Summary of The Haftorah:
Haftorah Vayeishev
Amos 2:6 - 3:8
In this weeks Haftorah, Amos the Navi chastised the Bnai Yisroel [Children of Israel] for the
perversion of justice manifest in their behavior toward the widowed, orphaned
and the poor. Yoseph's sale for a few pieces of silver is referenced as a
prime example of such injustice. Regardless of whatever rationalization the
brother's may have used to justify their actions, the money they accepted for
the sale reduced their actions to nothing more than selfish and self-serving.
This same theme is repeated in the story of the 10 Martyrs. The Roman
Governor accused the brothers of selling Yoseph for money. If their motives
were in fact righteous, they should not have accepted any personal gain from
their actions.
The Navi contrasted the injustices against the poor to the three most
severe sins of: idolatry, adultery, and murder. Hashem [G-d] is willing to give a
second chance when humankind fails due to personal failing; however, when
humankind fails in the arena of social justice, there can not be a second
chance. Judges are intended to do G-d's work of ministering justice, and the
administration of justice should be a primary display of Hashem's manifest
presence within society. When a judge perverts the power of his office he
compromises much more than justice. He compromises G-d Himself.
