The Connection Between the Two Rosh Hashanah Torah Readings and the Message for Today

The opening words of this week’s haftarah are among the most shocking in the Bible:“Hear the word of the Lord, rulers of Sodom;give ear to the teaching of our God, people of Gomorrah.” Isaiah is not addressing Sodom and Gomorrah. He is speaking to Jerusalem—to its leaders and its people. They attend the Temple, offer sacrifices, observe Shabbat and the festivals, and raise their hands in prayer. Outwardly, they appear deeply religious. Yet God rejects their worship: “What need have I of all your sacrifices?”“Your incense is an abomination to Me.”“Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen—your hands are full of blood.” Isaiah’s accusation is not that they have abandoned religion, but that they have corrupted it. They preserve its rituals while betraying its moral demands. They invoke God while tolerating injustice, corruption, and bloodshed. It is difficult to hear these words on Shabbat Chazon—the Shabbat on which we begin to confront the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple—without thinking of what many Israelis now call ממשלת החורבן—“the government of destruction”.