When Elokim created each being, he judged its purpose and decreed the shape and boundaries of that creature’s existence in the physical world. A dog would have fur, four legs, a barking voice, and have the capacity to be a friend to man. Later, Adam would connect with that very judgment that had been decreed from before its existence and name “man’s best friend” kelev for “like the heart”. Each creature came into the world in the same way, with divine purpose, whose fulfillment would be his individual song of praise to his Creator. When Joshua commanded the sun to stand still in the sky, the Midrash says the sun asked him how he could have the audacity to interrupt his shira (song of praise) to Hashem. The Sages explain that this shira was sun’s simply fulfilling its created purpose. Each creature’s shira harmonizes into a symphony. However, whenever a creature fails to fulfill his purpose, or tries to be something other than he was created to be, there is discord.

The Torah was given to express Hashem’s will in the physical realm. The Book of Dvarim is a synopsis of the Torah, read as we are winding down the year and coming to the days of Judgment. In Ki Tavo we read the blessings and the cursings of the Law. We can easily get the wrong idea of reward and punishment, rather than understanding that the Torah is defining the result of our own shira, drawing blessing into the world—or, through rebellion, drawing down the opposite.

Moshe carved the Torah on stones in the seventy languages of the nations. The very foundation of Torah is applicable to all Mankind—the Seven Noahide Laws. Scribes came from the nations to copy these, but unfortunately, their nations did not embrace them.

Each nation, too, has a unique shira, but without Torah, rather than a symphony, we have had a cacophony of discord. Each one decided what seemed best to him, individually and nationally, then taught false ideas about the Torah itself. One such idea is that it is “legalism.” What is the true definition of “legalism”? It is misapplication of law. Each body of law applies to specific people, such as the priests, the king, the prophets, the judges—and Israel or the nations. To require one to adhere to law that does not apply to him, is legalism. An example of this is kashrut—dietary laws. Noah was told that all animals were given to humanity to eat, but they must not eat “the flesh whose blood is till in its soul.” (Gen. 9:4) From this, we understand that we are not to eat the limb of a living animal. This applies to ALL people. Later, Israel was commanded not to eat certain animals. Did this negate the covenant of Noah? No. The Torah of Sinai brought a body of law that applied specifically to Israel, including narrower dietary restrictions. The nations were still permitted all animals for food, just as Noah had been told. If someone of the nations should decide, on his own, to adhere to the stricter dietary laws, he may, however, for him to claim that it is a divine requirement, is legalism.

It is very important to understand to whom certain laws were given. If we are in that group, we are obligated to those laws; if we are not in that group, we are under no obligation to those laws. By keeping the laws applicable to ourselves, we fulfill the definition of our purpose in the world, and our shira sweetly rise up, joining the symphony of the Master Conductor.