This week’s Torah portion, Haazinu, is Moses’ swan song…literally. After 40 years of leading our people through the wilderness, Moses delivers his final words not as a speech, but as a song. “Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; hear, O earth, the words I utter!" (Deuteronomy 32:1). Our sages read these words as poetry, music, and the distillation of a lifetime into verse.
But, why a song? Because songs endure. They’re memorized, repeated, passed down through generations. Moses understood that the most important messages aren’t just spoken, they’re sung into the fabric of our collective memory.
As we stand at the threshold of a new year, Haazinu challenges us with a profound question: What would be our life song? If we had to distill everything we’ve learned, everything we’ve built, everything we value into one final melody, what would it sound like?
At the Jewish Federation, we believe our communal life song is about connection. It’s the melody of Jews supporting Jews, of building institutions that will outlast us, of ensuring that no one in our community faces challenges alone. Our song celebrates chesed, tzedakah, and kehillah (kindness, justice, and community).
Moses’ song reminds us that each generation must find its own voice while honoring the melodies of those who came before. His lyrics spoke of covenant, memory, and consequence. What will ours speak of?
Perhaps our life song is about the family we’ve nurtured, the students we’ve taught, the business we’ve built with integrity, or the quiet acts of kindness that no one else saw. Maybe it’s still being written, with verses yet unsung.
As we hear Haazinu chanted this Shabbat, let it inspire us to live with intention, to ensure that when our time comes to sing our final song, it will be one worth remembering. Because we are Stronger Together!
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