By Rabbinic Student Susan Elkodsi
Shabbat Shuva carries with it an air of redemption, for ourselves as individuals, and for the Jewish people as a whole. Parashat Ha’azinu, which we read on Shabbat Shuva this year, carries that message from God, through Moses, to the Israelites perched on the banks of the Jordan ready to cross into the Promised Land. Ha’azinu is Moses’ final discourse, his instructions to the people, but it isn’t a “rah rah go get ‘em” commencement type of speech. Yes, it’s a message of hope for the future, but before we get there, we have to listen to a lot of scolding and admonition regarding the sins of the previous generations.
This could explain why the parashah begins, Ha’azinu hashamayim v’adabeira, v’tishma ha-aretz imrei-fi. “Give ear, heavens, and I will speak, the earth will hear my speech.” (Deut. 32:1) If this is a message for the people, why is Moses calling on the heavens and the earth to listen? We know from reciting and studying the Shema that shin-mem-ayin doesn’t just
mean “to hear.” It suggests action: listen… pay attention… hear what I have to say, as opposed to “sit back and relax.” Do we take this verse literally, suggesting that the coming words are directed at the stars and the moon, the trees and the rocks, as well as the people? Or is it metaphorical?
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