The Rock and His Righteous Judgment
In his song, Moses uses the metaphor of God as a rock—steadfast, strong, immovable and unchanging. It is for these particular qualities that the rabbis chose a verse from this Parasha as the opening line of the Jewish burial service called Tziduk haDin (Righteous Judgment).
The prayer begins with Deuteronomy 32:4:
“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”
In contrast to all these wondrous qualities of God, the Torah portion describes man as corrupt, perverse, and crooked to the point of being compared to Sodom and Gomorrah.
“For their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of cobras.” (Deuteronomy 32:32–33)
In addition to being compared to a rock, Moses also likens God to an eagle — a bird of great strength and vision — who took the children out of Egypt on His outstretched wings.
“As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the LORD alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.” (Deuteronomy 32:11–12)
Music and Vessels of Praise
Music has been called the universal language of the heart and, therefore, Moses uses the song of Ha’Azinu to complete his life’s mission with a stirring challenge to the people of Israel.
What is Moses’ message? It is that our actions have consequences — for good or for evil — and that our very survival depends upon our faithfulness to God our Rock.
Music and song have always been an integral part of the Jewish People.
England’s former chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, wrote, “Jewish life is a symphony whose score is the Torah, whose composer is God, whose orchestra is the Jewish people, and whose most moving performance is on Simchat Torah.” (Torah with a Twist of Humor, Joe Bobker, p. 409)
A particular kind of Jewish music originating from Eastern Europe called Klezmer comes from the modern Hebrew words klei (vessel or instrument) and zemer (song).
We are all walking vessels or instruments designed to praise God with singing. It is good to remember that the singers and musicians were at times sent out in front of the armies of Israel, and this in itself was enough to bring victory.
Why is singing such a spiritual, sacred act of worship? Nineteenth century Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav wrote, “If two people talk at the same time, neither hears or understands the other; whereas if two people sing at the same time, they give each other harmony.” (Bobker, p. 410)
Moses’ song has not been forgotten; it has been passed down from dor l’dor (generation to generation).
The Levites sang it each week in the First and Second Temples. Later, after the destruction of the Temples, Jewish children were taught in religious schools to memorize the entire song.
Ha’Azinu reminds us that both God and His people suffer pain through betrayal and infidelity, but those who come to God in sincere repentance can receive forgiveness.
Moses, called “friend of God,” died alone and yet not alone, for his very best Friend in the entire universe remained with him even to the end.
In fact, it was God who buried Moses, and to this day He alone knows the burial place.
In his song, Moses uses the metaphor of God as a rock—steadfast, strong, immovable and unchanging. It is for these particular qualities that the rabbis chose a verse from this Parasha as the opening line of the Jewish burial service called Tziduk haDin (Righteous Judgment).
The prayer begins with Deuteronomy 32:4:
“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”
In contrast to all these wondrous qualities of God, the Torah portion describes man as corrupt, perverse, and crooked to the point of being compared to Sodom and Gomorrah.
“For their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of cobras.” (Deuteronomy 32:32–33)
In addition to being compared to a rock, Moses also likens God to an eagle — a bird of great strength and vision — who took the children out of Egypt on His outstretched wings.
“As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the LORD alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.” (Deuteronomy 32:11–12)
Music and Vessels of Praise
Music has been called the universal language of the heart and, therefore, Moses uses the song of Ha’Azinu to complete his life’s mission with a stirring challenge to the people of Israel.
What is Moses’ message? It is that our actions have consequences — for good or for evil — and that our very survival depends upon our faithfulness to God our Rock.
Music and song have always been an integral part of the Jewish People.
England’s former chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, wrote, “Jewish life is a symphony whose score is the Torah, whose composer is God, whose orchestra is the Jewish people, and whose most moving performance is on Simchat Torah.” (Torah with a Twist of Humor, Joe Bobker, p. 409)
A particular kind of Jewish music originating from Eastern Europe called Klezmer comes from the modern Hebrew words klei (vessel or instrument) and zemer (song).
We are all walking vessels or instruments designed to praise God with singing. It is good to remember that the singers and musicians were at times sent out in front of the armies of Israel, and this in itself was enough to bring victory.
Why is singing such a spiritual, sacred act of worship? Nineteenth century Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav wrote, “If two people talk at the same time, neither hears or understands the other; whereas if two people sing at the same time, they give each other harmony.” (Bobker, p. 410)
Moses’ song has not been forgotten; it has been passed down from dor l’dor (generation to generation).
The Levites sang it each week in the First and Second Temples. Later, after the destruction of the Temples, Jewish children were taught in religious schools to memorize the entire song.
Ha’Azinu reminds us that both God and His people suffer pain through betrayal and infidelity, but those who come to God in sincere repentance can receive forgiveness.
Moses, called “friend of God,” died alone and yet not alone, for his very best Friend in the entire universe remained with him even to the end.
In fact, it was God who buried Moses, and to this day He alone knows the burial place.