Beliefs
- The Jews have removed Isaiah 53 from their Bibles.
- Isaiah 53 is purposely skipped in synagogue readings.
- Rabbis suppress Isaiah 53 and don’t teach it.
- Isaiah 53 is called The Forbidden Chapter because Jews are forbidden to read it.
Status
Analysis
The 53rd chapter of Isaiah is the famous Suffering Servant passage. Christians believe that this passage refers to Jesus and is proof that he is the messiah. Jews, on the other hand, don’t believe that the passage is messianic at all and certainly does not refer to Jesus.
Some Christians believe that the rabbis have forbidden Jews to read this chapter. The idea behind this belief is that the rabbis don’t want Jews to open up Isaiah, read chapter 53 and say “Hey, this is talking about Jesus. Let’s all go out and become Christians.”
I’m not going to go into why the Jews believe the way they do. That’s beyond the scope of this post. What we’re going to address is the belief that the Jews are hiding, suppressing or are afraid of Isaiah 53.
Where Did This Idea Come From?
Part of this belief comes from the fact that Isaiah 53 is not included in the Haftorah. The Haftorah is a section from the Prophets that is read after the Torah Reading in synagogue on the Sabbath and holidays. But, as we shall see, it’s absence is not because of some shady conspiracy. Rather, it comes from a misunderstanding of the purpose of the Haftorah and how it is read.
Every year, Jews complete the reading of the Torah in the synagogue. They begin at the beginning of Genesis in the fall and, over the course of the year, complete the entire Torah (the first five books of the Bible — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. So, on each Sabbath, they will read a portion and then, on the next Sabbath they will pick up where they left off and read the next portion, finishing the Torah over the course of the year.
After the Torah is read, a selection from the Prophets is read. This selection is called the Haftorah. Unlike the Torah reading, the Prophets are not read sequentially. Instead, the portion of the Prophets that is read has something to do with either the weekly Torah reading or a calendar event that is happening that week.
For example:
On the week that we read Exodus 15 (the Song of the Sea), the Haftorah chosen is the Song of Deborah (Judges 5), as both portions have songs.
On the week that we read Numbers 6 (which contains the laws regarding a Nazirite), the Haftorah chosen is the story of the birth of Samson (Judges 13), since Samson was a Nazirite.
On the Sabbath that coincides with Channukah, we read Zechariah 3-4, which deals with the themes of purification and the menorah, which are important to the festival of Channukah.
It is true that Isaiah 53 is never read as part of the Hafotrah, but that is also true of the vast majority of the Prophets. Of the hundreds of chapters in the Prophets, only about sixty or so are read during the year.
The fact that Isaiah 53 is not read has nothing to do with the Christian belief in Jesus. It’s simply that the subject matter of the chapter does not link thematically with any Torah portion. As such, like many other chapters, it is not read as part of the Haftorah.
There are many other portions of the Prophets that are not read in the Hafotrah cycle. Isaiah 3, 13, 23 and 33 are never read. Nahum isn’t read. No one thinks that we’re “hiding” these portions or that they “threaten” our beliefs.
But Do Rabbis Preach Isaiah 53 In Synagogue?
No, not often. But again, this isn’t because they’re “afraid” of it. There are several reasons why Isaiah 53 does not come up frequently in rabbis’ sermons.
1. Isaiah 53 does not have the importance in Judaism that it does in Christianity.
Isaiah 53 is one of the most important chapters (if not the most important chapter) of the entire Old Testament to Christians. Since they believe it fortells of Jesus, they place greater importance and emphasis on it than almost any other chapter. As such, it is normal to expect that it would turn up often in Christian sermons.
Jews, on the other hand, do not place the same importance on it, because we do not believe it is a messianic passage. As such, it is a chapter in Isaiah, just like any other. Therefore, it would not come up in a rabbi’s sermon any more often than any other chapter of Isaiah.
2. Rabbis usually base their sermons on the Torah, not on the Prophets
When a rabbi gives a sermon, they will usually focus on the weekly Torah portion or some upcoming calendar event. Since the Torah is of primary importance to Jews (far more so than Isaiah or the other prophetic books), this will often be the launching point and focus of their sermon.
In all my years, I’ve never heard a rabbi give a sermon on Zephaniah or Joel or Malachi – but it’s not because these books are unimportant. Rather it’s because the Torah is more important.
Is Isaiah 53 in Jewish Bibles?
Absolutely. Our copies of Isaiah have the same 66 chapters as anyone else’s. Here is a picture of four copies of Isaiah that I have in my house. Each one has chapter 53 (circled).
You can also see it for yourself online in various places. Here’s one place, and here’s another.
Is It Forbidden For Jews to Read Isaiah 53?
No. No one is forbidden to read any section of the Jewish Bible. Every synagogue has at least one copy of Isaiah, many with English translations. No one is stopping anyone from pulling it off the shelf and reading it.
In addition, it is studied as part of Bible study cycles (most notably the Nach Yomi cycle by the Orthodox Union. There are also lectures available on the chapter available on the Internet. Obviously, it is not “forbidden” in any way.
Summary
The idea that we skip Isaiah 53 in our synagogue readings is based on a misunderstanding of how the Prophets are read in the synagogue. We don’t read them sequentially, and Isaiah 53 is never “skipped.” Most chapters of the Prophets are not read, so the absence of Isaiah 53 from the readings is hardly remarkable.
While it is true that rabbis don’t “preach” Isaiah 53 from the pulpit, that is not surprising given the fact that this chapter is not any more important to Jews than any other chapter of the Prophets and that the Prophets, in general, are of only secondary importance to the Torah, which is often the focus of rabbinical sermons.
Isaiah 53 is in the Jewish Bible and it can be freely read by anyone. Many different translations are available, both in book form and online.