Ha’azinu - 1st Portion

Join me as we learn Chumash for parshas Ha'azinu, the second to last Torah reading of the book of Deuteronomy. As we recall, last week Moshe was told by God to write down the poem to remind the Jewish people of what the consequences of not following God's commandments. This is the poem that Moshe wrote and gave to the Jewish people right before his passing, reminding them of the importance of following God's commandments and invoking the heaven and earth as the witnesses to it. It is interesting to note that Ha'azinu is the only Torah reading that the aliyahs, the split of the aliyahs is according to Halacha L'Moshe MiSinai, how they have to be split, and according to Ha'azivlach, each one starts with a certain verse. These songs as well were sung in the Holy Temple in this same separation of how the aliyahs are separated according to as we read it today, the first, second, third, fourth, and the first six aliyahs. It begins with the hate, Ha'azinu. Also, in the Torah, it's written in two columns as a poem, differently as it is to every other Torah reading in one straight column. Verse chapter 32, verse 1. Ha'azinu Hashamayim Va'adaberah. Listen, oh heaven, and I will speak. And ear hear, oh earth, the words of my mouth. Rashi, Ha'azinu Hashamayim, Va'adaberah. This is the beginning of the song where Moshe turns to the heaven and earth. Shani masrim b'Yisrael, I'm warning the Jewish people and letting them know about what will come. V'tiyu eidim badavar, and you're going to be witnesses. Shari kach amarti lahem, that this is what I told them. She'atem tiyu eidim, and you are the witnesses. V'sichein tishm'u ha'aretz, so to speak, and hear, earth. Lamah heidim Shamayim Va'aretz, why does he take the heaven and earth as witnesses? She'omar Moshe, cuz Moshe said, "Ani basar v'dam, I'm a person of flesh and blood. L'machar ani mes, tomorrow I die. V'im B'nei Yisrael, the Jewish people are going to say, 'Well, they kiblu al nafsham b'ris, they accepted didn't accept upon ourselves the covenant. Me who's going to come and deny it? Therefore he takes heaven and earth as testimony as witnesses. These are these are witnesses that are around forever. Another reason. If they're going to do a trial, these witnesses will come and give them give them the reward. What's the reward? The earth will give its crop. And the heaven will give its dew. But if they're not going to do it, God forbid they won't listen, then the first one to punish them is going to be the witnesses, which is the heaven will withhold back and won't be rain and the earth will not give its crop. Afterwards it continues in the verse there, they'll be destroyed quickly through the nations of the world. Verse two. My doctrine as the rain my speech flows as dew like the winds upon vegetation and like the raindrops upon the grass. The word come out of the creek This is the beginning this is the first testimony that you will give witness telling you today the Torah that I give the Jewish people which is life for eternity. Just like rain is life for eternity. Just like the heaven gives forth rain and dew, so too the Torah will always be there for the Jewish people. They should not let go of it. What is the word mean? Comes from the word to drip, to flow. Like we find that the heavens of the earth are Yahr full tall that it continues to flow the dew of the words and rain continue to flow. Tizal katal it tizal katal. The dew uh as dew and he says over here as well and so I'm sorry the previous one was drops. This one tizal means to flow. Shakel and what's the difference between dew and rain? Shakel that everybody's happy about dew. When it comes to rain yesh and again him. There are those that are upset. Like those that are traveling don't want it to rain. They don't want muddy muddy roads. You can be sure you buy them all the iron or a guy that has a well full of wine. He doesn't want any water in it cuz then it's going to ruin the wine. However, dew everybody appreciates because it doesn't bother anybody. Kisedim What is the word kisedim like the winds upon vegetation? Like a strong wind. Just like the winds keep the grass strong by the winds coming. So too and it helps them grow. So too the words of Torah help a person grow the people that study Torah. V'charvivim and like raindrops upon the grass charvivim Rashi translates tippy matter raindrops because how it shoots forth like a rain so too when you call the terminology it says that Ishmael was a person who was able to shoot an arrow really well and uses the terminology rivivim. So too as well it's the same type of language of raindrop of um the rain raindrops coming forth on the grass. Desha, what is desha? When you have an entire area covered in grass it's called a desha like an entire land uh that's full of grass. So one blade on the tone is a sev and desha is an entire field. A sev grass one group is called a sev grass called minimeen latsmincaratesif, too you have many different kinds of grass, and all different kinds of grasses called asif, and deshe is an entire field. Verse three. K'shem Hashem ekra havu gedel l'Eloheinu Eloheinu. When I proclaim the name of God, ascribe greatness to our God by blessing his name. Rashi, k'shem Hashem ekra The word ki, as we know, is has many different interpretations. when k'mo ikis of are left when you come to the land. K'she ekra ask you when I call and announce with the song, shem Hashem, the name of God you will give now baruch you bless his name. Mikan omenim from here we learn from here we learn that we have to announce baruch shem k'vod malchuso k'vod great is God's name kingdom forever and ever. Acher brocha she b'mikdash whenever they would make a blessing in the in the in the in the holy temple, they would respond by baruch shem. Verse four. Hatzur tamim pa'alo Although God is wrong as strong as a rock, his retributive action is perfectly measured. tamim pa'alo ki chol drachav mishpat cuz all his ways are are are are quintessential equity. Kel emunah v'ein avel He's a reliable God without injustice. tzadik v'yashar hu he is righteous and proper. Rashi, hatzur tamim pa'alo af al pi she hu chazak even though he's strong when he brings punishment and those of illness unto him, lo b'shetef he doesn't do it with one pour hu meivi k'mo b'din k'tamim pa'alo he does it all in just in the right way, perfectly accountable. Kel emunah l'shalem he is trusted l'shalem tzadikim to pay the reward to the righteous to custom made them a lot there that therefore the righteousness in the world to come af pay you hu me'acher tzadikim olam though that he delays paying them their reward. Save me know for sure that it's going to come true and you can hold them true to his word. Meaning there's no injustice, meaning without injustice even those who are do bad, but let's say they do a little bit of good for that little bit good they get rewarded and paid for in this world as well. Who is righteous and proper? Everybody will say that God is righteous, meaning that he is a true judge and he only doesn't punish more than expected. And therefore this is worthy and this is appropriate. He is righteous and righteous from the mouths of the creations and he's upright, meaning we can justify and you can understand and appreciate and see what's going on. Verse five. Not his, I'm sorry, corruption is not his. His children are responsible for their own moral flaw. A crooked and perverse generation. What does this mean? Rashi explains. That means they made their own problems. They should move on. His children and those children, meaning the Jewish people, their problems, their blemishes are their own. Their own problem. It's their problems, their blemishes, not his. He is perfect. A generation of which is crooked, crooked. That means they don't go the proper path. Come on. Everything that's right they perversed. That amounts a weasel who changed his way and went the crooked paths of the salt tail, which means perverse. Unthro leash capsulize as you get into like this thick string that you wind it and my key for the next keep on going in circles like a deal around the young main thing salt tail when I take this like full is coming a dumb dumb scar her skull called salt tail comes in many different words in the Torah that in order to be able to uh make them stronger so to speak to uh point out their importance. You'll see in the same word a word as well. It's double. So for example, you're a crack very green. I dumb dumb very red. So salt tail salt tail something which is going in circles perverse. It has a seal is the same word but it goes double salt tail. Verse six. Hala sham tik mul says is this the way you repay hala sham tik mul says is this the way you repay God? I'm novel you foolish people. And they're unwise. Hala who are we huh? He is is he not your father? Who can I have he acquired you? Who asked her he settled you he equipped you he made you. May you have and he established you. Rashi Hala sham tik mul says What you tell me it's a question. The killer from the bottom of the team why you getting in why you misbehaving this way? She has to punish you that he has the ability to punish you. Didn't he do you all these good things? I'm novel. Such a nation such a people such a foolish people that they forgot all the good that was done to them. Love this nail wise enough to realize what's going to happen because of it she has to be able to God has the ability to make it good or bad for them. Hala who are we can I have she can I have God acquired you for a nation she can I have a kind of slime but it's that he took you and he put you in a place. And he gave you a place to be in a strong land to take and he gave you all the things that you need and he established you he gave you the ability to establish you gave you priests kings that means all of them amongst you you don't need any other nations you have everything there you have everything amongst you the word comes like a city that everything is there and why are you forgetting what God told you to do this concludes the first of parshas hazinu