HA’AZEENU
The Fifty-third Sedra
FROM THE TORAH
Deuteronomy 32:1-52
In the previous Sedra Vayelech, Moses has anticipated the future idolatry of the Children of Israel upon the Land of Settlement. He introduces a poem, to be taught to them, and to serve as God’s witness against them. In Sedra Ha’azeenu, the poem is recorded.
THE POEM
32:1-47
Moses, together with Hosea son of Nun,
delivers all of the words of this poem,
in the hearing of the people:
Testimony Before Heaven and Earth
Give ear (Ha’azeenu), O heavens, and I shall speak;
pay heed, O earth, to the words of my mouth!
Let my teaching come down as rain,
my words as dew upon the grass.
As I declare the Eternal’s Name,
ascribe greatness to our God!
Deuteronomy Rabbah 10:4
Both Heaven and Earth
“Give ear, O heavens, and I shall speak;
pay heed, O earth, to the words of my mouth!”
(Deuteronomy 32:1)
Said Rabbi Samuel bar Nachman: Moses was of the earth, as he was human. But he also became great in heaven, as was said, “He was there with the Eternal forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 34:28). This duality presented him with a dilemma: If I appeal to heaven, the earth will be upset; and if I appeal to earth, heaven will be upset. So his solution was: I shall appeal to both of them, to heaven and to earth, as was said, “Give ear, O heavens…pay heed, O earth…!”
Said Rabbi Tanchuma: Why to both heaven and earth? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, will not redeem Israel except by the agencies of both, for thus is written: “Shout aloud, O heavens, for the Eternal will act; sing out, O depths of the earth” (Isaiah 44:23)!
Another interpretation: Why to both heaven and earth? Because both were involved in the giving of Torah, as was said, “From the heavens He caused you to hear His voice, instruct you; and on earth He caused you to see His great fire, from which you heard His words” (Deuteronomy 4:36)!
Another interpretation: Because the provision of manna and quails was worked through both of them. Whence? “I shall cause bread (manna) to rain down to you from the heavens” (Exodus 16:4) and “In the evening quail came up (from the earth) and covered the camp” (Ibid. 13).
Another interpretation: Because the Holy One, blessed be He, likened Israel to both heaven and earth. He said to Abraham, “Look up to the heavens, and count the stars, if you could…thus shall be your seed” (Genesis 15:5)! and He said to Jacob in his dream, “Your seed shall be (as numerous) as the dust of the earth” (Genesis 28:14).
Rabbi Chanina taught: This may be likened to one who dies after entrusting a valuable possession to his friend. The son and heir of the deceased shows honor to the man with whom his father entrusted the possession—and to the man’s wife as well. The son is asked: Why do you show honor to both of them, to the man and his wife? He answers them: I (as his father’s heir) now own something valuable that is with them, but it is not clear to me exactly which of them is holding it, the man or his wife. I just want to be sure that wherever the object is, it is kept safe.
So was Moses asked the same question when he said, “Give ear, O heavens…pay heed, O earth…”: Why are you charging both heaven and earth? His answer: I will in the future die, but I do not know to which of these my soul is going, whether to heaven or to earth. Whence?
“Who knows if a man’s spirit rises upwards
or, as a beast’s spirit, goes down to the earth?”
(Ecclesiastes 3:21)
Therefore I charge both of them, just to be sure that wherever my soul rests, it is kept safe!
“Abigail gave to David…this blessing:
‘May the soul of my lord be [v’haytah] bound up
in the bond of life with the Eternal your God.’”
(I Samuel 25:24-29)
The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: By your life, no created thing of earth will have dominion over your soul. Where will it rest? Under My throne of glory in heaven! This is as Abigail asserted to David:
“The soul of my lord will be [v’haytah]
bound up in the bond of life with the Eternal your God!”
(I Samuel 25:29)
Sedra Summary 