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The Haftarah portion for Ki Tetzei (Isaiah 54:1–10) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Note: in some years when Rosh Hodesh Ellul falls on Shabbat Re'eh, many congregations read the haftarah for Re'eh along with this haftarah on Shabbat morning. Questions for Discussion: In this haftarah of reconciliation, the prophet assures the people that they will no longer feel shame or disgrace. • How have shame and humiliation hurt relationships with people you care about? • What would it take to address that shame and heal? • What roles do shame and humiliation play in national and international conflicts? • What can you do to bring more dignity and respect into our world? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Shabbat Bereishit narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Isaiah 42:5–43:10 Questions for Discussion: • The prophet rails against the people's lack of awareness that God is not only created all, but continues to be ever-present and involved in the world. When, if ever do you sense God's presence? Do you think that awareness is a choice? Would a consistent, conscious sense of God being among us cause you to behave differently? How? • Isaiah reminds us that we are God's witnesses - not just by talking about God, but by actions and character that lead others to sense God's presence through us. What behaviors and ways of being do you think “witness God”? Who embodies those traits today? • In interpreting the Divine message, Isaiah chose to use blindness and deafness as metaphors for ignorance and intransigence. Today we reject such ableist metaphors as hurtful, contributing to negative stereotypes about the disabled. One of the primary ways we "witness" God is through the gift of speech - what other common expressions and metaphors cause damage, and need to be rethought in order to better express God's vision? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Shabbat Hol Hamoed Sukkot (Ezekiel 38:18-39:16) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: Ezekiel’s apocalyptic vision of the end of days is accompanied by images of terrible violence. • Does all significant transformation inevitably involve trauma, violence and loss? If so, what sustains us through such turbulent times? • Can you imagine a more peaceful model of transformational change? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Ha'azinu (II Sam. 22:1-51) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: In praising God for saving him, David sees his salvation as a reward for his own righteousness. In times of difficulty, we often feel unfairly wronged, and question whether indeed there is justice in the world. But when we prosper or have been spared or vindicated, we often attribute our success or victory to our own merit. • How do we keep a genuine sense of vindication and justice having prevailed from sliding into self-righteousness and self-congratulation? • What role does gratitude and prayer have in modulating our natural inclination to take sole credit for our victories? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Shabbat Shuvah (Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: The prophet Hosea focuses on words as an essential part of teshuvah (return, repentance), generally interpreted to refer specifically to confession aloud. • Beyond the formal text of the confession, what do you personally need to confess to during this week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? • What truths about yourself have you resisted articulating, even to yourself? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation. Subscribe to Both/And: https://www.spreaker.com/show/3082069/episodes/feed (iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/both-and/id1434753985)

The Haftarah portion for Nitzavim (Isaiah 61:10–63:9) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: The prophet portrays God as reflecting back on a period of God’s own anger, and the damage it caused. • As we prepare for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when were you angry in a destructive way, that you now regret? • Can you make amends and repair what you damaged? How? • Were there times your anger was productive or necessary? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Ki Tavo (Isaiah 60:1-22) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: The prophet envisions a complete reversal for the people Israel, in which the oppressors shall become subservient to those they once oppressed. • How does this kind of turning of the tables assist in the process of reconciliation? How does it get in the way? • When have you felt the desire for someone to receive their comeuppance? • If you were able to make that happen, would you do it? Why or why not? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Shofetim (Isaiah 51:12 – 52:12) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: The prophet offers a message of hope to a people seemingly in despair, adjuring the people to rouse themselves, awaken, and arise. • What gives you hope when you are downcast, and inspires you to act when you feel despair? • What can you do to inspire others? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Re'eh (Isaiah 54:11–55:5) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Note: in some years, including 5778, when Rosh Hodesh Ellul falls on Shabbat Re'eh, many congregations read the haftarah for Rosh Hodesh on Shabbat morning, and this haftarah is deferred and read together with the fifth haftarah of consolation two weeks later. Questions for Discussion: This third haftarah of consolation and comfort contains a beautiful promise of a society established on righteousness, and consequently free of oppression, fear and ruin. • In what ways is our current society established on righteousness, and where and how is righteousness lacking? • What do we suffer from as a result of lack of righteousness in our foundations? How would we be freer if we were to address our failings? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Eikev (Isaiah 49:14-51:3) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: The haftarah begins with the people’s sense of having been abandoned by God, while God complains of calling to the people and being ignored. • When in your life might you have ignored or simply failed to see sources of comfort or help? /p> • What solutions and opportunities are we as a society missing? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Va'et-hannan (Isaiah 40:1-26) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: This Shabbat takes its name from this special haftarah, which begins Nahamu, nahamu—Comfort, oh comfort, My people. It marks the beginning of seven weeks of comfort (culminating in the High Holy Days) in which the relationship between God and the people Israel—strained almost to breaking on Tisha Be’av—is rebuilt. • Who and what do you turn to when you need comfort? • Which comforts are temporary and shallow, and what offers lasting and deep reassurance? • Focusing on matters of transcendent and ultimate meaning can be unsettling and challenging; how can it also offer comfort? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Devarim (Isaiah 1:1-27) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: Second only to Tisha Be’av itself, this haftarah represents the near low point in the relationship between God and the people Israel, who have sunk to the level of Sodom and Gomorrah and are near destruction. Although the people seem to be very committed to worship, their very worship disgusts God because of the prevalence of injustice, abuse of or indifference to the vulnerable, greed, and theft in the larger society. • To what extent has “piety” become divorced from justice in today’s society? • Given this passage, how do you think Isaiah would respond to being told that clergy should not get involved in social policy and politics? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Balak (Micah 5:6-6:8) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: This week’s haftarah concludes with the famous formulation of what it is that God demands of us: “Only to do justice, to love goodness, and to walk modestly with your God.” Anyone who has ever tried to live by this injunction knows that it’s straightforward simplicity masks great complexity; the just path is not always self-evident, and “walking with God” often requires not only modesty but great self-confidence, sometimes even chutzpah. At the same time, we can sometimes get so overwhelmed or confused by complexity that we can make poor decisions, or get mired in inaction. • When do you find yourself resorting to reductionism and oversimplification, such that you need to be reminded of nuance? • When do you find yourself so lost in complexity, that simple straightforward reminders such as this are essential? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Hukkat (Judges 11:1-33) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: In this very troubling story, Yiftah foolishly vows in a moment of vulnerability that if God rescues him, he will offer as a burnt offering whatever comes out of his house when he returns home safely. Later in the narrative, we learn that it is daughter who emerges from the house. • In addition to being a horrific example of the dangers and abuses of patriarchal power, the story might also cause us to think about other ways in which we put our loved ones at risk because of our own fears. What examples can you think of? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Korah (1 Sam. 11:14-12:22) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: Samuel makes clear to the people that although God has acceded to their request for a king, their desire for a king is ill-advised. • Why do you think the people insisted on a king despite God’s warnings? • What causes people today to yearn for authoritarian leadership, despite the risks and dangers? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Shelah Lekha (Joshua 2:1-24) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: This story contains an unlikely hero; it is not only a woman who saves the spies sent by Joshua, but a "zonah" (a harlot or prostitute). • Why do you think the narrative chooses an outsider—and specifically someone who is generally subject to moral condemnation—to play this role? • How can we be more open to the potentially redemptive contributions of people we tend to exclude, or judge harshly? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Beha'alotekha (Zech. 2:14–4:7) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: This haftarah reminds us that physical strength and power are very limited tools when compared to the Divine spirit. • What do you see in our world that is more potent that physical strength and worldly power? • Might those things be what we mean by God’s spirit? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.

The Haftarah portion for Naso (Judges 13:2-25) narrated in English by Ronald Guttman. Questions for Discussion: • Samson’s future parents, Manoach and his wife (like many women in the Hebrew Bible, she is unnamed), are visited by an angel or messenger of God. The angel first appears to Samson’s mother, who immediately recognizes him as such and tells her husband. Later, the angel appears to both of them. But the text suggests that Manoach only realizes that it is in fact an angel after the fact (Judges 13:21). • Have you ever felt that you were encountering a Divine messenger in your life? • What made you think so, and what opened you to that possibility? • Have you ever looked back after the fact and suspected that perhaps Divine intervention was involved in some way? JTS wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Jewish Publication Society for allowing us to use their translation.