THE SONG OF THE VEGETABLES OF THE FIELD
Vegetables sing of Hashem’s generous nourishment and support of His creations.
[Song 31] Vegetables Of The Field (Ch. 3)
יְרָקוֹת שֶׁבַּשָּׂדֶה אוֹמְרִים. תְּלָמֶיהָ רַוֵּה נַחֵת גְּדוּדֶהָ בִּרְבִיבִים תְּמֹגְגֶנָּה צִמְחָהּ תְּבָרֵךְ: (תהילים סה יא)
The Vegetables of the Field are saying, “You water its furrows abundantly; you settle its ridges; you make it soft with showers; You bless its growth.”
Commentary
Vegetables require constant watering to maintain moisture and to provide for
their rapid growth. They lay submerged in fields and are watered by Hashem
Himself. Vegetables are menaced by the attacks of countless insects that creep
upon and within the soil. When they survive and ripen to plump fruition, they
sing about their justified dependency upon Hashem.
We need to only open our eyes and not deny that we, too, are truly fragile and
constantly dependent upon Hashem. There is reason enough to thank Him every
day and every hour. He cares for our well-being and listens for our song.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
One of the greatest of all Mitzvos is to trust in Hashem. This is really the summary of the whole Torah. As the prophet
taught: “A righteous man lives by his faith.” To know Hashem and live accordingly, trusting and depending upon Him,
praying to Him and hoping for Him, is the essence of our relationship with Him. To trust in Hashem is the remedy to
all worries and one who does so will be watched over and cared for by Hashem particularly.
We have only to open our eyes and not deny that we are truly fragile and dependent constantly upon Hashem. We need
a fully functional body and three meals a day just to survive. To thrive and enjoy life we need must more help. To be
successful that our lives should amount to something significant we need guidance all of the way.
A person who grows to fruition is a song-script. The song of Hashem’s kindness and mercy towards His dependent
creations fills the world.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.