THE SONG OF THE PEACOCK
The peacock sings that all qualities are gifts from Hashem, and we should turn for help to Him alone, especially in matters of marriage.
[Song 40] Peacock (Ch. 4)
טַסִּית אוֹמֶרֶת. עֶזְרִי מֵעִם יי עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ: (תהילים קכא ב)
The Swift is saying: “My help is from Hashem, Maker of Heaven and earth.”
Commentary
The peacock attracts its mate with its breathtaking, multicolored
tail-feather array, unmatched by the rest of the inhabitants of the Earth. These bright feathers,
patterned with blue-green “eyes”, also function to scare away predators. Its song is
that the Creator provides each being with the necessities to survive and to secure
its helpmate. No matter how capable and talented a person is, he should never forget that all of
his abilities are tools gifted to him by Hashem, and it is He Who assists us to utilize
those tools successfully. A Jew should be as proud to raise his eyes
to his Almighty Father in heaven – as the peacock is to lift its eye-studded feathers.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
Jews have been downtrodden in the exiles. To this day we have not yet been restored to our majestic grandeur
as the leading nation of the world. But even in the bleakest lows, we were never abandoned. Our weakness
on the ground during exile makes us turn our eyes only heavenward. We have none upon to rely except our
Father in Heaven.
There is no one as vulnerable as one who thinks he does not need help. We need Hashem’s blessing
constantly. We turn to him three times a day in prayer to remember that all we have and will have is only
because He continually decides to give it to us, even at times when we know we don’t fully deserve it.
When we live with the realization that the Creator of the universe and all it contains is our only help and He
is fully capable of getting us over any hurdle - we live with the song of the Tasis.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.