Shabbos HaGadol
Haftorah Shabbos HaGadol
וְהֵשִׁ֚יב לֵֽב־אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים וְלֵ֥ב בָּנִ֖ים עַל־אֲבוֹתָ֑ם
(מלאכי ג כד)
He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents
There are many well-know Pesukim in this week’s Haftorah, Pesukim that anchor us in our faith of the end of days. Malachi in his closing words charges our people to remember the Torah of Moshe, the coming of Eliyahu, the arrival of the great and mighty day, and the returning of the hearts of parents to children and children to their parents. In addition to these words being Malachi’s final speech, these are the final words of prophecy for our people. Somehow knowing that these are Hashem’s final words spoken directly to His people, the words take on even greater significance. What is the message to us as we listen to these words of the Navi today?
Malachi’s parting words give us the key to open the door to Geula, leaving us with a message of hope and faith. As the Children of Israel, the בני ישראל, the strength of our fathers gives us faith to move forward. But it is not only looking back that empowers our people. Knowing the destiny of our children, gives us the will to move ahead toward a better future. It is the past and the future we pray will meet through us as we pray for the Day of Redemption.
The Pesach Seder is our yearly redemption touchpoint, connecting our past with our future. These lessons of faith, lessons of family, and lessons of perseverance are lessons we’ve learned and are now experiencing as we approach Pesach in a surreal and unprecedented way. The past and future will merit to see the fulfillment of the words of the Haftorah, “Behold I will send the prophet Eliyahu to you before the arrival of Hashem’s great and awesome day.”