Ha’azinu – The Power of Details

By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

John Wooden once said “It’s the little details that are vital, little things make big things happen”. It happens to all of us, numerous times in our daily activities we ask ourselves, what is the purpose behind all the precise details of Judaism. Does it really matter how we blow the shofar? Is it so important when exactly I finish fasting on Yom Kippur? And so on. Numerous details surround every day Jewish practice. In this article, we will seek out the meaning behind all the details.

The answer to our question is simple. Details are in fact essential. When an engineer builds a skyscraper, overlooking a tiny detail could have deadly consequences. In math, missing a small number will ruin an entire equation. However, when it comes to the specifics of Judaism, there is a much deeper message, as can be seen from this week’s Parsha.

In Parshat Ha’azinu, Hashem teaches the Jewish nation important lessons before they enter the Holy Land. One of these is the importance of details (Devarim 32, 46-7):

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ שִׂ֣ימוּ לְבַבְכֶ֔ם לְכָל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מֵעִ֥יד בָּכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר תְּצַוֻּם֙ אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֔ם. לִשְׁמֹ֣ר לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת:כִּ֠י לֹֽא־דָבָ֨ר רֵ֥ק הוּא֙ מִכֶּ֔ם כִּי־ה֖וּא חַיֵּיכֶ֑ם וּבַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה תַּאֲרִ֤יכוּ יָמִים֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֧ים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ.

⁴⁶ he said to them, “Take to heart all the words of my testimony against you today, so that you can use them in charging your children to be careful to obey all the words of this Torah. ⁴⁷ For it is not something devoid from you; on the contrary, it is your life! Through it you will live long in the land you are crossing the Yarden to possess.”

Hashem emphasis that no part of the Torah lacks meaning. In the Talmud, the Sages explain the verse in an even deeper context (Yerushalmi Pe’ah 1,1) :

כיי דאמר רבי מנא כי לא דבר רק הוא מכם ואם הוא רק מכם הוא למה שאין אתם יגיעין בתורה כי הוא חייכם אימתי הוא חייכם כשאתם יגיעים בו.

As Rav Mana would say “For it is not something devoid from you” if you think so, you are empty for you have not delved yourself into it (Torah), “it is your life” when you delve into Torah.

Rav Mana states that if we as Jews do not extract from every part of the Torah, there is something wrong with us! Why? When one focuses on every aspect and detail, not only does it become more valuable, but one can see the whole picture and understand its true meaning.

In a similar fashion, when we pay close attention to the details in our lives, whether it be our jobs, families, children or even hobbies, we are stressing their importance and value.

The Torah is a gift from Hashem. When we are completely dedicated to serving our Creator and focus on even the smallest details, we become empowered with the true value of Torah. Let us enjoy the full picture so that we can make “big things happen”.