakening.
Hopefully, with Jews in Eretz Yisrael preparing for Shabbat on the second day of Pesach & Jews outside of Eretz Yisrael continuing to celebrate the chag as they go into Shabbat, there is some healthy spirituality going on (even if things are also understandably stressful).
And King Yoshiyahu is like many Jews today in that if you go back a few generations, he comes from good people. But his grandfather Menashe and his father Amon committed terrible transgressions.
Yet King Yoshiyahu got in touch with his real self, his neshamah, and reached back past his father & grandfather to connect with his real roots.
He made himself great and managed to influence Am Yisrael too.
And then on Shabbat, the dry bones of Sefer Yechezkel come to life.
May Mashiach please come already.
In this haftarah, people burn all their addictive non-kosher hi-tech gadgets and got rid of all the self-proclaimed leaders leading them even deeper into sin and confusion, and turn to their real talmidei chachamim instead.
Oops, I mean that they burn all their idolatrous addictive items and get rid of the pagan priests who offered incense to Baal & led the people astray.
The Jews also rediscover the Torah and experience a spiritual re-awakening.
Hopefully, with Jews in Eretz Yisrael preparing for Shabbat on the second day of Pesach & Jews outside of Eretz Yisrael continuing to celebrate the chag as they go into Shabbat, there is some healthy spirituality going on (even if things are also understandably stressful).
And King Yoshiyahu is like many Jews today in that if you go back a few generations, he comes from good people. But his grandfather Menashe and his father Amon committed terrible transgressions.
Yet King Yoshiyahu got in touch with his real self, his neshamah, and reached back past his father & grandfather to connect with his real roots.
He made himself great and managed to influence Am Yisrael too.
And then on Shabbat, the dry bones of Sefer Yechezkel come to life.
May Mashiach please come already.
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