Parshat Ha'azinu

53rd of the 54 sedras 10th of 11 in D'varim

3 Parshiyot; all open

52 p'sukim - ranks 51st (8th in D'varim)

614 words - ranks 52nd (9th)

2326 letters - ranks 52nd (9th)

Haazinu p'sukim are among the Torah's shortest

The Chinuch does not count any mitzvot in Ha'azinu; the Rambam lists one. See later.

A "few" words about the unusual layout of Haazinu in a Sefer Torah:

Most Sifrei Torah are written with columns of 42 lines each. The column containing the beginning of Haazinu has the last 6 lines of Vayeilech, from the word V'A'I'DA.

Side point: This is one of only 6 columns whose first word is set by Tradition. The mnemonic acronym B'KA SH'MO (BET-YUD-HEI-SHIN- MEM-VAV) indicates the 6 special column- starters. They are: B'REISHIT (obviously),  YEHUDA from parshat Vay'chi, HABA'IM from B'shalach (heading the unusual Az Yashir column), SH'MOR L'CHA from Ki Tisa (right after the reading for Fast Days), MA  TOVU from Balak, and V'A'I'DA in Vayeilech.

Sider point: Many Sifrei Torah are written so that each column begins with a VAV. This is not a requirement, but is a fairly common practice of Sofrim. Because of the B'KA SH'MO tradition, 5 of the 245 columns of a Torah will not begin with a VAV.

Back to Haazinu. The first 6 lines of the column belong to
Vayeilech. Then a line is left blank. The remaining 35 lines of the column are the first half of the "song" part of Haazinu, with each line written in two parts with a space between them (see diagram). The second column begins with the 35 lines of the second half of the "song", followed by a blank line and 6 "regular" lines of Torah text. Haazinu concludes on the following column (approx. 14 lines).

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