The call to seek the Lord is an echo of the verse from Devarim: "Yet there, if you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him: if you search after Him with all your heart and all your soul" (Devarim 4:29). However, our verse in Yeshayahu introduces a significant nuance compared to the message in Devarim. In Devarim, there are no time restrictions on repentance; the ability to find the Lord depends solely on the quality of the search. If one seeks the Lord wholeheartedly, He will be found. In our prophecy, timing becomes a crucial factor: "Seek out the Lord while He is to be found; call to Him – now when He is close" (Yeshayahu 55:6). What is the significance of this shift?

In Devarim, the absence of time constraints might inadvertently lead to complacency. It is akin to assignments in university or school — if the deadline spans the entire semester, most will submit at the last moment, at best. When there are fixed due dates, people prepare accordingly. Similarly, the nation of Israel, dispersed in exile, is not actively seeking the Lord. The prophet steps forward to announce: Now is the time. The deadline is approaching — do not miss it.

This concept aligns with a broader theme in Yeshayahu: the promise of redemption will not wait indefinitely for Israel to awaken and act. If they miss the opportunity — if they do not ascend to the Land in time or repent — the promises of “the waters of Noach” (Chapter 54) or “you will go forth in joy” (Chapter 55) may not be fulfilled in their generation. It is reminiscent of the heart-wrenching verses in Shir HaShirim, where the beloved delays answering her lover's call: "my beloved’s voice, he is knocking – ‘Open for me, my sister, my love…’ I have taken off my dress; how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; how can I dirty them?’” (Shir HaShirim 5:2-3), and the result is totally missing the opportunity: I opened for my beloved – he had slipped away and, gone. I fainted for him as he spoke – I searched for him but couldn’t find him; I called out but he did not answer" (Shir HaShirim 5:6).

In my humble opinion, this is one of the reasons why this ‘haftara’ is read on fast days. It is always possible to repent; one does not need to wait for a fast or Yom Kippur to return to God, and the verses in Devarim certainly hold true. However, if you have reached a fast, if the Lord is already near, then seize the moment and repent. For if not now — when?