Ha'azinu: History: All Roads Lead to G-d

by Rav Omer Davidovitch, translated by Hillel Fendel

During this period in which we live, when we are not privileged to have prophets or prophecy, it appears that there is no easy way to get to know G-d's will. However, in this week's portion of Ha'azinu – often seen as a history of Israel in song – the Torah shows us an important and central path towards G-d's word and what He wants from us. It also shows us an important aspect of the relationship between "individual" and "community."  We can even say that it shows us the meaning of history altogether.

Rav Kook spells the Hebrew word for "history" slightly differently than the accepted spelling, as if it were related to the word hester, as in, "the hester (hidden aspects) of G-d." The idea is that history is where G-d guides that which happens to mankind, often in hidden ways that are revealed only much later. The events of this type of history accompany us every single day. We have now completed our days of accounting – the Ten Days of Penitence – in which we look at the past year and ask ourselves: "What did I experience this past year? How did I grow, how did events affect me?" (It's interesting that no one ever asks himself questions such as, 'What did I wear this past year? How many steak dinners did I have?' This is because this type of "history" has no real value for us…) The true historical view is based on the events that are important in one's eyes, and not only on what actually happened.

And that which is true for individuals, is true for all of mankind. When we look backwards and seek to understand our history, we understand that we are in constant motion, from the past to the present to the future. But what is the correct way of looking at history, of seeing G-d's hidden hand in all that we have experienced?

This question touches upon the very purpose of man in the world. To understand this, we view the chain of history as the pipeline through which we see where G-d is leading us, and where our faces and intentions should be directed!

The seventh verse of the song of Ha'azinu is the Torah's command to investigate our history in order to understand G-d's will: "Remember the timeline of the world; look into the years of each generation; ask you father and he will tell you, and ask your elders and they will say it to you" (Deut. 32,7).

We see that the true history of the world, including the count of years and its stories, are not given over to those who simply recount dry facts – but rather to our fathers and elders. The Sages explain that this refers to the Prophets and the Priests: "Your father – this is a reference to the Prophets, who are called fathers, as when Elisha called out to Elijah who was being taken to Heaven, 'My father, my father, the chariot of Israel' – and your elders are the Wise Men." So explains Rashi, based on the Midrash.

The renowned Rav Yehuda HaLevy wrote in his classic work The Kuzari (2,28) a similar idea: "The fathers and elders were like the advisors who know the people and warn them …  – the leaders of the nation."

This is because the correct outlook on history, as Rav Kook explains, is understood according to the basic concept of the gradual development of the world towards completeness, and that history is the series of events of the world's progress, via G-d's works. As Rav Kook writes in one of his letters: "All the historical events that actually happened must be understood … in the context of the circumstances that, with G-d's providence, surround them in order to pave the way for the goodness and kindness that will come in the End."  And Rav Kook continues in another letter from around the same time that "the foundation of all is that which we teach in the world, that everything is G-d's work, and that the means, whether many or few, are all G-d's deeds – for He left nothing lacking in His world." He further wrote there that we must recognize G-d's actions throughout all of history no less than we see His work in the celestial bodies.

Many interpretations of history are, at best, for side purposes, or for benefits to be gained in the future. But the way that Rav Kook looks at history, the purpose of history is history itself! That is, it was formed so that we can discover the Divine value in mankind's historical moves and deeds. But of course, this can only be seen and understood and shown by the Prophets and Sages.

Here is an example of seeing the value of history itself as G-d's works: Consider the socialist movement. We can see that it might bring benefit in the future, such as a renewal of Zionism, which is the drive to return and re-establish the Jewish People in the Jewish Land. But socialism can also be seen as having its own self-value – the value of an ethic that promotes freedom and brotherhood, etc.  

The depth of the matter is that looking at history in this way brings us to a Divine and uplifting viewpoint towards the future. As Rashi explains on the above-cited verse: "Look into the years of each generation" – Seek to recognize in the future that G-d has the ability to do good for you and to pass onto you the goodness of the days of Messiah and the World to Come."