From Song to Spirit and Beyond Parashat Haazinu/October 15, 2016

(1) Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter!

The rabbis enumerated ten songs at key moments in the life of the nation. There was the song of the Israelites in Egypt (see Is. 30:29), the song at the Red Sea (Ex. 15), the song at the well (Num. 21), and Ha’azinu,Moses’ song at the end of his life. Joshua sang a song (Josh. 10:12-13). So did Deborah (Jud. 5), Hannah (1 Sam. 2) and David (2 Sam. 22). There was the Song of Solomon, Shir ha-Shirim,about which Rabbi Akiva said, “All songs are holy but the Song of Songs is the holy of holies.” The tenth song has not yet been sung. It is the song of the Messiah ("Sing to Adonai a new song, for God has worked wonders," Ps. 98:1). (From commentary by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks)

(1) Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter!(2) May my discourse come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass.(3) For the name of the LORD I proclaim; Give glory to our God!(4) The Rock!—His deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just; A faithful God, never false, True and upright is He.(5)Children unworthy of Him— That crooked, perverse generation— Their baseness has played Him false.(6) Do you thus requite the LORD, O dull and witless people? Is not He the Father who created you, Fashioned you and made you endure!(7) Remember the days of old, Consider the years of ages past; Ask your father, he will inform you, Your elders, they will tell you: