THE SONG OF THE SNAKE
The snake sings of Hashem’s mercy even upon those that He punishes.
[Song 79] Snake (Ch. 6)
נָחָשׁ אוֹמֵר. סוֹמֵךְ יְיָ לְכָל הַנֹּפְלִים וְזוֹק ֵף לְכָל הַכְּפוּפִים: (תהילים קמה טו)
The Snake is saying: “Hashem supports all the fallen, and straightens all the bent.”
Commentary
The snake is the symbol of evil and sin. It has a wicked appearance, slithering and
hissing, brandishing long venomous fangs and displaying its forked tongue. The
snake is responsible for more human deaths than any other animal. Animals
generally kill only what they can eat, whereas the snake kills creatures much too
large for it to swallow. The primordial snake poisoned the previously pure world
with sin and almost destroyed it entirely. Hashem therefore diminished it with ten
curses and cut off it legs, bringing it right down to the ground. Even so, He
“supported its fall” and allowed it to continue to exist – and even to certain extent
to raise itself “straight” – and sing of Hashem’s mercy.
If even the snake, which brought destruction and misery to the world, is supported
by Hashem, all the more so should we seek to support the unfortunate of our nation.
Thereby, we let the base tones of the world’s orchestra rise from the song of the
fallen snake.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
By Heavenly decree, the some people were born to be definitively destitute, wretched, and tormented, to a greater
or a smaller degree. This was ordained by divine wisdom, according to the needs of rectification of each soul in
its lifetime. Overall, the reason for the suffering of the poor of the Jewish nation is so that the rest of the nation
can merit emulating their Creator with the kindness of charity.
Indeed, nobody was born to suffer entirely. Rather each was intended to struggle to a certain degree, and to be
supported so that they do not fall entirely. This merciful support from utter downfall is the anticlimactic song of
the poor. If even the snake, the initiator of all sin and misery in the world, was supported by the God of Justice, all the more so should we seek to support the righteous fallen of the Jewish nation. If one has to be poor, does that mean that
he has to suffer at every turn of life? If one is going through a rough period, does that entail that nobody offers
to him basic emotional support?
Let Hashem’s mercy permeate our conduct and let the base tones of the world’s orchestra rise from the song of
the fallen snake.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.