THE SONG OF THE CHICKS
Chicks sing of how one should trust in the Almighty regardless of his own weakness.
[Song 48] Chicks (Ch. 4)
רַחֲמָהּ אוֹמֶרֶת. אֶשְׁרְק ָה לָהֶם וַאֲקַבְּצֵם כִּי פְדִיתִים וְרָבוּ כְּמוֹ רָבוּ: (זכריה י ח)
The Bee-Eater is saying: “I will whistle to them and gather them, for I have redeemed them, and they shall increase as they have before increased.”
Commentary
Baby chickens
are extremely fragile. Nonetheless, immediately upon breaking out
of their eggs, they strut around independently. The mother hen cares for them, but
as soon as she discerns that they have grown to the extent that they can survive on
their own, she pecks them and evicts them. With their characteristic confidence,
chicks sing of trust in Hashem, the Rock of the worlds. Another aspect of their
song is that chicks are sometimes prepared for human consumption prior to their
reaching adulthood, which symbolizes one who concludes his life prematurely, and
is compensated in the World to Come. Hence, they sing to trust Hashem in
"עולמים – "both worlds.
We, who are a lot stronger than newborn chicks, should certainly live with
confident trust in Hashem. Our faith in Him is eternal. Whatever injustice we
experience in this world will surely be accounted for and rectified in the World to Come.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
One who conducts his life with trust in Hashem shows how Hashem is the “Mighty rock of the worlds” and how
capable He is in tending for His flock.
The Progiyos sing to trust in Hashem “forever”. This means that even when salvation seems still distant, one should
not lose hope in the Almighty.
The word “forever” has an additional intent. Sometimes the supposed expectation does not come in one’s lifetime.
Still, one should trust in Hashem forever, for He is the rock of the worlds plural. In the World to Come all will be
understood perfectly and all accounts will balanced. Until then, we live with the song of the Progiyos.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.