The Rock

Weekly Torah Lesson

Parasha:  Ha Azinu  Give ear
Torah:   Devarim 32:1-52

1 Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. 2  May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. 3  For I will proclaim the name of Avinu; ascribe greatness to Eloheinu! 4  The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. An Avinu of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. (Devarim 32:1-4)

**  Once again Moshe calls on “the heavens” and “the earth” to witness his words to us. In his normal style, he asks that his words would fall gently on our ears and be the blessing that they are meant to be to us.

“For I will proclaim the name of Avinu:”  The Hebrew word translated “name” is shem.  It is used to mean “authority” several places in the Torah. Teaching the Torah is proclaiming the authority of Avinu.

The Tanach uses “the Rock” as a metaphor for Avinu more than twenty eight times.

Here are some interesting Scriptures:

24  Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (Mt 7:24-25 )

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Mt 16:18 )

As it is written: Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. (Ro 9:33 )

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock is Meshiach. (1Co 10:4 )