DEDICATED BY DR. LEAH DAVIDSON IN MEMORY OF HER FATHER, ISRAEL ZYGIELBAUM WHOSE YAHRZEIT IS ON SHABBAT SHUVA. ALSO DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF THE OTHER HONORED MEMBERS OF THE ZYGIELBOJM FAMILY WHO PERISHED IN THE HOLOCAUST

Most of Parshat Ha'azinu is a song sung by Moshe. In the song, Moshe called on heaven and earth to bear witness to the calamities that will befall Israel if it sins as well as the joy that will come with the final redemption.

According to Sforno, after Moshe gave an overview to his song, where he declared the righteousness of God, he described five historical themes:

1. When God created the world he wanted to include all of the nations in achieving his goal. When the other nations didn't cooperate, God chose Israel to fulfill his mission.

2. God gave the Jewish people the Land of Israel to serve Him. However, they ungratefully rebelled.

3. The Jewish people deserved a severe punishment, to be destroyed. However, God was merciful and exiled them because he wanted to prevent the case of a Chilul HaShem (desecration of God's name).

4. In the end of days, the Jewish people will again be redeemed.

5. Moshe described the final redemption and how the enemies of Israel will be punished.

Moshe ends the song with the words: (Devarim 32:43) "O nations- sing the praises of His people, for he will avenge the blood of His servants, He will bring retribution upon his foes, and he will appease His land, his people (vichiper admato amo)."

In the word "vichiper", we see the root "kapara", atonement (same root as Yom Kippur and Kaparot).

According to Sforno, in the final redemption, when the Jewish people return to the Land of Israel from exile, they will be forgiven for whatever wrongdoings they committed pertaining to Chilul HaShem. They will have suffered enough in exile. God will restore the Shechina (Divine presence) to the nation of Israel in the land of Israel.

According to religious Zionist thought, we are now in the period of "Reishit Tzmichat Geulateinu", the first flowerings of our redemption. After suffering in the exile, many Jews have returned to the land of Israel and built up the State of Israel as we know it today.

Let's pray that the full redemption will take place speedily in our day and that a true Kiddush HaShem (Sactification of God's name) will take place in Israel and throughout the world.