English translation — האזינו-ש"ת

A.

The song of Haazinu¹

is one of the songs that the Levites used to recite in the Holy Temple as a song upon the offering²,

And these are the words of the Rambam

(in the Laws of Daily Offerings and Additional Offerings³

: "On the additional offerings of Shabbat they recite the song of Haazinu and divide it into six sections, the ziyu lach, in the manner that six people read it in the synagogue."

One must understand:

The song of Haazinu is indeed reproof — words of rebuke,

until that this brings itself also to halachah

(as a novelty)

as the Rambam says in Hilchos Tefillah<sup>4</sup>

: Whoever goes up to read from the Torah opens with a good matter and concludes with a good matter,

but the portion of Haazinu the first one reads until "Remember the days of old" etc.,

and he enumerates in detail which part one reads for the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth,

and concludes: And why do they pause in it on these matters? Because they are rebuke, so that the people will return in repentance.

And at first glance: "Rebuke" and "song" are two separate,

and moreover: opposite matters*<sup>4</sup>

2.

That which the Torah calls "Haazinu" by the name "the song this"⁵,

explains the Ramban⁶

: "And they called it a song because Israel will say it always in song and melody,

and thus it is written as a song,

for songs are written with breaks in the places of the tune"⁷.

It is however understood,

that it is difficult to say that

because of these reasons was Haazinu established as the song of the Levites

(in the Musaf of Shabbat),

as we see from the other verses,

which they established as a song⁸

on the offerings⁹

(although that most of them are not written

In the manner of song⁷

(only)

but)

Therefore, because their <b>content</b> is song to the Most High — beginning from the song that the Levites would say on the first day, "To God is the earth and its fullness¹⁰

(on account that He acquired, gave possession, and rules His world¹¹)

until the song of the Sabbath day, "A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day"¹²

("for the day that is entirely Sabbath" or "on account that He rested"¹³),

and likewise the song "at the afternoon offering of the Sabbath⁹

etc. 'Then sang' and 'Who is like You' etc.

And also regarding the phrase "this song"

(in the Torah)

the Targum¹⁴ translates

that it is "praise",

until that it is counted¹⁵

as one of the ten songs that "were said in this world",

which all the other songs are for revealed favors and kindnesses from the Most High: beginning from "A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day" which Adam the First said when "the Sabbath day came and protected him",

until the tenth song that will be said very soon, going out of exile.

3.

That the entirety of the parshah is called "Shirah" can be understood,

because "this shirah is an explicit promise regarding the future redemption"¹⁶,

as explained at the end of the shirah

(and likewise at its beginning).

Since, however, it was not established to recite the entire Shiras Ha'azinu at the

Additional offering of each Shabbos,

but each part

(chapter)

in a different Shabbos,

"Six chapters etc. a chapter each Shabbos",

is not understood:

Granted, regarding the first chapters of the song with their content of the Most High's goodness and kindnesses to Jews,

and likewise the last chapters,

where the Most High promises that He will not consume them and that eventually they will merit the redemption — the matter of the "song" in them is understood; but the parts in between,

which speak about the great descent of Jews and the matters of punishment etc.¹⁷

— how can these chapters <b>by themselves</b>¹⁸

be accepted as a song in their designated Shabbos¹⁹?

4.

Regarding the division according to the signs of "HaZaY"V LaK" there are several opinions²⁰.

And among them:

According to Rashi's commentary²¹

they said on the fourth Shabbos

(Siman 6 of "HaZaY"V")

From "And the Lord saw and spurned, etc."²²

Until

(Siman 30 of "Lech")

"Were it not for the enemy's anger"²³

: That the chapter speaks only about the punishment etc. of Jews²⁴

; and similarly is also the fifth chapter according to Rashi — from

(Lamed)

"Were it not for the enemy's anger etc." until

(Kaf)

"For the Lord will judge His people"²⁵

— That until there "Moshe testified to them words of <b>rebuke</b> that this song shall be a witness when <b>calamity</b> comes upon them, etc."²⁶

According to the order of division of the Rambam²⁷,

"The fourth from 'And the Lord saw and spurned' until 'If they were wise'"²⁸,

Which includes the verse "Were it not for the enemy's anger I would store away" — the reason for the negation of destruction,

"And the fifth from 'If they were wise' until 'For I lift My hand to heaven'"²⁹,

In which are included the verses "For the Lord will judge etc. and over His servants He will relent" until "For I lift My hand to heaven",

Which are already included in "words of consolation"³⁰

And the salvation of the Lord —

It turns out,

that according to the division of the Rambam there is no chapter

(of the six chapters)

that should contain &lt;b&gt;only &lt;/b&gt;words of calamity,

because also the two middle chapters have in them words of consolation.

Nevertheless it is understood,

that also according to the opinion of the Rambam it is not sufficient that one call the content of the two chapters &lt;b&gt;a song to Hashem &lt;/b&gt;— even not the fifth chapter,

since the greatest part of the verses in the chapter&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;

are words of rebuke,

from "Lu chachmu yaskilu" and onward,

and certainly not the fourth chapter which is entirely "words of rebuke",

because "Lulei ka'as oyev" is indeed really a "rebuke" as understood

(— that only because of "ka'as oyev" did the Supreme One not carry out the "ashbita me'enosh zichram"&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;,

may the Merciful One save us)&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;.

5.

And it can be said that the Rambam himself guards this precisely in his language:

The language of the Gemara regarding this matter is: "In the Musaf of Shabbat what would they say? Said Rav Chanan etc. Said Rav: Hei-Zayin-Yud-Vav-Lamed-Kaf,

and said Rav Chanan etc. Said Rav: Just as they are divided here, so they are divided in the synagogue."

The Rambam, however, [uses] the language: "In the Musaf of Shabbat they say the song of Ha'azinu and divide it into six sections: Hei-Zayin-Yud-Vav-Lamed-Kaf, just as six [people] read it in the synagogue, and they say a section each Shabbat.

When they finish the song in six Shabbats, they return to the beginning."

The Rambam is <b>Mishnah </b>—

א)

(א)

The <b>order </b>of the topics: in the Gemara "just as they are divided <b>here </b>so they are divided in the synagogue,"

that the division "in the synagogue" is "in the manner" of the division "here": and the Rambam says the opposite,

that the division here is "in the manner that they read it in the synagogue."

the language of the Gemara "shechalukim" — and in the Rambam "shekorim

(that six in the synagogue)

(b)

b)

He adds —

(a)

At the beginning of his language

(in the Musaf of Shabbat)

"They say the song of Ha'azinu etc. Hei-Zayin-Yud-Vav Lamed-Kaf",

But not in the Gemara it stands only "Hei-Zayin-Yud-Vav Lamed-Kaf".

(b)

At the end of his language — "They finished the song in six Shabbats they return to the beginning".

And it can be said that the Rambam explains in the aforementioned the definition of the song of Ha'azinu in the Musaf of Shabbos:

The song of the chapter every Shabbos is not a song in and of itself,

a separate song chapter by the particular Musaf,

but in each of the "in the Musaf of Shabbos they say the song of Ha'azinu",

each chapter is "the song of Ha'azinu",

all chapters are one "object" — the song of Ha'azinu.

But the law of the song in the Musaf of Shabbat on the "person"

(the Levites)

is one chapter.

Moreover — it is one commandment³⁴

for all six Shabbats³⁵.

And therefore the Rambam here <b>adds</b>

(and emphasizes)

"and they divide it into six chapters, HaZiV LaKh, in the manner that six read it in the synagogue,"

with this he

emphasizes not

(thus)

the <b>place of the division</b> but

(mainly)

that this is <b>one</b> commandment of reading: just as in the synagogue "they read <b>it</b> six,"

that one reads the six chapters as one reading³⁶,

similarly, the recitation on the additional offerings of Shabbat in the Holy Temple is one recitation of song³⁷

— the song of Ha'azinu,

it is only that "they recite a chapter each Shabbat"³⁸.

And therefore: when is it called that one fulfilled the recitation of the song on the additional prayers of Shabbos — when "they finished the song in six Shabbosos".

And since the law of song means here not the saying "on each Shabbos" a separate chapter of "Haziyu Lach",

as a separate thing

(which then could have been a question,

that one could say whichever chapter it should be,

or at least not specifically they repeat to the beginning³⁹),

rather "they say the song of Haazinu" entirely as one unit,

therefore,

the Rambam concludes,

that "they finished the song in six Shabbosos they repeat to the beginning"

(specifically).

6.

The point of the <b>entire</b> chapter of Haazinu as one song is understood:

All details of the song,

also the words of rebuke in it

(where it speaks about the sins and punishments),

explain and bring out not only that "The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice; a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, righteous and upright is He"⁴⁰

which is said at the beginning of the song

but⁴¹

that <b>all</b> the events of the Jewish people,

even those that appear as the opposite of good,

the Almighty does for them for <b>one</b> purpose — the true and complete redemption at the end of days.

4.

5.,

all these matters are stages in the order of ascents that bring the perfection of good for the Jewish people,

through which the kingship of the Holy One, blessed be He, will be revealed in the future to come in perfection.

7.

At first glance, an explanation is required: What is the connection and the reason that the division into six Shabbosos opens the matter of the song?

And one could say

(according to the inner aspects of the matters)

that the song of

(additional)

Shabbos corresponds to the song during the six days of the week⁴².

The explanation of this:

The Psalms of song in the six weekdays — Sunday "The earth is the Lord's and its fullness" Monday "Great is the Lord and highly praised" etc. — speak about matters and actions which bring out,

reveal G‑dliness in the

creation

(in His world)⁴³

; on Shabbat, however,

when "Shabbat from all His work,"

G‑dliness is higher than His work — than creation,

the revelation of G‑dliness is then connected with Torah and Israel as they are higher than creation.

And just as in the song to the Most High regarding matters of creation there are six psalms on the six days of the week,

similarly and correspondingly⁴⁴

there are the six chapters in the matters of revelation of the Most High in relation to Jews and their connection to Torah

(which is the entire content of the song,

and in the language of the verse "so that this song may be a witness for Me among the children of Israel,"

"and this song shall answer before Him as a witness, for it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of his seed, etc.")

"On the day&lt;sup&gt;45&lt;/sup&gt;

the first [day] they would say, 'To Hashem is the earth and its fullness'"&lt;sup&gt;46&lt;/sup&gt;

— "Who acquired and gave acquisition and rules over His world"&lt;sup&gt;47&lt;/sup&gt;,

whose content is that the world is the possession of the Almighty, and He is the ruler etc. — so in the first chapter of Haazinu, which speaks about this regarding Israel and Torah

("May my teaching drop as the rain",

"I say before you Torah

that I gave to Israel, which is life for the world etc."&lt;sup&gt;48&lt;/sup&gt;,

and)

as it is explicit at the end of the chapter: "He is your Father who acquired you, He made you and established you"&lt;sup&gt;49&lt;/sup&gt;,

that the existence of Jews is connected with the Almighty.

"On the second [day] they would say: Great is the Lord and highly praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain, etc."&lt;sup&gt;50&lt;/sup&gt;

— "That He divided His works and reigned over them"&lt;sup&gt;51&lt;/sup&gt;,

which indicates the action and revelation of Divinity in creation; in contrast, one says in the second chapter of the Song of Haazinu "When the Most High gave nations [their inheritance] etc., He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel, for the Lord's portion is His people, etc."&lt;sup&gt;52&lt;/sup&gt;

— how Jews are separated from all the nations by that which "they accepted upon themselves His Torah &lt;b&gt;and His kingship &lt;/b&gt;and His yoke"&lt;sup&gt;53&lt;/sup&gt;,

is also about the abundance of kindnesses and good things that the Almighty has done with Jews,

which brings out even more the "&lt;b&gt;Great &lt;/b&gt;is the Lord &lt;b&gt;and highly praised &lt;/b&gt;etc."

"On the third [day] they would say: God stands in the congregation of God, in the midst of judges He judges"&lt;sup&gt;54&lt;/sup&gt;,

which indicates a matter of severity and concealment

For a sun and a shield is Havayah Elokim

(which

Therefore Elokim in gematria is hateva&lt;sup&gt;56&lt;/sup&gt;,

He conceals the light of the name Havayah which is above nature)&lt;sup&gt;57&lt;/sup&gt;,

this is emphasized in the verse,

as the Gemara says that one says "Elokim nitzav gv..." "on account of &lt;b&gt;that He revealed the earth &lt;/b&gt;in His wisdom and established the world for His congregation",

that there was the revelation — alma &lt;b&gt;de'itgalya&lt;/b&gt;,

from the concealment and covering that is in alma de'itkasya

(which the creatures in alma de'itkasya are nullified in their source like fish in the sea)&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt;,

and consequently the aspect of "earth" became revealed,

earthliness&lt;sup&gt;59&lt;/sup&gt;]

For example, one says in the third chapter

(of Haazinu)

The verses that among Jews there was the concealment of G‑dliness,

until the conclusion "and you forgot G‑d who formed you"⁶⁰.

"On the fourth day they would say: G‑d of vengeance, the Lord, G‑d of vengeance, appear"⁶¹,

"Who created the sun and moon and will in the future take vengeance on their worshipers"⁶²

— In accordance with this, one says in the fourth chapter of the Song of Haazinu the punishments and retributions of the Jews⁶³.

"On the fifth [day] they would say: 'Sing joyfully to God our strength; shout to the God of Jacob'"⁶⁴,

In the fifth chapter they say the "words of consolation that will come upon them",

which brings about "Sing joyfully etc."

"On the sixth [day] they would say: 'The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength etc.'"⁶⁵,

And opposite this, in the sixth chapter they speak about the redemption at the end of days, when then the kingdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, will be revealed with all its force and strength.

And based on this, it can be said,

that "he came to teach and was found to be taught": just as the six chapters of the song of Haazinu together constitute one

(complete)

song,

as above — so too are the matters of song of the six

(seven⁶⁶)

(weekdays)

not

(merely)

separate songs

(psalms),

a special song for each day,

but they all together constitute one

(complete)

song⁶⁷.

According to this, it must follow regarding the song of the fourth day "God of vengeance, the Lord" — "Who created sun and moon and will <b>avenge</b> their worshipers" — that also this is not a special song about that which "He will avenge their worshipers,"

but that this is a part and detail of the songs of the

(seven)

days of the week

days of the week,

namely, through this is revealed on the sixth day the kingship of the Most High⁶⁸

— "The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty."

8.

Parshas Haazinu is read in many years,

as in this year,

on Shabbos

(T)

Shuva.

Based on this, one can say,

that in Parshas Haazinu is hinted not only the essential connection to teshuvah,

that "they discuss these matters because they are rebuke so that the people will return in <b>teshuvah</b>"⁶⁹,

but also the special avodah and teshuvah of Shabbos Teshuvah

(and teshuvah in general).

The difference between the teshuvah of all the weekdays and the teshuvah of the day of Shabbos is in this,

that on weekdays the avodah is of "teshuvah tata'ah",

and on the day of Shabbos

("Shabbos" letters "teshuvah"⁷⁰

( is the avodah of "teshuvah ila'ah"⁷⁰.

And although in general this is the difference between the repentance during the Ten Days of Repentance and the repentance of the rest of the year

(that during the rest of the year the service is generally of lower-level repentance,

and during the Ten Days of Repentance is the

main matter of repentance of higher-level repentance)⁷¹,

but it is known

(as discussed many times⁷²)

that the main and complete service of higher-level repentance during the Ten Days of Repentance is on Shabbat Repentance.

And the general difference between teshuvah tata'ah and teshuvah ila'ah in the soul of man is — that teshuvah tata'ah comes through a broken and contrite heart,

connected with bitterness⁷³,

and teshuvah ila'ah is "with great joy"⁷⁴.

And this is alluded to in the Song of Ha'azinu:

It includes "matters ..

that are rebuke so that the people return &lt;b&gt;in repentance&lt;/b&gt;",

but on the other hand it is called by the name "song",

and the Levites say it as &lt;b&gt;song &lt;/b&gt;upon the sacrifice

(together with the melody with musical instruments)

— a matter of joy

(which is why "one does not say song except over wine, as it is said etc. &lt;b&gt;that gladdens &lt;/b&gt;God and men"&lt;sup&gt;75&lt;/sup&gt;).

Until that

(according to one opinion&lt;sup&gt;76&lt;/sup&gt;)

one learns "the essence of song from the Torah" from the verse&lt;sup&gt;77&lt;/sup&gt;

"Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and with goodness of heart — which is the service of the heart that is with joy and with goodness of heart, you must say this is song".

9.

The explanation mentioned above,

that the song of Haazinu is a matter of supernal repentance,

is in accordance with the content of the portion of Haazinu in its simple sense:

The command to write "this song" literally was "so that this song may be for Me as a witness" — a testimony on Torah and mitzvos,

D.

E.

that the song effects among Jews the existence and vitality in the entire Torah and mitzvos⁷⁸,

And as is also emphasized in this,

that although from the verse "And now write for yourselves this song etc." Chazal derive⁷⁹

that there is a positive commandment upon every Jew to write the entire Torah,

a Sefer Torah — nevertheless this expresses Torah with the language "this song",

which in the plain sense of Scripture⁸⁰

it refers to the Song of Haazinu,

because the song is the "testimony" that gives the existence and vitality in the entire Torah⁸¹.

"parshah",

and in one chapter⁸²

— chapter "<b>LeV</b>"⁸³,

which alludes to the entire Torah; as is known⁸⁴

that the Torah begins with a <b>Beis</b>

(Bereishis)

and ends with a <b>Lamed</b>

("Le'einei kol Yisrael")

— LeV; furthermore,

that the function of the song is also analogous to the matter of the heart literally,

that just as the existence and vitality of the entire body is dependent on the heart⁸⁵,

so is the entire Torah dependent on

(Eidus)

the Song of Haazinu⁸⁶.

This is the "LeV" of the entire Torah⁸⁷⁸⁸.]

And this is the content of the matter of teshuvah,

and in particular teshuvah ilaah⁸⁹,

which does not mean "physical teshuvah from transgressions"⁹⁰,

but rather a path in avodas Hashem,

that his avodah is "to return the soul to its source and root and to cleave to Him"⁹⁰,

which teshuvah gives the existence and vitality in the avodah of Torah and mitzvos,

in a manner that his deeds become

89)

Additionally to this, that the essence of Teshuvah is that he should engage in Torah

(Iggeres HaTeshuvah ch. 8

(from the Rebbe Maharash, parshas Nasso).

And see the discourse "Vechochah" 5637 of the Admo"r Maharash* p. 59)

— and it is emphasized in the song of Haazinu which is the foundation and entirety of the Torah

(see the reference in the previous note).

90)

Likkutei Torah Shemini Atzeret page,

1.

And see at length Likkutei Torah beginning of our parshah.

Discourses for the sake of Heaven there.

And more.

(Through repentance)

"Good and illuminating deeds"⁹¹.

And through that which Yisroel do teshuvah, immediately they are redeemed⁹²,

the private redemption of every Jew⁹³,

and each one merits the

(completeness)

gmar chasimah tovah on Yom HaKippurim.

And through this, to the general redemption,

the true and complete redemption,

which then will be "a <b>new </b>song" to Hashem,

an eternal redemption after which there is no exile⁹⁴,

speedily in our days, literally.

(From sichos of Shabbos Parshas Haazinu 5741 and 5742)