To Parasha Ha’asinu by the Temple Institute, Jerushalajim

THIS WEEK, PARASHAT HA’AZINU: „GIVE EAR, O HEAVENS!“

This week we read parashat Ha’azinu, (Deuteronomy 32:1-52), the next to last parasha of the Torah. In last week’s reading, Vayelech, HaShem told Moshe, „And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel.“ (ibid 31:19) The purpose of the song is to serve as an eternal testimony to Israel, warning them of the danger of abandoning HaShem for foreign gods, a spiritual pitfall which Moshe has been warning against all throughout his 37 day address to Israel which makes up the book of Deuteronomy. „And Moses wrote this song on that day, and taught it to the children of Israel.“ (ibid 31:22)

This week’s reading, Ha’azinu, is that song. The song begins by calling heaven and earth to bear witness to what is about to be said. This is followed by praise of HaShem, which is followed by Israel’s inevitable fall into idolatry. The ramifications will be painful, but HaShem will never abandon His people:

„Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter! May my discourse come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass. For the name of HaShem I proclaim; Give glory to our G-d! The Rock!— His deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just; A faithful G-d, never false, True and upright is He…“ (ibid 32:1-4)

This montage shows the three patriarchs, Avraham and Yitzchak, (at the akeida – the binding of Yitzchak, Genesis 22), and Yaakov, (after awakening from his dream in Beit El, Genesis 28), all envisioning the future Holy Temple.

Thoughts at Parasha Dewarim and the the 5. Book of Torah

Today we find ourselves in the week in which a new book of the Torah will be read this coming Shabbat. It is the book of Devarim. Devarim means retrospective and recalls everything that has happened and what is and remains of utmost importance. We are also speaking of the Mishneh Torah, the repetition of the Torah. With the words of Devarim, we all enter this important phase of our own personal development, and at the same time, we, as a Jewish people, are called upon and prepared to confront the contents of the Torah once again and move forward with it. Devarim also marks the beginning of Yeshayahu’s vision and the Book of the Prophets. The parashah begins right at the beginning: „These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness, opposite Suf, between Paran and between Tophel and Laban and Hatzeroth and Di-Zahab.“ Then comes a remarkable sentence in the second pasuk. It speaks of eleven days‘ journey from Choreb on the way to Se’ir to Kadesh Barnea. Se’ir refers to Edom, and this is important. The concluding remark is that it was the fortieth year, in the eleventh month of the moon, on the first day of the moon, that Moses spoke to the sons of Israel. According to rabbinic reckoning, the eleventh month is the month of Av, and we will find ourselves in this very month next Shabbat Chazon. It is important to study every word of the Torah and realize that, on the one hand, we have the task of taking possession of the land given to the Jewish people by the Canaanites, but, on the other hand, to consider that it is Hashem alone who makes all this possible, and our inner predispositions that enable the realization of what Hashem has planned for us all.

Thoughts at Matot-Maseij…

Today I began to study Parasha Matot. Its name centrally refers to the tribes of Israel and is the last parasha to be read together with Parasha Maseij in the Sefer Bemidbar. Therefore, next Shabbat, we will soon reach a new stage in the development of the Children of Israel. At the very beginning, it speaks of vows and how to deal with them. Then the text continues with the war against the Midianites. Following a request from the tribes of Reuven and Gad, Moshe, in view of their extremely numerous herds of cattle, allocates the vast plains of Transjordan. However, he obligates them to participate in the conquest of Canaan alongside his brothers. It is the emphasis on a shared goal and the importance of all brothers standing together that deeply impresses me and is very important. After a quick recap of the stages of their journey through the desert, the Children of Israel learn from Moshe the course of the land’s borders, which they must observe. The Lord then appoints those responsible, who will assist the High Priest Eleazar and Joshua, as the leader of the people, in distributing the land. The Levite cities are then designated and given to the Levites. Furthermore, an unintentional murderer can seek refuge in them from the archaic desire for revenge among the victim’s relatives.

The Land for all Jews

In Parasha Shelach Lecha, the spies are sent to be given to the Children of Israel. It is important to recognize that a spy is sent for each of the 12 tribes of Israel, among which there are even princes. However, only two bring back a realistic report that is not demoralizing: Khaleb from the tribe of Judah and Hoshea bin Nun from the tribe of Ephraim.

I identify with the latter, as I am not both Levi and Jew, thus doubly fruitful, as the name Ephraim suggests. It is also important that Hoshea bin Nun had traveled the long way from Egypt to prepare everything. This is about Canaan, the land that Hashem promises his people. While everyone else, except Caleb and Hoshea, encourages the people to conquer the land and take possession of it for themselves, it is the rest who consider this impossible and report this to the community, the entire body of the Children of Israel, who are now about to enter the „Promised Land.“ They listen to the messengers of doubt from their own ranks and begin to grumble and wish to return to Egypt. What can we learn from this? First, that the Children of Israel are following the wrong people, that it was two princes who fulfilled G-d’s command and only report what G-d expects, without any doubt and without their own emotional admixtures regarding fears that are transmitted to the people.

I speak of the land in two ways. On the one hand, it’s about conquering one’s own approach to the Torah and all 613 mitzvot, a ‚land of deep spirituality and fear of God,‘ a ‚land flowing with milk and honey,‘ and also the land of Eretz Yisrael itself, as a home for all tribes, all of which are, of course, Jews.

Shavua Tov!