Rise & shine – Ki Tavo
The haftarah begins with the call, Kumi ori, ki va orech, “Arise, shine, for your light is come” (Isa. 60:1).
Colloquial English has borrowed these words to produce the morning call, “Rise and shine!”
The haftarah is one of a series of seven haftarot of consolation selected from Isaiah, which are read week by week between Tishah B’Av and Rosh HaShanah.
There is an interpretation of Abravanel that the opening verses of the seven haftarot tell a connected story.
The people have suffered greatly, but God tells the prophets, Nachamu nachamu ammi – “Comfort, comfort My people (Isa. 40:1 – the commencement of the haftarah for the Shabbat after Tishah B’Av).
However, the people are hurting so much that they are not prepared to be comforted (Isa 49:14, 44:11) until God Himself steps in and personally assures them that He understands their agony and wants them to be comforted (Isa. 51:12).
The story continues with the people still being reluctant to accept even Divine assurances. Finally they agree to be comforted (Isa. 54:1) – surely a parable of the Jewish people after the Holocaust.
