The Song That Never Ends
Aa song touches a part of our soul that words cannot reach. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi stated: “Speech is the pen of the heart, melody is the pen of the soul.” Torah, likewise, has the capacity to speak to the very soul of a Jew, not just his mind and heart. LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH
The Last Commandment
The very last commandment in the Torah, its 613th, mentioned in this week’s parsha, Vayeilech, is to write a Torah Scroll.
In the Biblical text the Torah does not explicitly mention that one is to write the entire Five Books of Moses. Rather it states: “And now write this song.”
On the surface, the Torah seems to be referring to the song that appears in next week’s parsha and not to the entire Five Book’s of Moses.
Maimonides—basing himself on the Talmud— explains that since we are not permitted to write just one section of the Torah by itself, it could not have meant that we should merely write this one song. Hence, we know that the commandment is to actually write the entire Five Books of Moses that contains this song.
The question begs to be asked. If the Torah wanted us to
LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS
NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH write the Five Books of Moses, it could have said precisely that. Why does it have to say that we should write this song and rely on the Oral Tradition that proved that this command is a reference to the entire Five Books of Moses?
“Speech is the pen of the heart, melody is the pen of the soul.”
It is obvious that the Torah wanted to impart to us a crucial lesson about the very nature of the Torah. The Torah—in its entirety—is a song. Even the parts that are written in prose, even the laws and words of rebuke, are in reality a song.
What does the characterization of the Torah as a song signify?
There are many analogies one can find between the Torah and a song.
First, a song touches a part of our soul that words cannot reach. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi —the founder of the Chabad movement, whose birthday we celebrated recently on the 19th of Elul—summed it up best when he said: “Speech is the pen of the heart, melody is the pen of the soul.”
Torah, likewise, has the capacity to speak to the very soul
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NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH of a Jew, not just his mind and heart.
Instills Joy
Second, a song is generally associated with joy. When the Jews crossed the Sea of Reeds, they sung jubilant praise to G-d. And though there are songs that can express feelings of sadness, the primary role of music in Judaism, is to bring joy and spirit to an otherwise prosaic experience. And even the more somber melodies, while they do not bring joy, they do generate feelings of aesthetic delight.
So too, Torah can become the person’s greatest source of joy and delight. King David devotes an entire Psalm— Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the entire Torah—to extol the virtue of Torah as a song.
Endless
Third, a song has no end. When one comes to the end of the song, it is only natural for one to start all over again. A song, unlike a lecture, is meant to be repeated over and over again. Indeed, the tempo of the melody increases each and every time the song begins anew.
Similarly, the nature of Torah is to begin its study anew, soon after it is completed on Simchat Torah. When one LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH learns Torah, one touches infinity and is thereby moved to repeat the words of Torah. Each and every time we begin the Torah anew, we actually experience a marked increase in the energy level and enthusiasm for Torah.
Removes Rough Edges
Fourth, a song has the capacity to convey a message without offending or shocking the recipient of the message. Even harsh words of rebuke that are couched in a melody can have a positive effect. The melody possesses a soothing and cushioning effect on us.
Similarly, the words of Torah, no matter how powerful and pointed they may be, have a soothing effect particularly on those who appreciate Torah’s celestial song.
Elevator
Fifth, a song has the capacity to lift us off the ground and raise us to a higher plane of existence.
Likewise Torah study is an uplifting experience that takes us into a higher place.
Just as we were inducted into nationhood—at the time of the Exodus and Revelation at Sinai—by way of the song LIGHT FORM THE FUTURE – PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH the Israelites sang when they crossed the sea, Biblical literature affirms that the future and final Redemption will also be inaugurated with song.
Difference between Prose and Song of Torah
One can still raise a question. Why is this characterization of Torah as a song not mentioned or alluded to earlier? Why do we have to wait to the very end of the Torah to learn of its poetic nature?
The answer to this question is that, indeed, Torah contains both elements of prose and of song. The difference between these two elements is that the dimension of prose within the Torah one can grasp and even master, one book, parsha, paragraph, verse and even word, at a time. One does not require having the Torah in its entirety to appreciate the wisdom and information contained in any one part of it.
When it comes to the melody of Torah, by contrast, if even one note is missing it affects the integrity of the entire composition. Thus, the Torah refers to the song of Torah when the Torah is about to be completed.
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Song of the Future
What is true about the Torah, that its poetic nature—the part that is overtly infinite—is revealed at its end, can also be applied to the end of days. Only when Moshiach will come will we be exposed to the Torah’s deepest secrets and melodies.
We can take this idea a step further and apply it to the Jewish people. The word Israel in Hebrew is said to be an acronym, “There are 600,000 letters in the Torah.” This suggests that the Jewish people—whose original census totaled 600,000 souls—are a human version of a Torah scroll; each individual corresponds to a letter of the Torah. We too, possess a prosaic dimension and a poetic one.
Our more spiritual character—the song aspect of our existence—will come to the fore at the end of days, when the Jewish people complete their mission in exile. When the human Torah reaches completion, our infinite dimension, will become the dominant one. Upon realizing this dimension of our being we will truly and literally be moved to sing the ultimate song.
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From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Nitzavim by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
