Directing Our Eyes, Ears, and Heart to God - Parshat Ha'azinu - Torah and Tefillah


Torah - Directing Our Eyes, Ears, and Heart to God


מו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ שִׂ֣ימוּ לְבַבְכֶ֔ם לְכָ֨ל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָֽנֹכִ֛י מֵעִ֥יד בָּכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם


46 And he said to them, "Set your hearts to all of the words which I bear witness for you this day…

After delivering the song of Ha'azinu before the people, Moshe commands them to place on their hearts the words which have just been spoken. How does one do this? Rashi says that a person must direct their eyes, ears, and heart to the words of Torah. But Torah doesn't only come from books, it also comes from all those around us. Do we see effect our words have on others? Do we hear the innermost longing of our soul? Can we open our hearts to love ourself and others for who we really are? This new year, let us go inside and dedicate ourselves to seeing the hidden, hearing the deep, and to commit to loving acts in every moment.

Tefillah - The Song of Ha'azinu and Az Yashir


Sung at the end of the p'sukei d'zimra service, the well know song of praise Az Yashir celebrates the Israelite crossing of the sea. Rambam however, in Hilchot Tefillah, mentions that some say the Song of Ha'azinu in place of (and some even in addition to) Az Yashir. The differences theologically in the biblical selections is striking. Az Yashir is a song of praise to the Almighty from the people, an ode to triumph. The Almighty is my strength, song, salvation, and is described as a Master of War. The Almighty's fury comes through towards the nations who wage war against the Israelites, but shows loving-kindness towards the Israelites. The Song of Ha'azinu, conversely, describes God as a Rock, Just, Faithful, True, a Father, but throughout becomes incensed at the betrayal of it's people, jealous, angry, murderous, and vengeful. Placed in the context of P'sukei D'zimra, the Verses of Praise, we can see why today Az Yashir won out in our fixed liturgy, and the Song of Ha'azinu was relegated to the Torah reading. While the song of Ha'azinu is a powerful reminder during this season of our need to return to Hashem, it hardly evokes the feeling of praise and grandeur sought in the morning prayer.