The Radiance of Ha'azinu

The Babylonian Talmud [Rosh haShana, 31a] refers to Parashat Ha’azinu as “HaZIV LaCh” (literally: “radiance to you”), based upon the initial letters of the first words of the parasha’s first six aliyot.

            Rabbenu Beḥayye (1255 – 1340) comments:

This poem (Parashat Ha’azinu is written in a Torah scroll in a special style, reserved for poetry) conveys great comfort and the explicit promise of Israel’s redemption, Divine vengeance against Israel’s enemies and atonement for its sins.

Perhaps this is the reason that the sign for our Sages’ division of the Parasha, from the time of the prophet Ezra the Scribe is “HaZIV LaCh,” since Ezra saw prophetically that his institution of regular public reading of the Torah will be valid for all generations, and never be annulled. The sign (of the abbreviation “HaZIV LaCh”) stresses that radiance, splendor and glory will return to Israel, as of old, as the verse [Jeremiah 31:16] states: “The sons shall return to their own border.”