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    PARASHAT HA’AZINU: CALLING TO G-D IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

    The Haftara

    for Parashat

    H a ’ a z i n u

    (which is also

    read as the

    Haftara on the

    seventh day of Pesach) is the song

    written and sung by King David,

    which appears in the Book of

    Shemuel II (chapter 22). Parashat

    Ha’azinu presents the special song

    which G-d had Moshe teach to

    Beneh Yisrael before his death, and

    so the Sages chose as the Haftara for

    this Shabbat the song written by

    King David. In this song, David

    gives praise to G-d for rescuing him

    from his troubles. Abarbanel (Rav

    Don Yishak Abarbanel, Portugal,

    1437-1508) writes in his

    commentary that David wrote this

    song in his younger years, when he

    was beset by many different crises,

    particularly, when he was pursued

    by King Shaul. David composed

    this song, Abarbanel explains, to be

    the song he would sing each time he

    was helped during a period of crisis.

    He committed it to memory so it

    would be his “go-to” song whenever

    he encountered trouble and was then

    saved, as his expression of gratitude

    to the Almighty. We find in this

    song a verse which offers us

    guidance and insight for how to

    respond when we experience

    troubles and crises in our own lives.

    David exclaims, “When I am in

    trouble, I call to G-d…and He hears

    my voice from His abode, and my

    plea is in His ears” (22:7).

    Abarbanel explains that David

    emphasizes the fact that when he

    faced dire crisis, he did not despair,

    but rather turned to G-d for help.

    The Name of “Havaya” used in this

    verse signifies G-d’s unlimited

    power and abilities. Recognizing

    that G-d has an infinite number of

    ways to solve any predicament and

    to rescue him from any trouble,

    David did not despair in times of

    hardship. He rather relied on G-d’s

    boundless power and prayed.

    Secondly, David says, “He heard

    my voice from His abode, and my

    plea is in His ear.” G-d’s abode, as it

    were, is very distant from us, all the

    way in the heavens. And yet, David

    says, “my plea is in His ear” – G-d

    listens to us very closely, as though

    we are whispering in His ear,

    so-to-speak. We must remember

    that despite the infinite difference

    between us and Hashem, He comes

    close when we face any sort of

    crisis. When we pray, He is right

    next to us. Recognizing this can be a

    great source of encouragement for

    us in times of hardship, and should

    motivate us to turn to Hashem in

    heartfelt prayer, rather than fall into

    despair.