We are a community based in Woking and the surrounding area who meet weekly in groups to study scripture (Genesis to Revelation) from a Hebraic perspective and come together on Shabbat .
We follow primarily, but not exclusively, the Torah reading cycle and seek to understand and live it out.
People can join us either through a midweek group or on a Shabbat or both. You are welcome
To join our Shabbat meetings on zoom, click on the members area, for the password ask Jon N
This Week
Ha Azinu
הַאֲזִינוּ
Parashat Ha’azinu: The Song of Witness
Ha’azinu, (Deuteronomy 32:1–52) opens with a single, commanding word: "Give ear" or “Listen.”
At its heart stands the Song of Moses, also known as the Song of Witness, a sweeping, poetic masterpiece Moshe and Joshua were charged to teach Israel. Rich with imagery and traditionally sung, it resounds like a prophetic symphony across the ages.
A Prophetic Covenant-Lawsuit
The structure of Ha’azinu follows the ancient Near Eastern "riv", a covenant lawsuit. But this is no ordinary legal drama. It is a prophetic riv, looking beyond the present to foretell future seasons of rebellion. Moshe summons "heaven and earth" as eternal witnesses, calling them to testify to the unchanging truths he is about to proclaim.
Israel’s Story in a Song
The song unfolds as a condensed history of Israel, past, present, and future.
It begins with a call to remember the days of old, to recall how God chose Israel as His beloved son and graciously shaped the boundaries of the nations around them. Again and again, God is named "the Rock" a striking image of unshakable faithfulness, refuge, and salvation.
Yet this very abundance would one day breed complacency. Prosperity would make Israel “fat, thick, [and] corpulent,” leading them to "forsake the Rock" and turn to idols "even to demons".
Discipline and Unfailing Mercy
In response, God warns that He will “hide His face,” allowing foreign oppressors—described as a “non-people” (lo-‘am)"to discipline His wayward children.
But divine judgment never ends in despair. Unlike earthly kings, God refuses to destroy His people outright. He restrains His wrath so that Israel’s enemies cannot boast of their own strength, and so that His holy name will not be profaned among the nations.
The Final Note of Hope
The song rises at last to a breathtaking promise: “I, I alone am He.” God will avenge the nations that hate Him, "atone (kipper)" for His land and His people, and bring the story full circle. In that day, even the nations will "sing with Israel", acknowledging the glory of the One true God.
Moshe’s closing appeal is urgent and tender:
"Take these words to heart. This is not an empty teaching, it is your life".