Ha'Azinu הַאֲזִינוּ - Listen!
Torah Portion:
Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52
Deuteronomy 32:19–28
32:19 Hashem saw and abhorred,
because of the provocation of His sons and his daughters.
20 He said, “I will hide My face from them.
I will see what their end will be;
for they are a very perverse generation,
children in whom there is no faithfulness.
21 They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is not Elohim.
They have provoked Me to anger with their vanities.
I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people.
I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
22 For a fire is kindled in My anger,
that burns to the lowest Sheol,
devours the earth with its increase,
and sets the foundations of the mountains on fire.
23 “I will heap evils on them.
I will spend My arrows on them.
24 They shall be wasted with hunger,
and devoured with burning heat
and bitter destruction.
I will send the teeth of animals on them,
with the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.
25 Outside the sword will bereave,
and in the rooms,
terror on both the young man and the virgin,
the nursing infant with the gray-haired man.
26 I said that I would scatter them afar.
I would make their memory to cease from among men;
27 were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy,
lest their adversaries should judge wrongly,
lest they should say, ‘Our hand is exalted,
Hashem has not done all this.’”
28 For they are a nation void of counsel.
There is no understanding in them.
Today’s Meditation:
After Moses explains the trouble they are going to be getting into when they abandon Hashem, he says in verse 28, ”For they are a nation void of counsel. There is no understanding in them.” He predicts that they will have a time in the future when they will no longer consult Hashem. They will be void of His counsel. Therefore, since they are not in a relationship with Hashem, there will be no understanding. That’s what is happening today. People no longer believe or communicate with the one true Elohim. They are going it alone, and the result is that they have no understanding of spiritual matters. People have become totally carnal, devoid of the one true spiritual relationship with Hashem. You and I can be a part of changing this. We can be lights to His truth and existence, bringing His genuine love to others. We can teach people about Him and how to communicate with Him. If they do this, they will gain understanding.
Today's Challenge:
In verse 20, we read that the result of disobedience among His people is that, “I will hide My face from them.” Having Hashem's face hidden from you means He is no longer visible or tangible in your life. It is like when we sin, the hand of Hashem is lifted from our lives. We can only go it alone. And I can feel this happening every time I deliberately sin against Him. It’s like He really does hide His face from me. It takes true repentance and teshuvah to regain that personal relationship with Him. My challenge for you today is to assess your spiritual life. Do you feel Hashem’s Hand in your life, or do you feel He is “hiding His face” from you? If it is the latter, please take action. Repent and return to Him. Make restitution for what you have done and pray that He will return to you. Scripture says so (Malachi 3:7). Don’t be content with a life absent from Hashem; invite Him back into your life. And show Him that you really mean this.
