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Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash
Surf A Little Torah
Yeshivat Har Etzion
PARASHAT
HA'AZINU
By Rav David Silverberg
In the opening verse of Parashat Ha'azinu, Moshe declares, "Hearken, O heavens, and I shall speak, and may the earth listen to the words of my mouth." The Midrashim and commentaries offer different interpretations of Moshe's invocation to the heaven and earth. The Yalkut Shimoni explains that Moshe points to the heaven and earth as symbols of consistent obedience to God's word. Day after day, year after year, millennia after millennia, the sun rises "on schedule" on the eastern horizon and later sets in the west. The earth, for its part, year after year absorbs the seeds planted by man and produces vegetation. These laws have remained constant and unchanging since the time of creation; never has the heaven or the earth violated the laws of nature or shirked its responsibility. All the more so, Moshe emphasizes, must Benei Yisrael, who are promised reward and warned of punishment for their obedience to or betrayal of God, display consistent loyalty to God and His Torah.
It appears that according to the Yalkut, Moshe here alludes to the danger of
religious observance growing stale and "old fashioned." People are by nature attracted to
novelty, to new ideas and experiences.
Advertisements routinely emphasize that the product is "new and
improved," and a "season premier" television program naturally attracts more
viewers. In warning against this
tendency, Moshe draws our attention to the forces of nature, which remain
faithful to their initial missions even after many millennia, deviating not one
iota from their assigned tasks.
This theme can perhaps be detected later in this parasha, as well, in the main body of the poem of
Ha'azinu. Moshe foresees Benei Yisrael's ultimate betrayal of God through the
worship of foreign deities: "They sacrifice to demons that are not a deity, gods
they have not known new ones, which have recently arrived, which your fathers
never feared. The Rock who begot
you was disregarded; you forgot the God who brought you into existence"
(32:17-18). On one level, Moshe's
emphasis on the "newness" of these deities serves to underscore the gravity of
Benei Yisrael's unfaithfulness. They betrayed the God who "begot you"
and who "brought you into existence," redirecting their loyalties to gods that
had only recently been discovered so-to-speak and with which Benei Yisrael have no prior association. But additionally, this emphasis might
explain why Benei Yisrael resorted to the worship of these pagan gods
because they were "new ones
which your fathers never feared." The people were enchanted by the fresh
new ideas and practices that had "recently arrived" and quickly embraced them
over the old, familiar beliefs and rituals of the Torah. They "disregarded" the "Rock who begot
you," whom they had served for so long, in favor of the "exciting" new faiths
that had just arrived on the theological scene.
We are bidden to take example from the heavens and the earth, and show
our loyalty to God through unshakeable consistency. We must resist the lure of that which
has "recently arrived," and retain our unwavering commitment to "the Rock who
begot You," the same God we have been serving for millennia, by observing the
same Torah that we have practiced for millennia.
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Towards the beginning of Parashat Ha'azinu, Moshe declares, "When I call the Name of the Lord, give glory to our God" (32:3). The Gemara in Masekhet Berakhot (21a) cites this verse as the Biblical source for the obligation of birkat ha-Torah, to recite a berakha each day before beginning to study Torah. On the basis of the Gemara's comment, the Ramban famously asserts that birkat ha-Torah constitutes a Torah obligation, and he lists this obligation as the fifteenth of the affirmative commands that the Rambam erroneously (in the Ramban's view) excluded from his listing of the 613 mitzvot.
According to the Ramban, it emerges that there are two berakhot whose recitation was ordained already by the Torah, and not by the Sages: birkat ha-Torah before studying Torah, and birkat ha-mazon which we recite after eating. That these two berakhot share this unique stature, as the only blessings ordained by the Torah, is, as noted by Rabbi Benjamin Blech (in an article published in the National Council of Young Israel's Words of Torah), quite significant. It reflects a certain correspondence or equation between the consumption of bread and the study of Torah, which we are to view as representing man's two most basic needs. The human being's survival requires, of course, physical sustenance, but at the same time, according to the Torah's perspective, he requires spiritual nourishment, as well, a sense of meaning, purpose and direction. Bread is the staple of man's physical nourishment, and the study of Torah stands at the center of his spiritual existence. Both, therefore, require a blessing, whereby man expresses his profound gratitude to the Almighty for providing him with the essential means for his physical and spiritual survival.
The parallel between these two berakhot underscores the important difference between them. Whereas Torah law requires reciting birkat ha-mazon after one partakes of bread (the berakhot recited before eating were established later, by Chazal), birkat ha-Torah is recited specifically before one begins learning. Rabbi Blech explains that this distinction flows naturally from the difference between the experiences of eating and learning. Before a person eats, when he comes to the table hungry and prepares for his meal, he instinctively feels grateful; at that point, he needs no reminder to express his appreciation to God for providing the "cure" for his hunger. After a person eats his fill, however, his sense of security and comfort is restored, which may lead him to forget his debt of gratitude to the Almighty.
When it comes to Torah study, the opposite is true. After a person experiences the beauty and genius of Torah, he is at least in many cases overcome with appreciation for this precious gift that God has granted the Jewish people. Before one learns, however, he as yet does not feel this debt of gratitude. When a person first takes a seat in the Beit Midrash and opens the Gemara, he is often intimidated or otherwise hesitant; the excitement begins to set in only over the course of his study session. The Torah therefore ordained that he recite the berakha specifically before he begins learning, when he needs to remind himself of the inestimable value of this great gift that is the wisdom of Torah.
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Towards the beginning of Parashat Ha'azinu, Moshe declares, "The Rock His actions are blameless; indeed, all His ways are just a God of faithfulness, with no falsehood, He is righteous and upright" (32:4). The Rashbam and Ibn Ezra explain this verse as an introduction to the ensuing description of the catastrophes that God will bring upon Benei Yisrael in response to their betrayal. The poem of Ha'azinu establishes from the outset that all of the Almighty's actions are "blameless," that He brings no punishment without sin, and no aspersions can ever be cast as to the justness of God's system of judgment. Even when calamity strikes, it must be known that "He is righteous and upright," that He judges the world and its inhabitants fairly.
The Netziv, in his famous introduction to Sefer Bereishit, elaborates on
this verse amidst his discussion of the term "yashar," or "upright." He observes that the patriarchs are
often described with this adjective, and in fact Chazal occasionally
refer to Sefer Bereishit which tells the life stories of the patriarchs as
"Sefer Ha-yashar." The Netziv
explains that yashar denotes proper interpersonal conduct
integrity and respect that one shows to even those of whose lifestyle he
disapproves. Avraham prayed on
behalf of the corrupt city of
In this verse in Parashat Ha'azinu, the Netziv claims, Moshe foreshadows
the destruction of the
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The final verse of Sefer Hoshea, which we read as part of the haftara for Shabbat Shuva, reads, "For the ways of
the Lord are upright the righteous follow them, while the sinners stumble on
them." How do the wicked "stumble"
on the "upright" ways of God? It
appears from this verse that the righteous are able to follow God's ways, while
the sinners are unable to do so, for if they try, they will invariably
stumble. Why does the prophet deem
the wicked people incapable of following the "ways of the
Lord"?
Rashi and Targum Yonatan obviate this question by reinterpreting the
final words of this verse ("u-fosh'im yikashelu vam").
They explain, very simply, that the wicked stumble by not following the
ways of God. The "stumbling" occurs
not as the wicked attempt to follow the proper path, but by virtue of their
decision to chart and tread a different path in life. Following that deviant path is itself
considered "stumbling."
The Radak, however, accepts the straightforward reading of the verse, and
explains that "the ways of the Lord" refers literally to God's ways, the manner
in which He governs mankind, and not to the ways dictated by God for man to
follow. God's decisions in ruling
the universe are "upright"; even when it appears that the righteous are
afflicted undeservingly and the wicked prosper, we are to retain our faith in
the impeccable truthfulness of divine justice. The righteous "follow" the ways of God,
meaning, they accept God's authority and the decisions He renders even when they
outwardly appear unfair and inexplicable.
The wicked, by contrast, stumble as a result of the philosophical
questions often raised by divine justice.
Upon seeing the suffering of the righteous and the success of the wicked,
the sinners conclude that the world runs arbitrarily, that man's fate is not
affected by his conduct or loyalty to God.
This conclusion naturally undermines any chances for the sinner to repent
and recommit himself to the demands of the Torah.
The Radak then proceeds to cite an entirely different interpretation from
his father, an approach that is well worth contemplating during the period of
Aseret Yemei Teshuva.
According to this interpretation, the prophet speaks here of sinners who
attempt to return to the "ways of the Lord," to a life of observance, but,
unaccustomed to the demands of such a lifestyle, find themselves
"stumbling." Change in character or
conduct seldom succeeds the first try.
It is natural for sinners to "stumble" as they try following the "ways of
the Lord" after many years of following much different paths. The reason for this "stumbling," the
Radak's father explains, results from a lack of sincerity or resolve; it occurs
when the sinner does not truly understand the gravity of sin or acknowledge the
need for a fundamental transformation.
"But those who return with a complete heart," the Radak concludes, "their
God will assist them so that they do not stumble." If a sinner truly resigns himself to
changing his conduct and to follow the "ways of the Lord," he will find the road
smoothly paved and clearly marked, to allow him to succeed in his quest for
complete repentance and the restoration of his relationship with
God.
******
Yesterday, we discussed the final verse of Sefer Hoshea, which is read as
part of the haftara for Shabbat Shuva, where the prophet
declares, "For the ways of the Lord are upright the righteous follow them,
while the sinners stumble on them."
We discussed a number of different approaches taken to explain why
sinners "stumble" as they tread along "the ways of the
Lord."
Rav Avraham Rivlin (of Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh), in his work Iyunei Haftara, suggests a different explanation, claiming
that the prophet here refers to the possibility of misconstruing certain
passages in the Torah for heretical purposes. Rashi famously comments on the verse in
Sefer Bereishit (1:26), "Let us make man in our image and in our form," that God
wrote this verse in the plural form despite the superficial implication that
several deities participated in the creation of man. He did so to provide an example of
humility, as even the Almighty "consulted," as it were, with the "heavenly
tribunal" before bringing Adam into existence. This profound lesson is of sufficient
importance to warrant a formulation that could be misconstrued by those seeking
to draw "support" for their heresy from the Torah itself.
Another common example, Rav Rivlin observes, is the story of King David's
relationship with Batsheva. The
Sages teach that this incident was recorded for posterity in order to provide us
with an inspiring example of the power of repentance, how even a grave misdeed
can be pardoned through the process of teshuva.
Unfortunately, however, this narrative has been used by many to undermine
the stature of King David and his dynasty.
The prophet therefore warns, "the righteous follow them, while the
sinners stumble on them." The
righteous study Torah and gain insight, wisdom and direction, while the sinners
use the Torah to promote their distorted views.
Towards the end of Parashat Ha'azinu, Moshe says about the mitzvot, "For it is no empty matter for you" ("ki lo davar reik hu mikem"). Chazal (Yerushalmi, Shabbat 1:4, and elsewhere) offer a homiletic reading of this verse, whereby Moshe here says "It is no empty matter and if it is empty, it is from you" ("ve-im reik hu, mikem"). If the Torah appears to a person "empty," as material bereft of value or wisdom, he should attribute it to his own deficient knowledge and understanding. The Rambam, in his Iggeret Musar written to his son, Rabbi Avraham, cites Chazal's comment as he admonishes his son to apply himself diligently to the in-depth study of Torah. If he comes upon a difficult or inexplicable passage, he should "leave it in a corner," the Rambam writes, and through continued study and inquiry he will likely arrive at the answer. A student must ensure not to "stumble" along the paths of Torah knowledge, and should acknowledge his intellectual limitations and the need for many years of in-depth study before he can claim mastery over and a clear understanding of the Torah.