Ha’azinu: Tapping into the Holy Dew

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Parshat Ha’azinu is a song filled with poetic language about the Jewish people’s journey with Hashem, and the ups and downs throughout their history. The Torah takes us back in time to our days in the desert, reflecting upon Hashem’s desire for us as well as criticizing us for complacency and times we abandoned our service of Hashem. Parshat Ha’azinu is both a rebuke and an uplifting shira.

The pasuk tells us “Let My teaching come down like rain, let My word drip down like dew.” (Devarim 32:2) While these two phrases sound similar in that they both compare the Torah to droplets of moisture, they in fact symbolize two entirely different spheres of avodat Hashem. The rain and the dew.

Let us examine them in turn.

The rain represents the water cycle; a natural process of give-and-take. As we learned in school, it is the evaporation of water down on earth which is condensed in the clouds and eventually descends as precipitation – rainfall. This is brought in the Medrash (Bereishit Rabba 13:13) which outlines a principle of the natural world: “No drop of rain descends from above unless the earth ascends towards it two tefachim.”

On a physical level, this is the rain cycle. The earth has to “donate” water via evaporation to the skies in order to receive rainfall in return. On a spiritual level, this is referred to in the sefarim (books) as אתערותא דלתתא which means “awakenings from below.” This mode of relationship with Hashem requires the Jewish people, down here on earth, to move towards Hashem and in turn, Hashem will shower us with bracha. Rain is not created in Heaven – it is generated. Likewise, spiritual attainments must be initiated by our human efforts. We reap only what we sow.

Although the rain cycle represents the natural state of order and thus models the general interaction between Hashem and the Jewish people, there is another mode. Dew, unlike rain, descends from the sky with no assistance from earth. There is no cycle or exchange, no earthly efforts expended. The moist droplets which cover our morning leaves are simply a Heavenly gift. This is the perfect embodiment of אתערותא-דלעילא, “awakenings from above.”

Hashem does not wait for us to invest our efforts, we can access closeness, inspiration and the loftiest heights with no work at all. This accounts for all the times we left a shiur, a tefilla, a spiritual experience – on a high. While we feel that we have scaled the greatest heights, in truth, we did not even climb one rung on the ladder. Rather, Hashem, in His kindness, allowed our neshama to soar to His treasure trove of spiritual dew, enabling us to access spiritual gems far beyond what we deserve or are capable of.

It is the path of the dew which we travel in these Days of Awe. As we read in the haftara for Shabbat Shuva: אֶהְיֶ֤ה כַטַּל֙ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל – I will act like the dew for the Jewish people¹. Hashem reassures us that not only is He waiting with open arms for our teshuva, but He has already opened the storehouses of connection, love and spiritual uplift and all we have to do is receive it from the Skies.

This principle of modeling the free descent of the dew is one which we could apply to our own lives. As women, we place great emphasis on the quality of our relationships and truly cherish closeness with our loved ones. However, we do not always receive great satisfaction in return.

He doesn’t get me. She never listens. Is he even paying attention? When will she shape up? Why can’t he clean up for once? She always interrupts. He doesn’t ever buy me flowers.

We might be waiting for a better relationship; with a sibling, parent or spouse. We might be expecting an improvement; from our student, from our child. Instead of initiating a give-take mode where we demand that they step up to our expectations, modify their behaviour or act more loving towards us – we could make the first move. We could open up our own storehouses of dew and shower them with unconditional acceptance, approval and admiration.

As women, crowned since creation as the prime influencers of the world, we could be the one to set the tone of the relationship, change the atmosphere of the home or classroom and create space for the other to grow. We could give our sibling the benefit of the doubt. Try and catch our child doing something good. Give our student an extra smile or award. We could surprise our husband with a gift. Bite back the criticism. Practice extra compassion. Instead of waiting to receive from the earth, let us tap into our Heavenly wisdom, bina yeteira – and sprinkle those around us with precious, loving, undeserved drops of dew.

¹ Hoshea 14:6