Parashat Nitzavim

Parashat Nitzavim

This weeks Torah reading is Nitzavim and this Torah reading brings to mind an incident in which Yeshua delivered the haftorah reading in Luke 4:16-22:

Each Sabbath in the synagogues a portion of the Torah is read so that over the period of a year the entire Torah has been read.  For a time, under the Hellene Empire, Jews were forbidden from reading the Torah in the synagogues.  As a result parallel selections from the Prophets were chosen for each weeks reading.  This reading, called a haftorah reading, was intended to bring to memory the parallel Torah reading.  After Torah reading was again permitted in the synagogues, the haftorah readings were also retained, so that both sets of readings are done to this very day.  Yeshua’s haftorah reading begins in Isaiah 61:1-2 although Yeshua abruptly stops after verse 2, rolls the scroll back up and says “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.”

Now today Isaiah 61:1-2 is not part of the haftorah readings, but there is a haftorah reading which begins at 61:10 and runs thru 63:9.  It would appear that this reading originally began in Isaiah 61:1.  This haftorah reading is intended to remind us of the Torah reading known as Nitzavim (“standing”) (Deut. 29:9 (10)-30:20).  

Thus the Torah reading which this haftorah reading is supposed to bring to our mind begins:

You are standing this day all of you
before YHWH your Elohim…

This Torah reading was being brought to mind as Yeshua said:  

Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.

This verse is also applied to the “Melchizadek” figure in the “Melchizadek Document” found among the Dead Sea Scrolls:

…Isaiah said: "To proclaim the Jubilee to the
captives" (Isa. 61;1) (...) just as (...) and from
the inheritance of Melchizedek, for (... Melchizedek) ,
who will return them to what is rightfully theirs.
He will proclaim to them  the Jubilee, thereby
releasing them from the debt of all their sins…
Then the "Day of Atonement" shall  follow …,
when he shall atone for all the Sons of Light,
and the people who are predestined to Melchizedek….
The visitation is the Day of Salvation that He has
decreed through Isaiah the prophet concerning
all the captives, inasmuch as Scripture says, "How
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the
messenger who announces peace, who brings
good news, who announces salvation, who says to
Zion "Your Elohim reigns"." (Isa. 52;7)
This scriptures interpretation : "the mountains"
are the prophets, they who were sent to proclaim
Elohim's truth and to prophesy to all Israel. "The
messengers" is the Messiah of the spirit, of whom
Daniel spoke; "After the sixty-two weeks, Messiah
shall be cut off" (Dan. 9;26) The "messenger who
brings good news, who announces Salvation"
is the one of whom it is written; "to proclaim the
year of YHWH`s favor, the day of the vengeance
of our Elohim; to comfort all who mourn" (Isa. 61;2)
(extracts from 11Q13)

The Scripture says:

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to dwell together in unity!
(Ps. 133:1 HRV)

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