This week’s Scripture portion begins with God’s instructions to Israel as they prepare to enter the Land:

The LORD then spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “When you come into the land which I am going to give you, then the land shall have a Sabbath to the LORD.”’
Leviticus 25:1-2

There’s something powerful in the way God says this: “When you come into the land…” It’s not conditional. It’s not “if.” It’s not “maybe.” It’s a promise. He will bring His people in; He will fulfill His word.

But this portion also comes with a painful reminder of what happens when we reject God's ways. Later in Leviticus 26:1–2, we find a clear command that Israel struggled with, and still struggles with:

You shall not make for yourselves idols… nor place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it… You shall keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD.

This is not just ancient history. The issue of idol worship, of replacing God with something else, is still very real. And if we’re being honest, it’s not only about Israel. It’s about all of us.

It’s easy to look back at the history of Israel and judge. It’s easy for us to say, “They failed. They turned away. They broke the covenant.” Some even go so far as to claim that God must be done with Israel because of her unfaithfulness.

But that view completely misunderstands the heart of God, and the nature of His covenant. Yes, Israel failed. We walked away. We rejected the fountain of living water. In Jeremiah 16:11–13, God speaks clearly and painfully:

‘It is because your forefathers have abandoned Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and have followed other gods… You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers… so I will hurl you off this land…’”

This is serious judgment! But it is not the end of the story.

In fact, in the very next verses, God makes an astonishing declaration that speaks directly to our time:

‘Therefore behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when it will no longer be said, “As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,” but, “As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.” For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.’”
Jeremiah 16:14–15

This is not a “maybe.” It is a promise. God is not done with Israel. The fact that we are still here after exile, persecution, war, and even the Holocaust is evidence of His faithfulness. The regathering of the Jewish people from the four corners of the earth is not a political event; it is a prophetic fulfillment. We have been witnessing it with our own eyes over the past 100 years.

But this does not mean we can become proud or complacent. The Haftarah ends with a sobering warning and a prayer:

LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame… because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, that is the LORD. Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.
Jeremiah 17:13–14

This is where it becomes personal. Every one of us, Jew and Gentile, religious and secular, needs healing. We all need salvation. We all need to return to the source of living water. Our hearts are prone to wander, and idols still pull us in different directions, even if they look nothing like statues of old.

The truth is, God’s faithfulness doesn’t cancel out His call to repentance. He is not done with Israel but He is calling us back to Himself. He is calling us to trust, obey, and walk in humility.

So no, God is not done with Israel. He is restoring, refining, and fulfilling every word He spoke. The only question is: will we return to Him with all our heart?

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran