Ve Atta Tetzaveh
In this week`s haftorah, the prophet Ezekiel describes a vision of the altar that will be built for the third Holy Temple and its dedication ceremony—paralleling this week`s Torah portion which discusses the dedication of the Tabernacle`s altar.
Shortly after the destruction of the first Temple, Ezekiel experienced a vision of the third Holy Temple that will be built by the Messiah. G-d tells Ezekiel to recount to the Jewish people this vision, and this hopefully will bring them to be ashamed of the deeds they did that caused the destruction of the Temple. "And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, let them know the form of the House and its scheme, its exits and its entrances, and all its forms, and all its laws and all its teachings..."
Ezekiel then goes on to describe in detail the third Temple`s altar, and also describes its seven-day inauguration ceremony and the offerings which will be brought on each day of that special week.This week`s haftorah discusses Isaiah’s vision of the Heavenly Chariot (the merkavah), a revelation that was experienced by all the Israelites when G-d spoke the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai—an event recounted in this week’s Torah reading.
Isaiah perceives G-d sitting on a throne surrounded by angels. Isaiah vividly describes the angels and their behavior (in anthropomorphic terms). During the course of this vision, Isaiah volunteers to be G-d’s emissary to transmit His message to the Israelites. He is immediately given a depressing prophecy regarding the exile the nation will suffer as punishment for their many sins—and the Land of Israel will be left empty and desolate, though there will be left a “trunk” of the Jewish people that eventually will regrow.
Commentary and Graphics Source: www.Chabad.org
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