My wife is from California. We have family in Los
Angeles and San Francisco. So we pay attention to what happens out west. For
the past year several months, the Pacific Northwest and especially Northern
California have been dealing with fire. Just this past weekend, four separate
Northern California fires consumed over a 1000 homes. This fires are so intense
and cover so much area, that they can be viewed from space. On one hand these
fires are seasonal. After a California summer with very little rain, it is
incredibly dry. As a result, a flash of lightening can start a fire. On the
other hand, California has been experiencing a drought for the past several
years. While California has done yeoman’s work to conserve water, the drought
has taken its toll. It is dry, it is parched. A recent article in the San
Gabriel Valley Tribune explained that California would need 200% more rain than
normal this year in order to move California from the category of drought to
the lowest level of ‘non drought” status. Such torrential rains have occurred
exactly three times over the past 135 years.
So as California’s rainy season is about to begin, the chances are the
drought won’t be alleviate, the fires will continue to burn. Eventually they
will be controlled and extinguished, but drought conditions will remain.
This Shabbat, we read Parshat Ha’Azinu. Parshat
Ha’Azinu was the “song” or the “Poem” that God had commanded Moshe to compose
in the previous Parsha VaYeilech. The
content of this “song” is not very cheerful. Moshe invokes the heavens and the
earth to witness these words that he gives to B’nai Yisroel. Moshe reminds
B’nai Yisroel of their covenant with God. Moshe reminds B’nai Yisroel of their
spiritual shortcomings and the ensuing punishment. He reminded B'nai Yisroel
that despite all of these shortcomings, despite the idolatry, despite wavering
from the covenant, we can still engage in T’shuvah, we can still return to God,
and know that God will welcome us back.
In the poem, during the introduction, Moshe not only
invokes Heaven to listen to these words as testament to the prophecy offered to
his people, Moshe hopes Ya’Arof KaMatar
Likchi Tizal Katal Imrati Kisirim Alei Desheh Uch’revivim Aley Eisev – May my teaching drop like the rain, may my
utterance flow like the dew; like storm winds upon vegetation and like
raindrops upon blades of grass (Deut. 32:2). The word “teachings” in this
verse comes from the verb LaKaCh or Take. The idea, of course, is a two way
street. Moshe’s words, his wisdom his teachings are offered to B'nai Yisroel.
Moshe’s nourishment, his sustain life force, water is offered to B'nai Yisroel.
The other half of the equation, of course, is B’nai Yisroel must “take” the teaching,
the words of wisdom, the nourishment, and the water. When rain falls and it is
not absorbed it pools together it forms a puddle. However when water is
absorbed, it nourishes, it maintains life it sustains vegetation, and it
sustains our physical existence. Moshe’s words, in fact all the words of the
book of Deuteronomy are Moshe’s words. Moshe makes his final plea to B’nai
Yisroel to listen to the wise words of an old and dying man. Moshe makes a
final plea to B'nai Yisroel to “take” his words to heart, to drink them in, and
incorporate them into life. For the Rabbis, a drought was not only a physical
condition due to lack of water. A draught was a spiritual condition caused by
lack of Torah. After all, Torah is alluded to as “Mayim Chayim” living waters.
Rain is categorized as Mayim Chaim. Mayim Chayim sustains physical life as well
as spiritual life. Torah sustains our spiritual life.
Moshe makes his last plea prior to his death. Like
the land can be subjected to drought; so it is with the Jewish People. Without
our “water supply”, without our heavenly rains, and gentle dew, we can suffer
through spiritual drought, our souls dry up and we became empty. Torah, like
the rain, comes from the heavens. From Moshe’s perspective, it is a limitless
supply of spiritual Mayim Chayim, Living Waters. We need only study it, learn
it, incorporate it into our lives and we will have a limitless supply of
spiritual water, water that nourishes our soul, allowing it to grow in
holiness.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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