Haftorah
📖 Summary of Hosheia 11:7-12:14
Israel’s wavering: The people hesitate to return to Hashem, showing deceit and instability.
Ephraim’s deceit: Israel (Ephraim) surrounds Hashem with lies and deceit, while Judah shows more faithfulness.
Empty pursuits: Ephraim chases the east wind—symbolizing futility—engaging in deceit, plunder, and foreign alliances with Assyria and Egypt.
Hashem’s contention: The Lord brings charges against Judah and Yaakov, promising to repay them according to their deeds.
Yaakov’s example: Yaakov grasped his brother’s heel in the womb and wrestled with an angel, prevailing through tears and supplication. This recalls Israel’s history of striving with Hashem.
Divine identity: The Lord is the Hashem of hosts, His Name is holy.
Call to return: Hashem urges His people to return to Him, practicing kindness, justice, and hope.
Corruption and greed: Ephraim is likened to a dishonest merchant with false scales, boasting of wealth while ignoring sin.
Hashem’s reminder: He is the same Hashem who brought Israel out of Egypt, who spoke through prophets and gave visions.
False worship: Violence in Gilead and empty sacrifices in Gilgal show their worship is vain, with altars like heaps of stones in a plowed field.
Yaakov’s labor: Israel’s ancestor worked hard for a wife, showing endurance and struggle.
Prophetic guidance: Through a prophet, Hashem led Israel out of Egypt and preserved them.
Judgment on Ephraim: Because of provocation and bitterness, Ephraim’s blood and disgrace will be upon him, as Hashem repays his rebellion.