THE PROPHET
As a young man, Ezekiel served as a priest in the Temple in Jerusalem. When the Babylonians first occupied Jerusalem in 598 BCE, Ezekiel was among the many people who were exiled to Babylon. From Babylon, Ezekiel prophesied that the Jews would eventually return to their homeland. Ezekiel was best known for his passion, his flair for the dramatic and his extraordinary, imaginative visions.

FROM TORAH TO HAFTARAH: MAKING THE CONNECTION
The connection between the Shabbat of Pesach and this week's special haftarah reading can be found in the theme of Israel's deliverance. In the Torah, the Jews are delivered from slavery; in the Haftarah, the Jews are delivered from death.

FOCUS
"Then God said to me: Prophesy to these bones, and say to them. You dry bones, hear the word of the Eternal. Thus says the Eternal God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live." (Ezekiel 37:4-5)

COMMENTARY
This chapter in Ezekiel contains a prophecy of hope which begins with his most famous vision - a vision in which Ezekiel finds himself in a valley that is full of dry bones. God speaks to him and instructs him to prophesy to the bones to hear God's word so that God may breathe life into them and they may live again.

Ezekiel's prophecy introduced the concept of resurrection which eventually became a cornerstone of Jewish belief. The Mishnah established resurrection as a religious principle as did Maimonides who included it among his Thirteen Articles of Faith. Even today, traditional prayer books include a prayer that speaks of God as one who "revives the dead" (mechayyeh ha-matim).

In rabbinic literature, the resurrection of the dry bones was played down by a number of rabbis. R. Eliezer somewhat reduced the significance of Ezekiel's resurrection of the dry bones, pointing out that "the dead whom Ezekiel revived stood up, recited a song [of praise] and [immediately] died"(Sanh.92b). R. Judah apparently regarded the story as an allegorical vision; but other rabbis fully accepted the resurrection miracle.

Rabbi Gunther Plaut suggests that the vision should be seen as a metaphor - a preaching device used by all the prophets and especially by Ezekiel. Other commentators agree that the vision was an allegory meant to impact upon Ezekiel and the people to whom he told the vision. The dry bones were the despondent people, the graves were the countries in which they are exiled. God promised "to open their graves" in response to the people's despair. They weren't actually dead. They were so traumatized by their losses that they were dead-like. By infusing them with God's spirit, they would have a resurrection-like experience.

Rabbi Sheldon Blank refers to Ezekiel's message as a metaphor of national resurrection. Not only would the people be reborn as a nation, but they would also have a spiritual reawakening. By sharing his vision with the despairing people living in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel was able to rekindle their belief in God and to give them hope that they would eventually return to the land of Israel to live again.

KEEP TALKING

1. According to Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, many Jews believe that the creation of the State of Israel, which came about only three years after the end of the Shoah, represents the seeming fulfillment of Ezekiel's rather bizarre 2,600-year-old vision. What do you think?
2. Another reason for the choice of this chapter as the haftarah reading during Passover might be the essential message of the Passover holiday and the Exodus from Egypt. Even when life is difficult and there appears to be no hope, the spirit of God can bring about redemption. Think about a time in your life when things seemed particularly bleak. What or who gave you the strength and determination to carry on? In what ways might God have been responsible for your ability to carry on?
3. Throughout Jewish history, this prophecy has been cited as proof that God will someday resurrect the dead. Why do you think the idea of the dead coming back to life appeals to some people?
4. One of the themes of Passover is renewal and rebirth. For those of you who live in the northern part of the country, think about the signs of Spring that you see all around you. In what ways do they represent a form of resurrection or rebirth? Do you think the rabbis had these things in mind when they chose this haftarah reading for Pesach? Explain.
5. Rabbi Gunther Plaut suggests that because Israel lives again as a nation, the dead of former generations are, so to speak, revived as well. In what ways have you validated the religious hopes of your ancestors and assured their immortality?

This week's Family Shabbat Table Talk was written by Marlene Myerson, the Regional Educational Consultant in Canada, who discovered that one of her favorite camp songs, "Dry Bones", is based on this week's haftarah from the Prophet Ezekiel.