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Profits and

ProphetS

here are few more blazing They do not defend the cause of the condition is sick and in a state of
passages in the whole of fatherless; the widow’s case does not incipient decline. What Isaiah saw and
Treligious literature than the come before them. (Isaiah 1: 21-23) said with primal force and devastating
first chapter of the book of Isaiah, clarity is that sometimes (organized)
the great “vision,” chazon, that gives Jerusalem’s fate was sealed not by religion is not the solution but itself
its name to the Shabbat before Tisha conventional religious failure but by the part of the problem. It has always
B’Av, the saddest day of the Jewish failure of people to act honestly. They been tempting, even for a nation of
year. It is more than great literature. engaged in sharp business practices monotheists, to slip into magical
It expresses one of the great prophetic that were highly profitable but hard thinking: that we can atone for our
truths, that a society cannot flourish to detect – mixing silver with baser sins or those of society by frequent
without honesty and justice. It could metals, diluting wine. People were attendances at the Temple, the
not be more relevant to our time. concerned with maximizing profits, offering of sacrifices, and conspicuous
indifferent to the fact that others would shows of piety. Few things, implies
The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) states that suffer. The political system too had Isaiah, make G-d angrier than this:
when we leave this life and arrive become corrupt. Politicians were using
in the World to Come, the first their office and influence to personal “The multitude of your sacrifices –
question we will be asked will not be a advantage. People knew about this or what are they to Me?” says the L-rd…
conventionally religious one (Did you suspected it – Isaiah does not claim “When you come to appear before
set aside times for learning Torah?) to be telling people something they Me, who has asked this of you, this
but rather, Did you act honestly didn’t already know; he does not expect trampling of My courts? Stop bringing
[be-emunah] in business? I used to to surprise his listeners. The fact that meaningless offerings! Your incense
wonder how the rabbis felt certain people had come to expect no better is detestable to Me … I cannot bear
about this. Death is, after all, “the from their leaders was itself a mark of your evil assemblies. Your New Moon
undiscovered country, from whose moral decline. festivals and your appointed feasts
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bourn no traveler returns.” The My soul hates. They have become a
answer, it seems to me, is this passage This, says Isaiah, is the real danger: burden to Me; I am weary of bearing
from Isaiah: that widespread dishonesty and them. When you spread out your
corruption saps the morale of a hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes
See how the faithful city has become society, makes people cynical, opens from you; even if you offer many
a harlot! She once was full of justice; up divisions between the rich and prayers, I will not listen.”
righteousness used to dwell in her— powerful and the poor and powerless,
but now murderers! Your silver has erodes the fabric of society and makes The corrupt not only believe they can
become dross, your choice wine is people wonder why they should make fool their fellow humans; they believe
diluted with water. Your rulers are sacrifices for the common good if they can fool G-d as well. When moral
rebels, companions of thieves; they everyone else seems to be bent on standards begin to break down in
all love bribes and chase after gifts. personal advantage. A nation in this business, finance, trade and politics, a

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