דברים, פרק ל״א, פסוק כ״ב

The final moments of a nation's leader are often dedicated to leaving behind an eternal message. For Moses, this legacy was not meant to be remembered merely as a dry set of laws, but as a living, breathing song. This song, known as the Song of Ha'azinu [רבנו בחיי, ברכת אשר], was written as an inseparable part of the Torah scroll handed over to the priests [ביאור יש״ר]. Beyond serving as a spiritual anchor for the Israelites during future times of crisis and exile, the act of writing the song provided comfort to Moses as he faced his own passing. It reassured him that despite the future hardships the nation would endure, their ultimate redemption was guaranteed through their devotion to the Torah [אלשיך].

Moses approached this final task with remarkable urgency, refusing to delay even for a moment. It is highly likely that this took place on the exact day of his death [אבן עזרא, רבנו בחיי]. Some commentators suggest that most of the Torah had already been written, leaving only this song to be recorded on his final day. Alternatively, a miracle may have occurred, allowing Moses to write the entire Torah in a single day [רלב״ג]. His swiftness was extraordinary: immediately after God finished speaking with him, while the Divine Presence still rested in the Tabernacle and God was speaking to Joshua, Moses stepped away to quickly fulfill the command to write [העמק דבר, ברכת אשר]. Thus, while Moses was occupied with writing, God instructed Joshua on his new role separately [שפתי כהן].

The process of transmitting this song broke from the usual pattern. Typically, Commandments were first taught orally and only later recorded in writing. Here, however, Moses was instructed to write the song down first, and only afterward to teach it and explain its deeper meaning [רש ר הירש, ברכת אשר]. The song was also learned orally, and it may have originally been accompanied by a unique melody that has been lost over the centuries [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

A practical question arises as to how Moses managed to teach the entire nation in a single day. The primary approach among commentators is that Moses first taught the elders and tribal leaders, who then relayed the explanations to the rest of the people [רלב״ג, העמק דבר]. This method was necessary because Moses' voice could no longer carry to the entire nation as it had at Mount Sinai, making it crucial to ensure that the people did not misunderstand the message [העמק דבר]. All of this writing and teaching took place in the presence of Joshua, serving as an essential part of his preparation for leadership. Through this process, Moses demonstrated to his successor that the only way to keep the Israelites loyal to God and prevent the nation from falling apart is by actively spreading the study of the Torah and the song—the true spirit of the Commandments—to every level of society [רש ר הירש].