Haftara Jukat - Rav Yehuda Shaviv

 

 

YESHIVAT HAR ETZION

ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)

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THE WEEKLY HAFTORA

By Rav Yehuda Shaviv

 

Haftora for Parashat Chukat

In Each Generation... (Shoftim 11:1-33)

 

The connection between the parasha and the haftora is obvious: Yiftach describes to the king of Ammon the history of how Bnei Yisrael conquered the land of King Sichon, including those portions which Sichon had conquered from Ammon, and that same conquest is described in our parasha.

 

Aside from the actual mention of the events narrated in the parasha, there is something common to the actions of Yiftach and those of Moshe, and it seems that Moshe truly served as Yiftach's model with regard to first offering peace. Twice in the parasha we find that Moshe sends a message of peace; first to the king of Edom (20:14-19) and then to Sichon (21:21-22). Yiftach adopts the same approach, offering peace to the king of Ammon.

 

We also find that there is something common to the content and intention of their words. Just as Moshe gives the king of Edom a brief lesson in Jewish history, so Yiftach presents an account of the conquest of the land of Ammon.