How do we respond when people distort the truth or create false narratives about the Jewish people? Surprisingly, the first Rashi on Parshat Ha’azinu speaks directly to this question and offers a reassuring answer.

Moshe calls upon the heavens and earth: “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth hear the words of my mouth,” as he reminds Bnei Yisrael of their story and their unbreakable brit with God. Why must heaven and earth hear his words? Based on the Midrash, Rashi explains that Moshe summons them as witnesses. He anticipates a future, after his death, in which the Jewish people might deny the covenant and asks: “Who will come and refute them?” Heaven and earth, which endure forever, will testify to the truth. But these witnesses do more than testify. Rashi explains that when Israel is worthy, the earth yields its produce and the heavens give their dew. The land itself becomes testimony to the enduring relationship between God and the Jewish people.

Writing in 11th-century France, Rashi knew what it meant to live in a world of Jew-hatred and distorted narratives. His commentary reminds us that accusations and falsehoods may come and go, but there are truths that stand firm. We look to the heavens, to the Land of Israel, and to the generations of Jews who have carried our story through history.

We have lived through Holocaust denial, distortion of the atrocities of October 7, and, once again this week, deeply troubling narratives about Israel and our soldiers. Ha’azinu reminds us that we are not the first generation to confront those who challenge our story or deny our truth. Moshe’s answer is not despair, but testimony and faith. Heaven and earth endure. The Jewish people endure. And the flourishing of the Land of Israel continues to bear witness to the strength of an ancient brit that has carried us through history. Shabbat Shalom and Chatima Tova -Karen Miller Jackson