SHIRAS HAAZINU

Layout of HaAzinu in the Sefer Torah:

Most Sifrei Torah are written with columns of 42 lines each “page”. The “page” containing Parsha
HaAzinu has the last 6 lines of VaYelech, starting with the word Six “Pages” in the Sefer Torah have a
V’AIDA ‫ואעידה‬. Then a line is left blank. first word set by tradition: ‫בי"ה שמ"ו‬
The remaining 35 lines are the first “half” of the “song” of HaAzinu, ‫ – ב‬Bereshis (first word of Torah)
‫ י‬- Yehuda (Parshas VaYechi)
with each line written in two parts with a space between them (more ‫ – ה‬HaBa’im (Parshas B’Shalach)
later on this aspect). Then the remaining 35 lines of the second half of ‫ – ש‬Shmor Lecha (Parshas Ki Sisa)
the “song,” begin the next “page”, again with the pattern of two parts ‫ –מ‬Mah Tovu (Parshas Balak)
with a space between them. This is followed by another blank line ‫ – ו‬V’aida (Parshas VaYelech)
and then 6 “regular” lines of Torah text. Parshas HaAzinu (with
approximately 14 lines of “regular” text) concludes on the next page.
Structure of Shiras (“Song”) of HaAzinu:
The first part of each verse is written on the right side and a large space is left in the middle. The next
part of the each verse is then written on the left side. Usually 2-5 words in each section. Some verses
are written in two parts, others in four parts. This leaves Examples of half-brick upon half-brick:
two columns of writing encasing a blank middle. This Shiras HaAzinu; Shirat Yehoshua - Defeat of the 31
configuration is called "‫"אריח על גבי אריח ולבינה על גבי לבינה‬ kings; 10 sons of Haman
A second configuration is 2 half-bricks with space in
(a half-brick upon a half-brick of writing and a full brick between & the next line a word, space, one long
upon a full brick of blank space). brick, space, word. Examples:
The 43 verses of the Shirah comprise the first six of the Shiras ha'Yam, Shiras Devorah, Shiras Dovid
seven weekly “alios laTorah.” Also, the Gemara (Rosh
HaShana 31a) says that the chant of the Leviim for the Shabbos Musaf was the Shiras HaAzinu. Rabbi
Chonon bar Rovo in the name of Rav says the Shira was divided into six sections. The acronym for
the first words of these six sections is ‫הזי"ז ל"ך‬. And also this same concept applies to the synagogue
(Rashi explains the same six sections are read in the synagogue on Shabbos).
The division of ‫ הזי"ז ל"ך‬has six major opinions:
40-43) ‫ )כי אשא‬29-39) ‫ )לו חכמו‬19-28) ‫ )וירא‬13-18) ‫ )ירכיבהו‬7-12) ‫ )זכור‬1-6) ‫בה"ג רמב"ם )האזינו‬
36-43) ‫)כי ידין‬ ‫לו חכמו‬ 15) ‫וישמן‬- ) ‫ירכיבהו‬ ‫זכור‬ ‫האזינו‬ ‫מסכת סופרים‬
‫כי ידין‬ 27) ‫לולי‬- ) ‫וירא‬ ‫ירכיבהו‬ ‫זכור‬ ‫האזינו‬ ‫'רש"י תוס‬
‫כי ידין‬ ‫לו חכמו‬ ‫וירא‬ ‫ירכיבהו‬ ‫זכור‬ ‫האזינו‬ ‫ר"ח ערוך‬
‫כי אשא‬ ‫לולי‬ ‫וישמן‬ 10) ‫ימצאהו‬- ) ‫זכור‬ ‫האזינו‬ ‫רה"ג‬
‫כי אשא‬ ‫לולי‬ ‫וירא‬ ‫ירכיבהו‬ ‫זכור‬ ‫האזינו‬ ‫רבי"ן‬

Five people called up to read the Torah on Rosh HaShana ‫– ה‬

‫הזי"ו ל"ך גמטריא ע"ח‬
This mnemonic is Seven people called up to the Torah when Rosh HaShana occurs on Shabbos ‫ ז‬-
for the 78 Ten days of Teshuvah ‫ י‬-
Tzadikim at that
time that were Six people called to read the Torah on Yom HaKipur ‫ ו‬-
involved in Thirty notes in the basic requirement of Shofar on Rosh HaShana ‫ ל‬-
creation of the
Twenty days of fast from Elul until Yom HaKipur ‫ כ‬-
Shira HaAzinu
‫מחזור ויתרי‬
(‫)מחזור ויטרי‬ Chidush

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 The Gemara (Kidushin 31a) states that the Torah has 5,888 verses. However, according to our
Mesorah the Torah has 5,845 verses. How do we reconcile these counts?
The Torah journal Pri Eitz T'morim, Tishrei 5743 issue, #221 explains the discrepancy of 43 verses as
follows: We have 43 verses in the song of Haazinu. Each verse has a gap of space in the middle of
the verse after the cantillation "ESNACHTO," which is normally a mid-sentence stop, similar to a
comma. Since we have a combination of both an ESNACHTO and a gap of space, these two
divisions combined render each of the 43 verses as if they were two verses. This would bring the
total number of verses in the Torah to 5,888, the original text in the Gemara.
DEEPER INSIGHTS
The Gemara (Rosh Hashana 31a) tells us that the Shiras HaAzinu was said in six parts by the Leviim
while the Shabbos Musafim were being offered. And so it was done in the reading in the
synagogue (with the seventh reading being the balance of the Parsha). The commentators bring an
insight that the six (seven) parts are connected to the special Psalms (‫ )שיר של יום‬said each day by
the Leviim in the Mikdash (and in our morning prayers). Further, these six (seven) parts are
connected to the days of Creation. (‫ לקוטי שיחות חלק כד‬,‫ לבוש‬,‫)טור‬
‫ימי מעשה בראשית‬ ‫שיר של יום‬ ‫פרשת האזינו‬
Days of Creation Special Psalm of the Day Shiras HaAzinu
Psalm 24 Verses 1-6 ‫ה‬
Day One ‫לה' הארץ ומלואה תבל ויושבי בה‬ “My Doctrine shall drop as rain”
HaShem acquired the universe To HaShem was the earth for the (Rashi) The Torah that I gave to the Jews
as its sole occupant purpose of those that (would is the life of the world
ultimately) dwell in it “Is He not your Father that acquired you”
Psalm 48 Verses 7-12 ‫ז‬
Second Day
‫גדול ה' ומהולל מאד בעיר אלקינו הר קדשו‬ “When He gave the nations their
HaShem created the firmament
Division on earth between the inheritance…for the portion of G-d is
which divided establishing His
place of the Shechinah is manifest His people, Yaacov is the lot of His
place to Rule over the creations
in the rest of the world inheritance”
Third Day Psalm 82 Verses 13-18 ‫י‬
G-d contained the waters, ‫ל בקרב אלקים ישפוט‬-‫“ אלקים נצב בעדת א‬He settle them on the peak of the earth
exposing the land, preparing the G-d stood and became separate and (the land of Israel)”
place for the His testifiers (the hidden for the ultimate purpose of “but you forgot G-d Who delivered
Jews) judgment through Torah you”
Fourth Day
Psalm 94 Verses 19-28 ‫ו‬
Placement of the sun and the
‫ל נקמות הופיע‬-‫ל נקמות ה' א‬-‫א‬ Potential punishments of the Jews for
moon as servants of G-d, and in
Refusal of the wicked and weak- not following Torah as a means of
the future would punish those
willed to recognize the Creator provoking Teshuvah
that worshiped these luminaries
Psalm 81
Verses 29-39 ‫ל‬
Fifth Day ‫הרנינו לאלקים עוזנו הריעו לאלקי יעקב‬
Creation of the many species of Upon seeing the diverse, “If they were wise, they would
birds wondrous creations, we are understand this”
uplifted to sign praise to G-d Words of comfort
Sixth Day
Psalm 93
Completion of the creations, Verses 40-43 ‫ך‬
‫ה' מלך גאות לבש לבש ה' עוז התאזר‬
Man, whose mission is to Upon Teshuvah of the Jews,
recognize G-d as King
Seventh Day Psalm 93 Balance of Parsha
Shabbos of the Creation Shabbos of the week Conclusion of Moshe’s mission

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