Minding Your Tent

In our reading from Isaiah today, we encounter God’s message to a childless woman who symbolizes Israel. Israel lost much to war and exile. But now, she is promised to be blessed with many children, so she is told to make changes to her tent to accommodate the offspring promised to her. In Isaiah 54:3, we read, “You will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities.” It's another message of restoration.

In verse 2, the prophet gives Israel, the barren woman, very specific instructions about her tent - harchivi makom ohalekh “enlarge the space of your tent,” she is told. Listen?