Today we are discussing the song of the Tarnigolet/ the female chicken,
as opposed to the rooster. The commentaries discuss why, of all
the birds, animals and creatures, we suddenly have a separate song for the
female species for the tarnegolet?
(See Rav Yaakov Emden's siddur for an answer.) Others say the tarnegolet
is not a regular hen, but a different species
altogether.
That being said, we will go with the simple explanation that it's referring
to the female of the chicken family.
The sefer Kenaf Renanim
offers a beautiful thought. It's one of
the early commentaries on Perek Shira, by Rabbi Lowe, who lived
between 1787 and 1847. He says the lesson here gives tremendous musar/rebuke
to people that are short-minded and lack Bitachon, who do not appreciate God's
goodness.
He says, 'This is a disease, that (in his times) spread throughout Germany and Austria,
where people wait until 35 or 40 to get married because they want to first
have enough money to be able to support their families.' What an interesting
historical fact! And why is this a message to these people? He says, because there
is no bird that reproduces more than the hen. It lays an egg a day, and it has
a tremendous mercy on its chicks. Why doesn't it stop laying eggs? Shouldn't it
be worried and anxious, wondering, 'Where am I going to get food for all of
these chicks?'
But, he says, built into the chicken is a natural reliance on
Hashem, that Hashem takes care of everything, and Hashem has no shortage of
abilities to take care of feeding all the world's animal population.
That is why the song of the tarnegolet/hen is נֹתֵן לֶחֶם לְכָל בָּשָׂר כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ /God
gives bread to all creations, because His kindness is forever. That is the message that the chicken gives us.
And interestingly, Rav Chaim Kanievsky says (separately, in his
commentary on Perek Shira) that the chicken's food is always
accessible. It goes around pecking, and wherever it needs to go, it always has
its food. Based on this explanation, it's no coincidence that the chicken has so much food, because Hashem
sees its reliance, and therefore
supplies it with whatever it needs. As he says, we don't
see chickens dying from starvation.
This is the beautiful message of the chicken: Hashem is Noten
Lechem L'Kol Basar Ki l'Olam Hasdo/ God gives bread to all creations, because
His kindness is forever.
The Chida, in his sefer Yosef Tehilot, quotes Tehilim 119,89, לְעוֹלָ֥ם יְהֹוָ֑ה דְּ֝בָרְךָ֗ נִצָּ֥ב בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ /Hashem Your words always are in the heavens. לְדֹ֣ר
וָ֭דֹר אֱמוּנָתֶ֑ךָ כּוֹנַ֥נְתָּֽ אֶ֝֗רֶץ וַֽתַּעֲמֹֽד׃ /from
generation to generation is Your trustworthiness, You set up the land and it will
last.
And he asks what the message
is of "Your words are forever, Your loyalty is from generation to
generation so the the land will stand?" He says this is same concern. The Chida lived at about the
same time as Rabbi Lowe, and parnassa was probably
hard all over the world.
He says people might say, How can I get married? How can I have
children? There's so much financial stress. How can I do it? And he answers,
We have to rely on Hashem that He's Noten Lechem L'Chol Basar/ He gives
bread to all creations, because His kindness is forever, and marry
and have children. That's what L'dor
vador/from generation to generation, means- even in these later generations,
when we're in exile and life is difficult, do not hold back from having children. Why? Ledor V'Dor Emunatecha Hashem's
loyalty is there from generation to generation. He's reliable. Count on Him.
He wants you to get married. Konanta Eretz/ He wants you to set up
the earth, which refers to getting married having children.
Ki L'Olam Hasdo/Because His Kindness is forever
