The Gemara (Sanhedrin 21b) states that the mitzvah to write a Sefer Torah is derived from the command in Parshas Veyeilech (31:19) of "And now, write this song for yourselves..." The "song" referred to is Shiras Ha'azinu - the Song of Ha'azinu. How is it that this song, which encompasses the bulk of this week's parsha, relates to the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah? In other words, in what way does the Song of Ha'azinu reflect the Torah as a whole, so that the command to write the Song of Ha'azinu implies the mitzvah of writing an entire Sefer Torah?

Let's think more about the nature of Shiras Ha'azinu. Unlike other songs or texts, Hashem expressed an unusual urgency for Ha'azinu to be known and reviewed throughout the ages. ("And now write this song...for it shall not be forgotten from its (Israel's) seed...and Moshe related to the ears of the entire congregation of Israel the words of this song to their very completion... " ibid. 31:19, 21, 30). Other pesukim as well imply an extreme need for the song to be taught well and specially remembered. The Torah states (ibid. v. 21) that the purpose of Ha'azinu is to forewarn B'nei Yisroel so that when God would hide His face as a response to their misdeeds, they would understand what is happening to them.

Still, how are the ominous forecasts in Ha'azinu different than other warnings ("tochachos") and prophesies throughout the Torah and the books of the Prophets? What makes Ha'azinu so unique? Why does the Song of Haazinu, in particular, represent the command of writing a Sefer Torah?

The answer to these questions would appear to lie at the core of the message conveyed by Shiras Ha'azinu. Ha'azinu's theme is that the seemingly inexplicable and apparently incomprehensible are all part of God's master plan. Although God may "hide His face" from us, we must understand that the development of history, with its successes and tragedies, is all part of a unified theme. (I was told that Rav Gedaliah Schorr zt"l explained that the style of a song is that each piece or note fits together into one beautiful, unified composition, and that this is the meaning of textual songs in the Torah. I was also told that one commentary [which I could not locate] interprets the phrase "Tzur" ("Rock") at the beginning of Ha'azinu as a reference to the word "tzayar" ("artist"), as God paints the world as an Impressionist, creating myriads of tiny dots which seem close up as discrete points but appear at a distance as a unified work of art.)

This message - that all is part of Hashem's master theme, from the beginning through the end of world history - strikes a chord when B'nei Yisroel feel confused, frustrated and perplexed at the events around them. The entire Golus experience and all subsequent Jewish suffering were triggered by horrific transgressions, and the ensuing historical discord of the Jewish People is the result of past events. The whole corpus of history is woven together into a complex and unified pattern which we cannot perceive as it unfolds; yet, the knowledge that what seems to be chaos is precisely part of the divine master plan comforts and inspires us. This is the point and unforgettable message of Ha'azinu. Without it, despair and disintegration could befall the Jewish People.

The role of the Torah - the "blueprint of Creation" and God's history book of the Jewish People's relationship with Him - is encapsulated and affirmed in Ha'azinu. Ha'azinu tells us that that the Torah is God's strategy, explanation and underpinning for the world, and our failure to recognize such is addressed and corrected therein. It is thus understood why the mitzvah to write a Sefer Torah is presented as a command to write Shiras Ha'azinu, for Ha'azinu reflects and encapsulates the entirety of Torah and its essence.       

We can also now understand why Ha'azinu is so appropriate for the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah. Were we to be conscious of Hashem's presence and guiding force in our lives at all times, we would not be prone to violate His Will. Awareness of being before God and realizing His control of the totality of the universe and His mastery over its contents, is the theme of the Yomim Noro'im (Days of Awe), and Ha'azinu is this period's philosophical text, as it were. (Sometimes Parshas Vayeilech is read during the Yomim Noro'im. Vayeilech serves as an introduction to Ha'azinu, and the Teshuvah themes of Ha'azinu are emphasized and contained in Vayeilech in full measure.)

The character of the haftarah of Shabbos Shuvah should be briefly addressed. This haftarah is doubly unusual. Firstly, it consists of selections from three different Prophets (Hoshea, Yoel and Michah). Secondly, the printed order of the keriah (as it appears in most Chumashim) begins with a reading from Hoshea, followed by Michah and then Yoel, even though halachically it is likely preferable to conclude with Michah (and precede it with Yoel), as Michah appears later than Yoel, and we do not read from the Twelve Prophets ("T'rei Asar") in reverse order. Why, then, are these readings printed in the apparently incorrect order?

If we look carefully at the three portions of the haftarah, we can detect a pattern. The verses from Hoshea speak of a rethinking of our religious attitudes, realizing that only God can be relied upon for salvation and strength. The passage from Michah consists of the 13 Elevated Attributes of Mercy (a kabbalistic concept), which reflect the Thirteen Attributes which Hashem taught Moshe Rabbeinu and which we invoke during the Days of Repentance. The final selection from Yoel portrays a grand assemblage of tefillah and fasting in the Beis Hamikdash, with pleading and supplication by the Kohanim, followed by God's blessings of bounty.

It would seem that the three parts of the haftarah reflect the three segments of the Days of Repentance. The pesukim from Hoshea - about God's control and authority (kingship) - correspond to Rosh Hashanah. The second portion, from Michah, mirrors the Selichos which are recited during the Days of Repentance, following Rosh Hashanah. (Even though our custom is to begin these tefillos a week or so earlier in preparation, the Selichos period inherently commences with the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.) The passage from Yoel about the great fast and prayer gathering, followed by berachos for goodness, parallels the Yom Kippur service. (The piyutim recited after the Avodah on Yom Kippur are quite similar to the tidings at the end of the selection from Yoel.)

It is also interesting to note that Shabbos Shuvah is like a Shabbos Chol Ha-Moed in regards to the Aseres Yemei Teshuva. Just as the themes of the Torah and haftarah readings of Shabbos Chol Ha-Moed of Pesach and Sukkos reflect the philosophical totality of the entire Yom Tov (please see d'var Torah on Shabbos Chol Ha-Moed), the readings and customs of Shabbos Shuvah encompass the inner meaning of the Days of Awe as a whole.

May Hashem grant us the ability to return to Him with a full heart and draw ever closer to Him. G'mar chasimah tovah.