The wild goose forages in the wilderness and eats from the hand of its Creator,
lacking nothing. Remarkably, it is much larger and better off than its domesticated
cousins who are fed and fattened by man – and then consumed. It represents the
blessing of he who trusts in the Almighty and the foolishness of one who places his
lot in the hands of people. The wild goose sings most poignantly if it sees Torah
scholars learning in the wilderness where it lives, like the Jews at the time of the
Exodus who were solely dependent on Hashem. Nonetheless, its song can heard
within the city, too, when Torah scholars “exile” themselves from the comforts and
distractions of their homes to the “wilderness” of the Bais Midrash.
It sings of a Heavenly voice that the prophet Yeshaya heard sounding through the
desolate Zion, calling to clear the path of Hashem and to lead the Jewish exiles
back home. Although the Exile was a devastating punishment, the desolation itself
forced us to rely upon Hashem alone. Ultimately, it is this attachment to Him that
will bring us back, against all odds.