The
Return of the Good Shepherd – the Maschiah Yisra’el (Messiah of Israel)
When the Shabbat or the Seventh-day Sabbath falls during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Haftarah (Half Torah) read on that day is called the Halftaras Vayeilech. This is a special and meaningful Haftarah because it gives special consideration to the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel. This special Shabbat is called the Sabbath of Repentance and also the Sabbath of Return and focuses on the three books of the “The Twelve Prophets”; Hosea, Joel, and Micah; Hosea 14:2-10; Joel 2:11-27; and Micah 7:18-20
This Haftarah follows the seventh and the last of the Haftaros of consolation, called the Haftaras Nitzavim that speaks of the ecstatic time of redemption or the final years of the throes of both the Israelite and the Jewish exiles. Here we are greeted with the words, when HaShem, the G-d of Israel proclaims, “For Zion’s sake, I will not be silent.”
Here we are faced with the emotions of the Divine that the days of exile are about over. This is emphasized in the Targum Yonasan to be a warning that as long as the 3700 years of exile of the Lost Northern Tribes of Israel, and the 1942 years of Jewish exile continue in their dispersal throughout the world, the world would not have a peaceful night of tranquility.
In other words, the 70 nations of the world are groaning and moaning in famine, pogroms, genocide, holocausts, climatic changes, progressive earthquake and volcanoes, and social disorder as the economic instability becomes not just national but global. This will continue until the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel and the Assimilated Jews in the Diaspora have returned from their exiles and become one in brotherhood in the Land of Israel.
The History of the past and the History in our immediate future will bear out the rest of this prophecy in Isaiah 61:16-63:9.
Isaiah 62:1-5, 10 – “For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be still, until her righteousness emanates like bright light, and her salvation blazes like a torch. Nation will perceive your righteousness and all the kings your honor; and you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of HaShem will pronounce.
Then you will be crown of splendor in the hand of HaShem and a royal diadem in the palm of your G-d. It will not longer be said of you “Forsaken One,” and of your land it will no longer be said “Desolate Place”; for you will be called “My Desire is in Her,” and your land “Inhabited,” for HaShem’s desire is in you, and your land will become inhabited. As a young man takes a maiden in marriage, so will your children settle in you; and like a bridegroom’s rejoicing over his bride, so will your G-d rejoice over you…
Go through, go through the gates; clear the way for the people; pave the road; clear it of stones; raise a banner over the peoples. Behold, Hashem has announce to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your Savior has come!” Behold, His reward is with Him, and his way is before Him. People will call them, ‘the Holy People, the redeemed of HaShem’; and you will be called, ‘Sought After,’ ‘The City not Forsaken.’”
Here in metaphoric language, the One G-d of Israel is described as a Warrior coming from a battle. His clothing is splattered with the blood of the Edomites, whose ancestral beginnings was one of the sons (grandsons) of Esau. At the end of this prophecy, it also states that the G-d of Israel called the “One Who was majestic in His raiment, Who was girded with His abundant strength” will join Klal Yisrael (All Israel), Jews and Israelites alike against the nations that will come against them. As stated:
Isaiah 63:1-8, 27 – “Who is this that comes from Edom (NATO/American forces), sullied of garment from Bozrah (port in Southern Iraq)? It is this One Who was majestic in His raiment, Who was girded with His abundant strength? – ‘It is I Who speaks in righteousness, abundantly able to save.’ Why the red stain on Your raiment? And Your garments – as one who tread in the wine vat!’
A Wine press have I trod my Myself, and from the nations not a man was with Me; I trod on them in My anger and trample them in My wrath, their lifeblood spurted out on My garments, and I soiled My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in My heart and the year of My redemption has come.
I looked, but there was no helper, I was astonished but there was no supporter. So My arm saved for Me, and My wrath supported Me. I trampled peoples in My anger and stupefied them with My wrath, and threw their lifeblood to the ground.’
The kindness of HaShem will I mention, the praises of HaShem, in accordance with al that HaShem has bestowed upon us, and the abundant goodness to the House of Israel, which He bestowed upon them in His compassion and in His abundant kindness. For He said, ‘Yet they are My people…
Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am HaShem, your G-d, and there is no other; and My people shall never be put to shame.” (Stone Edition TaNaKh)
Here we see unequivocally that the G-d of Israel joins both Jews and Israelites in their exile and during the centuries of their troubles, He was troubled. Though the Lost Israelites had lost their identity, they were drawn back to HaShem even through the apostate roots of Roman Christianity. They were never abandoned but would someday be “returned home” to spiritual roots in Orthodox Judaism.
Though many of the Jews also lost their identity in the apostasy of the Shabbatean heresy by assimilating into Islam or Roman Christianity, they also were never truly abandoned; for the One G-d of Israel was watching over them through the pogroms, holocausts, and Inquisitions and sharing in their grief. If one pathway of the long journey of redemption and restoration was unbearable, the G-d of Israel was preparing another pathway to the final journey into the Messianic Era. Always along this paths, with both the Lost Israelites and the Jews, He, as the One G-d of Israel was sharing the travails of their journey.
So why did the Haftaras Vayeilech follow the Haftaras Nitzavim? These days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur are foretelling the future days of redemption when the Maschiah (Messiah) will come to redeem all of His people. It is interesting that in the Haftaras Vayeilech portion, the verses responding to the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel in the Book of Hosea are especially highlighted; for it is they, the Lost Tribers, who continued to abominated G-d’s Holy Name throughout all their generations.
Hosea 14:2-10 – “Return, O Israel, to HaShem, your G-d, for you have stumbled through your iniquity. Take words with you and return to HaShem; say to Him, ‘Forgive every sin and accept goodness, and let our lips substitute for (the sacrifice of) bulls. Assyria cannot help us, we will not ride the horse, nor will we ever again call our handiwork ‘our god’ – only in You will the orphan find compassion.’
I shall heal their rebelliousness; I shall love them willingly, for My wrath will be withdrawn from them. I shall be like the dew to Israel, it will blossom like the rose and strike its roots like the (forest of) Lebanon. Its tender branches will spread, and its glory will be like an olive tree; its aroma will be like the Lebanon. Tranquil will be those who sit in its shade, they will refresh themselves like grain and blossom like the grapevine, their reputation will be like the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim (will say), ‘What more need have (for idols? I will respond and look to him. I am like an ever-fresh cypress, from Me shall your fruit be found.
Whoever is wise will understand these, a discerning person will know them of the ways of HaShem are just – the righteous will walk in them; but sinners will stumble on them. (The Stone Edition of “The Chumash”)
So we read the original nine verses of Hosea that are universally highlighted in the services of all the synagogues around the world, for it is a loving call to repentance. Even though the Lost Ten Tribes have grievously sinned, the true neshama Israeli soul or their spiritual essence had remained good and pure. They were not hopelessly evil, and will someday be redeemed because HaShem, the G-d of Israel claimed that He will do it!
The Lost Sheep of the House of Israel had stumbled into sin, for they followed what their eyes desired and what their emotions (heart) yearned for, and failed to daily recite the “Shema Yisrael” that their brothers the Orthodox Jews daily recited to remember the commands of G-d:
uz-char-tem et kawl mits-vot A-do-nai, va-a-si-tem o-tam,
v'lo sa-su-ru a-cha-rei l'vav-chem, v'a-cha-rei ei-nei-chem
a-sher a-tem zo-nim a-cha-rei-hem,
And remember all the commandments of HaShem, and perform them;
and you shall not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray.
Even though the Lost Tribes of Israel sinned, their potential was always there for repentance. When that day comes, the Almighty One of Israel will draw them back to Himself and He will be there to accept them and to forgive them as the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel come in brotherhood with the Jews of the House of Judah during the “Days of the Messiah”.
You Might want to Read the Following:
“The G-d of Israel is Transforming Planet Earth for the Reunion of the Jews with the Lost Israelites”
“Are You willing to Believe that G-d will give you to Eat from the ‘Best of the Land’”
“What is the G-d of Israel trying to tell us?: Jewish Fall Feasts and the Comet Elenin”
““Spiritual Blindness” in the Fourth Year before the Coming of the Messiah”
************
There are no words in the Bible that stand out in such stark contrasts as the facts that the mountains of Israel in Shomron and Judea are strategically a part of the prophetic drama that will envelop the Land of Israel at the time of the end. One of the great themes is the return of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel back to their homeland in Samaria, Galilee, Lebanon, Basham, and Gilead.
That is why it is important to understand more about Rabbinic Judaism and its Biblical Mandate to preserve the Mountains of Israel in Shomron for the return of the Lost Tribes of Israel. If this is your quest, Contact “Kol Ha Tor”, the Voice of the Turtledove.
Here is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United). This super Event of all Times will entail Establishing the Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All Israel.
For inquiries about Kol Ha Tor Ministries for the Lost Tribes of Israel, Visit – “Shomron Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House.