The Undercurrent of True Power - Yeshayahu 30-34

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Texts

Isaiah 30

Isaiah 31

Isaiah 32

Isaiah 33

Isaiah 34

Highlights

Choosing War and Dishonour (Perek 30)

In Perek 30, Yeshayahu describes the misplaced trust of the nation of Israel in their ally in the South - Egypt. They place so much trust in that coalition but ultimately it bears no fruit. In fact, Hashem orchestrates it in such a way that Egypt is exiled even before Israel and watches on helplessly. Hashem admonishes them for trusting in Egypt. If they had chosen trust in God, they would have avoided the war they ended up in.
​Yeshayahu 30:15-16

ל,טו כִּי כֹה-אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּשׁוּבָה וָנַחַת תִּוָּשֵׁעוּן--בְּהַשְׁקֵט וּבְבִטְחָה, תִּהְיֶה גְּבוּרַתְכֶם; וְלֹא, אֲבִיתֶם.  ל,טז וַתֹּאמְרוּ לֹא-כִי עַל-סוּס נָנוּס, עַל-כֵּן תְּנוּסוּן; וְעַל-קַל נִרְכָּב, עַל-כֵּן יִקַּלּוּ רֹדְפֵיכֶם​

For thus said my Lord GOD, The Holy One of Israel, “You shall triumph by stillness and quiet; Your victory shall come about Through calm and confidence.” But you refused
​“No,” you declared. “We shall flee on steeds”— Therefore you shall flee! “We shall ride on swift mounts”— Therefore your pursuers shall prove swift!

My friend, Alan Steinmetz, pointed out a recent occurence of this type of mismanaged trust. In the 1930s the League of Nations witnessed and enabled the rise of Germany as a terrifying power in Europe. But instead of taking careful action, they chose pacifism, which ultimately led to the war they were trying to avoid.

"You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, and you will have war."
Winston Churchill to Neville Chamberlain 

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Pesach: The Festival of Hovering (Perek 31)

Yeshayahu makes it clear that Hashem will protect the nation of Israel from enemy onslaught. He uses a curious phrase to describe this.
Yeshayahu 31:5

 כְּצִפֳּרִים עָפוֹת--כֵּן יָגֵן ה׳צְבָאוֹת, עַל-יְרוּשָׁלִָם; גָּנוֹן וְהִצִּיל, פָּסֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט

Like the birds that fly, even so will the LORD of Hosts shield Jerusalem, shielding and saving, protecting and rescuing.

The way we classically understand the word 'Pesach' is to pass over, hence the festival name. However, Rav Yaakov Meidan argues that it could have another meaning: to hover. Hashem promises to hover over us in protection, like He did at the times of the Exodus from Egypt.

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