HIDDEN DEEP LOVE

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer holidays.

After Tisha BeAv, we have the 7 Weeks of Consolation.

Last week was the first, and we read the Haftorah 'Nachamu, Nachamu Ami' - Comfort, comfort My people.

All 7 Haftoras after Tisha BeAv are from the Prophet Yeshayah, and I heard an interesting Dvar Torah from Abudahan, where he sees that the order of the 7 Haftorahs, is relating a message to us.

I only heard how the first 4 relate to the HIDDEN LOVE OF PUNISHMENT as follows: (The punishment from Hashem was obviously the destruction of the Temple, the defeat of the Jewish People and our scattering into exile, for our misbehaviour)

1. Nachamu, nachamu is where Hashem tells Yeshayah to say to the Jewish People, Nachamu - Last week's, Sedra Vaeschanan
2. Azavani Hashem - The Jewish People say that Hashem has abandoned us! - This week's Haftorah, Sedra Ekev
3. Aniyah Soarah Lo Nuchamah - You (Israel), like a storm tossed ship, who has not been comforted - Next week's Haftorah, Sedra Reeh
4. Anochi, Anochi Hu Menachemchem - It is I, yes I who comforts you - Sedra Shoftim

It is hard to understand the above, because we were punished, and now after the punishment we are being comforted, and so why are we still saying 'Hashem has abandoned us' and 'We are like a storm-tossed ship without comfort'?

So the Abudahan explains as follows:

There is a VERY DEEP LOVE OF HASHEM WHICH HE CAN ONLY EXPRESS IN THE HIDDEN WAY OF PUNISHMENT!

But to understand and experience this love , we have to be spiritually prepared for it.

So straight after our defeat and loss of Temple, we were at a low level of spirituality, and if Hashem would have expressed His deep love for us in 'strictness', we would have been completely shattered by it, and would have seen it as aggression.

Therefore Hashem sent Yeshayah to comfort us - Step 1 above

Now the Jewish People are recovering and coming more in tune with Spirituality, and they complain and say, '(We are not satisfied with just a Prophet, we want Hashem Himself) - Hashem has abandoned us!' -Step 2 above

So the Prophets go back to Hashem and relay over the message from Yisrael - Step 3 above.

And now Hashem Himself moves in to comfort Yisrael, who are now Spiritually ready to receive Hashem's GREAT HIDDEN LOVE - Step 4 above.

Wishing everyone a Gut Shabbos .