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HAFTAROT FOR THE FESTIVALS
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HAFTAROT FOR THE FESTIVALS Haftarah for First Day of Sukkot m:ntl"lill 1'ill~1 m~ ASHKENAZIM ZECHARIAH 14:1-21 SEPHARDIM ZECHARIAH 14:1-21 For the life and times of Zechariah and a consideration of his teachings and theology, see "The Book of Zechariah" in "Overview of Biblical Books Excerpted in the Haftarot Cycle." See also the comments to the other haftarah reading taken from this book (listed in "Index of Biblical Passages"). Zechariah 14:1-21 is a late prophecy, deriving from sometime after 518 B.C.E. (Zech. 7:1). In its present context, this material concludes the anthology ofvisions and oracles that compose the Book of Zechariah.l The haftarah is marked by a strong apocalyptic tone ofimpending doom and purification. A repeated emphasis on "that day" ofdivine judgment conveys a tone ofexpectation and inevitability.2The city of Jerusalem stands at the center of these prophecies-having a pivotal place in the wars to come and in the universal pilgrimage proclaimed for all nations. When the battles conclude, the Lord will be king and all peoples shall be invited to celebrate the Festival ofSuldcot in Jerusalem. A prophecy that begins with visions ofsiege ends with a sacred convocation and worship. The themes of Zechariah 14 climax the preceding two chapters, where an apocalyptic climate is also evoked. Zechariah 12 and 13 are also marked by repeated emphasis on "that day" when there shall be battles in Jerusalem (Zech. 12:3-4, 6) and divine might will bring victory over Israel's enemies (12:1-2, 4). "In that day" heavenly blessings shall come (13:1) and the land will be purified of idols and false prophecy (13:2, 4). Seen altogether, Zechariah 12-14 constitutes a distinct thematic ensemble. These chapters also provide a climax for the key topics envisioned in the opening prophecies ofthe book: the return ofGod to Zion, after a seventy-year curse (1: 12-17; 2:14-17); the destruction of the destroyers through military might (2:1-4; cf. 6:1-8); the banishment of evil from the earth (5:5-8); and the worship of the Lord by all nations in Jerusalem (2:15; 8:20-23).3 Zechariah 14 reformulates these themes in a distinctive maImer. PART 1. THE BATTLES OF JERUSALEM (Zechariah 14:1-5) a. Zechariah 14:1-2 "A day ofthe LORD is coming" (v. 1) when Jerusalem will be stormed and plundered by all the nations, whom the Lord "will gather . .. for war" (v. 2). b. Zechariah 14:3-5 Following this battle, the Lord will "come forth and make war" on those sieging nations (v. 3), arising majestically over the Mount of Olives and sundering the earth from north to south.4 PART 2. APOCALYPTIC CONSEQUENCES (14:6-15) a. Zechariah 14:6-11 The day of the Lord will bring remarkable developments. A supernatural radiance will illumine the world in continual day, with neither sunlight nor moonlight as its source, and "fresh water" (lit., "living water") will flow from Jerusalem, transforming the earth. At that time, the Lord will be Icing over the entire earth, and Jerusalem will dwell in peace. b. Zechariah 14:12-15 Developing the theme ofverses 3-5, the prophet describes in detail the plague and panic affecting "those peoples that warred against Jerusalem" (v. 12) and their animals. Even Judah will be drawn into the fray, but it shall benefit from the wealth it shall accumulate . 285 HAFTARAH FOR FIRST DAY OF SUKKOT PART 3. PILGRIMAGE AND PURITY (Zechariah 14:16-21) a. Zechariah 14:16-19 The prophet now addresses the survivors of the nations who had warred against Jerusalem and a1U10W1Ces that they shall make an a1Umal pilgrimage there "to bow low to the King LORD of Hosts and to observe the Feast of Booths" (v. 16). Those who fail to perform this homage "shall receive no rain" (v. 17) or be otherwise pwlished. b. Zechariah 14:20-21 The prophecy concludes with the announcement that "in that day" even the bells of the horses shall become ''Holy to the LORD" (v. 20), and the metal pots of the people shall be sanctified for ritual use. As part ofthis general purification, traders will no longer sell their wares "in the House of the LORD" (v. 21). CONTENT AND MEANING The haftarah begins with the siege ofJerusalem by "all the nations" (Zech. 14:2) and ends with their survivors invited to Jerusalem for Sukkot, "the...