רני עקרה לא ילדה ... (ישעי' נד-א)
The Haftorah opens with words from Yeshaya HaNavi, “Rejoice barren one, who bore no child.” The Navi uses the metaphor of a childless woman, to describe Klal Yisroel during the galus, who appear “barren” while the nations of the world appear to be fruitful, with many descendants.
Chazal (Berachos 10a) say that Bruriah, the famous wife of Rabbi Meir, once had an argument with an apostate who asked why the barren woman should “rejoice” that she did not have children? Bruriah responded that the barren woman is happy since she would rather not have children at all if it means her child would grow up to be like the apostate!
R’ Yitzchok Hutner zt”l explains that the Torah, especially the oral tradition, trains a Jew to understand things on a deeper level. To a non-Jew, the Navi’s statement seems simple; either you have children, or you don’t. There is no deeper understanding there. But to a Jew, it is much more complex.
Furthermore, says R’ Hutner, it is the mandate of the Jewish mother to ensure the continuation of Klal Yisroel. We see this from the four Matriarchs who had to make tough choices in life: Sarah Imeinu sent away Yishmael, Rivkah ensured that Yaakov got the berachos and not Esav, and Rochel and Leah encouraged Yaakov to leave Charan so they wouldn’t be under the influence of their father Lavan.
It is apt that Bruriah, a Jewish mother herself, responds to the apostate by explaining that a Jewish mother does not simply birth a child, rather it is much more complex than that.