Haftorah Shemot: Blame It On The Alcohol

Exodus 1:1 – 6:1

Isaiah’s message of redemption mirrors that told to Moses at the burning bush in this week’s Parshah. Isaiah suggests the return of all the Jews lost in Assyria or exiled in Egypt will make their way to the Holy Mount in Jerusalem upon the sounding of a great Shofar.

But of course, there’s rarely promises of future good fortune without some kind of admonition about bad behaviour. Isaiah reprimands folks for what seems like some pretty hefty drunken revelry which left “vomit and odure” on the tables, and turned usually well-behaved men into errant and corrupt men, who at some point wronged the prophet and “justice stumbled.”

There’s also plenty of smiting foretold, and of the offending nation, Isaiah warns that the fortified city is a solitary city. It will eventually burn up its own resources and its people will be ignorant of their situation. “When its branches dry out, they shall be broken…For it is not a people of understanding, therefore its Maker shall not have compassion on it.”

So in the midst of all the “odure” and smiting, we’re left with a couple legit pieces of advice:

• When you overindulge in the sauce, you probably turn into a jerk.
• You must show some understanding to get compassion in return.

Two bits of centuries-old wisdom we could probably all use a friendly reminder about from time to time as we get started on the right track for 2013.

Casey (Kefira) McCarty is a published author living in Ohio. She is the Assistant Director of the Columbus Idea Foundry, a community workshop space, and is an artisan who crafts jewelry, Judaica and fine art available online and in Central Ohio galleries and boutiques. You can find her online shop at www.sinemetudesigns.etsy.com