THE SONG OF THE DOVE
The dove sings of our serene dependency upon our Hashem.
[Song 35] Dove (Ch. 4)
יוֹנָה אוֹמֶרֶת. כְּסוּס עָגוּר כֵּן אֲצַפְצֵף אֶהְגֶּה כַּיּ וֹנָה דַּלּוּ עֵינַי לַמָּרוֹם אֲדֹנָי עָשְׁקָה לִּי עָרְבֵנִי: (ישעיה לח יד)
אוֹמֶרֶת יוֹנָה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלַם, יִהְיוּ מְזוֹנוֹתַי מְרוֹרִים כְּזַיִת בְּיָדְךָ, וְאַל יִהְיוּ מְתוּקִים כִּדְבַשׁ, עַל יְדֵי בָּשָׂר וָדָם:
The Dove is saying, “Like a swift or crane, so do I chatter; I moan like a dove; my eyes fail with looking upward; my Master, I am oppressed by my senility.”
The dove says before the blessed Holy One: “Master of the World! May my sustenance be as bitter as an olive in your Hand, rather than it being sweet as honey through flesh and blood.”
Commentary
The gentle dove is often the victimized by others and its sole means of survival is to
use its wings to fly away. It is a common symbol of the Jewish nation, since we are
similarly defenseless in exile, taken advantage of by gentiles. We possess only our
wing-like mitzvos which lift us out of harm’s reach. It therefore sings of our constant
prayer to Hashem to save us. In addition, the dove will never exchange its mate and
therefore also symbolizes our loyal connection with Hashem. When the dove brought
a leaf from the bitter tasting olive-tree to Noach, it was communicating that it would
rather be fed the bitterest meal by Hashem’s hand, and not be forced any longer to be
sustained with sickly sweet dependency from the hands of man.
Like the dove, we should not rely on man's hand, even our own, but should rather
constantly turn our eyes heavenward in sincere prayer. Our connection to Hashem is
our greatest strength by which we have outlived all the mighty nations of antiquity.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
We, the Jewish people have survived and flourished by singing the song of the dove. Indeed, the Midrash compares
us to the dove. We are the smallest and the most victimized of all nations. Our only strength is through our
Mitzvos which the Sages compare to wings. With them, we soar above our enemies. Our spiritual focus lifts us up
above all of life's hurdles and pitfalls.
Whenever our people accepts even the bitter aspects of life as coming from the hand of Hashem, we are singing
the Song of the Dove. Hashem alone is our ultimate hope, the destination of our prayers, and the source of our
successes. Time and time again throughout world history, our very dependency upon Him has rendered us
undefeatable.
The sages compare us to the dove in numerous ways.
In the same way that once doves bond with their mates,
they are loyal to each other for life, so, too, once our people knew Hashem at Sinai, we have never abandoned
Him and we are assured that He will never abandon us.
Just as the dove will not forsake its nest even if its young are taken from it, so, too, the Jewish nation has not
abandoned its nest, the holy Beis Hamikdash, even in its destruction, and continues to visit its ruins thrice yearly
on the festivals.
And just as the dove was the bearer of good tidings of hope for new life after the flood, bringing light to the
world, so, too, the Jewish people will ultimately be a harbinger to the world, saying, “Come, let us walk by
Hashem’s light.”
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.