Chapter 1

Amar rabbi eli'ezer, kol ha'osek beperek shirah ba'olam hazeh zocheh ve'omerah le'olam habba shenne'emar az yashir mosheh – shar lo ne'emar ella yashir la'olam habba.

ve'amar rabbi kol ha'osek beperek shirah ba'olam hazeh ma'id ani alav shehu ben olam habba venitzol miyetzer hara umiddin kasheh umissatan hamashchit umikkal minei mazikin umechevlo shel mashiach umiddinah shel geihinom vezocheh lilmod ulelamed lishmor vela'asot ulekayeim vetalmudo mekayeim beyado uma'arich yamim vezocheh lechayei olam habba.

(yalkut shimoni, sof tehilim) ameru rabboteinu zl al david hamelech h besha'ah shessiyeim sefer tehilim zachah da'atto alav. Amar lifnei hakadosh baruch hu yesh beri'ah shebbarata be'olmcha she'omeret shirot vetishbachot yoter mimeni? be'otah sha'ah nizdamnah lo tzefardea achat ve'amerah lo, david! al tazzuach da'techa aleicha, she'ani omeret shirot vetishbachot yoter mimmeka. Velo od ella kol shirah she'ani omeret memashelet aleiha sheloshet alafim mashal shenne'emar (malachim 1 ch5 v12) vaydabber sheloshet alafim mashal vayhi shiro chamishah va'alef. Velo od ella she'ani oseket bemitzvah gedolah, vezu hi hammitzvah she'ani oseket bah – yesh bisfat hayam min echad she'ein parnasato ki im min hamayim uvesha'ah shehu ra'ev noteleni ve'ocheleni lekayeim mah shene'emar (mishle ch 25 v.21-22) im ra'ev sona'acha ha'achilehu lechem ve'im tzamei hashkehu mayim ki gechalim attah choteh al rosho vaAdo-naï yeshallem lacha al tikrei yeshallem lach ella yashlimehu lach.

Shamayim omerim. hashamayim, mesapperim kevod-'el; uma'aseh yadav, maggid harakia:

Eretz omeret. Ledavid mizmor laAdo-naï ha'aretz umelo'ah tevel veyoshevei bah:
Mikkenaf ha'aretz zemirot shama'nu tzevi latzadik:

Gan eden omer. Uri tzafon uvo'i teiman hafichi ganni yizzelu vesamav yavo dodi leganno veyochal peri megadaiv.

Geihinnom omer. Ki hisbia nefesh shokekah venefesh re'evah millei tov:

Midbar omer. Yesusum midbar vetziyah vetagel aravah vetifrach kachavatzalet:

Sadot omerim. Ado-naï bechochmah yasad aretz konen shamayim bitvunah:

Mayim omerim. Lekol tittov hamon mayim bashamayim vaya'al nesi'im miktzeh aretz berakim lammatar asah vayotzei ruach me'otzerotav:

Yamim omerim. Mikkolot mayim rabbim addirim mishberei yam addir bammarom Ado-naï:

Naharot omerim. Neharot yimcha'u chaf yachad harim yerannenu:

Ma'yanot omerim. Vesharim kecholelim kol ma'yanai bach:

Rabbi yesha'yah talmido shel rabbi chanina ben dosa hit'annah chamesh ushemonim ta'aniyot. Amar kelavim shekkatuv bahem vehakkelavim azzei nefesh lo yade'u save'ah, yizku lomar shirah. Anah lo mal'ach min hashamayim ve'amar lo yesha'yah ad matai attah mit'anneh al zeh haddavar. Shevu'ah hi millifnei hammakom baruch hu miyom sheggillah sodo lachavakkuk hannavi lo gillah davar zeh leshum beri'ah ba'olam. Ella bishvil shettalmido shel adam gadol attah shelachuni min hashamayim lizdakkek eleicha lehagid lecha bameh zachu hakkelavim lomar shirah. Lefi shekkatuv bahem  ulechol benei yisra'el lo yecheratz kelev leshono. Velo od ella shezachu le'abbed orot mitzo'atam shekkotevim bahem tefillin umezuzot vesifrei torah. Al ken zachu lomar shirah. Ule'inyan hash'elah shesha'alta chazor la'achoreicha ve'al tosif baddavar hazzeh od, kemo shekkatuv shomer piv uleshono shomer mitzarot nafsho. Baruch Ado-naï le'olam amen ve'amen

Ribbon kol ha'olamim, yehi ratzon millefaneicha Ado-naï elohai ve'elohei avotai, shebbizchut perek shirah shekkarati, shehu shirat haddomem hatzomeach vehachai, vehammal'achim hammemunnim aleihem me'et Ado-naï yitbarech, shettehei amirato kehakravat korban al gabbei hammizbeach. Shettehei sha'ah zu she'at rachamim, she'at hakshavah, she'at ha'azanah, venikra'acha ute'anninu, na'tir lecha vehe'ater lanu. Shettihyeh olah lefaneicha amirat perek shirah ke'illu hissagnu kol hassodot hannifla'ot vehannora'ot asher hem chatumim bo bechol tena'av. Hachzirenu bitshuvah shelemah lefaneicha, venizkeh lemakom shehannefashot haruchot vehanshamot nechtzavot misham, uche'illu asinu kol asher mutal aleinu lehassig, bein begilgul zeh bein begilgulim acherim, umallei kol mish'alot libbenu letovah vetishlach berachah hatzlachah veharvachah bechol me'aseh yadeinu , venizkeh leshorer la'atid lavo, vetashiv shechinatecha le'ir kodshecha bimherah beyameinu amen.

Rabbi Eliezer said: Anyone who involves himself with Perek Shirah in this world, merits saying it in the World-to-Come, as it says, “Then Moshe will sing”; it does not say “sang,” but “will sing” in the World-to-Come.

And Rebbi said: Anyone who involves himself with Perek Shirah in this world — I testify that he is destined for the World-to-Come, and he is saved from the evil inclination, and from harsh judgment, and from the destroying Satan, and from all types of enemies, and from the birth pangs of Mashiaḥ, and from the judgment of Gehennom; and he merits to learn and to teach, to observe and to fulfill and to perform [the Torah], and his studies are established in him, and his days are lengthened, and he merits life in the World-to-Come.

The Sages said concerning King David that when he completed the book of Psalms, he became proud. He said before the blessed Holy One, “Is there any creature you have created in your world that says more songs and praises than I?” At that moment a frog happened across his path, and it said to him: “David! Do not become proud, for I recite more songs and praises than you. Furthermore, every song I say contains three thousand parables, as it says, ‘And he spoke three thousand parables, and his songs were one thousand five hundred.' And furthermore, I am busy with a great mitsvah, and this is the mitsvah with which I am busy: there is a certain type of creature by the edge of the sea whose sustenance is entirely from [creatures living in] the water, and when it is hungry, it takes me and eats me, such that I fulfill that which it says, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you shall heap coals of fire on his head, and YHVH shall reward you'; do not read ‘shall reward you’ but instead ‘shall make him complete you.’”

The Heavens are saying: “The heavens speak of El’s kavod, and the skies tell of his handiwork.”

The Earth is saying: “The earth and every thing in it are YHVH’s; the inhabited area and all that dwell within it.”

And it is saying: “From the wings of the land we have heard song, glory to the righteous.”

The Garden of Eden is saying: “Arouse yourself, O north [wind], and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow out; let my Beloved come to his garden and eat of its precious fruit.”

Gehinnom is saying: “For he has satisfied the longing soul, and has filled the hungry soul with good.”

The Wilderness is saying: “The wilderness and the desert shall rejoice, and the arid region shall exult, and blossom like the rose.”

The Fields are saying: "God founded the land with wisdom; He established the heavens with understanding." (Proverbs 3:19)

The Waters are saying: “When his voice resounds with a great mass of water in the heavens, and he raises vapors from the ends of the Earth; when he makes lightning amongst the rain, and he brings out the wind from its storehouses.”

The Seas are saying: “More than the voices of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea, YHVH on high is mighty.”

The Rivers are saying: “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing for joy together!”

The Wellsprings are saying: “And as singers who are like dancers are all those who study you.”

Rabbi Yeshayah, student of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa, fasted eighty-five fasts. He said, “Dogs, about which it is written, ‘the dogs are brazen of spirit; they do not know satisfaction' - shall they merit saying a song?” An angel answered him from Heaven and said to him, “Yeshayah, until when will you fast over this? It is an oath from the blessed Holy One; from the day that he revealed his secret to Havakuk the prophet, he has not revealed this matter to anyone in the world. But because you are the student of a great man, I have been sent from Heaven to assist you. They said that dogs have written about them, ‘No dog sharpened its tongue against any of the children of Yisra’el'. Furthermore, they merited that hides are tanned with their excrement, on which Tefillin, Mezuzot, and Torah scrolls are written. For this reason they merited saying a song. And regarding what you asked, take back your word and do not continue in this way, as it is written, ‘He that guards his mouth and tongue, guards from afflictions of his soul.’” Blessed is YHVH forever, Amen and Amen.

Master of all the Worlds, may it be Your will, O HaShem, my G-d and the G-d of my forefathers, that in the merit of Perek Shirah that I have recited and in which I involved myself, which is the song of mineral, vegetable, and animal, and the holy angels that are appointed over them by HaShem, Blessed is He, and [which is the song] of the connection of the Divine Presence with all the worlds, and the connection of the lower worlds with the higher worlds, and the recitation of which is like an offering upon the Altar - that this time should be a time of mercy, a time of attentiveness, a time of giving ear, when we call upon You and You answer us, [a time] when we beseech You and You respond to us. May our recitation and involvement in Perek Shira rise up before You as if we have comprehended all the mysteries, wonders, and awesomeness that are sealed within it, in its every manifestation. Bring us back in complete repentance before You, and may we merit [to reach] the place from which the life-forces, spirits, and souls are hewn, as if we had performed everything that we are called upon to comprehend, whether in this transmigration [of the soul] or in other transmigrations. And may we be among those who ascend to and merit the World to Come, among the other righteous and devout people. And may You fulfill all the requests of our heart for good (**at this point one may express one's personal requests**) and may You be with our heart and the utterances of our mouth at the times of our thoughts, and with our hands at the times when we act. And may You send blessing and success and relief in all our handiwork. May You let us stand up from amid our suffering and may You raise us up from the trash heaps of poverty. Through the strength of this song may all the powerful [judgments] be sweetened and may blessing be spread out in all the worlds. May we merit to sing in the Time to Come and may You return the Divine Presence to Your Holy City speedily, in our days, Amen.

This prayer was composed by HaGaon Rabbi Mordechai Gross, shlita, Raavad of Merkaz Beni Brak.