Perek Shirah - Gan Eden Says

Saturday, February 13, 2016 · Posted in ,

גַן עֵדֶן אוֹמֵר - Gan Eden Says...

Shir HaShirim 4:16

עוּרִי צָפוֹן וּבוֹאִי תֵימָן הָפִיחִי גַנִּי יִזְּלוּ בְשָׂמָיו יָבֹא דוֹדִי לְגַנּוֹ וְיֹאכַל פְּרִי מְגָדָיו
uri tzafon uvoi teiman hafichi gani yizlu vesamav yavo dodi legano veyochal peri megadav
Awake from the north and come from the south!  
Blow upon My garden, let its spices flow.  
Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its precious fruit.

In Talmudic symbolism, the "north wind" represents the human desire for physical pleasure and gratification; the "south wind" represents the soul's longing for spiritual fulfillment.  Man's mission is to sublimate the succulence of the earth's gardens and elevate it to server the highest spiritual calling.  Adam and Chavah were given the Gan Eden, the perfect setting for this task.  They failed and were banished.  But the Garden remains in G-d's plan, and we will yet combine the two winds and enjoy the ultimate aroma and fruit of holiness. (Rabbi Nosson Scherman)

“Let those whose service is in the north (the non-Jews who can offer only an Olah whose slaughter took place only in the north part of the Sanctuary) be removed from their prominence in favor of those whose service is in the south (the Jewish nation who may also offer Shelamim which may be slaughtered
even in the southern part.)” 

This transfer of importance from the nations of the world to the Jewish nation, Rashi points out, refers to the welcoming of the Mashiach as redeemer.

What is the significance of this distinction between Olah and Shelamim?  The Olah represents a total offering of an earthly possession to Heaven, a universal concept which even those without Torah are capable of appreciating. Shelamim, however, comes from the word “Shalom” - peace - because its offering
effects peace between the altar, the Kohanim and the owner who all share in its parts. This sublime concept that even through his eating of sacrificial flesh a man participates in the service of his Creator is limited to the nation whose multitude of Torah commandments trains it to comprehend such a challenge and opportunity.
(Zevachim 116a)

Allegorical reading of Shir HaShirim 4:16 following Rashi:

"Awake from the north and come form the south!  Like the winds let My exiles return to My garden, let their fragrant goodness flow in Yerushalayim.  Let but my Beloved come to His garden and enjoy His precious people."

Allegorically, Yisrael's host nations will be so overwhelmed by the miracles preceding the Redemption that they will bring Jews to Eretz Yisrael. (Yeshayahu 66:20)

In the Temple, Jews will say to G-d..."Let but my Beloved come to His garden and enjoy His precious people."  If You are there, all is there.

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Perek Shirah - Earth Says

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אֶרָץ אוֹמֶרֶת - Earth Says...

Tehillim 24:1
לַיהוָה הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ
L'HASHEM haaretz umeloa tevel veishevei va
The earth is HaShem's, and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell in it.

And it says...

Yeshayahu 24:16
מִכְּנַף הָאָרֶץ זְמִרֹת שָׁמַעְנוּ צְבִי לַצַּדִּיק וָאֹמַר רָזִי-לִי רָזִי-לִי אוֹי לִי בֹּגְדִים בָּגָדוּ וּבֶגֶד בּוֹגְדִים בָּגָדוּ
miknaf haaretz zemirot shamanu tzevi latzadik vaomar razi-li razi-li oi li bogdim bagadu uveged bogdim bagadu
From the end of the earth, songs do I hear - glory for the righteous!  
But I say, this is my secret, this is my secret!  
Woe is me, for traitors will betray, a treacherous betrayal will they betray!



The Zohar says that the Holy Spirit first rested upon David and only then he uttered this song.  This song makes clear that the purpose of Creation is to establish the kingship of G-d in the world.  David composed this psalm for the occasion when the Aron would be placed in the Holy Temple - "His sanctuary" (24:3)

David goes on to describe the qualities that a man must possess before he can enter the Beit HaMikdash, and he concludes the psalm with the verses that will be recited when the Aron will be brought into the Temple.  They begin, "Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; so the King of glory may enter." (24:7).

Yeshayahu hears in his prophetic vision the songs to be sung in the Future - from the "end of the earth," from the End of Days, those songs can be heard throughout time.  The time will then come when the righteous will reign and G-d will give them glory.  When will this be?  Yeshayahu knows, but cannot say - he is sworn to secrecy.  But this much he can say, much suffering will pass, much treacherous betrayal of the Jewish people.  And Yeshayahu wails repeatedly, over the betrayal of his people and over the fate of those who betray them.

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Perek Shirah - Song of the Universe - CHAPTER ONE: Heavens Say

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Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi said:  

Whoever is engrossed in Perek Shirah in this world, 
will merit to learn, teach, observe, perform, and fulfill; 
and his Torah learning will remain with him, 
he will be rescued from the Evil Inclination,
from an evil occurance, from jostling in the grave, 
from the judgment of Gehenna, and from the birthpangs of Mashiach.  
And he will live long and merit to live 
in the days of Mashiach and to the life of the World to Come.


Chapter One

Song of Heaven, Earth, and their Legions

Rabbi Eliezer said, "If man's hearts were not stopped up and their eyes sealed, they would be unable to bear the sound of the melodies coming from the solar sphere when it glorifies and praises HaShem!"

שָׁמַיִם אוֹמְרִים - Heavens Say...
Tehillim 19:2
הַשָּׁמַיִם מְסַפְּרִים כְּבוֹד-אֵל וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו מַגִּיד הָרָקִיעַ
hashamayim mesaprim kevod-Kel umaase yadav magid harakia
The heavens declare the glory of G-d, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.

King David declares that the glory of G-d is revealed in His world in two ways:  

1. by looking closely at the wonders of the world that He created.
2. and through Torah.

He makes it known, in fact, that the glory of G-d can be discerned more by reading through the Torah than by peering at the sun and the moon and the host of heaven.

Chazal teach that when at the Creation of the sun was first established in its orbit, it raised is voice in sweet melody and sang, "Give thanks to HaShem, proclaim His Name, declare His doings among the peoples" (Yeshayahu 12:4).   

To what can this be compared?

A man was passing through a forest and beheld a house.  He went inside and found a table set with beautiful dishes that were arranged in a most orderly pattern.  He spent a few moments in the house and expressed a great desire to dine.  But he departed in the meantime, and when he returned, he found the table covered with a great variety of foods.  So he was certain that someone lived in that house, although he could not be seen. 

Similarly, "The heavens declare the glory of G-d; and the firmament proclaims His handwork."


"Raise your eyes on high and see Who created these!" 
(Yeshayahu 40:26)

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