The Women’s Haftarah Commentary

While the origin of the institution of haftarah reading is somewhat obscure, the texts themselves are a window into the world of “The Prophets” —the second section of the Tanakh, which is their source. They are replete with prophecy and poetry, historical narratives and tales of relationships, both between individuals and between the Jewish people and God. A companion to an earlier volume on the weekly Torah portions, this book contains insights from women rabbis on the 54 weekly haftarah portions, on the readings for the special Sabbaths, and on the five megillot of the Bible also read in synagogue during the course of the year. All of the writers look for something in the text that speaks to them directly as women, seeking particularly to put the female characters in perspective and exploring the imagery in the readings. Included are pieces on the special readings for holidays, a section on particular biblical women who do not appear in haftarot and a commentary on Eshet Hayyil, the Woman of Valor. While the contributors to the volume are not Orthodox, there is much that we can learn from the wide-ranging commentaries which often give a new perspective and an enlarged understanding of the readings. (JOFA is proud to remind readers of the weekly d’var Torah on our website by Erica Brown that now focuses on the haftarah readings.)