Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L
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Heaven and Earth Bear Witness
This week's parsha is a song Moshe sang to the Israelites.
Previously, Moshe called upon the heavens to bear witness. He begins this song by saying that both the heavens and the earth should hear his words.
The heaven and earth are both eternal (unlike Moshe who is destined to die on the following day) and thus appropriate witnesses to the covenant between Israel and G-d, lest the Jews try to deny that they ever accepted such a covenant in the future. Also, these "witnesses" (i.e heaven and earth) will reward the Israelites if they behave properly (giving them fruit from the vine, produce from the earth and dew from the heavens (see Zecharia 8:12)), or punish them if they don't (by having rain not fall from heaven or the soil not giving produce).
Moshe continues on, to describe the testimony which they are to witness. That the Torah is like rain from heaven, giving life to the world and flow like dew (which always makes people happy, unlike rain which sometimes causes spoil). The Torah causes people to grow, just as stormy winds which maintain plants and promote their growth and is like raindrops on grass.
Moshe says that when he calls out G-d's name, they should attribute G-d with greatness and bless His name. This is where the law comes from that while in the temple, after hearing a blessing, one should respond ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו (“Blessed be the Name of His glorious Kingdom [forever and ever]!”) (Taanith 16b). Outside of the Temple by contrast, one is to respond "Amen".
G-d is strong like a rock, yet when he avenges those who go against His will, He doesn't do it with overpowering anger, but rather with justice.
G-d can be trusted to reward the righteous what they are owed in the world to come and He even rewards wicked people in this world for any potential good deeds they do. His judgment is righteous and upstanding.
Destruction belongs to the blemish of G-d's children, not to Him. Moshe refers to them as a "crooked and twisted generation".
Moshe rebukes the nation asking them rhetorically if the way they repay G-d's favors to them is by doing things which sadden Him?
Moshe calls them disgraceful for forgetting what G-d did for them and unwise for not understanding the consequences of their actions in so far that G-d has the power to treat them accordingly.
"Is He not your Father, your Master?" Moshe again asks rhetorically. Moshe reminds them that G-d made them into a unique nation amongst the other nations and made them self sustaining - i..e all of their kohanim, prophets and kings come from within the nation of Israel.
Ha'azinu, 1st Aliya