Chapter 3

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.

Ilanot shebbesadeh omerim. Az yerannenu atzei haya'ar millifnei Ado-naï ki va lishpot et ha'aretz:

Gefen omeret. Koh amar Ado-naï ka'asher yimmatzei hattirosh ba'eshkol ve'amar al tashchitehu ki verachah bo ken e'eseh lema'an avadai levilti hashchit hakkol:

Te'enah omeret. Notzer te'enah yochal piryah:

Rimmon omer. Kefelach harimmon rakkatech mibba'ad letzammatech:

Tamar omer. Tzaddik kattamar yifrach ke'erez ballevanon yisgeh:

Tappuach omer. Ketappuach ba'atzei haya'ar ken dodi bein habbanim betzillo chimmadti veyashavti ufiryo matok lechikki:

Shibbolet chittim omeret. Shir hamma'alot mimma'amakkim keraticha Ado-naï:

Shibbolet se'orim omeret. Tefillah le'ani chi ya'atof velifnei Ado-naï yishpoch sicho:

She'ar shibbolim omerim. Laveshu charim hatzon va'amakim ya'atfu var yitro'a'u af yashiru:

Yerakot shebbassadeh omerim. Telameiha ravveh nachet gedudeha birvivim temogegennah tzimchah tevarech:

Desha'im omerim. Yehi chevod Ado-naï le'olam yismach Ado-naï bema'asav:

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 Wild Trees are saying, “Then shall the trees of the forest sing out at the presence of YHVH, because he comes to judge the earth.”

The Vine is saying, “So says YHVH: As the wine is found in the cluster, and one says: ‘Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it’ – so shall I do for the sake of my servants, so as not to destroy everything.”

The Fig is saying: “The one who guards the fig shall eat of her fruits”

The Pomegranate is saying, “Your brow is like a piece of a pomegranate behind your braids.”

The Palm is saying, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree; they grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”

The Apricot is saying, “Like the apricot tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. I sat down under his shadow with delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”

The Sheaves of Wheat are saying, “A song of ascents: Out of the depths have I cried to you, YHVH.”

The Sheaves of Barley are saying, “A prayer of the pauper, when he swoons, and pours out his speech before YHVH.”

The Other Sheaves are saying, “The meadows are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with grain; they shout for joy, they also sing.”

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.”

The Grasses are saying, “May the kavod of YHVH endure forever; may YHVH rejoice in his works.”

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.