Ha'azinu: Yisrael, Moshe, Ani

[cellio]

This week's torah portion was Ha'azinu, the second-last in the cycle. It consists primarily of Moshe's final poem/song, recited to the people before he ascends the mountain to see the land and then die.

The language is very different from what I'm used to in the torah. It is not the language of events and facts and commands; it is the poetry of evocative images and allegory. When I was preparing to chant it I found myself thinking "hey, this reads more like many of the haftarot" (specifically, the ones from the books of prophets) -- which makes perfect sense, as Moshe was a prophet too and these are his final words. I'm not as attuned to the nuances of poetry as many others are, so I'm sure I missed a lot.

The plain reading (p'shat) of this text is a recounting of Isreal's relationship with God. It's mostly focused on the negative -- God did all these good things and Israel rebelled and worshipped false gods and so on, and God withdrew. While it's written in the past tense (mostly), it also predicts future events. But in the end there is a nechemta, a consolation -- that if the people return from those evil ways, God will be there for them. This was the case for the people Moshe was speaking to -- they were redeemed from the sins of their parents and granted entry into the land of Israel. May it be true in the future as well.

It seems possible to read this on another level, too. Moshe is at the end of a long life, the last third of which has been filled with contention and challenges. He, too, rebelled against God and cried out at the unfairness of the punishment he received. But here, at the very end, it is clear that he has accepted God's authority, praising Tzur Yisrael (the Rock of Israel) repeatedly. He has returned to God, and when he dies God himself takes Moshe's final breath with a kiss.

We always read this portion near Yom Kippur, either on Shabbat Shuva (before) or, sometimes (like this year), on the following Shabbat. The high holy days, of course, are the time when we make extra effort to return to God, to set aside past failings and rebellions and rebuild relationships that have faltered. Perhaps this suggests a third way to read this portion -- not just about Yisrael or Moshe but about us. How have we rebelled against that Tzur? Are we ready to return and renew our relationships with God?

Israel returned to God, and will again in the future. Moshe returned. May we also find the strength to do so, one step at a time.

Comments

Sociological predictions in the Torah

[(Anonymous)]

This is one of the few Parshyot/Parts of the Torah that really freak me out. Ha'azinu is prefaced in Vayeilech when G-d says that

"And now write for yourselves this song and teach it to Bnei Yisroel to place it in their mouths; in order that this song will be for Me a witness against Bnei Yisroel. (Devarim, 31:19)" ... "they will eat, and be full, and wax fat; and tehy will turn to other gods and serve them and they will infuriate me and break My covenant. (Devarim, 31:20)

Sort of seems like a helpless scenario doesn't it? The Jewish people have entered into a covenant with G-d, and already it is clear as day that they are going to break it. G-d speaks of it so matter of factly. It's almost like a Parent who lets their child go on a date when they know the kid is clearly going to do something wrong.

Is this free will showing itself in the dynamic between G-d and Biblical Jewish society? G-d knows, but doesn't do anything pre-emptively about it. It appears to be the mark of extreme patience and acceptance. People do evil things in the course of their lives. I guess it is to be expected if you're the one who created them. In the same vein, it shows that G-d is also an experienced disciplinarian. He expects that consequent to the Jewish people rebelling, He will become infuriated and mete out the appropriate punishment.

I guess there are really no surprises when it comes to G-d in the Torah, which shouldn't surprise me :P

Re: Sociological predictions in the Torah

[cellio]

As an aside, I wonder why the preface isn't part of Ha'azinu. It would make more sense there, it seems to me. This isn't the only case of odd breaks, but in the other one that comes to mind (Pinchas -- he kills the transgressors at the end of the previous parsha and is rewarded in the next) there's commentary about it.

Sort of seems like a helpless scenario doesn't it?

It does. I read it as predictive, not causitive (so no free-will issues), but of course God is perfect and not bounded by time, so it's a little more than a prediction, isn't it? But we see the same style of dire warnings in many of the prophets (repeating the word of God), so this isn't unique.

It's almost like a Parent who lets their child go on a date when they know the kid is clearly going to do something wrong.

Let's work with that analogy a bit. If "do something wrong" is, say, drink a lot and get sick, the parent may let it happen as a learning experience. If, however, "do something wrong" is, say, harrassing drunk armed people (with the probable result that the kid gets killed), the parent probably won't let the kid do it if he has any ability at all to stop it. If the consequences are non-redeemable you interfere.

Even at its worst, Yisrael is redeemable. And maybe, just maybe, having sunk into sin and come back out the other side, a person is stronger than he would have been if he'd never gone down that path. Not that I'm advocating sin! But I'm just saying that, with the right perspective after the fact, sin, too, can be educational and make one stronger. Which rabbi was it who elevated a ba'al t'shuva above a tzaddik because the former had overcome what the latter didn't face? That's simplistic, of course, but it suggests that there may be some kernel of truth to my assessment. Of course, it's also possible that I'm completely wrong. :-)

Re: Sociological predictions in the Torah

[(Anonymous)]

I agree with you about the allowance of people to sin as a move towards educating them to be better/stronger. I think it just adds to the confusion, however, when you consider that when two parties enter into a covenant, they usually have considerable optimism to have even thought of it in the first place. Of course the Jewish people were just that .... people! G-d, however, would have been able to see all the murder, theft, exploitation, perversions, etc. in all of Yisroel's future. Why, when we have just as much potential for bad, would we be 'chosen' over everyone else? G-d has nothing to gain from it, only we would. I guess that's why HaShem is called 'Omni-benevolent'.

I leave you with this one quote (thank you chabad.org (http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/tanya.asp) ) "Everything is in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven." (Berachot 33b.)

There's something to think about. Now I'm going to go use my free will to do some more reading for my Honour's Thesis research!

- Inkhorn

Re: Sociological predictions in the Torah

[cellio]

G-d, however, would have been able to see all the murder, theft, exploitation, perversions, etc. in all of Yisroel's future.

And also the ultimate redemption. You just have to take the long view.

As for "why us?", here's a scary thought: others might have worked out even worse! But the whole question of chosenness is thorny; it doesn't mean superiority, just difference. As it says in... err, one of the prophetic haftarot, but I can't remember whose... God has covenants with other peoples too.

woops

[(Anonymous)]

woops, forgot to put my tag at the bottom:


- Inkhorn

:)