Prose or Poetry? On the final day of his life, Moses received the final commandment of the six hundred and thirteen commandments, the commandment to write a Torah scroll: And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel. (Deuteronomy 31:19) In this verse, as well as in later verses in the portion, the Torah is referred to as Shirah, which means “song” or poem. Considering that an overwhelming majority of the Torah is written in prose and not poetry, why would the G-d refer to the Torah as a song? Over the ages, multiple explanations have been presented: Torah is like a poem because, unlike prose, which seeks to communicate in clear, straightforward, unambiguous language, poetry always has a deeper meaning; the images and descriptions are invitations to uncover deeper insights hidden within the poem. The Torah is referred to as a “song” because the Torah contains multiple layers of interpretation, from the literal to the allegorical, homiletical, and mystical. There are multiple interpretations for every word of the Torah. Our sages debate every law and every nuance of the Torah. The mystics teach that every individual has a unique share in the Torah, a perspective that only they can contribute and articulate. Yet the Talmud states, “Both these and those are the words of the living God”. The Torah is a “song” because the multiple opinions and perspectives combine to create a harmony, which, taken together, creates its true intention and music. When we study Torah, we are not just considering the voices of interpretation of the past, but we are also seeking to add our own voice to the choir. The Chassidic masters explain that the commandment to write down the “song”, follows immediately after the description of G-d “hiding his face“ during the exile: And I will hide My face on that day, because of all the evil they have committed, when they turned to other deities. (31:18) During the bitter exile, when G-d tells us that his face would be hidden, he tells us to write down the song, because reading the Torah helps us discover the hidden presence of G-d. The Torah is a song because it helps us experience the joy that comes from knowing that even when we cannot see Him, even when his countenance is hidden, He is very much present with us. When we study Torah, we are not merely seeking guidance or wisdom, we are seeking connection. The Torah is not just law, but also a love song. Just as a song can uplift the soul even in moments of sorrow, the Torah sustains the Jewish people with faith, meaning, and connection throughout their most challenging times. Its melody continues to inspire, guiding us to find light even in the deepest darkness.
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