פָּרָשַׁת הַאֲזִינוּ

Parshat Haazinu is the shirah (song) that Moshe Rabbeinu teaches Bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel), which Hashem said would be a witness for them, never forgotten from the mouths of their descendants. (In the Sefer Torah it is written in a special layout of two columns.) Moshe calls on the heavens and the earth to listen as he proclaims HaTzur (the Rock), whose work is perfect and all His ways justice. "Is this how you repay Hashem, foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father who made you?"

The song tells the story of Bnei Yisrael from beginning to end. Hashem chose Yaakov as His own portion, guarded him like the pupil of His eye, carried him as an eagle carries its young, and fed him the best of the land. But Yeshurun (a name for Bnei Yisrael) grew fat and kicked, abandoned Hashem who made him, and turned to strange gods. Hashem hides His face from them and sends hunger, plague, wild beasts and the sword; He would have wiped them out, except that the enemy would say their own hand did it and not Hashem. In the end Hashem judges for His people and has compassion on His servants: "See now that I, I am He, and there is no god with Me; I put to death and I give life." He takes vengeance on His enemies and atones for His land and His people.

When Moshe and Yehoshua finish speaking the song, Moshe tells Bnei Yisrael to command their children to keep all the words of this Torah, "for it is not an empty thing for you; it is your life." That very day Hashem tells Moshe to go up Har Nevo (Mount Nebo) and die there, as Aharon died on Hor HaHar, because Moshe and Aharon did not sanctify Hashem at Mei Merivat Kadesh. Moshe will see the land of Kenaan (Canaan) from a distance, but he will not enter it.