THE SONG OF THE LAUGHING TURTLEDOVE
The laughing turtledove sings of Hashem’s consolation to His beloved exiled people.
[Song 42] Laughing Turtledove (Ch. 4)
רְצִפִי אוֹמֵר. נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי יֹאמַר אֱלֹהֵיכֶם: (ישעיה מ א)
The Laughing Dove is saying: “Comfort My people, comfort them, says your elo'ah.”
Commentary
Turtledove pairs are firmly bound to each other. If one dies, the other will mourn
it forever, and not seek another mate. Similarly, since the Jewish people were sent
away from their mate, Hashem, they mourn inconsolably, refusing to join other
religions. Hashem treats us the same way. He says to the prophets, “Comfort,
comfort My nation.” Comfort the Jewish people that they are still My nation, and
I will yet return to them. The repeated “comfort” implies that Hashem urges the
prophets to describe the great magnitude of the future redemption so that we can
already feel solace in that which we will eventually be fully reprieved and restored.
The turtledove’s soothing coo reminds us to accept any suffering in our exile as the
loving discipline of our Father in Heaven.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
We are in national exile, with no reprieve, until Hashem sees fit to redeem us. Here, too, we sing. When we accept Hashem’s discipline with love and faith, when we humbly huddle for support amongst our brethren, and when we anticipate our eventual redemption - we give voice to the song of the Retzifi.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.