Shabbat Ha'azinu

Written by Rabbi Dr Michael Shire Tuesday, 26 September 2006

Ha'azinu

This year the parasha Ha'azinu appears twice. Once before Rosh Hashanah and then again right afterwards. This is in order to fill up all the gaps before the end of the year and beginning again with Bereshit on Simchat Torah. The Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Jacob Loew in the 16th century commented on the similarity between our reading in Deuteronomy 32 and a similar poem in Isaiah chapter 2. Deuteronomy cites Moses reciting a poem of God’s beginning : “Give ear, O heavens, let me speak. Let the earth hear the words I utter.” Isaiah also recited a poem of God’s beginning, “ Hear O heavens and give ear, O earth.” They sound almost the same but there is one difference. Moses is using the first person ‘ let me speak’. Isaiah is using the third person. Why did Moses claim they were his own words while Isaiah implies they were directly from God. One of the talmudic sages Rava had previously said, “At first the Torah is referred to as God’s but afterwards, after a person has studied and knows it, it is referred to as his.” (Talmud Avodah Zara 19a) The Maharal took this to mean that Moses had studied the Torah completely and therefore referred to it as ‘my’. Isaiah on the other hand coming to become a prophet was yet fully versed in Torah and therefore only quoted in God’s name.

So as we study this portion a second time this year, we can now call it our own! As we began our College semester this past week, at first Jewish learning may seem distant and difficult but as we study more, we will take it into ourselves as familiar material to be cherished. As rabbinic students go out to take High Holy day services for the first or second time, they can begin to become more comfortable in this awesome role as shaliach-tsibbur on the holiest days of the year, somewhat priestly, definitely professional and hopefully prophetic!

Rabbi Dr Michael Shire