THE SONG OF THE DEER
The Deer sings of Hashem’s protection and deliverance of His creatures, and of His nation in particular.
[Song 68] Deer (Ch. 5)
צְבִי אוֹמֵר. וַאֲנִי אָשִׁיר עֻזֶּךָ וַאֲרַנֵּן לַבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ כִּי הָיִיתָ מִשְׂגָּב לִי וּמָנוֹס בְּיוֹם צַר לִי: (תהילים נט יז)
The Gazelle is saying: “And I shall sing of your strength, I shall rejoice of your kindness in the morning, for you were a refuge to me, and a hiding place on the day of my oppression.”
Commentary
In the animal world, the deer is the symbol of flight for survival. It is the target of many potent predators and it
does not possess the brawn and the fortitude to defend itself outright. Rather, its main form of defense is to run
away, which it does excellently with its uniquely swift legs and slender, nimble figure.
It is a particularly fearful creature and this characteristic lends it the alertness necessary for its survival. Even when
it sleeps, the deer remains alert to its surrounding to the extent that it is said to sleep with one eye open. It sleeps
standing and, if attacked, it will leap away immediately without having to recover from its slumber.
When it flees, it turns its head around as it runs, to keep an eye on its chasers. If, when fleeing through a forest,
its horns become entangled in the woods, it will break its horns against a tree in order continue to run
unrestrained. When the night ends and its adversaries return to their dens and this beautiful creature rises for another day of
existence, its survival is a song to its Creator no less than that which King David sang when he was saved from
his enemies.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
The deer sings not only about its own survival. On a deeper level, its song refers to the Jewish nation’s salvation
from the exile and its many predators, with the approaching dawn of the final redemption.
The periods of Jewish exile are traditionally referred to as “nights”. The upcoming final salvation is described as
“the day”. Since the destruction of our Bais Hamikdash we have wandered throughout the world, constantly
running and escaping from many a hostile nation, only to fall prey to another.
It is not only from physical threats that we flee. Wandering without righteous kingship, we have always had to
“run like the deer” from recurring opposition in compromising and even antithetical societies, fleeing spiritual
hazards with the same responsibility with which the deer flees swiftly with all of its ability to save its life.
Like the deer, our survival until the ultimate morning is a beautiful song of praise to Hashem, Whose watchful
gaze has never ignored us. It is about this future morning that it is written, “Tov Lehodos LaHashem” – it is good
to thank Hashem in the morning of the redemption for His kindnesses. This verse continues that during the exile
nights, it befits us to maintain our faith that this morning will yet come.
On a more personal scale, everyone has periods of “nights” followed by “mornings”, which come upon him
throughout his life. Both are equally periods of song. At day, do not forget the past night, and remain humbly
grateful. Perhaps the whole purpose of the travails was so that you would appreciate the One who delivered you
from them. At night, do not forget the past day that will surely return with renewed grandeur.
Whether soaring, or merely surviving, sing throughout. Ultimately, you are singing the song of the final
redemption, the day when the sun will rise and never set again.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.