LIBRARY MINYAN DRASH

The link between Malachi's words and the arrival of Pesach is found in verse 23, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of Ha-ga-dol the great and awesome day."

Restoration, repentance and return (shuv)have a prominent place in this Haftorah.

• Verse 4 mentions the return to previous sacred offerings as performed during the time of the first Beit Hamikdash

• Verse 7 discusses repair of the Covenant through repentance. Hashem says, Return to me, and I will return to you.

• Verse 18 states when you return you will see the difference between righteousness and wickedness

• The last verse, 24, points out the need for reconciliation of parents and children

A recurring theme throughout this Haftorah is the acceptance of personal responsibility. Responsibility is taking ownership of your actions and thoughts; determining the difference between right and wrong and ensuring that all your actions, regardless of the personal risk, are performed in the pursuit of ideals of correct action.

This is evident in verse 7. Hashem tells the people that for many generations you did not keep divine decrees. Do the people say in response, "we agree, it is our responsibility to change and we will change"? No, they say for what should we repent? This wide-ranging response applies to diverse levels of forsaking the ordinances. These levels are analogous to the four children of the Haggadah. The wise child would say, in what manner shall we return?; how shall we show our contrition and repentance. This person will return when taught about the laws of ritual and Halacha. The wicked child would say, these decrees do not apply to me, they only apply to other people. This person is estranged from the community and will only return when he understands he is belongs to a long sacred tradition. The simple child would say, over the generations we have forgotten the decrees and I do not know where to start. This person will return by understanding and believing in the power of Hashem. The child who does not know how to ask would say I am so far removed from the days of old, I did not know they even existed. This person will return by understanding that a righteous and moral God exists and has helped his people in the past.

Personal responsibility is also a theme of verse 18, then you will return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked. This is more than understanding what is moral, honorable and decent. It is our responsibility to consciously choose righteousness by understanding how it differs from wickedness. To act ethically, you need to know more than what is proper; you must understand and recognize the difference between right and wrong and act accordingly. Only by taking personal responsibility and cognizant action will virtue be rewarded.

Not only do we have to understand the difference between righteousness and wickedness, we also must understand the different sources of wickedness. In verse 5, the cleansing process is about to begin with the punishment of the evildoers. Specifically listed are those who destroy a society by deliberately and purposely destroying the moral fabric, such as sorcerers, adulterers and those who swear falsely. Also specifically listed are those who destroy society by taking unfair advantage of the powerless, such as not paying fair wages to the laborer, widow and orphan and those who pervert the judgment of the stranger. A culture can not be cleansed until both groups of evildoers are recognized and eliminated.

In commenting on Verse 24: Hertz said of Elijah, "Far more than the prophet of zeal and fire of the Biblical narrative, he is to later generations the helper and healer, the reconciler and peace-bringer, the herald of the days of the messiah." The book of Malachi ends with the purpose of Elijah's return, to restore the hearts of the parents towards their children and the hearts of the children to their parents. This emphasizes the dual responsibility of parents and children to love and respect each other. A society can not exist and flourish without this mutual love and inter-generational respect. This is Malachi's message of hope. However, it ends with the admonition, do this or I will come and strike the land with destruction. Notice the name of Hashem absent in this phrase. This is significant because the destruction will not occur due to divine intervention, but due to a crumbling and the unraveling of the community, one family at a time. When the Tanach was codified, this statement became a fitting final prophetic message.