THE TEN SABBATHS OF ADMONITION, CONSOLATION AND REPENTANCE
PART TWO
Once again, generally speaking, the various selections from the Prophets, called “Haftaroth,” which are read after the Torah portion itself on each Shabbath during the annual Torah study cycle, are topical in nature, reflecting the subject and spirit of their particular Torah portions. However, during the ten weeks preceding Yom Hakipporym, they are instead all focused upon a single theme – the process of admonition and rebuke, consolation and promise, repentance and return. There are, respectively, three Sabbaths of Admonition, seven Sabbaths of Consolation, and three Sabbaths of Repentance. These correspond to and are contained within the latter portion of the annual Hebrew festival cycle, and more specifically to the “fasts of the fourth, fifth, and seventh (Hebrew) months,” concluding with the Great Fast, Yom Hakippurym. This three-part series attempts to describe and illuminate the underlying structure and ideas behind the careful placement of these special Haftaroth, and somewhat of the reasons for the fasts themselves.
The entirety of the scriptural festival cycle, and indeed the entirety of the scriptures themselves, is likened to a Hebrew wedding ceremony, which itself is more than a single event, it is a process. This process begins in the spring with the choosing of the bride depicted by Pesach (Passover), the grooming and preparation of her throughout the fifty-day cycle of the Omer count, continues in the summer with the betrothal ceremony symbolized by Shavuoth (Pentecost), and then finally comes to glorious conclusion in the fall with the marriage ceremony and its consummation illustrated by the festival of Sukkoth (Tabernacles). During the first two festivals and throughout the time between them, the groom remains close by his bride, teaching her as they go through the process of choosing, preparation and betrothal. However, once the betrothal ceremony is complete, the groom leaves her for a time to go and prepare their future home, giving instruction that she should remain chaste and continue to do those things she has been taught and which will enhance the bond between them until His return for her. It is at this point that things inevitably go awry. Without the continuing shepherding presence of the groom by her side, the bride-to-be fails in her faith and commitment, forsakes the One who loves her, and falls into sin. The ten Sabbaths of Admonition, Consolation, and Repentance are concerned with this period of time. It is we, the Qedoshym (Set-apart-ones, or Saints) and the Commonwealth of Israel, who make up this spiritual bride and who have sinned against our Groom – YHWH Most-High. Because of this, we must find a sure way to awaken from our spiritual slumber and deviance and then return in faithfulness to the One we love and are betrothed to.
Thankfully, we know this sad story has a happy ending. We know the groom has the grace, strength, patience and love to wait for his bride and save her from all her failures. He, above all others, is faithful and will not forsake us. We, as the people of the Commonwealth of Israel, keep our trust in him, then remember and rehearse our own parts as the hopeful bride-to-be in this story each year with the fasts, prayers and special Sabbaths of Admonition, Consolation, and of Repentance during the ten weeks prior to Yom Hakipporym.
THE SEVEN SABBATHS AND HAFTAROTH OF CONSOLATION
Shabbath Nachamu is the Sabbath following Tzom Lachodesh Hachamishy. Its name comes from the first words of the haftarah for the day in parshath Va’ethchanan which says “Nachamu, Nachamu ami, yomar Eloheykem,” which means, “Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people, saith your Elohym.” The scripture is a reassurance that Yisrael’s time of chastisement is now over, “for she has received at the hand of YHWH double for all her sins.” It is the first of the “Seven Sabbaths of Consolation” which are read in the weeks between the Fast of the Fifth Month and the festival of Yom Teruah, bringing hope to the people of Yisrael from her soon returning King.
The scripture readings are: Devarym 3:23-7:11 and Yeshayahu 40:1-26. The Haftarah includes the verses which say:
“Comfort, comfort My people!” says your Elohim, “Speak to the heart of Yerushalayim, and cry out to her, that her hard service is completed, that her crookedness is pardoned, that she has received from the hand of YHWH double for all her sins.” The voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of YHWH; make straight in the desert a highway for our Elohim. Let every valley be raised, and every mountain and hill made low. And the steep ground shall become level, and the rough places smooth. And the esteem of YHWH shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see it. For the mouth of YHWH has spoken.”
Parshath Eiqev is the second Sabbath of Consolation.
The readings for the day are: Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25 and Isaiah 49:14-51:3. The Haftarah includes the verses which say:
“Sing, O heavens, rejoice, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For YHWH shall comfort His people and have compassion on His afflicted ones. ‘But Tsiyon says, “YHWH has forsaken me, and YHWH has forgotten me.” Would a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Though they forget, I never forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are always before Me.’”
Parshath R’eih is the third Sabbath of Consolation.
The readings for the day are: Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 and Isaiah 54:11-55:5. The Haftarah includes the verses which say:
“See, they shall indeed assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever shall assemble against you falls for your sake! See, I Myself have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work. And I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall prove wrong. This is the inheritance of the servants of YHWH, and their righteousness from Me,” declares YHWH.
Selicoth Prayers – With the commencement of the sixth Hebrew month comes a traditional forty-day fast of repentance which continues throughout the period leading up to Yom Hakippurym. This is most often called Tzom B’elul, “the fast of Elul,” by mainstream Judaism. On the eve of the New Moon which begins the sixth Hebrew month, the shofar is gently blown as a clarion call to repentance. It is blown again more loudly on each of the forty days to “awaken the slumberers” from their apathy and warn them of the impending arrival of their King. The prayers of Selicoth are also begun on that first day as the fast begins.
Selicoth means “forgivenesses.” They are penitential prayers which are said each day during the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Awe which follow. These forty days correspond to the final forty days Moshe spent on Mount Sinai before bringing the second set of tablets back to the people, and so the prayers are appropriately accompanied by Tehillah (Psalm) 27 and the “Thirteen Attributes” of YHWH from Sh’moth 34. They are also thought to be the same forty days that Yeshua spent in the wilderness fasting before beginning his ministry here on the earth.
Parshath Shophtym is the fourth Sabbath of Consolation.
The readings for the day are: Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9 and Isaiah 51:12-52:12. The Haftarah includes the verses which say:
“I, I am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of man that dies, and of the son of man who is made like grass? And you have forgotten YHWH your Maker who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you continually fear, all the day, because of the rage of the oppressor, as he has prepared to destroy. And where is the rage of the oppressor? Bowed, he hastens to be loosened, that he should not die in the pit, and that his bread should not fail. But I am YHWH your Elohim, stirring up the sea, and its waves roar. YHWH of hosts is His Name. And I have put My Words in your mouth, and with the shadow of My hand I have covered you, to plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and to say to Tsiyon, ‘You are My people.’”
Parshath Ky Theitzei is the fifth Sabbath of Consolation.
The readings for the day are: Deuteronomy 21:10-25: and Isaiah 54:1-10. The Haftarah includes the verses which say:
“For YHWH has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when you were refused. Your Elohim declares, ‘For a little while I have forsaken you, but with great compassion I shall gather you. In an overflow of wrath I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting mercy I shall have compassion on you,’ said YHWH, your Redeemer. ‘For this is the waters of Noach to Me, in that I have sworn that the waters of Noach would never again cover the earth, so have I sworn not to be angry with you, nor to rebuke you. For though the mountains be removed and the hills be shaken, My mercy is not removed from you, nor is My covenant of peace shaken,” said YHWH, who has compassion on you.’”
Parshath Ky Thavo is the sixth Sabbath of Consolation.
The readings for the day are: Deuteronomy 26:1-29: and Isaiah 60:1-22. The Haftarah includes the verses which say:
“Instead of bronze I bring gold, and instead of iron I bring silver, and bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stones. And I shall make your officers peace, and your magistrates righteousness. Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor ruin within your borders. And you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. No longer is the sun your light by day, nor does the moon give light to you for brightness, but YHWH shall be to you an everlasting light, and your Elohim your comeliness. No longer does your sun go down, nor your moon withdraw itself, for YHWH shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the earth forever – a branch of My planting, a work of My hands, to be adorned.”
Parshath Nitzavym is the seventh and final Sabbath of Consolation. It is always the Sabbath immediately preceding the festival of Yom Teruah.
The readings for the day are: Deuteronomy 29:9-30: and Isaiah 61:10-63:9. The Haftarah includes the verses which say:
“For Tsiyon’s sake I am not silent, and for Yerushalayim’s sake I do not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. And the nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your esteem. And you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of YHWH designates. And you shall be a crown of comeliness in the hand of YHWH, and a royal head-dress in the hand of your Elohim. No longer are you called ‘Forsaken,’ and no longer is your land called ‘Deserted.’ But you shall be called ‘Chephtsivah,’ and your land ‘Beulah,’ for YHWH shall delight in you, and your land be married. For as a young man marries a maiden, so shall your sons marry you. And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your Elohim rejoice over you.”
The sum of the seven Sabbaths of consolation is that the bride of the Most-High, which is the people of Israel and is symbolized by the Temple and city of Yerushalayim, is still precious in the eyes of YHWH, and He will never forsake her. He has set His heart on her and will forgive her sins against Him, paying any price necessary if she will only return to Him. To that end, He is now consoling her and wooing her back to Him with words of promise and love, as it is written:
“Therefore, see, I am alluring her, and shall lead her into the wilderness, and shall speak to her heart, and give to her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Akor as a door of hope. And there she shall respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Mitsrayim. And it shall be, in that day,” declares YHWH, “that you call Me ‘Ishi’ (my Husband), and no longer call Me ‘Ba’ali’ (my Master). And I shall remove the names of the Ba’alim from her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. And in that day I shall make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping creatures of the ground, when bow, and sword, and battle I break from the earth. And I shall make them lie down in safety. And I shall take you as a bride unto Me forever, and take you as a bride unto Me in righteousness, and in judgement, and mercy and compassion. And I shall take you as a bride unto Me in faithfulness, and you shall know YHWH.”
These perfect words of love are once again to the spiritual slumberers of Yisrael. They are intended to awaken us to our condition each year and cause us to turn to YHWH in faith and obedience in anticipation of His imminent return. They are meant to melt our icy and hardened hearts, turning them from stone into flesh, making them whole and undivided again so that we return once and for all to the One who truly loves us and always will – to our beloved Groom, with whom we belong.
May YHWH inflame our hearts with His love to return completely to Him and never stray again.
B’shalom, Ovadyah
Thought for Today: Monday August 04
It is not a sin to long for heaven. If we know Yeshua, we know that in heaven all our burdens and pain will be lifted forever. It is as the apostle Paul stated: “better by far to be in heaven with Yeshua, than to be suffering on this sin-filled earth. At the same time though, YHVH Elohiym has a purpose in keeping us here until He finally takes us home. He has things to teach us about Himself and He can still use us to bless others. Keep your eyes on eternity, but also seek the Moshiach’s will for you right now, no matter what you are facing today.
Here's First Fruits Ministries' sermon for the Sabbath on 8/2/2025, called "Elementary Principles of Messiah, Part 18: (Eternal Judgment, Part B)":
Does not #wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
#proverbs 8:1-3
The places where Wisdom calls are all high traffic areas that people pass through, but don't necessarily stop. Wisdom isn't hard to find, but you have to be looking for it, and you have to stop and listen when others keep walking.
Please! Let me cross over and see the good land across the Jordan—that good hill country and the Lebanon.
Deuteronomy 3:25 TLV
Moses’ prayer is much like Yeshua’s prayer in the Garden, “Let this cup pass from me”, but he had to die in order to enable the people to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land.
We Aren’t Doubting And We Are “Doubting Thomas” | #thomas
This week's #torah reading is called #vaetchanan, which comes from Deuteronomy 3:23 and means "And I pleaded".
Here's a list of Apostolic passages to read and study alongside this Parsha (#deuteronomy 3:23-7:11), plus links to commentary and video teachings: https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/03/28/parsha-va
"If a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; the owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead shall be his."
Ex 21
8/4/2025
TZOM LACHODESH HACHAMISHY
Tzom Lachodesh Hachamishy, also known as Tisha B’av (the 9th of Av), is the “Fast of the Fifth Month” listed in Zekaryah 8:19. It brings to a formal close the three weeks encompassing the Sabbaths of Admonition. The day is a solemn fast of mourning for the destruction of both the first and second Temples in 586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E, as well as several other national calamities that have come upon the people of Yisrael throughout history on this same day because of their many sins. Normal routines are set-aside and prayers of repentance and supplication are said. When Tzom Lachodesh Hachamishy falls on a weekly Sabbath, its observance and fasting are deferred to the following day.
The scripture readings are: Devarym 4:25-40 and Yirmeyahu 8:13-9:23 in the morning; and Sh’moth 32:11-14 and Yeshayahu 55:6-56:8 in the afternoon; and the book of Ekah (Lamentations). The book of Ekah carries the spirit of this sorrowful fast day, and includes the verses which say:
“Remember, O YHWH, what has come upon us. Look, and see our reproach! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, And our houses to foreigners. We have become orphans, fatherless, Our mothers are like widows. We had to pay for our drinking water, And our wood comes at a price. We have been pursued close onto our neck, We have labored and had no rest. To Mitsrayim we have given a hand; To Ashshur, to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers sinned, they are no more. We have borne their crookednesses. Servants have ruled over us; There is no one to deliver from their hand. With our lives we bring in our bread, Because of the sword of the wilderness. Our skin has become as hot as an oven, Because of the burning heat of scarcity of food. They have humbled the women in Tsiyon, The maidens in the cities of Yehudah. Rulers were hung up by their hands, And elders were not respected. They have taken young men to grind, And youths stumbled under loads of wood. Elders have ceased from the gate, Young men from their song. The joy of our heart has ceased, Our dancing has turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! Because of this our heart has been sick, Because of these our eyes have become dim, Because of Mount Tsiyon which is laid waste; Foxes have gone roaming in it. You, O YHWH, remain forever, Your throne from generation to generation. Why do You forget us forever, Forsake us for length of days? Turn us back to You, O YHWH, And let us turn back, Renew our days as of old.”
And,
“Remember my affliction and my anguish, The wormwood and the gall. Your soul indeed remembers and bows down upon me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I hope: The mercies of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, For His compassions have not ended. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. “YHWH is my Portion,” says my being, “Therefore I wait for Him!”
Here is a list of just a few other catastrophes that occurred on this same day, the ninth day of the fifth Hebrew month:
1. The Spies Returned With a Bad Report
2. Both Holy Temples Were Destroyed
3. The Battle at Betar Was Lost
4. The Romans Plowed the Beit Hamikdash
5. The Jews Were Expelled From England
6. The Jews Were Banished From Spain
7. Both World Wars Began
Brothers and sisters in Messiah, spend this day in prayer and fasting, mourning the loss of YHWH’s Temple here on earth, repenting of your sins and those of the rest of His people, and looking forward to a new Temple at Yerushalayim with the restoration of His kingdom.
“Thus said YHWH of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months, are to be joy and gladness, and pleasant appointed times for the house of Yehudah – and they shall love the truth and the peace.’” Thus said YHWH of hosts, ‘Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities, and the inhabitants of the one go to another, saying, “Let us earnestly go and pray before YHWH, and seek YHWH of hosts. I myself am going.” And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek YHWH of hosts in Yerushalayim, and to pray before YHWH.’”
Have a blessed fast, chaverym,
Ovadyah
If we try to use a single verse out of context to form a doctrine we will most likely interpret it wrong and miss the point. Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;”
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