The Haftorah of Shabbos Chazon is designed to get us into the Tisha B’av spirit. It is a prophecy from the book of Isaiah forecasting what will happen to the Jewish people if they do not change ways. As we know, the Jewish people did not listen and they did not change their ways quickly enough. That is why we have Tisha B’av. This Haftorah is the message that we should have paid more attention to.

In the Haftorah, Yeshayahu discusses some awful sins:  idol worship, stealing, bribery, and insincere worship of Hashem. Hashem says:

חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמֽוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹרַח

 “I hate your offerings and your prayers – they are making me weary”. In the days leading up to the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash we were insincere I our worship and we were distracted by false gods. Hashem “wasn’t interested” anymore.

In the midst of all of the doom and gloom, Yeshayah offered us a way out, a way to change everything and make our sins disappear. “Like red cloth, turning to white” we will can turn back the clock, stay in our land, and revive our connection with Hashem:

לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָֽה:

“Learn to do good, seek justice, strengthen the victim, do justice for the orphan, take up the cause of the widow…”

 אִם־תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם טוּב הָאָרֶץ תֹּאכֵֽלוּ: כ וְאִם־תְּמָֽאֲנוּ וּמְרִיתֶם חֶרֶב תְּאֻכְּלוּ כִּי פִּי ה דִּבֵּֽר:

“If you will be willing and obey, you shall eat the goodness of the land. But if you will refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword – for the mouth of Hashem has spoken”.

All of the suffering could have been avoided if we had only taken notice of downtrodden people and treated them fairly!

In Parshas Devarim we find a similar theme. Moshe describes how during most of the years in the desert, Hashem was removed from the Jewish people. It was only after the entire generation of the spies and the Golden Calf passed away that Hashem was able to resume His former relationship.  

Hashem is everywhere and we are always able to talk to Him. What changes when Hashem comes closer to the Jewish people?

Rashi explains that there are three important components to our relationship with Hashem: 

Firstly, there is a Chiba, a genuine fondness that exists when we are not distracted in our service of Hashem.

Secondly, The conversation itself is “Panim el Panim” – face to face. We give our full attention to Hashem and He gives His full attention to us.

Finally, Rashi says, there is Yishuv hadaas – time. We aren’t running anywhere and Hashem has all the time in the world for us.

This is the lesson of “Ashru Chamotz”. We need to listen to other people with love, attentiveness, and as if we have nothing else to do. We need to do the same when we talk to Hashem.