HAFTARA FOR SHABBAT HOL HAMO’ED SUKKOT A graphic vision of a battle that will take place at the end of days, in which Israel’s enemies will be defeated, and God’s name will be made great among the nations. The connection with Sukkot lies in the similarity between this vision and that of Zechariah 14 (the haftara for the first day), with its explicit reference to Sukkot. Since this was the time when both the first and second Temples were dedicated, it was natural to associate it with the restoration of cosmic order, in which Israel will be at peace, Jerusalem the spiritual center of the world, and God’s presence manifest to all.

וְהִתְגַּדִּלְתִּי וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתִּי I will be magnified and sanctified. These words were adapted to become the opening words of the Kaddish, itself a prayer for the recognition of God’s sovereignty throughout the world.