B"H
Haazinu / Haftorah
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#
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Qualities to Acquire Torah
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Prophets
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Levitical City
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Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth
hear the words of my mouth!
And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the
day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from
the hand of Saul;
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1
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“Torah is greater than
priesthood and kingship, for kingship is acquired with 30 qualities,
priesthood is acquired with 24, whereas the Torah is acquired with 48 ways.”
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Avraham and Sarah
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Shechem (also a city of refuge)
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My lesson will drip like rain; my word will flow like dew;
like storm winds on vegetation and like raindrops on grass.
And he said, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress,
and a rescuer to me.
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2
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[constant] study
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Yitzchak
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Gezer
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When I call out the name of the Lord, ascribe greatness to
our G-d.
G-d is my rock, under whom I take cover; My shield, and
the horn of my salvation, my support, and my refuge; [He is] my savior Who
saves me from violence.
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3
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attentive listening (Shmi’at
haOzen)
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Yaakov
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Kibzaim
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The deeds of the [Mighty] Rock are perfect, for all His
ways are just[ice]; a faithful G-d, without injustice He is righteous and
upright.
With praise, I call to the Lord, for from my enemies I
shall be saved.
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4
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verbal enunciation
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Moses
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Beth-Horon
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Destruction is not His; it is His children's defect you
crooked and twisted generation.
For the pains of death have encompassed me; streams of
scoundrels would affright me.
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5
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perception of the heart
(Binat Ha’Lev)
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Aaron
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Taanach
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Is this how you repay the Lord, you disgraceful, unwise
people?! Is He not your Father, your Master? He has made you and established
you.
Bands of [those that shall inherit] the nether world have
surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me
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6
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Awe (Eimah)
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Joshua
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Gath-Rimmon
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Remember the days of old; reflect upon the years of
[other] generations. Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and
they will inform you.
When I am in distress, I call upon the Lord, yes I call
upon my G-d: and out of His abode He hears my voice, and my cry enters His
ears.
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7
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Fear (Yirah)
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Pinchas
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Golan of Bashan (also a city of refuge)
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When the Most High gave nations their lot, when He
separated the sons of man, He set up the boundaries of peoples according to
the number of the children of Israel.
Then the earth shook and quaked, the [very] foundations of
heaven did tremble; and they were shaken when he was angered.
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8
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humility (anavah)
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Elkanah and Chanah
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Be’eshterah (Ashtarot)
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Because the Lord's portion is His people Jacob, the lot of
His inheritance.
Smoke went up in His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth
did devour; coals flamed forth from Him.
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9
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Joy (Simchah)
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Eli
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Future City of Refuge (half tribe of Menasheh on the other
side of the Jordan River); for now, Jerusalem (half rests in the tribe of Benjamin), in the future, Jerusalem will have its own
territory.
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He found them in a desert land, and in a desolate, howling
wasteland. He encompassed them and bestowed understanding upon them; He
protected them as the pupil of His eye.
And He bent the heavens and He came down; and thick
darkness was under His feet.
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10
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Purity
(Taharah)
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Shmuel
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Gibeon
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As an eagle awakens its nest, hovering over its
fledglings, it spreads its wings, taking them and carrying them on its
pinions.
And He rode upon a cherub and did fly; He was seen upon
the wings of the wind.
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11
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ministering the sages
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Gad
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Gebah (Giv’ah)
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[So] the Lord guided them alone, and there was no alien
deity with Him.
And He fixed darkness about Him as booths (lit. Sukkot);
gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
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12
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bonding of friends (dibuk chaverim)
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Nathan
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Anathoth
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He made them ride upon the high places of the earth, that
they would eat the produce of the field. He let them suck honey from a rock,
and oil from the mighty part of the crag.
From the brightness before Him flamed forth coals of fire.
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13
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sharp discussion with students (pilpul hatalmidim)
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David and Avigail
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‘Almon
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The cream of cattle and the milk of sheep, with the fat of
lambs and rams of Bashan and he goats, with kidneys of wheat, and it [the
congregation of Israel] would drink the blood of grapes [which was] as the
finest wine.
The Lord thundered from heaven; and the Most High gave
forth His voice.
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14
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with calmness (yishuv)
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Shlomo
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Elteke
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And Jeshurun became fat and rebelled; you grew fat, thick
and rotund; [Israel] forsook the G-d Who made them, and spurned the [Mighty]
Rock of their salvation. (Yeshurun became full of oil (from Chanukah);
And He sent out arrows and He scattered them, lightning
and He discomfited them.
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15
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with [knowledge] of Mikrah (Scripture)
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Iddo
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Gibbethon
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They provoked His zeal with alien worship; they made Him
angry with abominations deeds. Positive Light: They were zealous for him against alien
worship; they were angry for him against abominable deeds.
And the depths of the sea appeared; the foundations of the
world were laid bare, by the rebuke of the Lord and the blast of the breath
of His nostrils.
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16
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[knowledge] of Mishnah (Oral Torah).
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Michaiah son of Imlah
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Ajalon
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They sacrificed to demons, which have no power, deities
they did not know, new things that only recently came, which your forefathers
did not fear.
Positive Light: They [the other nations] sacrificed to demons, which have no power, deities they did not know,
new things that only recently came, which your forefathers did not fear.
He sent from on high [and] He took me; He drew me out of
many waters.
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17
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with minimized business activity (miut schorah)
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Obadiah
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Gath-rimmon
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You forgot the [Mighty] Rock Who bore you; you forgot the
G-d Who delivered you.
Positive light: Rock [or Creator], they are your children;
forget completely [our sins]; G-d delivers you.
He delivered me from my mighty enemy; from them that hated
me; for they were too powerful for me.
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18
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minimized world activity (miut derech eretz)
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Ahiah HaShiloni
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Mishal
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And the Lord saw this and became angry, provoked by His
sons and daughters.
Positive light: And G-d saw, and became insulted with the
anger against His sons and daughters.
They confronted me on the day of my calamity; but the Lord
was a support to me.
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19
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minimized pleasure (miut ta’anug)
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Jehu son of Chanani
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Abdon
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And He said, "I will hide My face from them. I will
see what their end will be, for they are a generation of changes [reversals];
they are not [recognizable] as My children whom I have reared.
Positive light: And He said, “I will hide My face from [their
sins]. I will see [focus] on how they will come be at their completion. They
will be a generation transformed [by teshuvah]; they are my children! No!
There is faith in them [or I have faith in them!]
And He brought me forth into a wide place; He delivered me
because He took delight in me.
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20
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minimized sleep (miut
sheinah)
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Azariah son of Oded
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Helkath
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They have provoked My jealousy with a non G-d, provoked My
anger with their vanities. Thus, I will provoke their jealousy with a non
people, provoke their anger with a foolish nation.
Positive light: They have been zealous for me against a
non-G-d; have been angered for me against the vanities [of the nations];
Therefore, I will be zealous for them against a non-people; I will be angry
for them against a foolish people.
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He recompensed me.
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21
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minimized conversation (miut sichah)
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Jahaziel the Levite
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Rehob
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For a fire blazed in My wrath, and burned to the lowest
depths. It consumed the land and its produce, setting aflame the foundations
of mountains.
Positive light: For a fire blazed in My wrath [against
Amalek], and burned [Amalek completely, even those hidden] in the lowest
depths, so that [my beloved the Jewish people (fem.)] will eat [from] the
land, and will light [the menorah in Jerusalem, which] is at the foundations
of mountains. (See Rashi)
For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly
departed from [the commandments of] my G-d.
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22
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minimized laughter (miut schok)
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Eliezer son of Dodavahu
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Kedesh in Galillee (city of refuge)
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I will link evils upon them. I will use up My arrows on
them.
I will gather the evil that was over them, and destroy
completely my arrows (Amalek and all its derivatives, which I had used in the
past against my people,).
For all His ordinances were before me; and [as for] His
statutes, I did not depart from it.
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24
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with slowness to anger (erech apayim)
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Hosea
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Hamoth-dor
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They will sprout hair from famine, attacked by demons,
excised by Meriri. I will incite the teeth of livestock upon them, with the
venom of creatures that slither in the dust.
Positive light: [On Purim, I will get rid of] hairs of
famine [through gifts of] my bread [to the poor]; get rid of] demons and the
excision of Meriri [through] sleep [to fulfill the mitzvah of adlo yadah and
eating [livestock] as part of the Purim meal], and I will send to them [to
give mishloach manot] with [the great mitzvah of] the venom of those that lie
in the dust [drunkards, ie. wine]. Venom as wine is found in the verse
in Chabakuk, Chapter 2, v. 15. “Woe to him who gives his friend to drink, who
adds Your venom and also makes him drunk in order to gaze upon their nakedness.”
And I was single-hearted toward Him, and I kept myself
from my iniquity.
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25
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with a good heart (lev tov)
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Amos
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Kartan
(short for Kiriatayim)
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From outside, the sword will bereave, and terror from
within; young men and maidens, suckling babes with venerable elders.
Positive light: [The Purim decree will be turned on its
head, regarding Amalek…] From outside, the sword will bereave, and terror from
within; young men and maidens, suckling babes with venerable elders.
And the Lord has recompensed me according to my
righteousness; according to my cleanness before His eyes.
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26
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faith in the Sages (emunat chachamim)
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Micah the Morashite
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Jerusalem (for now, half rests in the tribe of Judah – in
the future, Jerusalem will have its own territory - here)
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I said that I would make an end of them, eradicate their
remembrance from mankind.
Positive light: [Regarding Amalek, and regarding biur
chametz,] I said that I would make an end of them, eradicate their
remembrance from mankind.
With a kind one, You show Yourself kind. With an upright
mighty man, You show Yourself upright.
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27
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acceptance of suffering (kabalat hayissurin)
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Amoz
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Hebron - Kiryat Arba (city of refuge)
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Were it not that the enemy's wrath was heaped up, lest
their adversaries distort; lest they claim, "Our hand was triumphant!
The Lord did none of this!"
Positive light: [We must destroy the chametz,] otherwise
the yetzer harah might be haughty and inflated, and the yetzer harah distort
reality…
With a pure one, You show Yourself pure; But with a
perverse one, You deal crookedly.
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28
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he who knows his place (hamakir et mekomo)
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Eliyahu
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Libnah (city of refuge)
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For they are a nation devoid of counsel, and they have no
understanding.
Positive light: For ridding oneself of this goy [the
chametz] is itself counsel, and when they feel as nothing, there is
understanding.
And the humble people You do deliver; But Your eyes are
upon the haughty [in order] to humble them.
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29
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he who is happy with his lot (hasameach be’chelkoh)
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Elisha
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Eshtemoa
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If they were wise, they would understand this; they would
reflect upon their fate.
Positive light: It is my desire that they become wise and
understand this, then they would live as in the end of days.
For You are my lamp, O' Lord; And the Lord does light my
darkness.
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30
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he who makes a fence around his words
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Jonah ben Amittai
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Juttah
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How can one [person] pursue a thousand, and two put ten
thousand to flight, unless their [Mighty] Rock has sold them out, and the
Lord has given them over?
Positive light: How are the Jews able to be so victorious
in the end of days! Hashem has given over the enemy!
For by You I run upon a troop; By my G-d I scale a wall.
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31
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he claims no credit for his achievements (einoh machazik
tovah l’atzmo)
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Isaiah
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Beth-shemesh (city of Judah on the border)
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For their rock is not like our [Mighty] Rock.
Nevertheless, our enemies sit in judgment.
Positive light: The other nations will finally see that
ours is the true G-d, and judge us favorably, giving to us the Land of
Israel.
[He is] the G-d Whose way is perfect; The word of
the Lord is tried; He is a shield unto all them that trust (take refuge) in
him.
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32
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loved (ahuv)
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Joel
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Kishion
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For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the field
of Gemorrah; their grapes are grapes of rosh, and they have bitter clusters.
Positive light: Because the wine [Torah wisdom] that the
Jewish people obtained was from enduring the suffering/fermentation of Sodom,
and the fields (concentration camps) of Gemorrah. Their humility comes from
great suffering and bitterness.
For who is G-d, save the Lord? And who is a rock, save our
G-d?
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33
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loves Hashem (ohev et haMakom)
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Nahum
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Dobrath
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Their wine is the bitterness of serpents, and the
bitterness of the ruthless cobras.
Positive light: Their deep Torah wisdom came from the bitter
serpents [enemies/exiles], and their ability to be a head (and to have a deep
mind), from dealing with ruthless cobras [enemies/exiles].
G-d is He who has fortified me with strength; and He
looseth perfectly my path.
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34
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Loves people (Ohev et habriot)
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Chabakuk
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Jarmuth
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Is it not stored up with Me, sealed up in My treasuries?
Positive light: I remember everything they went through,
and their suffering for My sake, is something that I treasure.
He makes my feet like hinds; And sets me upon my high
places.
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35
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loves the ways of righteousness (ohev et hatzedakot)
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Zephaniah
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‘Ein Gannim
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Vengeance is poised with Me, and it will pay at the time
their foot stumbles. For the appointed day of their reckoning is near, and
what is destined for them hastens.
Positive light: Vengeance [on behalf of My people] is
poised with Me…
He trains my hand for war, so that mine arms do bend a
brass bow.
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36
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loves justice (ohev et hameisharim)
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Uriah
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Jokneam
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When the Lord will judge His people, and will reconsider
His servants, when He sees that the power is increasing, and none is
controlled or strengthened.
Positive light: G-d will Judge his people (favorably), and
will reconsider His servants, when we will have extended our hand, and we
humbly understand that we are nothing, that there is no more that we can do…
[then He will do His part.]
And You have given me the shield of Your salvation; And
You have increased Your modesty for me.
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37
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Ohev et hatochachot (loves reproof)
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Jeremiah
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Kartah
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Then He will say, "Where is their deity, the rock in
which they trusted,
Positive light: Then He will say [to the enemies of the
Jewish people]…
You have enlarged my step[s] beneath me; And my ankles
have not slipped.
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38
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keeps far from honor
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Ezekiel
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Dimnah
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who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of
their libations? Let them arise and help you! Let them be your shelter!
Positive light: Also referring to the nations...
I have pursued my enemies and have destroyed them; Never
turning back until they were consumed.
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39
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does not act arrogantly with his knowledge (lo megis liboh
betalmudoh)
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Daniel (Shemaiah)
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Nahalal
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See now that it is I! I am the One, and there is no G-d
like Me! I cause death and grant life. I strike, but I heal, and no one can
rescue from My Hand!
And I have consumed them, and I have crushed them that
they cannot rise; Yes, they are fallen under my feet.
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40
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does not take pleasure in handing down [halachic]
decisions (einoh sameach b’hora’ah)
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Baruch
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Betzer, City of Refuge
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For I raise up My hand to heaven, and say, 'As I live
forever.
For You have girded me with strength for the battle; You
have subdued under me those that rose up against me.
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41
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bears the burden with his friends
(noseh b’ol im chaveroh)
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Neriah
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Jahaz (or Yahatz, or Yahatzah)
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When I sharpen the blade of My
sword, and My hand grasps judgment, I will bring vengeance upon My
adversaries and repay those who hate Me.
And of my enemies You have given
me the back of their necks; them that hate me, that I may cut them off.
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judges him favorably (machrioh lechaf zechut)
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Seraiah
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Kedemoth
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I will intoxicate My arrows with
blood, and My sword will consume flesh, from the blood of the slain and the
captives, from the first breach of the enemy.'
They looked about, but there was
no one to save them; [Even] to the Lord, but He answered them not.
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42
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places him [in the path of] truth
(ma’amidoh al haemet)
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Mehsiah
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Mephaath
(from the verb yafah, to shine forth)
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Sing out praise, O you nations,
for His people! For He will avenge the blood of His servants, inflict revenge
upon His adversaries, and appease His land [and] His people.
Then I ground them as the dust of
the earth, as the mud of the streets I did tread upon them, I did stamp them
down.
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43
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places him [in the path of] peace (ma’amidoh al haShalom)
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Haggai
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Jattir (to have extra, to excel)
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And Moses came and spoke all the
words of this song into the ears of the people he and Hoshea the son of Nun.
And You have allowed me to escape
from the contenders amongst my people; You shall keep me as head of nations;
a people whom I have not known serve me.
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44
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he deliberates in his study (mityashev liboh betalmudoh)
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Zechariah
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Holon
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And Moses finished speaking all
these words to all Israel.
Strangers lie to me; as soon as
their ears hear, they obey me.
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45
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asks and responds (shoel umeshiv)
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Malachi
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Debir – Debir means Temple!;
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And he said to them, "Set
your hearts to all of the words which I bear witness for you this day, so
that you may command your children to observe to do all the words of this
Torah.
The strangers will wilt, and become lame from their
bondage.
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46
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listens and adds (shomeah umosif);
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Mordechai Bilshan
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‘Ain; ayin means eye, fountain.
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For it is not an empty thing for
you, for it is your life, and through this thing, you will lengthen your days
upon the land to which you are crossing over the Jordan, to possess it."
The Lord lives, and blessed be my
Rock; And exalted be the G-d, [who is] my rock of salvation.
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47
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learns in order to teach (lomed al menat lilmod)
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Unknown /Oded (Mashiach ben Yosef)
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Future City of Refuge
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And the Lord spoke to Moses on
that very day, saying,
The G-d who takes vengeance for
me; And brings down peoples under me.
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48
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learns in order to practice (lomed
al menat la’asot);
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Unknown / Chanani (Mashiach ben David)
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Future City of Refuge
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Go up this Mount Avarim [to] Mount
Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is facing Jericho, and see the Land
of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel as a possession,
And that brings me forth from my
enemies; And above those that rise against me, You have lifted me; from the
violent man You deliver me.
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49
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increases the wisdom of his
teacher (machkim et rabboh)
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Miriam (Rachel); Rebbetzin Menucha
Rachel, grand-daughter of the Alter Rebbe.
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Rammoth in Gilead (city of refuge)
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And die on the mountain upon which you are climbing and be
gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was
gathered to his people.
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O' Lord, among the
nations, and to your name I will sing praises.
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50
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who properly undestands what he learns (Kavanah)
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Devorah (Leah)
(Devorah Leah, who gave additional life to the Alter
Rebbe, sacrificing her own)
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Mahanaim
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Because you betrayed Me in the
midst of the children of Israel at the waters of Merivath Kadesh, [in] the
desert of Zin, [and] because you did not sanctify Me in the midst of the
children of Israel.
He gives great salvation to His
king, and He performs kindness to His anointed; to David and to his seed,
forevermore.
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51
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who relates a statement in the name of the one who said
it.
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Chuldah (Rivkah); Rebbetzin Rivkah
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Heshbon
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For from afar, you will see the
land, but you will not come there, to the land I am giving the children of
Israel.
(repeated from last week).
He gives great salvation to His king, and He performs kindness to His
anointed; to David and to his seed, forevermore.
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52
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Whoever relates a statement in the
name of the one who said it brings redemption to the world, as it says
(Esther 2:22): And Esther told the king in the name of Mordechai.
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Esther (Sarah); Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah, wife of the Fifth
Lubbavitcher Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab. Shterna means star, and Esther also
means star, as does Ayelet haShachar.
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Jazer
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ויחן דניאל גוב
It is with great trepidation and excitement, that we set forth the second book in the series “Kabbalah of Time.” The first book introduced the reader to a way of “living with the times” that allowed for integrating within oneself the Torah’s teachings regarding proper outlook and behavior. The goal of book one was that each one of us could be in touch with our song, the universal song of the soul.
There is a well known rabinnic aphorism that “proper behavior preceded the Torah” (Derech Eretz Kadma LaTorah).[1] Rabbi Elchanan Adler, Rosh Yeshivah at RIETS, further explains the idea of Derech Eretz by citing the same Talmudic passage used in book one of this series:
R. Yochanan said: Had the Torah not been given, we would have learned to be modest from cats, to avoid theft from ants, to avoid promiscuity from doves, and derech eretz from roosters. (Eruvin 100b)
Rabbi Adler also cites the Alter of Slobodka, who further explains the meaning of the statement “Derech Eretz Kadma LaTorah:”
[U]pon reflection we will see that character traits and attributes are an introduction to the Torah and the primary foundation of the essence of a person, without which a person is not worthy at all of Torah … This is the intent of the Rabbis: Derech eretz preceded Torah by twenty six generations, for all of the good character traits and attributes are included in derech eretz; they were ingrained in human nature and for them there is no need for the giving of the Torah. The giving of the Torah came to build on these [traits and attributes] and to command him to continue to rise heavenward to ever higher levels transcending those which are in the realm of derech eretz. (Or HaTzafun Vol. 1 pg. 173, 175)[2]
The above, therefore, is the intent of this second book: to properly receive the Torah and rise heavenwards, building on the concepts of derech eretz we learned in the book one. While book one focused on proper outlook and behavior, book two’s focus is on the acquisition of the Torah. When we acquire the Torah, not only do we become better and more refined people, but we also free ourselves from all the things that usually enslave us, including our own evil inclinations, “For you will not find a freer person than one who is involved in the study of Torah. And all those who study Torah are uplifted…” (Pirkei Avot, Chapter 6:2)
The 48 Qualities to Acquire the Torah
While there are fourty-nine days in the counting of the omer, Pirkei Avot lists 48 ways in which the Torah is acquired. Many commentaries link these two numbers, and many Jew have even made it their custom to study one of the forty-eight qualities during each day of the omer count.
In fact, the qualities to acquire Torah set forth in Pirkei Avot are a “summary” of the Torah itself. Pirkei Avot (Chapter 6:6) states that "Torah is greater than priesthood and kingship, for kingship is acquired with thirty qualities, priesthood is acquired with twenty-four, whereas the Torah is acquired with forty-eight ways.”[3] Just as with kingship and priesthood, these forty-eight qualities are not just means to an end, but rather represent essential aspects of the Torah itself.
In the Gaon of Vilna’s commentary on the Book of Proverbs, he states that “Eshet Chayil” (the woman of valor) is a reference to the Torah. He explains that Chayil (valor) has the numerical value of forty-eight, paralleling the forty-eight attributes necessary to acquire the Torah.
As in Book 1, we find that these qualities also parallel the weeks of the year. Pirkei Avot states that there are forty-eight qualities, but in fact there are fifty-two listed. The very first quality is implied in the introduction to this section, the desire and and the decision to acquire the Torah, as we see from the Book of Proverbs: “The beginning of wisdom [is to] acquire wisdom, and with all your possession acquire understanding.” When counting the 48 remaining qualities, one finds that there are actually 51. Therefore, together with the first quality found in the opening statement, there are 52 qualities in total.
The 48 Prophets
Just as there are forty-eight qualities to acquire the Torah, there are also forty-eight prophets found in the written Torah, the Tanach. These prophets are listed by Rashi in his commentary to the Talmudic tractate of Megillah (14a). It was through these prophets that the Torah was received and transmitted. Furthermore, all of these prophets refined themselves to such an extent that they are a “summary” of the values that the Torah represents.
The prophets also parallel the qualities needed to acquire the Torah, as well as the weeks of the year.[4] There are forty-eight male prophets, yet there are also an additional seven female prophets. This would bring the total number of prophet to fifty-five. However, of the seven female prophets, three of them were married to the male prophets above. If one counts the married male and female prophets together as single units, that leaves us with a total of fity-two prophets.
The 48 Levitical Cities
In Deuteronomy, the description of the six cities of refuge come immediately following the words, “And this is the Torah that Moses placed before the Jewish people.” (Deuteronomy 4:44) The Torah therefore seems to imply that the concept of the city of refuge somehow encompasses the entire Torah. The Talmud explains that all forty-eight cities designated to the Levites were cities of refuge, although the six cities listed had certain additional qualities.[5]
There are forty-eight Levitical Cities, in addition to Jerusalem, because the Temple itself was also considered a refuge. In addition, there are three more cities of refuge to be established in the future, once Israel’s borders are expanded. Thus, we see that these cities total fifty-two, one for each week of the year.[6]
It is well known that each of the twelve Jewish months is related to one of the Tribes of Israel. It is quite fascinating to note that each tribe was given four levitical cities within its borders, paralleling the four weeks of each Jewish month.[7] The Levites themselves are not given any property of their own other than those related to these cities.
Haazinu and the 48 Sabbath Torah Readings that Precede It
The Torah portion of Haazinu is often read on Shabat Shuvah, the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is said that this Sabbath encompasses all the Sabbaths of the entire previous year, and can serve to correct any mistakes made during them. is said to contain the entire Torah. There are usually forty-eight Torah readings performed on the Sabbath: a regular Jewish year has 50½ weeks, and at least two Sabbaths have Torah readings related to the festivals that occur during those days (Sukkot and Passover). During these roughly forty-eight Sabbaths, a total of fifity-two Torah portions read before we arrive to Haazinu.[8] The Torah portion following Haazinu, Vezot HaBracha, is not read on the Sabbath, but rather during the holiday of Simchat Torah.
Our sages have taught that the portion of Haazinu encompasses the entire Torah. Nachmanides goes further and states that Haazinu contains everything that happens and everything that will ever happen in the history of the world.[9] Furthermore, Haazinu has 52 verses, one for each of the Torah portions that preceded it, starting from the very first one, Bereshit. The connection between these verses and the Torah portions is quite strong. (See Appendix 1) These fifty-two verses also parallel the weeks of the year.
Furthermore, each verse of the Haftarah for Haazinu, the song sung by King David before his passing, in II Samuel, Chapter 22, also parallel the weeks of the year.[10] David’s song contains 51 verses, and it appears that the verse following the 51st verse, the first in Chapter 23, is connected to David’s song as well. The Haftarah also offers important insight into Haazinu. King David appears to have made his song in such a way that it would parallel Haazinu, both in form but also in substance.
The end of book one attempted to show how certain apparently negative teachings in Pirkei Avot could be interpreted in a positive light. This concept of interpreting statements positively is even more important when it comes to understanding Haazinu. There are various parts of the text that appear to be very harsh, but that can be read as incredibly positive. After all, Haazinu is a summary of the entire Torah, and the Torah is the greatest expression of G-d’s love for his people and vice-versa. The greatest blessings are often disguised in what appear to be curses. The following passage from Hayom Yom, illustrates this idea:
The Alter Rebbe himself was the regular Torah-reader. Once he was away from Lyozna on the Shabbat of parsha Tavo, and the Mitteler Rebbe, then not yet Bar Mitzva, heard the Torah-reading from another. His anguish at the curses in the tochacha (section of admonition) caused him so much heartache, that on Yom Kippur1 the Alter Rebbe doubted whether his son would be able to fast. When they asked the Mitteler Rebbe - "Don't you hear this parsha every year?" - he replied, "When Father reads, one hears no curses."[11]
It is our prayer, that when you, dear reader, engage in this second adventure, that you also “hear no curses.” Instead may the prophets and prophecies below open your mind and heart to what is certainly the greatest and longest love affair ever to exist: the love between G-d and His people. The Zohar states: "Israel, the Torah and the Holy One Blessed Be He are One.[12] May you too fall in love with this Eshet Chayil, and may it free you and uplift you to new heights.
[2] Ibid.
[4] The Talmud (Megillah 14a) says that there had been twice as many prophets as the number of people who left Egypt (2,600,000), but only those whose messages were for future generations were recorded. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_List_of_Prophets.html
[5] http://vbm-torah.org/archive/salt-bemidbar/43-12masei.htm The article also cites Rambam, Hilkhot Rotzei’ach 8:10.)
[6] It is interesting to note that just as the Levitical cities were 52 in total, consisting of 48 cities, in addition to Jerusalem, the capital, and three future cities, so too the United States has historically consisted of 52 entities, 48 states, the capital, and mainly 3 territories – Alaska, Hawai, and Puerto Rico.
[7] Each Jewish month is related to a constellation/zodiac sign, and the position of the levitical cities within each tribe appear to roughly parallel the shape of that constellation.
[8] In the Torah there are 54 parshiot, but Vezot HaBrachah is never read on Shabat, and Haazinu is a summary of all of the previous parshiot. From a different angle, we can see that of the 54 portions, there are a total of 6 times in which two portions are read together, leaving a total of 48 sections. The six double portions are: Vayakhel – Pekudei; Tazria – Metzora; Acharei Mot – Kedoshim; Behar – Bechukotai; Mattot – Masei; Nitzavim – Vayeilech.
Outside of Israel, sometimes Chukat - Balak are also read together, which is due to the additional day of holidays instituted by the rabbis. http://individual.utoronto.ca/kalendis/hebrew/parshah.htm
[9] http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/137092/jewish/Reish-Evil.htm
[10][10] The first verse of the following Chapter is still very much related to the song, and can be counted as the 52nd verse. Weeks 1 and 52 both represent Rosh Hashanah. In fact, the first seven verses of Chapter 23 in II Samuel comprise of King David’s last song, and seem to parallel the 7 verses of the Rooster on Rosh Hashanah. There also appears to be a parallel with the opening and closing verses of Vezot HaBrachah, the words said by Moshe right before his passing.
[12] http://www.inner.org/monothei/mono3.htm
