This Shabbat, we read Chazon Yishayahu, the Vision of Isaiah. What did he see? What do we see?
The text is not very encouraging. It describes a desolate land and a wayward people. That is why we read it before Tisha B’Av, to get a taste of pur’anut, tragedy, in time for the fast day. Even our religious activities are rejected if we lack the basic compassion for those in need.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev has a different take of the vision. He explains that this Shabbat is called Shabbat Chazon because on this day every Jew is granted a vision of the future Beit Hamikdash.
Huh?!? Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was known for his positive spin on even
the direst situation, but how can destruction evoke expectations for redemption?
He explains with a parable.
A
father once prepared a beautiful suit of clothes for his son. But the child
neglected his father’s gift, and soon the suit was in tatters. The father gave
the child a second suit of clothes; this one, too, was ruined by the child’s
carelessness. So, the father made a third suit, but his time, he withholds it
from his son. Every once in a while, on special occasions, he shows the suit to
the child, explaining that when the child learns to appreciate and properly
care for the gift, it will be given to him. This encourages the child to
improve his behavior, until it gradually becomes second nature to him - at
which time he will be worthy of his father’s gift.
Despite the disappointment over our loss, we can see – literally - the
positive outcome that is waiting for us
Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, explains this “vision
thing” in a most creative way. Weaving together Jewish law, Midrash, and
mysticism, he concludes that the only way God could be “allowed” to destroy the
Beit Hamikdash was to fix it or build another one. It is similar to the laws of
a Shul. One may only damage or destroy a synagogue structure when the purpose
is to repair or renovate it. Accordingly, the destruction of the second Temple is part of the
construction of the third Temple. Destruction is part of rebuilding. Exile
is part of redemption.
Glimpsing
Isaiah’s vision of destruction is not contradictory to a vision of the third
Temple. The Talmud teaches that Moshiach was born on Tisha B’Av. Similarly, we
can glimpse redemption even as we encounter pain, hatred, and exile before our
eyes. Shabbat Chazon is the time to catch a glimpse of the third Temple. It is
a time to realize that the destruction and hardships we face are paving the way
for a better tomorrow.
What do we see?
These last
22 months have been a time of increased darkness. At times, the situation seems
to darken by the day. Nevertheless, we need to look for the rays of sunshine
behind the clouds and the light within the darkness. We have seen so much strength,
resilience, courage, and kindness.
Sometimes,
a painful past yields resolve for the present and hope for the future.
Ro’i Klein is an Israeli hero. He was a commander in the Golani Brigade and one of Israel’s most decorated soldiers. On July 26, 2006, Ro’i, 31-years-old, was commanding his troops during the Battle of Bint Jbeil in the Second Lebanon War. A Hezbollah terrorist threw a grenade at his unit, and Ro’i jumped on the grenade to save his soldiers. He was killed instantly. Nineteen years later, Yoav, Ro’i’s son, who was an infant when his father was killed, has now drafted intro the Golani Brigade following in his father’s footsteps.
Rabbi Kalonymous Kalman Shapira, the Piaseczna, was Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto. His teachings from that period, Aish Kodesh, were hidden and discovered after the war. The very last entry is from Shabbat Chazon 1944. In that sermon, Rav Shapira explained that Isaiah received a chazon, a vision, because the Jewish people had lost their vision. He wrote: “We lost the vision of our true goals in life, and we lost our sight of the truth.”
King Solomon stated, “Without vision, the people will perish” (Mishlei 29:18). The Rebbe’s very last teaching from the depths of destruction and darkness was the need to maintain a vision of the future.
We cannot ignore the tragedies of Jewish history as we persevere through the difficulties and pain that are right in front of us. At the same time, we have a chance to seek a glimpse of the third Temple and for those sparks of light and redemption that exist all around us. On Shabbat Chazon, we seek a vision of redemption. We hope it arrives soon and commit ourselves to act in ways that will make it a reality.