Haftarah: Fast Day Mincha: A Love Beyond Understanding

Isaiah 55:6 – 56:8: The fast is ending and God calls out to us to: See God when He can be found. Call Him when He is near.” (55:6)  Isaiah tells us that it is in such moments, when we are suffering and confused, that God is near.

The prophets message is simple and direct: “Just as you cannot understand all the suffering and evil in the world; you cannot possibly understand the depth of My love for you, and that I will always help you restore your relationship with Me.”

Live with this awareness and: “For in gladness shall you go out and in peace shall you arrive, the mountains and hills will break out in glad song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap hands.” (55:12)

Isaiah asks of us two things: “Whoever guards the Sabbath against desecration and guards his hand against doing any evil.” (56:2) We cannot properly guard the Sabbath if we do not guard against injustice, and we cannot guard against injustice unless we use the Sabbath to maintain our connection to that expression of God’s love.