INSIDE THE HAFTORAH
Written by Goldy Machlis
The Final Battle Between The Gag and The Schach
“ִהִ ֵּּנה יֹום ּבָּ א לַַ ה׳” – “Behold, s’Hashem awaited day is coming.” With these electrifying words, Zecharyah begins the Haftorah of the first day of Sukkos –the final perek of his nevuah, describing the ultimate showdown between Hashem and the nations which will take place on Succos.
This day is “ִחִָבִ בי ְלְ ַהַדּקָֹּשוׁ רּבָּּוְך הּוא” more beloved to Hashem than the “לי ֵֵל ים ֻּמִּרִ ׁשִׁ” of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Now, that day is finally here. The nations will repay everything they took from Klal Yisrael throughout the generations.
It will begin with Hashem gathering all the nations to Yerushalayim for war. They will have their own political explanations, but really, Hashem placed the idea in their minds.
The city will be conquered, its houses plundered, terrible atrocities committed, and half of Yerushalayim taken into captivity.
But if Hashem gathers the nations to punish them, why allow them to hurt anyone? Otherwise, they could protest: “We did nothing wrong! We came to honor Hashem and assist His people.” Hashem therefore allows their deeds to expose their true intentions.
Then Hashem will wage war against them, as at Krias Yam Suf. We will again appear trapped and surrounded – and then Hashem will suddenly bring the great yeshuah, forcing everyone to acknowledge Him. “ְוְָעָ ְמְדּו ַרְַגְלָָ וי יּּבַֹּום הַַ הּוא ַעַ ל ַהַר הַּ ַ ֵּזיִתִ ים” – “His feet will stand on that day upon Har HaZeisim.” An earthquake will cause Har HaZeisim to tremble and split through its center, as though Heavenly feet stood upon it. The captured Yidden will escape through the opening.
Yet Klal Yisrael will be terribly confused. Is this the Geulah – or another dreadful stage of galus? Is it salvation or destruction?
“ְוְָהָיָָ ה ְלְ עֵֵ ת ֶעֶֶרֶב ְהְִיִיֶֶ ה אֹרו” – “Toward evening, there will be light!” Just when night appears ready to descend, light will suddenly break through. Mashiach will be here.
Do these pesukim refer to our time? Have they already begun unfolding?
The Rambam cautions against trying to determine precisely how these prophecies will occur. The Nevi’im did not provide a timeline; their exact fulfillment will remain hidden until it takes place.
“ְוְָהָיָָ ה יּּבַֹּום הַַ הּוא ֵיֵצְ ְ אּו ַמִַיִם ַחַ ּיִּים ִמִ ריּו ַלַׁשִָׁיִם” – “On that day, living waters will emerge from Yerushalayim.” They will flow eastward and westward through the valley created by the splitting of Har HaZeisim, becoming a miraculous source of taharah. These living waters also represent the Torah and daas Hashem flowing throughout the world:
“ְוְָהָיָָ ה ה׳ ְלְ ֶמֶלֶֶ ְך וכו‘ יּּבַֹּום הַַ הּוא ְהְִיִיֶֶ ה ה׳ ֶאֶָחָד ּמוׁשְֹׁו ֶאֶָחָד” – “Hashem will be King over the entire world… Hashem will be One and His Name will be One.”
The perek then returns to the nations that attacked Yerushalayim. Hashem will strike them with a dreadful plague. The survivors will return each year on Succos to the Bais HaMikdash to commemorate the war, bow before Hashem, and acknowledge that Klal Yisrael’s worldview prevailed.
And what is that worldview? That of the schach. The worldview of גוג, explains Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch zt”l, is that of גג. I determine the height of my ceiling and decide that nothing exists beyond it. There is only nature, human ingenuity, and the strength of my own hands.
The schach represents the opposite consciousness. Its gaps allow the light from Above to shine through. I look beyond what I have constructed and recognize Hashem. That is the battle running throughout history – the gag against the schach. The final war of Gog and Magog will bring this conflict to its climax.
The Haftorah concludes: “ְוְלֹֹא ְהְִיִיֶֶה ְכְַנַעֲֲִ ִני עֹדו ְּב בֵֵּ ית ה׳ ְצְָבָקֹות” – “There will no longer be a Kena’ani in the House of Hashem.” Here, Kena’ani means a merchant. There will be no need for businessmen selling animals for korbanos. Everything will be donated – no selling, no searching for sponsors, no fundraising.
That is the day Hashem has awaited since the beginning of Creation: “נֵּהּ ִהִ יֹום ּבָּ א לַַ ה׳” – the day the worldview of the gag will collapse, the truth of the schach will fill the world.
All finally will recognize: “ה׳ ֶאֶָחָד ּמוׁשְֹׁו ֶאֶָחָד.”
