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9/27/2025

Shabbath Shuvah (“Sabbath of Return.”)

This Shabbath, with its theme of repentance, draws from the words of the haftarah for the day: “Return, O Yisrael, to YHWH Eloheykem, for you have fallen because of your sins.”

It is observed between Yom Teruah and Yom Hakippurym, that period known as “The Ten Days of Awe”, when all Yisrael re-examines her ways and returns to YHWH in humility and love.

Readings: Devarym 31; Hoshea 14:2-10; Mikah 7:18-20; and Yoel 2:5-27.

(DEVARYM 31)

And Mosheh went and spoke these words to all Yisra’ěl, and he said to them, I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. And YHWH has said to me, You do not pass over this Yarděn.

YHWH your Elohim Himself is passing over before you. He shall destroy these nations from before you and you possess them. Yehoshua himself is passing over before you, as YHWH has spoken.

And YHWH shall do to them as He did to Sichon and to Oḡ, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them.

And YHWH shall give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to all the command which I have commanded you.

Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be afraid of them. For it is YHWH your Elohim who is going with you. He does not fail you nor forsake you.

And Mosheh called Yehoshua and said to him before the eyes of all Yisra’ěl, Be strong and courageous, for you are going with this people to the land which YHWH has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you are to let them inherit it.

And it is YHWH who is going before you, He Himself is with you. He does not fail you nor forsake you. Do not fear nor be discouraged.

And Mosheh wrote this Torah and gave it to the kohenim, the sons of Lěwi, who bore the ark of the covenant of YHWH, and to all the elders of Yisra’ěl.

And Mosheh commanded them, saying, At the end of seven years, at the appointed time, the year of release, at the Festival of Sukkot, when all Yisra’ěl comes to appear before YHWH your Elohim in the place which He chooses, read this Torah before all Yisra’ěl in their hearing.

Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and your sojourner who is within your gates, so that they hear, and so that they learn to fear YHWH your Elohim and guard to do all the Words of this Torah.

And their children, who have not known it, should hear and learn to fear YHWH your Elohim as long as you live in the land you are passing over the Yarděn to possess.

And YHWH said to Mosheh, See, the days have drawn near for you to die. Call Yehoshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Appointment, so that I command him. And Mosheh and Yehoshua went and presented themselves in the Tent of Appointment.

And YHWH appeared at the Tent in a column of a cloud, and the column of a cloud stood above the door of the Tent.

And YHWH said to Mosheh, See, you are about to sleep with your fathers. And this people shall rise and whore after the mighty ones of the strangers of the land into the midst of which they shall enter, and forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.

Then My displeasure shall burn against them in that day, and I shall forsake them and hide My face from them, and they shall be consumed. And many evils and distresses shall come upon them, and it shall be said in that day, Is it not because our Elohim is not in our midst that these evils have come upon us?

And I shall certainly hide My face in that day, because of all the evil which they have done, for they shall turn to other mighty ones.

And now write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Yisra’ěl. Put it in their mouths, so that this song is to Me for a witness against the children of Yisra’ěl.

And I shall bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they shall eat and be satisfied and be fat, then they shall turn to other mighty ones, and they shall serve them, and scorn Me and break My covenant.

And it shall be, when many evils and distresses come upon them, that this song shall answer before them as a witness. For it is not to be forgotten in the mouths of their seed, for I know their thoughts which they are forming today, even before I bring them to the land of which I swore to give them.

And Mosheh wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Yisra’ěl.

And He commanded Yehoshua son of Nun, and said, Be strong and courageous, for you are to bring the children of Yisra’ěl into the land of which I swore to them, and I Myself am with you.

And it came to be, when Mosheh had completed writing the Words of this Torah in a book, until their completion, that Mosheh commanded the Lěwites, who bore the ark of the covenant of YHWH, saying, Take this Book of the Torah, and you shall place it beside the ark of the covenant of YHWH your Elohim, and it shall be there as a witness against you, for I myself know your rebellion and your stiff neck. See, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against YHWH, then how much more after my death?

Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, so that I speak these words in their hearing and call the heavens and the earth to witness against them.

For I know that after my death you shall do very corruptly and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil shall come to you in the latter days, because you do what is evil in the eyes of YHWH, to provoke Him through the work of your hands.

So Mosheh spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Yisra’ěl the words of this song till their completion:

(HOSHEA 14)

O Yisra’ěl, return to YHWH your Elohim, for you have stumbled by your crookedness.

Take words with you, and return to YHWH. Say to Him, Take away all crookedness, and accept what is excellent, and we render the bulls of our lips.

Ashshur does not save us. We do not ride on horses, nor ever again do we say to the work of our hands, Our mighty ones. For the fatherless finds compassion in You.

I shall heal their backsliding, I shall love them spontaneously, for My displeasure has turned away from him.

I shall be like the dew to Yisra’ěl. He shall blossom like the lily, and strike out his roots like Levanon.

His branches shall spread, and his splendor shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Levanon.

Those who dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall revive like grain, and blossom like the vine, and become as fragrant as the wine of Levanon.

What more has Ephrayim to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after him. I am like a green cypress tree, your fruit comes from Me.

Who is wise and understands these words, discerning and knows them? For the ways of YHWH are straight, and the righteous walk in them, but the transgressors stumble in them.

(MIKAH 7:18-20)

Who is an Ěl like You – taking away crookedness and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? He shall not retain His wrath forever, for He Himself delights in mercy.

He shall turn back, He shall have compassion on us, He shall trample upon our crookednesses! And You throw all our sins into the depths of the sea!

You give truth to Ya’aqov, mercy to Avraham, which You swore to our fathers from the days of old!

(YOEL 2:5-27)

As the noise of chariots they leap over mountain tops, as the noise of a flaming fire consuming stubble, as a mighty people set in battle array.

Before them peoples are in anguish, all faces become flushed.

They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like men of battle, every one goes on his way, and they do not break ranks.

And they do not press one another, every one goes in his path. They fall among the weapons, but they do not stop.

They rush on the city, they run on the wall. They climb into the houses, they enter at the windows like a thief.

The earth shall tremble before them, the heavens shall shake. Sun and moon shall be darkened, and the stars withdraw their brightness.

And YHWH shall give forth His voice before His army, for His camp is very great, for mighty is the doer of His word. For the day of YHWH is great and very awesome, and who does bear it?

Yet even now, declares YHWH, turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.

And tear your heart and not your garments, and turn back to YHWH your Elohim, for He shows favor and is compassionate, patient, and of great mercy, and He shall relent concerning the evil.

Who knows – He might turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him, a grain offering and a drink offering for YHWH your Elohim?

Blow a shophar in Tsiyon, set apart a fast, call an assembly.

Gather the people, set the assembly apart, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes. Let a bridegroom come out from his room, and a bride from her dressing room.

Let the kohenim, servants of YHWH, weep between the porch and the altar. And let them say, Spare Your people, O YHWH, and do not give Your inheritance to reproach, for the nations to rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their Elohim?

And let YHWH be jealous for His land, and spare His people.

And let YHWH answer and say to His people, See, I am sending you the grain and the new wine and the oil, and you shall be satisfied by them. And no longer do I make you a reproach among the nations.

And the Northerner I shall remove far from you, and drive him away into a dry and deserted land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his rear toward the western sea. And his stench shall come up and his smell rise, for he has done greatly.

Do not fear, O soil, be glad and rejoice, for YHWH has done greatly!

Do not fear, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness shall spring forth, and the tree shall bear its fruit, the fig tree and the vine shall yield their strength.

And you children of Tsiyon, be glad and rejoice in YHWH your Elohim, for He shall give you the Teacher of Righteousness, and cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.

And the threshing-floors shall be filled with grain, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

Then I shall repay you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, and the consuming locust, and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.

Then you shall eat – eat and be satisfied – and shall praise the Name of YHWH your Elohim, who has done with you so wondrously. And My people shall never be put to shame.

And you shall know that I am in the midst of Yisra’ěl, and that I am YHWH your Elohim and there is no one else. And My people shall never be put to shame.

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