Questions on Parshas Haazinu to think about and discuss:

1. How does Parshas Haazinu appear differently in the Sefer Torah?
2. What does the Shira of the Leviyim in the Beis Hamikdosh have to do with Parshas Haazinu?
3. What is special about Shiras Haazinu?
4. What is the significance of Parshas Haazinu always being read after Yom Kippur and before Sukkos?
5. Already in Parshas Vayelech it mentions the introduction to Parshas Haazinu (31:19). Why then are these two parshious not grouped together?
6. Usually when the Tanach talks about a Shira it mentions that it is a shira and names the person saying it – e.g. אז ישיר משה, ותשר דבורה. Why then does it not mention in Parshas Haazinu that it is a Shira and why not mention who says it?
7. What lies behind the name “Shira”?
8. The Halocho is that when reading from the Torah, we make sure to stop and start at places that talk about something good. However, this is not the cause by the pauses during the shira in Parshas Haazinu. Why this difference?
9. Where does the custom to sprinkle earth from Eretz Yisroel over dead people come from?
10. Rashi (32:48) brings that it says the words Be’etzem hayom haze three times – by Noach entering the Tayva, by the leaving Mitzrayim and by the death of Moshe. However, there is another time by Avrohom (Bereishis, 17:23) by his bris mila. Why does Rashi omit this?
11. Rashi (32:48) brings that the people wanted to stop Moshe from dying. How could they stop him from death that is not in their physical hands but lies with Hashem?
12. Where in the parsha do we see some stages of how techiyas hameisim, the resurrection, will happen?
13. Why is Yehoshua called again in the parsha (32:44) by his old name of “Hosheia” (missing the letter Yud as seen in P’ Shelach (13:16)) ?
14. What is the connection between Parshas Haazinu and the haftora?
15. The way Parshas Haazinu is split is הזי”ו ל”ך and then the seventh aliya is from the end of the shira until the end of the parsha. What lies behind this siman? Why give Parshas Haazinu more than any other parsha?
16. How many pesukim in the shira and what is the significance of this number?
17. What is the unusually big letter in the parsha and why? How is the big letter different to other bigger letters?
18. (32:4) We describe Hashem as acting “viein ovel”, without iniquity. Reb Leib Lopian zt”l asked that if a person is asked about another and they are told that they are not a sinner this is not a compliment. Why then use this as a description of Hashem’s greatness?

Ideas for answers on the general parsha:

1. Parshas Haazinu is known also as Shiras Haazinu and is written in a special way of shira. This is where some words are written at the beginning of the line followed by a gap of letters and then the end of the line has again letters. This patterned is repeated with each line of the shira.
2. The Gemora Rosh Hashana 31a brings that the shira sung by the Leviyim on Shabbos by the Mussaf offering was Shiras Haazinu. It is from the way that they split the parsha that we do the same by the reading of Parshas Haazinu on Shabbos. Why is the shir for Shabbos Mussaf taken from the shira of Parshas Haazinu?
3. The Sifri (Haazinu 43) brings that this shira is greater than all the others since it encompasses all of time. It contains in it the present, past and future as well as both this world and the next.
8. The Rambam (Hilchos Tefilla 13:5) says that this is because the shira in Parshas Haazinu is to rebuke the people and make them to teshuva. The question still remains then why do we not do the same by the other places of rebuke in the Torah – namely the toichocha of Parshas Bechukosai and Parshas Ki Sovoi?
9. Perhaps it is alluded to in the possuk (32:43) that says that the earth of you nation will atone. The earth of Eretz Yisroel has the power to atone and it is therefore sprinkled on the dead body.
10. I do not know of a good answer at present.
11. The possuk (32:50) says that Moshe would die on the mountain. This means that this was the special location for his death. The people therefore could physically prevent this by blocking and ensuring that Moshe would not go up the mountain.
12. The Gemora Pesochim (68a) brings an opinion that first the living will get up with their imperfections and only then will they be healed, seen in the possuk (32:39).
13. Rashi brings to show that despite being the next leader he remained like his previous self, not being haughty.
14. Both talk about a shira.
15. The Beis Yosef says that the reason why there is a siman in Parshas Haazinu is since the Torah reading stops at places that do not talk about good things. People might think that they are specially being called up for the bad parts. Therefore to show that they are not being singled out therefore a siman is given to show that these places where previously fixed to be stopped at. The sign means “Hashem should enlighten you” meaning that this sign should turn out to be good! The Sforno (32:7) explains the six parts of this siman: 1) ה’=האזינו until possuk 6 this is an introduction to the Shira; 2) ז’=זכור ימות עולם is where Moshe talks about past and furture where the Jews are lifted up with Divine guidance; 3) י’=ירכיבהו is where Hashem gave the Jews a place to serve Him but they sinned; 4) ו’=וירא that due to their sins the Jews deserve a punishment if not for the Chilul Hashem; 5) ל’=לו חכמו this is the cause for the future redemption; 6) ך’=כי אשא the redemption will come with revenge on the enemies who oppressed us.
16. There are 43 pesukim. However, the first possuk talks about the heavens and earth being witnesses and therefore is not counted meaning that the shira is actually 42 pesukim. The Tzror Hamor brings that the whole shira is full of the Names of Hashem reflected in the 42 pesukim that parallel the שם מ”ב. (This is the idea also behind the 42 encampments in the desert in Parshas Masei, etc.)
17. It is the letter Hei in (32:6) and it is different being separated from the word it is read with and is like a separate word in itself. Why the Hei and is it like this?
18. He answers that in Mishpot, judgement done by Beis Din in this world, they need to go according to the strict law and cannot factor in all other calculations. E.g. if someone steals and is punishment they do not change the judgement even though this will result in his family suffering. However, Hashem’s judgement only is “without iniquity” since it takes all the other factors into consideration before carrying out the sentence. This is why the Orchas Chaim LiRosh says that a good life insurance is “to increase friends”. This is because the more people connected to a person, the more they will be effected by a judgement on this person and therefore the more likely he is to be saved!