Devarim 32: Dew Wop Dew Wop

It is fitting that Moshe’s trajectory ends with a song. Back in Exodus 15, Moshe’s leadership role began with a song—Az Yashir. That song was sung in conjunction with the Israelites, with Moshe leading the way. This song is a solo—sung by Moshe and directed at the people. Az Yashir is written as a series of interlocking bricks in the text—symbolic of the bricks that the Israelites toiled over in Egypt. Haazinu is written as two columns. Perhaps the two columns represent the bookends of Moshe’s two songs. In the beginning, Moshe had to lead a weary group of slaves, and now he lets go of a complete nation, ready to take on their next heady task of conquering the land of Canaan without their only leader.Az Yashir contains a lot of aquatic imagery. This makes sense, as it commemorates the Egyptians drowning in the Sea of Reeds. Haazinu also has some interesting water imagery. “May my teachings come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass” (verse 2).יַעֲרֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי תִּזַּל כַּטַּל אִמְרָתִי כִּשְׂעִירִים עֲלֵי־דֶשֶׁא וְכִרְבִיבִים עֲלֵי־עֵשֶׂב(Deuteronomy 32:2)The connection between the Torah and water hearkens back to the very first incident after Az Yashir. “Then Moses caused Israel to set out from the Sea of Reeds. They went on into the wilderness of Shur; they traveled three days in the wilderness and found no water” (Exodus 15:22).וַיַּסַּע מֹשֶׁה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּם־סוּף וַיֵּצְאוּ אֶל־מִדְבַּר־שׁוּר וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְלֹא מָצְאוּ מָיִם(Exodus 15:22)The commentators explain that the three days without water was symbolic of the people going three days without Torah. This caused them to start complaining. This verse is also the source for Torah reading taking place three times a week—so that three days do not pass without Torah.In Haazinu, Moshe utilizes four types of precipitation—1) rain, 2) dew, 3) showers, and 4) droplets. Like precipitation, the Torah comes in many forms. Sometimes the Torah can be heavy and difficult like the showers, sometimes it can be soft and pleasant like the dew, other times it can be in between like the rain. Points of the Torah can be distinct like droplets. The Torah also manages to cover all areas at all times—just like showers, rain, dew, and droplets symbolize different ways that moisture covers the earth at one time. The Torah also comes down from the heavens to nourish the people on earth.Perhaps Moshe also utilizes four different types of rain to symbolize the four other books of the Torah that are already completed (Bereishit, Shemot, Vayikra, and Bamidbar), or the four books of the Torah that encompass his lifetime (Shemot, Vayikra, Bamidbar, Devarim). From a poetic standpoint, it is fitting that Moshe borrows this powerful multi faceted image of water used after his first song to set up the introduction of his final one.