THE SONG OF THE HEN
The hen sings that Hashem nourishes all of His creatures with kindness and compassion.
[Song 34] Hen (Ch. 4)
תַּרְנְגֹלֶת אוֹמֶרֶת. נֹתֵן לֶחֶם לְכָל בָּשָׂר כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: (תהילים קלו כה)
The Hen is saying, “He gives bread to all flesh, for his lovingkindness endures in the cosmos.”
Commentary
The highly prolific hen sings through its faith in Hashem to provide food for its
hatchlings. It also praises Hashem’s kind provision of sustenance by its being
a large, almost flightless bird which is conveniently bred for food. Moreover,
its daily eggs are compacted with nutrients. With its existence it sings: “He
gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is forever.”
Hashem created the world to do kindness. At times, Hashem has to maintain
law and order by disciplining us and withholding His goodness, and His
kindness is hidden. Nonetheless, one kindness remains unquestionable: His
provision of food for all His creatures, each according to its need and desire.
This casts light on other, less obvious, kindnesses. When we thank Hashem for
satiating us, and also practice similar benevolence, we too sing that “His
kindness is forever”.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
Although we know that Hashem is truly benevolent we do not always see this clearly. At times the disciplinary measures
He decreed to run the world successfully blur the ultimate goal of kindness. It takes a clear grasp of the ways of Hashem
combined with deep-felt faith to bless and thank Hashem at all times equally. The angels, who have a clear
understanding of the perfection of His ways, sing to Him always.
It would seem though that one element of His kindnesses He chooses to maintain in a way that it is particularly clear
for us to see: the kindness of life itself. The sustenance that He opens His hand and provides to all of His creatures is
a bewildering testimony of His omnipotence as well as His mercy. There are trillions of living beings in the universe
and He grants to all of them the food of their diet at the time and location that they need it.
The truth be told, it takes tremendous divine mercy to maintain the world every moment. Hashem is perfect; we are
not. For Hashem to forgive and wait for ultimate repentance and in the meantime continue to give life to a world that
mostly rebels against Him – is a great feat of Godly mercy.
One of the only blessings that are of scriptural origin are the blessings of Birkas Hamazon. It is a window of recognition
of Hashem. At its conclusion, we add numerous supplications that begin הרחמן – the merciful One. This is because
particularly through the Bentching we reveal His attribute of endless mercy. This concept finds expression in it being
the, נותן לחם לכל בשר כי לעולם חסדו :הודו in as well as, פותח את ידיך ומשביע לכל חי רצון Ashrei in phrase import most the
song of the hen.
When we thank the One that grants us to eat and be satisfied, and when we emulate Him and grant of our portion to
others who need it a lot more, we join in the world’s song of praise to the Creator Who is in truth utterly benevolent
in all that He does.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.