Yeshayahu Chapter 40 | Comfort, Comfort My People

Today we enter the second part of Sefer Yeshayahu, which in some ways is very different from the part we’ve studied until now. Some of these differences relate to the discussion of whether a second Yeshayahu existed, which we will address at a later stage. Today's chapter is also the haftara of "Shabbat Nachamu," the first of the seven haftarot of consolation following Tisha B'Av. Indeed, a significant characteristic of the chapters we begin today is their focus on consolation and redemption.

Chapter 40 opens with a clear call for comfort and preparation for the revelation of God: "Comfort, comfort, My people, My people - these are your God's words… A voice calls out: ‘Clear the Lord's way in the desert: smooth across the arid plain a road for our God’". Some motifs here connect to themes of redemption that we recognize from earlier in Yeshayahu. For example, preparing the roads for God's revelation recalls the preparation of the paths for the ingathering of Israel (11:16). The following verse, "Every valley will be raised, each hill and mountain leveled; the twisted road will be made straight; the mountain ranges, open land" (40:4), echoes descriptions of the Day of the Lord, which involve humbling symbols of pride.

Beyond describing redemption, this chapter focuses intensely on theology. It employs many literary tools, including recurring phrases (for example, "Grass dries, shoots wither" and "His arm"), recurring questions (such as the "What will you liken to God" and its variations throughout the chapter), and rhetorical questions.

The chapter focuses on two theological themes. The first is the affirmation that God is the Creator of the world. The prophecy calls upon humanity, asking who can claim to know God's ways in creation: "Who was it who measured out the waters in His palm and gauged the skies by His handspan? Who measured in His fingers all the dust of earth; Who weighed out the hills on His balance and the mountains upon a hand scale?" (40:12). The second theme emphasizes that God is the overseer and ruler of the world: "To gain His insight, with whom did He hold counsel; who taught Him the path of justice? Who ever taught Him awareness; who showed Him the way of insight?" (40:13–14).

Both these themes are revisited later in the chapter. On one hand, there is a call to marvel at the wonders of creation: "Raise your eyes skyward and see: Who created all these? (40:26) — to grasp its magnitude, splendor, and majesty. On the other hand, the grandeur of God as Creator might cause a person to feel insignificant and believe that his actions do not matter to God. To counter this, the prophet proclaims: "Why do you say, Yaakov; Israel, why declare, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my God overlooks my claim?’" (40:27). God engages in creating the heavens and also gives strength to ordinary people: "He gives the weary strength, the helpless, power" (40:29).

It seems that these two themes — God’s creation of the vast universe and His attentive governance over its details — underlie the most central issues in Yeshayahu. On the one hand, the suppression of human arrogance links to the understanding that God is the Creator and sovereign over the world. On the other hand, the demand for humans to lead the society around them with righteousness and justice stems directly from the fact that God governs His world with righteousness and justice in every detail. And perhaps God is telling us: Just as My governance over the details of the world does not diminish My honor and respect, so too, you must not refrain from helping the poor and simple because you consider yourselves in a higher status. If God helps the vulnerable, surely you can and must do the same.