Vayomer aleihem
simu l’vavkhem l’khol-ha’d’varim asher anokhi meiid balhem hayom asher t’tzavum
et-b’neikhem lishmor la’asot et-kol-divrei haTorah hazot.
And
he said to them, “Direct your heart to all the words that I testify against you
today; that you will command them to your children to observe and do all the
words of this law.” (D’varim 32:46)
As the situation became tense in
Israel, I was struck by the difference in nature of demonstrations held in
support of either side of the conflict. Rallies supporting Israel consistently
spoke of peace. Songs of national pride, of hope, and of peace began and ended
rallies. It’s an observation that always strikes me. In time of war, rightly or
wrongly, we do not rally for victory. We rally for peace. I tried this summer
to come up with Jewish war songs. There are, after all, some wonderful music
that arose from the wars of the past built patriotism and confidence. Songs
like “Over There” or “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” still build excitement and
pride when heard today. This summer I tried to come up with Jewish war songs.
We have songs of national pride: Am Yisrael Chai. We have songs of our home and
our land: Yerushalayim Shel Zahav. We have songs about the home front: Bashana
Haba’a. And we have songs of peace: Shir L’Shalom. However, when I tried to
come up with a rah-rah war song, I could only think of Shirat HaYam and Shirat
Devorah, the Song of the Sea and the Song of Devorah, sung when Devorah and
Barak defeated Sisera. I could think of no post-biblical war song.
On the shores of Yam Suf,
usually translated as the Red Sea, Moshe’s song is one of military victory. It
is a song sung by all the people together. “Az yashir Moshe u’vnei Yisrael…”
“Thus sang Moshe and the children of
Israel…” Together we sang for the glorious military victory God had just won
over the Egyptians. “Ashirah LA-donai ki gaoh ga’ah; sus v’rokhvo
ramah vayam.” Together we sang, “I will
sing to A-donai for he is surely exalted; horse and rider He has thrown into
the sea.” This is even the verse repeated by Miriam as she leads the people in
song and the women in a victory dance. On the shores of the sea, leading a
downtrodden people, the message is clear- A-donai ish milchamah, A-donai is a warrior.”
But here, in Ha’azinu, on the
banks of the Jordan River, as the people ready themselves for a military
campaign, it is only Moshe that sings. His song is not about the Ish
Milchamah, the Warrior, but about
faithfulness. This song is not a song of victory. It is not a song of might for
the enemies we are about to encounter. Instead, Moshe sings to the heaven and
earth itself. On the eve of this great military campaign, Moshe reminds the
people that God is faithful and so shall we be.
Ha’azinu is Moshe’s ethical will
to the people Israel. How many of
us know, as Moshe did, that the words we say may be our last. Imagine what we
might say if we knew they were our last words. The song ends with Moshe
entreating the people, “All the words I testify to you today, that you may
charge your children to guard to do all the words of this Torah…. For it is your life.” With what words
would we want to be remembered? Would they be words of pride and war, or will
they be songs for the home front, longing for a future of peace?
May we all be bound up in the Book of
Life. Together we pray for a shanah
tovah umetukah, a good and sweet year,
one in which peace can spread.
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