The Ramban offers two explanations as to why Haazinu is
called a song, “shira”.
One reason offered is
technical. Anyone who got an aliyah today, or was able to see inside the Torah
scroll during hagbah can tell you that Parshat Haazinu is written differently
than the rest of the Torah. As the Talmud in Megillah 16 puts it, it is written
in broken lines (ie two columns) with alternating segments of text and blank
spaces. The second explanation that the
Ramban offers is:
“Because Israel will
recite it constantly with song and with melody.”
Historically the Ramban’s statement is accurate. Parshat
Haazinu was sung in many different contexts by the Jewish people. The Talmud in
Rosh hashana teaches that during the times of the Beit hamikdash, the levvim
would sing the song of Parshat Haazinu during the bringing of the Mussaf
sacrifice. It is interesting to note that in the context of that Gemara, it
tells us how the Parsha should be divided into aliyot- it is the only Parsha
that the Talmud provides us with this information. The Rambam in Hilchot
Tefilah (7:13) quotes a practice to recite the Song of Parshat Haazinu every
day right before Yishatabach. The Maharal goes so far as to recommend
memorizing Shirat Haazinu and reciting it by heart as a segula, a good omen,
for success in business.
But from these three instances, we see that the Shira
encapsulated in Parshat Haazinu is something special. The Midrash Sifrei writes
that Shirat Haazinu is great, for it includes the present, the past and the
future; This World and The World To Come.” This morning’s parsha makes mention
of the history of the world and of the Jewish people. It discusses the laws of
spiritual cause and effect. That means that difficulties are the result of sin
and blessing is the result of doing right in the eyes of G-d; a focus of the
past forty days as we prepared for the High Holidays.
The Ramban writes elsewhere that what really makes Shirat
Haazinu unique is that it has a happy ending. At the end of the mistakes and
difficulties, the Jewish people are redeemed by Hashem. It is this happy
ending, this message of hope that makes Shirat Haazinu something special, and
something that was found on the lips of Jews more so than other portions of the
Torah. Even though the Jewish People have suffered the most and the longest of
any nation in existence, we still hold on to hope and optimism. No matter how
difficult the Jewish story gets, we still love, and look forward to, a happy
ending.
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