Rabbi Yerahmiel Barylka
Moshe's last gesture
After hearing him, the people will move on to a new life in their own land, and Moshe will not go with them. As he prepares to say goodbye, his message is not hopeful.
Haazinu presents a grim prophecy in the form of a poem. In it, Moshe predicts that the Israelites will turn their backs on God. They will disdain God's care and commandments, and then suffer terrible punishments: disasters and plagues, famine and violence.
The poem begins with an invocation: “Listen, oh heavens, let me speak; May the earth hear the words I speak."
Many were perplexed by this verse and were not content to dismiss it as a mere rhetorical flourish. Why involve the heavens and the earth in a prophecy about Israel's failures? What do heaven and earth have to do with Moshe's message of condemnation?
Our commentators offer different explanations for why Moshe summons the heavens and the earth. Rav Saadia Gaon explains that Moshe does not actually speak to the heavens and the earth, but instead calls the residents of the heavens, the angels, and the residents of the earth, the human beings, addressing the inhabitants of both realms.
The Sifrei, cited by Rashi, explains that this introduction was intended to establish the eternal relevance of the warnings in this poem. Since the heavens and the earth exist forever, Moshe appointed them as “witnesses” of having warned the people of the consequences of their betrayal of God, since they can provide “witness” for all eternity.
Rashi proceeds to cite a different approach from Midrash Tanchuma, explaining that Moshe assigns heaven and earth the role of holding the children of Israel accountable for their evil deeds by withholding rain (from the heavens) and produce (from the earth). in case people are unworthy of material prosperity.
Chizkuni brings another explanation offered by the Sifrei, associating Moshe's proclamation with the event of Matan Torah. The Torah was given to Israel from the heavens while they were on the ground pledging their commitment to it, and thus heaven and earth testify to our eternally binding obligation to live in accordance with the laws and values of the Torah.
Ohr Hajayim proposes to read the terms "heavens" and "earth" in this verse as allegories for the leaders and the common people, respectively. He points out that the word “Haazinu,” spoken in reference to the heavens, is constructed in an imperative form, instructing, as it were, the heavens to listen. In contrast, the word “tishma,” which Moshe uses when speaking to the land, is constructed in the future tense, describing what will happen, rather than giving an order. He creatively suggests that Moshe instructed the “heavens” – the leaders of the nation – to heed his teachings, which will naturally result in the “earth” – the rest of the people – abiding by his teachings.
The leaders will set an example for others to follow and therefore Moshe only needed to instruct the leaders to heed his guidance. Instead of directly instructing the entire people to heed his words, Moshe addresses the leaders, confident that once they act in the right way, the rest of the people will do the same.
Haazinu's poem conveys harsh warnings. Or Hachayim teaches us that such warnings are not necessarily appropriate to be addressed to everyone. Many people are unable to hear this type of message; they cannot be reached or affected by a direct and severe reprimand. The most effective means of inspiration and guidance, very often, is to teach by example, presenting a model of behavior that others will want to follow. Perhaps those in the "heavens", who have already developed a higher level of spiritual awareness and sensitivity, can be directed and instructed directly and explicitly. But for others, those who are still on “earth,” a less direct approach is much more effective. They are more likely to be inspired by an inspiring example of Torah values and Torah life, which they will be moved and motivated to seek to embrace.
Unlike humans, who falter and fail, and eventually die, Moshe presumes that heaven and earth will endure. In contrast to the unreliable Israelites who cannot stay true to their commitments, heaven and earth are constant, reliable, and unchanging.
Haazinu is a somber message for this hopeful time of year. In it, Moshe recognizes that all of his efforts with the people were probably in vain. After all his sermons and speeches, after decades of commandments and flattery, Moshe faces death, thinking that all the Torah he taught will be forgotten.
Haazinu is a story that spans the cosmos, encompassing heaven and earth, and provokes us with its questions.
Moshe says goodbye, knowing that it is difficult for humans to take life lessons seriously.
We are witnesses, who persist in turning our backs on the very wisdom that will sustain our lives in times of plague and pandemic.
We have just seen to what extent human beings who presume to follow the rules, travel to pray in front of the tombs of wise men and bring back the contagious disease with them, going so far as to falsify documents that would theoretically certify their health and vaccination, but the only thing they certify is evil, disease and death.
We continue to suffer from the human-fueled disasters that now assault the earth, the skies, humans and other living beings.
They are all manifestations of the same problem that Moshe faces at the end of his life: humans are not very good at learning our lessons.
Any time is good to listen to Haazinu, this weekend is ideal.
Coming out of Kippur that made us realize that we already fulfilled everything, it is not bad to find ourselves with a warning that forces us, in the words of the great leader, to correct our mistakes. Especially those we committed in so few days since the beginning of the year.