Ha’azinu -2021
Ha’azinu |האזינו | “Listen
The word Ha’azinu (האזינו) literally means “give ear,” an expression meaning “Listen to this.” It is also the name of the fifty-third and second-to-last reading from the Torah. It is the first word of the Song of Moses, which begins with the words “Give ear (Ha’azinu), O heavens, and let me speak” (Deuteronomy 32:1).
- SUMMARY:
- Moses sings his last song, a love poem to G-d . ( Deut 32:1–6)
- The poem recounts the blessings that G-d has bestowed on the Israelites, the wicked deeds they have committed, and the punishments that G-d then inflicted upon them. ( Deut 32:7–43)
- G-d tells Moses to begin his ascent of Mount Nebo, from where he will see the Land of Israel from a distance but will not be allowed to enter it. (Deut 32:45–52)
Torah:
Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52
Haftarah Portion
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2 Samuel 22:1-51
Ha-Berit ha-Hadashah
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John 20:26-21:25
Notes:
Heaven and Earth – Rain and Dew
RabYehudah said, “The day when rain falls is as great as the day when the Torah was given, as it is said [in Deuteronomy 32:2], ‘Let my teaching drop as the rain.’ [When Moses said] “teaching”, he meant Torah, as it is said of the Torah [in Proverbs 4:2] “For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my Torah.” (b.Ta’anit 7a)
Moses begins his song by calling upon the heavens and the earth as witnesses to his teaching. He says, “Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.” (Deuteronomy 32:1) He follows this progression, from heaven to earth, when he says, .” (Deuteronomy 32:2) Rain is that which falls from heaven to earth, in a sense, connecting heaven and earth. In rabbinic literature, Torah is often compared to rain failing from heaven to earth.
The sages compared Torah to water, for just as water descends from a higher to a lower level, so too the Torah descended from its place of glory to the realm of men:
Rabbi Chanina ben Ida said, “Why are the words of the Torah likened unto water [in Isaiah 55:1], ‘Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters.’? This is to teach you that just as water flows from a higher place to a low place, so too the words of the Torah …” (b.Ta’anit 7a)
Yeshua Words: but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4 : 14
My Teaching in Hebrew, the word lakach meaning “To Take”. Torah must be taken in by heart in order for fruit to be produced.
The Gemara cites other expositions that deal with Torah study. Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). This verse comes to tell you that just as with these iron implements, one sharpens the other when they are rubbed against each other, so too, when Torah scholars study together, they sharpen one another in halakha.
Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of My mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distil as the dew; as the small rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb” (Deuteronomy 32:1-2, Isaiah 40:6-8).
Isaiah 26:19 “-awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust–for Thy dew is as the dew of light, and the earth shall bring to life the shades (REPAH-IM).” The dew of Your Torah and Your commandments shall be to them dew of light (Rashi).
“And let us know, let us strive to know (daat) the Lord: like the dawn (of the redemption) whose going forth is sure, and He will come to us like rain, like the latter rain which satisfies the earth” (Hosea 6:3). He will come to us like rain which comes to be life for the world, for then He will come to teach life that will come to us (Rashi). Zechariah 10:1 “Request rain from the Lord at the time of the latter rain; the Lord makes rain-clouds, and He shall give them rain; for each person, grass in the field…”
G-d gave to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, David and Solomon, knowledge, wisdom and understanding (Daniel 1:15-20, 2:20-23, 1 Kings 5:26). “But (in truth) it is a spirit (ruach) in man, and it is the soul (neshama) from the Almighty that gives them understanding,..” (Job 32:8, Isaiah 11:1-5). Wisdom is a Divine gift from above,..(Rashi).
Psalm 119:99-100 ” From all my teachers I gained understanding, for Your testimonies are my conversation . From the wise elders I gain understanding, for I kept Your precepts.”
Devarim 32:2 My teaching shall drop like rain; my word will flow like dew; like storm winds on vegetation and like raindrops on grass
My teaching shall drop like rain: This is the testimony that you shall testify, that in your presence, I declare, “The Torah (לִקְחִי), which I gave to Israel, which provides life to the world, is just like this rain, which provides life to the world, [i.e.,] when the heavens drip down dew and rain.” — [Sifrei 32:2]
like storm winds: Heb. כִּשְׂעִירִם. This is an expression similar to “storm (סְעָרָה) wind” [since ס and שׂ are interchangeable. Accordingly,] the Targum renders [כִּשְׂעִירִם as]: כְּרוּחֵימִטְרָא, “like winds [that bring] rain.” [The metaphor is explained as follows:] Just as these [stormy, rainy] winds maintain the plants and promote their growth, so too, the words of the Torah cause those who study them to grow.
Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men. –Micah 5 :7
Furthermore, said Rashi, if Israel acted meritoriously, then the witnesses would be able to reward them, as the earth would yield its produce and the heavens would give its dew.
–Zechariah 8:12.
Rashi interpreted Deuteronomy 32:2 to refer to Torah, which, like rain, provides life to the world. Rashi interpreted the request of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:2 for his speech to rain down “as the dew,” “as the rain,” to mean that it should come in small droplets. Rashi interpreted that Moses wanted to teach the children of Israel slowly, the knowledge “raining” down on the people in small portions, for if they were to be subject to all knowledge coming down at once, they would be overwhelmed and thus wiped out.
Hosea 14:5
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;
I will be to Israel like refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon.
It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing– life forever. – Psalm 133 :3
Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. – Isaiah 26 : 19
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