BS’D
Visit the Tu B’ Shvat page to learn more on the seder and segulas. Listen to last year’s insightful shiur.
There is a parnassa segula for this coming Shabbat Shira! Share and comment on it! We would love to hear from you.
Let’s sing. After all, this Shabbat is the ‘Shabbat of Song’. It is so easy to get caught up with the humdrum tone of this world where day follows day, night after night, bill after bill, difficulty following once again difficulty. Angels sing. Just as seen in fairy tale movies, their wings flap to the tune. The soul yearns to sing, yet our bodies constantly shout, “I need”, “I want”, “…NOW” which oftentimes stops us from experiencing more than a moment’s worth of this spiritual ‘high’.
The word ‘Az’, the first word in the Song of the Sea,אז=numerical value 8, portrays a state above nature. This implies the notion that this song, and singing any holy song, will carry a Jewish person to a place beyond this world. This transcendence can be achieved on an individual basis. We see this by the singular tense of the words ‘Az yashir… (Then he shall sing…)” meaning that each and every one of us can connect to Hashem even when we sing alone in the four corners of our own home.
The Sfat Emet ztk’l teaches that the act of singing lifts our neshama towards Shamayim, allowing it to freely express it’s yearning to attach to Borei Olam. It craves for the time when Hashem’s glory will be openly revealed. The song sung at the opening of the sea causes all of creation to sing until today as written beautifully in Perek Shira. All of creation is renewed daily as a result of ‘Az Yashir…’
By singing shira (a song), we broadcast that everything comes from Hashem drawn down in a line and row from Shamayim as a shura (word for ‘line’ in the Hebrew language). We learn emuna through song! In the zechut of seeing clearly that Hashem did, does and will always be the ‘Doer’, in the merit of our emuna, we can similarly walk through the sea and sing shira and be embraced by Hashem always!
There is a special custom associated with this Shabbat which involves the birds. Before sunset on Friday, we put out food for the wild birds. “Nefesh Kol Chai” cites Halachic sources which state that the reason for this custom is because the birds also sung a special song when we were delivered at the sea! We therefore express our appreciation to the birds for singing their song by giving them food just before the arrival of the ‘Shabbat of Song’. Moreover, this custom reminds us of the great joy of the song at the sea (AruchHaShulchan).
May we all be renewed with Emuna and Song on this Shabbat Shira, Amen!
Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Esther Necha bat Chana Chaya, mayshe merit a complete healing b’riut hanefesh v’b’riut haguf amongst all those in KlalYisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen!
