Omer Learning 2018: Day 48 | Parashah: Haazinu

Today is 48 days, which is 6 weeks and 6 days of the Omer

Instructions for counting the omer are found on our Omer Overview Page. You can find the specific blessing for today at chabad.org.

We’re dedicating a new Sefer Torah on the first day of Shavuot. In honor of this joyous occasion, we’re using the counting of the Omer to take a whirlwind trip through the Torah

Today’s portion is Haazinu from the book of Deuteronomy. Today’s insight was generously provided by Irene B.

Verses of note: Deuteronomy 32:2

What caught your attention in this parashah?

Parsha Haazinu is Moses’ swan song, written entirely in poetic verse. Moses begins by addressing the heavens and the earth saying: “May my discourse come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass.” (Etz Hayim Chumash, page 1185). Why does Moses compare his words to different types of moisture – rain, dew, showers, and droplets?

What’s one explanation for these verses?

Torah is described symbolically as water. The water in this verse differs in intensity and origin. For example, driving rains come from above, falling quickly and penetrating the ground deeply. But it isn’t easy to be outside in such a downpour. Dew, on the other hand, is a light, pleasant coating on the ground. Moses taught each person on their own level, some responding to strong showers of knowledge and others to more gentle droplets. Moses’s poem seems to use the rain cycle as a metaphor. It’s almost as if human action on earth seeds the clouds, bringing rain needed for growth, and then returning to the heavens through our resulting good deeds. A classic commentator, Sefat Emet (1897-1905) explains that Earth has the power to bring forth fruits, but needs rain to activate that power. So too, humans have a life force within them that can be awakened by means of the waters of Torah. When people follow torah they can activate an ever-flowing energy connecting heaven and earth.

Where to Learn More

The Language of Truth, Torah Commentary of the Sefat Emet, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter Ger, Translated by Arthur Green (Jewish Publication Society).

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