Perashat Ha'azinu

Perashat Ha'azinu

Among the various admonitions in Perashat Ha'azinu, we are enjoined to, "Remember bygone days; understand the years of each generation; ask your father and he will tell you, your grandfather and he will say it over to you" [Debarim 32:7]. What is the Torah trying to tell us here?

Rabbi Y. Frand notes that, "on a very simple and basic level, this pasuk [verse] is teaching the importance of having an appreciation for history."  He explains that if a person has an appreciation of the past, he will be capable of dealing with the present. 

This notion is not only found in the Torah, but is also attested to by the American philosopher George Santayana, who is well-known for his quote:  "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This, then is a universal truth; we must remember history in order to learn from the past and improve on it for the future.  The very survival of humanity depends on this principle. From the Torah's perspective, there is an additional requirement, which is to try to see the Hand of G-d [Hashgaha Elyona] in the history of humankind.

Once we understand our obligation to appreciate history, the next words in the verse,"Binu Shenot Dor VeDor" [Understand each and every generation], seem to be redundant, for it appears to be nothing more than a poetic restatement of the first part of the verse. Rabbi Frand says, that on a homiletic level however, there is another interpretation of this expression. This is offered by the Menahem Zion, who says the following. Of course we must understand and learn the lessons of history and apply them to ourgeneration.  However, in addition to that, we are obligated to, "Binu 'Shenot' Dor Vedor"; we must dig deeper. The Menahem Zion explains homiletically that the word 'Shenot' is not derived, as one may think, from the word 'Shana' [year], but rather, from the word 'Shoneh' [different]. The meaning is that one must understand the changes that take place from one generation to the next. Each generation is different. We cannot blindly apply the same rules that worked in the past to present situations. What worked at one time and under one circumstance, will not work another time, even in a similar circumstance.  We must indeed learn the lesson of history, but bear in mind the changes from generation to generation. Times change, people change, and circumstances change. There are times when we must alter our strategy and redirect our action - or reaction - and not merely go with what was. There is no amount of simulations based on old data which will accurately predict a future outcome.

Rabbi Frand therefore explains that the lesson of, "Binu 'Shenot' Dor Vedor" - is that in addition to our appreciation of history, we are charged to understand the changes ('shenot') from generation to generation. We must understand that each generation has its own set of problems and own set of rules and own set of circumstances. We must remember the days gone by, but couple that remembrance with an understanding of the changes that take place in each generation. With all that, we must never lose sight of the fact that everything that takes place on the world stage is always under the direct supervision and will of Boreh Olam.