Ha’azinu
Deut. 32:1-52
Précis: The parasha, the shortest in the Five Books, containing only
52 verses, begins with the “Song of Moses,” a hymn sung by Moses within sight
of the Promised Land. The song contrasts God’s fidelity with the faithlessness
of the People, and the need of the People to learn from their history under
God’s care. Moses predicts that Israel’s enemies will be overcome. He is told
to climb a mountain to see the Promised Land he will not to enter, as he
prepares for his death. This is the last parasha read on Shabbat in the annual
cycle: the final parasha (V’zot Habracha) is read traditionally on
Simchat Torah.
Deut. 32:52 “You may view the land from a
distance, but you shall not enter it, the land that I am giving to the
Israelite people.”
Rabbi Arie Hasit, writing
in Torah Sparks (9/22/17), connects this
verse with the current season, when we are concerned about our fate and the “Book
of Life.” He calls this verse “a scary one.” Moses’ great dream is denied, and
his death foretold, despite his outstanding life of leadership, his
face-to-face conversations with God, and his pleas for the welfare of the
Jewish People. But because of a single act made in an instance of
anger and frustration, he is denied t’shuvah and his fate is sealed.
On the other hand, we can view this in a different light:
Moses’ dream will be inherited by the People. He lives to see that his dreams will be fulfilled, albeit by others. This brings to mind the saying of Pirke
Avot: “It is not your obligation to complete the task, but you are nevertheless
not free to desist from it.” In other words, while we may not be able to perfect our families, our
communities, or the world, we are not at liberty to stop trying.
When chanting “U’ntaneh Tokef” during the Yamim Noraim, we were asking who will live and who will
die. How do we make sense of the knowledge that good people will leave us in
the coming year? Hasit suggests that Ha’azinu gives us a clue. Death is not a punishment, because
it makes us human. Even Moses cannot live forever. Our prayer should remind us
of the unexpededness of life, and challenge us to think about how we will make
the most of every minute we have with the people we love.
