Ha'azinu - 1st Portion

Join me as we learnish for parasid the second to the 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 is the only Torah reading that the alias the split of the alias is according to how they have to be split and according to each one starts with a certain verse. These songs as well were sung in the holy temple in this same separation of how the alias are separated according to as we read it today the first second third fourth and the first six alias it begins with the heyu 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 one listen oh heaven and I will Speak and earth here. O earth the words of my mouth. This is the beginning of the song where Moshe turns to the heaven and earth. I'm warning the Jewish people and letting them know about what will come and you're going to be witnesses that this is what I told them and you are the witnesses. sold to he says in here earth why does he take the heaven and earth as witnesses mosha said person of flesh and blood the Jewish people are going to say we didn't accept upon ourselves the covenant who's going to come and deny it therefore he takes heaven and earth as testimony as witnesses these are witnesses that are around forever Another reason if they're going to do what's right then these witnesses will come and give them their reward. What's the reward? The vine will give its fruit and the earth will give its crop and the heaven will give its doom. But if they're not going to do if God forbid they will listen then the first one to punish them is going to be the witnesses which is the heaven will hold back. It won't be rain. The earth will not give its crop afterwards. It continues in the verse there will 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 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 does the word mean? Comes from the word to drip, to flow. Like we find that the heavens and the earth are that it continues to flow. The do of the words and rain continue to flow. Katal tal the doom as doom and he says over here as well I'm sorry drop the previous one was drops this one means to flow and what's the difference between do and rain that everybody's happy about do when it comes to rain there are those that are upset like those that are traveling don't want it to rain they don't want muddy muddy roads or a guy that has a a well full of wine. He doesn't want any water in it because it's going to ruin the wine. However, do everybody appreciates because it doesn't bother anybody. What is the word? 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. And like raindrops upon the grass translates raindrops because how it shoots forth like a rain. So too when you call the terminology it says that yes was a person who was able to shoot an arrow really well and uses the terminology. So two as well is the same type of language of raindrop of um the rain raindrops coming forth on the grass des what is when you have an entire area covered in grass it's called a dasha like an entire land uh that's filled with grass with one blade on its own is and is an entire field as grass one group is called as grass and so You have many different kinds of grass and all different kinds of grass are called as and has an entire field. Verse three, when I proclaim the name of God, ascribe greatness to our God by blessing his name. The word key as we know is has many different interpretations. When you come to the land ask when I call and announce with the song the name of God you will give now you will bless his name from here we learn from here we learn that we have to announce great is God's name kingdom forever and ever whenever they would make a blessing in them in that in the in the holy temple they would respond by verse Four, although God is wrong as strong as a rock, his retributive action is perfectly measured because all his ways are are are quintessential equity. He's a reliable God without injustice who is righteous and proper. Even though he's strong when he brings punishment and those that don't listen to him if he doesn't do it with one poor he does it all and just in the right way perfectly accountable he is trusted to pay the reward to the righteous that therefore the righteousness in the world to come even though that He delays paying them their reward. You know for sure that he'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 um 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. He's 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 of his children and those children meaning the Jewish people their problems their blemishes are their own it's their problems their blemishes not his he is perfect a generation which is crooked crooked that means they don't go the proper path everything that's right they perverse So we find inn that a mouse a weasel who changed its way and went in crooked paths which means perverse unleash like this thick string that you wind it and then you keep on going in circles around the main thing. There's salt 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 world word as well it's double. So for example, very green very red. So something which is going in circles perverse it has a seal. It's the same word but it goes double. Verse six. Is this the way you repay? Is this the way you repay God? You foolish people and are unwise. He is your is he not your father? Whoa. He acquired you. Whoa. He settled you. He equipped you. He made you and he established you. Rashi. It's a question. Why are you getting why you misbehaving this way? That he has the ability to punish you. Didn't he do you all the 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. They're not wise enough to realize what's going to happen because of it. That God is the ability to make it good or bad for them. God acquired you for a nation that he took you and he put you in a place and he gave you a place to be in a strong land and he gave you all the things that you need. He made you a nation amongst the nations and he established you. He gave you the ability to establish you gave you priests and some of them are prophets and some of them kings. That means all of them amongst you. You don't need any other nations. You have everything there. You have everything amongst you. Like the word comes like a city that everything's there. And why are you forgetting what God told you to do? This concludes the first aliyah of parasino.