The last thing Moses does before offering the people his deathbed blessings is to teach them a song. What role has song played in your life? When are you most likely to be touched by song or music? What songs do you remember best? Why?
(א) הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וַאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה וְתִשְׁמַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ אִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃
(1) Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter!
סימן י
( כנגדן אמרו ליה ישראל עשר שירות. הראשונה במצרים, שנאמר, השיר יהיה לכם כליל התקדש חג (ישע' ל כט). השנית על הים, שנאמר, אז ישיר משה. השלישית על הבאר, אז ישיר ישראל את השירה (במדב' כא יז). הרביעית אמר משה, ויהי ככלות משה לכתוב וגו' (דברי' לא כד). החמישית, אז ידבר יהושע ליי ביום תת יי את האמורי (יהוש' י יב). הששית, ותשר דבורה וברק בן אבינועם (שופט' ה א). השביעית, וידבר דוד ליי את דברי השירה (ש"ב כב א). השמינית, מזמור שיר חנוכת הבית לדוד (תהלי' ל א)...שירה התשיעית של שלמה, שיר השירים. העשירית לעתיד, מזמור שירו ליי שיר חדש כי נפלאות עשה (תהלים צח א):
The rabbis enumerated ten songs at key moments in the life of the nation. There was the song of the Israelites in Egypt (see Is. 30:29), the song at the Red Sea (Ex. 15), the song at the well (Num. 21), and Ha’azinu,Moses’ song at the end of his life. Joshua sang a song (Josh. 10:12-13). So did Deborah (Jud. 5), Hannah (1 Sam. 2) and David (2 Sam. 22). There was the Song of Solomon, Shir ha-Shirim,about which Rabbi Akiva said, “All songs are holy but the Song of Songs is the holy of holies.” The tenth song has not yet been sung. It is the song of the Messiah ("Sing to Adonai a new song, for God has worked wonders," Ps. 98:1). (From commentary by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks)
Faith is more like music than science. Science analyses, music integrates. And as music connects note to note, so faith connects episode to episode, life to life, age to age in a timeless melody that breaks into time. God is the composer and librettist. We are each called on to be voices in the choir, singers of God’s song. Faith is the ability to hear the music beneath the noise.
So music is a signal of transcendence... The history of the Jewish spirit is written in its songs.
I once watched a teacher explaining to young children the difference between a physical possession and a spiritual one. He had them build a paper model of Jerusalem. Then (this was in the days of tape-recorders) he put on a tape with a song about Jerusalem that he taught to the class. At the end of the session he did something very dramatic. He tore up the model and shredded the tape. He asked the children, “Do we still have the model?” They replied, No. “Do we still have the song?” They replied, Yes.
We lose physical possessions, but not spiritual ones. We lost the physical Moses. But we still have the song. --Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Bob Dylan – Blowin' In The Wind
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man ?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand ?
Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea ?
Yes, how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free ?
Yes, how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn't see ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry ?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.