Difference between revisions of "Yeshayahu's Mission in Chapter 6/1/en"

From AlHaTorah.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m
Line 4: Line 4:
 
<h1>Yeshayahu's Mission in Chapter 6</h1>
 
<h1>Yeshayahu's Mission in Chapter 6</h1>
 
<div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div>
 
<div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div>
<h2>The Vision</h2>
+
<h2>A Unique Vision</h2>
 
<p>Descriptions of theophanies are somewhat rare in Tanakh, making Yeshayahu's vision of Hashem in Chapter 6 somewhat unique. Yeshayahu views Hashem sitting on His throne, surrounded by angels who laud Him.&#160; At the sound, the House trembles and fills with smoke. Yeshayahu reacts:</p>
 
<p>Descriptions of theophanies are somewhat rare in Tanakh, making Yeshayahu's vision of Hashem in Chapter 6 somewhat unique. Yeshayahu views Hashem sitting on His throne, surrounded by angels who laud Him.&#160; At the sound, the House trembles and fills with smoke. Yeshayahu reacts:</p>
 
<multilang style="overflow: auto;">
 
<multilang style="overflow: auto;">
<q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(ה) וָאֹמַר אוֹי לִי כִי נִדְמֵיתִי כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי וּבְתוֹךְ עַם טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב כִּי אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ י"י צְבָאוֹת רָאוּ עֵינָי. (ו) וַיָּעׇף אֵלַי אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׂרָפִים וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה בְּמֶלְקַחַיִם לָקַח מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. (ז) וַיַּגַּע עַל פִּי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה נָגַע זֶה עַל שְׂפָתֶיךָ וְסָר עֲוֺנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר. (ח) וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת קוֹל אֲדֹנָי אֹמֵר אֶת מִי אֶשְׁלַח וּמִי יֵלֶךְ לָנוּ וָאֹמַר הִנְנִי שְׁלָחֵנִי. </q>
+
<q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(ה) וָאֹמַר אוֹי לִי כִי נִדְמֵיתִי כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי וּבְתוֹךְ עַם טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב כִּי אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ י"י צְבָאוֹת רָאוּ עֵינָי. (ו) וַיָּעׇף אֵלַי אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׂרָפִים וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה בְּמֶלְקַחַיִם לָקַח מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. (ז) וַיַּגַּע עַל פִּי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה נָגַע זֶה עַל שְׂפָתֶיךָ וְסָר עֲוֺנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר. (ח) וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת קוֹל אֲדֹנָי אֹמֵר אֶת מִי אֶשְׁלַח וּמִי יֵלֶךְ לָנוּ וָאֹמַר הִנְנִי שְׁלָחֵנִי.</q>
 
</multilang>
 
</multilang>
 
<p>What prompts this unique revelation? Most prophecies in Tanakh are not preceded by visions of God, so why is this one?&#160; Does Hashem's question "Who shall I send" suggest that it constitutes Yeshayahu's initiation into prophecy? If so, though, why does it not open the book?</p>
 
<p>What prompts this unique revelation? Most prophecies in Tanakh are not preceded by visions of God, so why is this one?&#160; Does Hashem's question "Who shall I send" suggest that it constitutes Yeshayahu's initiation into prophecy? If so, though, why does it not open the book?</p>
 +
 +
<h2>Yeshayahu's Reaction</h2>
 +
Yeshayahu's reaction to the initial vision of Hashem is somewhat perplexing:<br/>
 
<ul>
 
<ul>
<li><b>"אוֹי לִי כִי נִדְמֵיתִי"</b> – What does the word "נִדְמֵיתִי" mean?&#160; What aspect of seeing Hashem makes Yeshayahu so distraught?&#160;</li>
+
<li><b>"אוֹי לִי כִי נִדְמֵיתִי"</b> – How are we to understand this distraught cry of Yeshayahu?&#160; What does the word "נִדְמֵיתִי" mean?&#160; What aspect of seeing Hashem makes the prophet so upset?</li>
 
<li><b>"כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי"</b> – Why does Yeshayahu consider himself a "man of impure lips"?</li>
 
<li><b>"כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי"</b> – Why does Yeshayahu consider himself a "man of impure lips"?</li>
<li><b> "וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה"</b> – What is signified by the coal which is placed on Yeshayahu's lips? When the angel says that his action has removed Yeshayahu's sin, to what sin is he referring?</li>
+
<li><b> "וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה"</b> – What is signified by the coal which is placed on Yeshayahu's lips? When the angel says that his action has removed Yeshayahu's sin ("וְסָר עֲוֺנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר"), to what sin is he referring?</li>
<li><b>"אֶת מִי אֶשְׁלַח"</b> – Why does Hashem asked for volunteers for this mission? Does not Hashem usually choose his messengers on his own?</li>
+
<li><b>"אֶת מִי אֶשְׁלַח"</b> – Why does Hashem asked for volunteers for this mission? Does not Hashem usually choose his messengers on his own?&#160; Why is Yeshayahu so eager to comply?<fn>Other leaders, such as Moshe, Gidon and Yirmeyahu, hesitate before accepting the mission thrust upon them by Hashem.</fn> </li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
<multilang style="overflow: auto;">
 
<q xml:lang="en" style="margin-bottom:0;">(5) Then said I: Woe is me! for I am undone; Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For mine eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts. (6) Then flew unto me one of the seraphim, with a glowing stone in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; (7) and he touched my mouth with it, and said: Lo, this hath touched thy lips; And thine iniquity is taken away, And thy sin expiated. (8) And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, And who will go for us? Then I said: 'Here am I; send me.'</q>
 
</multilang>
 
  
 
</page>
 
</page>
 
</aht-xml>
 
</aht-xml>

Version as of 06:28, 15 August 2018

Yeshayahu's Mission in Chapter 6

Introduction

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

A Unique Vision

Descriptions of theophanies are somewhat rare in Tanakh, making Yeshayahu's vision of Hashem in Chapter 6 somewhat unique. Yeshayahu views Hashem sitting on His throne, surrounded by angels who laud Him.  At the sound, the House trembles and fills with smoke. Yeshayahu reacts:

EN/HEע/E

(ה) וָאֹמַר אוֹי לִי כִי נִדְמֵיתִי כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי וּבְתוֹךְ עַם טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב כִּי אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ י"י צְבָאוֹת רָאוּ עֵינָי. (ו) וַיָּעׇף אֵלַי אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׂרָפִים וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה בְּמֶלְקַחַיִם לָקַח מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. (ז) וַיַּגַּע עַל פִּי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה נָגַע זֶה עַל שְׂפָתֶיךָ וְסָר עֲוֺנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר. (ח) וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת קוֹל אֲדֹנָי אֹמֵר אֶת מִי אֶשְׁלַח וּמִי יֵלֶךְ לָנוּ וָאֹמַר הִנְנִי שְׁלָחֵנִי.

What prompts this unique revelation? Most prophecies in Tanakh are not preceded by visions of God, so why is this one?  Does Hashem's question "Who shall I send" suggest that it constitutes Yeshayahu's initiation into prophecy? If so, though, why does it not open the book?

Yeshayahu's Reaction

Yeshayahu's reaction to the initial vision of Hashem is somewhat perplexing:

  • "אוֹי לִי כִי נִדְמֵיתִי" – How are we to understand this distraught cry of Yeshayahu?  What does the word "נִדְמֵיתִי" mean?  What aspect of seeing Hashem makes the prophet so upset?
  • "כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי" – Why does Yeshayahu consider himself a "man of impure lips"?
  • "וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה" – What is signified by the coal which is placed on Yeshayahu's lips? When the angel says that his action has removed Yeshayahu's sin ("וְסָר עֲוֺנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר"), to what sin is he referring?
  • "אֶת מִי אֶשְׁלַח" – Why does Hashem asked for volunteers for this mission? Does not Hashem usually choose his messengers on his own?  Why is Yeshayahu so eager to comply?1