PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality Online

  • Convert to Judaism
  • Online Rabbinical Program
  • Donate

Haftarah Va’eira: Too Big For Your ‘Breeches’

January 10, 2013 by Patrick Beaulier

haftarah

Ezekiel 28:25-29:21

This week’s haftorah opens by Ezekiel recalling the exiles being led from Egypt and the subsequent decimation of the Pharaoh Meanwhile, over at this week’s Parshah, it’s raining plagues as Moses lobbies for his people’s freedom.
“When I gather in the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered.. then they shall dwell on their land…and dwell upon it securely.”

Flash forward a few centuries, and Egypt is again about to receive some godly punishment—this time a forthcoming flood of conquering Babylonians. Why is Egypt in trouble this time? Ezekiel says their first sin was to renege on their promise to aid Israel when they were being attached by the Babylonians, and secondly, they’ve been arrogant—attributing their success to the Nile and not to G-d. But “the river is mine and I have made it,” and as such, an angered G-d is going to reward Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, for conquering the evil nation of Tyre by offering Egypt as a spoil.

Then in a very specific prophesy, Ezekiel suggests that following the Babylonian stomping, Egypt will be desolate for 40 years, after which people will return to inhabit it, but it will no longer be an important nation to be reckoned with.

Perhaps a warning from history itself—nations rise and fall in power. Even if they are still inhabited, once powerful nations will no longer be what they once were in their glory days. One could argue that, along with many, many other economic and political variables, arrogance indeed still plays a role in a nation’s declining empire.

While you probably don’t have an empire you’re trying to sustain, you can scale that warning to personal success in general. I grew up in Ohio, so the phrase “too big for your breeches” was an oft-cited remonstration from older folks pointing out when the eagerness of youth who have tasted a little success, let themselves become cocky. And when you’re cocky, you look silly—like little kids pretending they’re adults while still wearing short-pants.

Divine smiting notwithstanding, nobody likes cocky, arrogant people, and you just invite people to knock you off your pedestal.

So by all means, grow, succeed, do great things. But be humble and helpful, respect the promises you’ve made to others, and recognize that you’ve had help along the way. Otherwise, you may not be a force to be reckoned with for long, and you’ll always have to look over your shoulder for advancing Babylonians!

Filed Under: Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud) Tagged With: convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, haftarah, online conversion, Parsha Va'eira, parsha vayeira, parshah va'eira, parshah vayeira, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, vaeira, vayeira

Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary: Online Rabbinical Program

Through our relationship with Darshan Yeshiva, we are supporting the launch of Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary (PRS), what we hope to be the very best in practical, distance learning based rabbinical education. What do we love about this project? PRS is the only rabbinical school … [Read More...]

Now Hiring: Rabbis, Educators & Creatives

Rabbis Sought Want to work one-on-one as a rabbi, educator and mentor for an organization that is growing by leaps and bounds, utilizing new models of Jewish community as well as the latest learning technology? Darshan Yeshiva is currently searching for rabbis to be part of our growing … [Read More...]

Become a Jewish Spiritual Leader

Our online leadership school, Darshan Yeshiva, teaches you everything you need to know to become a Darshan, a lay Jewish spiritual leader serving unaffiliated communities all over the world. There are so many Jews out there who need community, but for whom there will never be a … [Read More...]

PunkTorah Inc.
PO Box 1641
Midlothian, VA 23113

questions@punktorah.org
YouTube
Facebook

Read our DMCA notice

Search the PunkTorah Blog Archive

What We Do

Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary: Online Rabbinical Program

Now Hiring: Rabbis, Educators & Creatives

Become a Jewish Spiritual Leader

  • Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud)
  • Judaism & Belief
  • The G-d Project Videos
  • Podcasts & Videos
  • NewKosher (Recipes)
  • Converting To Judaism
  • LGBTQ & Women
  • Shabbat & Holidays

Copyright PunkTorah Inc.© 2023