Perek Shira – Chapter 6 and Conclusion

שְׁרָצִים אוֹמְרִים יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֹשָׂיו בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן יָגִילוּ בְמַלְכָּם

The creeping things say, “Let Israel rejoice in the One Who made him; let the children of Zion exult in their King.” (Psalms 149:2)

Mesillas Yesharim (chapter 19) explains that true joy is when one’s heart delights that he gets to serve Hashem, and to occupy himself with God’s Torah and mitzvos. The further one delves into the knowledge of God’s greatness, the more his joy will increase and the more his heart will sing, as per our verse.

אֵלִים שֶׁבַּשְּׁרָצִים אוֹמְרִים אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה בְּיַרְכְּתֵי בֵיתֶךָ בָּנֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִלֵי זֵיתִים סָבִיב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶךָ

The aggressive among the creeping things say, “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your house; your children like olive shoots around your table.” (Psalms 128:3)

Based on this verse, the Talmud in Brachos (57a) derives that if a man dreams of a vine bearing grapes, he can be confident that his wife will carry to term; if he dreams of olive trees, he can expect to have many children.

נָחָשׁ אוֹמֵר סוֹמֵךְ יְיָ לְכָל הַנֹּפְלִים וְזוֹקֵף לְכָל הַכְּפוּפִים

The snake says, “Hashem supports all the fallen and straightens all the bent.” (Psalms 145:14)

Also in Talmud Brachos (4b), the question is asked why no verse in the prayer Ashrei (an alphabetical acrostic) starts with the letter nun. The Gemara refers us to Amos 5:2, which discusses the downfall of Israel. (N-F-L is the Hebrew root meaning to fall.) Nevertheless, David used the next verse – samech – to assure us that God supports those who have fallen.

עַקְרַב אוֹמֵר טוֹב יְיָ לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו

The scorpion says, “Hashem is good to all and His mercy is on all of His works.” (Psalms 145:9)

The Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 10:12) tells us that the Sages commanded us to visit non-Jews when they’re sick, to help bury their dead and to support their needy based on this verse. God has commanded us to emulate His trait of being merciful to all (Hilchos Avadim 9:8).

שַׁבְּלוּל אוֹמֵר כְּמוֹ שַׁבְּלוּל תֶּמֶס יַהֲלֹךְ נֵפֶל אֵשֶׁת בַּל חָזוּ שָׁמֶשׁ

The snail says, “Like a snail that melts away and passes, the stillborn of a mole that does not see the sun.” (Psalms 58:9)

Bereishis Rabbah (Parshas Vayeira) applies this verse to the inhabitants of Sodom. We say that our enemies should be like those who never saw the sun. Along these lines, we see that the sun rose over Sodom after God had rained fire and brimstone on it.

נְמָלָה אוֹמֶרֶת לֵךְ אֶל נְמָלָה עָצֵל רְאֵה דְרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָם

The ant says, “Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise.” (Proverbs 6:6)

The Midrash in Devarim Rabbah (chapter 5) explains that what the ant stockpiles in the summer serves her in the winter. Similarly, we should stockpile mitzvos in this world to serve us in the Next World.

חֻלְדָּה אוֹמֶרֶת כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ הַלְלוּיָהּ

The weasel says, “Let every soul praise Hashem – Hallelujah!” (Psalms 150:6)

Rashi on Eiruvin 18b explains that the Kohanim in the Temple blessed Hashem using the Tetragrammaton (Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei), which only they were permitted to pronounce. Since the Temple was destroyed, we all praise God using just the letters Yud-Hei.

כְּלָבִים אוֹמְרִים בֹּאוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנִכְרָעָה נִבְרְכָה לִפְנֵי יְיָ עֹשֵׂנוּ

The dogs say, “Come, let us bow and prostrate; let us kneel before Hashem our Maker.” (Psalms 95:6)

The ibn Ezra understands “our Maker” to mean that Hashem made the dry land and the sea. These are the general materials from which all the details were made.

 רַבִּי יְשַׁעְיָה תַּלְמִידוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא הִתְעַנָּה חָמֵשׁ וּשְׁמוֹנִים תַּעֲנִיּוֹת אָמַר כְּלָבִים שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶם וְהַכְּלָבִים עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ לֹא יָדְעוּ שָׂבְעָה יִזְכּוּ לוֹמַר שִׁירָה עָנָה לוֹ מַלְאָךְ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאָמַר לוֹ יְשַעְיָה עַד מָתַי אַתָּה מִתְעַנֶּה עַל זֶה הַדָּבָר שְׁבוּעָה הִיא מִלִּפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִיּוֹם שֶׁגִּילָּה סוֹדוֹ לַחֲבַקּוּק הַנָּבִיא לֹא גִלָּה דָבָר זֶה לְשׁוּם בְּרִיאָה בָּעוֹלָם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁתַּלְמִידוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם גָּדוֹל אַתָּה שְׁלָחוּנִי מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לִזְדַקֵּק אֵלֶיךָ לְהַגִיד לְךָ בַּמֶה זָכוּ הַכְּלָבִים לוֹמַר שִׁירָה לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶם וּלְכֹל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יֶחֱרַץ כֶּלֶב לְשׁוֹנוֹ וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁזָכוּ לְעַבֵּד עוֹרוֹת מִצּוֹאָתָם שֶׁכּוֹתְבִים בָּהֶם תְּפִילִּין וּמְזוּזוֹת וְסִפְרֵי תּוֹרָה עַל כֵּן זָכוּ לוֹמַר שִׁירָה וּלְעִנְיַן הַשְׁאֵלָה שֶּׁשָּׁאַלְתָּ חֲזוֹר לַאֲחֹרֶיךָ וְאַל תּוֹסִיף בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה עוֹד כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שׁוֹמֵר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ שׁוֹמֵר מִצָּרוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ. בָּרוּךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן

Rabbi Yeshaya, the student of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, fasted 85 fasts. He said, “Dogs, about which it is written (Isaiah 56:11), ‘The dogs are of brazen spirit; they don’t know satisfaction' — should they merit singing (God’s) praises?” An angel answered him from Heaven, saying, “Yeshaya, how long will you fast over this matter? It is an oath from before the Omnipresent, Blessed be He. From the day that He revealed His secret to the prophet Habakkuk, He has not revealed this matter to any creation in the world. However, since you are the student of a great man, I have been sent from Heaven to assist you, to tell you through what the dogs merit to sing (God’s) praises. It is because it is written of them (Exodus 11:7), ‘No dog whet its tongue against any of the children of Israel.’ Not only that, they merited that hides on which tefillin, mezuzos and Torah scrolls are written are tanned with their excrement. Therefore they merited to sing praises. And in the matter of the question that you asked, retract and don’t continue in this matter further, as it is written (Proverbs 21:23), ‘One who guards his mouth and his tongue guards from afflictions of his soul.’” Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen! (Yalkut Shimoni, Bo 187)

There are so many things from which we should guard our mouths and our tongues! This include from speaking disparagingly (ibn Ezra), from talking too much (Metzudas Dovid), from revealing information to one who will act impulsively (Sefer Chofetz Chaim, Hilchos Rechilus), and even from overeating (Hilchos Deios 4:15)!

Prayer for After Reciting Perek Shira

Composed by Rav Mordechai Gross

רִבּוֹן כֹּל הָעוֹלָמִים יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יי אֱלֹהַי וֶאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי שֶׁבִּזְכוּת פֶּרֶק שִׁירָה שֶׁקָּרָאתִי שֶׁהוּא שִׁירַת הַדּוֹמֵם הַצּוֹמֵחַ וְהַחַי, וְהַמַּלְאָכִים הַמְּמֻנִּים עֲלֵיהֶם מֵאֵת ד' יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁתְּהֵא אֲמִירָתוֹ כְּהַקְרָבַת קָרְבָּן עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁתְּהֵא שָׁעָה זוּ שְׁעַת רַחֲמִים שְׁעַת הַקְשָׁבָה שְׁעַת הַאֲזָנָה וְנִקְרָאֲךָ וּתְעַנִּינוּ נַעְתִּיר לְךָ וְהֵעָתֵר לָנוּ

Master of all worlds, may it be desirable before You, my God and the God of my fathers, that in the merit of Perek Shira, which I have recited, which is the song of the inanimate, the plants and the animals, and of the angels appointed over them by Hashem, may He be blessed, that its recitation be like offering a sacrifice on the altar, that this time be a time of mercy, a time of hearkening, a time of attention, in which we call upon You and You answer us, we entreat You and You entreat us.

שֶׁתִּהְיֶה עוֹלָה לְפָנֶיךָ אֲמִירַת פֶּרֶק שִׁירָה כְּאִלּוּ הִשַּׂגְנוּ כֹּל הַסּוֹדוֹת הַנִּפְלָאוֹת וְהַנּוֹרָאוֹת אֲשֶׁר הֵם חֲתוּמִים בּוֹ בְּכֹל תְּנָאָיו הַחְזִירֵנוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְנִזְכֶּה לְמָקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּפָשׁוֹת הָרוּחוֹת וְהַנְשָׁמוֹת נֶחְצָבוֹת מִשַּׁם וּכְאִלּוּ עָשִׂינוּ כֹּל אַשֵּׁר מוּטָל עָלֵינוּ לְהַשִּׂיג בֵּין בְּגִלְגּוּל זֶה בֵּין בְּגִלְגּוּלִים אֲחֵרִים וּמַלֵּא כֹּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹת לִבֵּנוּ לְטוֹבָה וְתִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה הַצְלָחָה וְהַרְוָחָה בְּכֹל מֵעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ וְנִזְכֶּה לְשׁוֹרֵר לַעֲתִיד לָבוֹא וְתַשִּׁיב שְׁכִינָתְךָ לְעִיר קָדְשְׁךָ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן

May the recitation of Perek Shira arise before You as if we understood all the secrets, wonders and awe-inspiring things that are sealed within it in all its forms. Return us in complete repentance before You, and may we merit the place from which souls, spirits and psyches originate as if we had done all that is incumbent upon us to understand, whether in this incarnation or in other incarnations. Fill all the requests of our hearts for good, and send blessing, success and relief in all the works of our hands. May we merit to sing in the future to come and may You return Your presence to Your holy city speedily in our days, amen.