Week of the Lion a Year Later

B”H

Recent attacks are taking place in the week of the lion in Perek Shirah, a year after Operation Rising Lion.

Shavuot and Peace

 B”H 

Perhaps it was due to sensationalist thinking, or perhaps an over-reliance on AI and certain “hallucination loops,” but whatever “Storage Wall” of Iranian oil was predicted clearly did not materialize—and neither did an imminent attack over Memorial Day weekend. It was an important reminder to leave such extrapolations to the “experts.”

I do want to say, nevertheless, that if there is in fact a durable peace, it is worth noting that it was announced on Shabbat (still Shavuot in the Diaspora). The conclusion of the war was just like its start: on Shabbat, on a holiday also called Atzeret.

Atzeret means to stop. Like Shemini Atzeret (the 8th day), Shavuot (the 50th day) is connected to what is above nature. It is a reward for our hard work that comes directly from Hashem, often not in the way we would expect.

No longer in the business of predictions or extrapolations, we enter this upcoming Shabbat with a prayer: may the peace be real and ever-expanding, and may the Children of Abraham, the Children of Isaac, and the Children of Israel finally have the ultimate peace with the coming of Moshiach.

Week 17 (Book 7): The Bee-Eater is Saying

 B”H

The bee-eater is saying,

I will whistle to them and gather them, 

He sent from on high [and] He took me; 

The twins of a gazelle, who graze among the roses.

He drew me out of many waters.

And they shall increase as they have before increased.

Indeed, You are the splendor of their might, 

The Lord dominated the strong for me.

And in Your goodwill our glory is exalted. 

They sacrificed to demons, which have no power, 

All the inhabitants of Canaan melted. 

May dread and fright fall upon them;

Which your forefathers did not fear. 

Then ruled a remnant among the mighty of the nations; 

Deities they did not know, new things that only recently came,

Swords are in their lips, for [they say], "Who hears?” 

All the quivers of the mighty men.

And You, Lord, G-d of Hosts, G-d of Israel, 

Until the sun spreads and the shadows flee, 

Wake up to remember all the nations; 

A thousand shields hanging on it, 

Behold, they spew with their mouths, 

Your two breasts are like two fawns, 

They howl like the dog and circle the city. 

And to the hill of frankincense.

And Eli answered and said: Go in peace,

I will go to the mountain of myrrh

And the God of Israel will grant your request 

For I have redeemed them, 

They return toward evening, 

Your neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model; 

Do not grant favor to any of the iniquitous traitors, Selah. 

Which you have asked of Him.

Week 16 (Book 7): The Ducks are Saying

 B”H

The Ducks are saying, 

That came up from the washing,

All of whom are perfect, 

Trust in G-d forever and ever, 

They rejoice in Your Name all day, 

For G-d, the Eternal, is the strength of worlds. 

Your teeth are like a flock of uniformly shaped [ewes] 

And they are exalted through Your righteousness.

Your temple is like a split pomegranate from within your kerchief.

They provoked His zeal with alien worship; 

By the rebuke of the Lord and the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

Without iniquity [on my part,] they run and prepare 

Awaken towards me and see! 

They made Him angry with abominable deeds. 

Rescue me from evildoers, save me from men of bloodshed. 

And my vexation have I spoken hitherto.

Not because of my sin nor my transgression, O Lord. 

Count not thy handmaid for a wicked woman: 

For behold they lie in ambush for my soul, 

For out of the abundance of my complaint 

Mighty ones gather against me

Then the chieftains of Edom were startled; 

Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your speech is comely; 

[As for] the powerful men of Moab, trembling seized them;

Your hair is like a flock of goats 

Praise! Praise! Utter a song.

Behold, you are fair, my beloved; behold, you are fair; 

Your eyes are [like] doves, from within your kerchief; 

Arise Barak, and capture your captives, son of Abinoam.

And the depths of the sea appeared; 

That streamed down from Mount Gilead.

The foundations of the world were laid bare,

And there is no bereavement among them.

Week 15 (Book 7): The Wild Goose Is Saying

 B”H

The wild goose flying in the wilderness, 

When it sees Israel busy with Torah, is saying, 

Fortunate is the people that know the blasting of the shofar; 

A voice cries out: Prepare in the wilderness the way for G-d, 

O Lord, may they walk in the light of Your countenance.

Make straight in the desert a path for our G-d

Go out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon, 

Then the people of the Lord went down to the cities. 

King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the trees of Lebanon.

Praise! Praise! Deborah.

Its pillars he made of silver, its couch of gold, its curtain of purple, 

For the salvations of my countenance and my G-d.

On the day of his nuptials and on the day of the joy of his heart.

Hope to G-d, for I will yet thank Him 

For the conductor, al tashcheth; of David a michtam, 

Its interior inlaid with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.

People heard, they trembled; 

Upon the crown with which his mother crowned him 

And upon finding its food in the wilderness, it says: 

And Jeshurun became fat and rebelled; 

Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings; 

You grew fat, thick and rotund; 

Blessed is the man who trusts in G-d

[Israel] forsook the G-d Who made them, 

And He sent out arrows and He scattered them, 

And spurned the [Mighty] Rock of their salvation. 

Lightning and He discomfited them. 

When Saul sent and they guarded the house to slay him. 

And Hannah answered and said: 'No, my lord, 

Why are you downcast, my soul, and why do you stir within me? 

I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; 

With murder in my bones, my oppressors have reproached me 

I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, 

By saying to me all day long, "Where is your G-d?" 

But I poured out my soul before Hashem.

Save me from my enemies, my G-d; 

A shudder seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

Strengthen me against those who rise up against me.

And G-d shall be his assurance.

Week 11 (Book 7): The Stork is Saying

 B”H

The Stork is saying, 

Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, 

And He rode upon a cherub and did fly; 

As an eagle awakens its nest, hovering over its fledglings, 

For her time has arrived, for her sins have been pardoned, 

You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; 

He was seen upon the wings of the wind. 

It spreads its wings, taking them and carrying them on its pinions. 

My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the coverture of the steps, 

If You will look upon the affliction of Your bondswoman, 

For she has taken double from G-d's hand for all her sins.

Seize for us the foxes, the little foxes, 

Who destroy the vineyards, for our vineyards are with tiny grapes.

(When the) forty thousand (went against) Israel? 

They sank like lead in the powerful waters.

And she vowed a vow, and said: to Lord of Hosts, 

And no razor shall come upon his head.

And You will remember me, and You will not forget Your bondswoman 

With this I shall know that You desire me

Show me your appearance, let me hear your voice, 

You set me before You forever.

My beloved is mine, and I am his,.

And You will give Your bondswoman a male child, 

And I, because of my integrity, You upheld me

And I shall give him to the Lord all the days of his life, 

When my enemies will not shout gleefully over me

My heart is toward the lawgivers of Israel,

Blessed is the Lord, the G-d of Israel

Who grazes among the roses

For your voice is pleasant and your appearance is comely.'

Yours are the heavens, the earth is also Yours; 

The world and all therein-You established them.

To all eternity, Amen and Amen.

,. 

 

Week 10 (Book 7): The Bat is Saying

 B”H

The Bat is saying, 

Comfort My people, comfort them, says your Lord.

And she was in bitterness of soul

And prayed unto Hashem, and wept sore.

And He bent the heavens and He came down; 

Even my ally in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, 

Has raised his heel over me. 

And thick darkness was under His feet. 

Arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away.

I will overtake, I will share the booty; 

My desire will be filled from them; 

When they chose new gods,

Then there was war in the cities; 

I will draw my sword, my hand will impoverish them.

Was there seen a shield or a spear

Let his wickedness pour into him;

Now that he lies down, he shall rise no more. 

You crushed Rahav (Egypt) like a corpse; 

With Your powerful arm You scattered Your enemies. 

But you, Lord, be gracious to me 

And the vines with their tiny grapes have given forth their fragrance; 

He found them in a desert land, and in a desolate, howling wasteland. 

The blossoms have appeared in the land, the time of singing has arrived,

He encompassed them and bestowed understanding upon them; 

For behold, the winter has passed; the rain is over and gone.  

And raise me up, and I will repay them.

And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.   

The fig tree has put forth its green figs, 

He protected them as the pupil of His eye. 

Week 9 (Book 7): The Stormy Petrel is Saying

 B”H

The stormy petrel is saying, 

My beloved raised his voice and said to me, 

Light is sown for the righteous

Because the Lord's portion is His people 

'Arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away.

Until I Deborah arose; I arose as a mother in Israel.

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, 

The sound of my beloved! Behold, he is coming, 

Skipping over the mountains, jumping over the hills.

My foes say that evil [awaits] me: 

The depths congealed in the heart of the sea. 

[Because] the enemy said, I will pursue,

When will he die, and his name perish? 

The open cities ceased, in Israel they ceased, 

And if one comes to see [me], he speaks insincerely, 

Smoke went up in His nostrils, 

For his heart gathers iniquity for himself, 

Together they whisper against me-all my enemies; 

And fire out of His mouth did devour; 

Against me they devise my harm, 

And after they had drunk

Coals flamed forth from Him. 

You rule the vastness of the sea; 

When its waves surge, You still them.

Looking from the windows, 

Now Eli the priest sat upon his seat 

My beloved resembles a gazelle or a fawn of the hinds; 

And when he goes out he speaks of it. 

By the door-post of the temple of Hashem;    

Behold, he is standing behind our wall, 

Jacob, the lot of His inheritance.

And joy for the straight-hearted.

Peering from the lattices.

Week 7 (Book 7): The Swallow is Saying

 B”H

The Swallow is saying, 

Remember the days of old; reflect upon the years of [other] generations.

So that my soul shall praise You, and shall not be silent,

The Almighty is revered in the great assembly of the holy ones, 

In his shade I delighted and sat, and his fruit was sweet to my palate.

Rejoice in the Lord and exult, you righteous ones! 

He brought me to the banquet hall, 

Sing joyously, all you upright of heart!

And his attraction to me [was symbolic of his] love.     

Awe-inspiring to all who surround Him. 

G-d my Lord – I shall give thanks to You forever.

And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Hashem 

As a rose among the thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters.

Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will inform you.

As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the sons; 

And out of His abode He hears my voice, and my cry enters His ears. 

And with Your great pride You tear down those who rise up against You; 

For the Conductor, a psalm by David. 

Yes I call upon my G-d: 

You send forth Your burning wrath; 

Fortunate is he who is thoughtful of the poor, 

When I am in distress, I call upon the Lord, 

So she vexed her; therefore she wept, and would not eat.   

The G-d of Israel. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,

[For] the Lord will save him on the day of evil. 

Many are the agonies of the wicked, 

It devours them like straw.

But he who trusts in the Lord is surrounded by kindness. 

This (was at) Sinai, because of the presence of the Lord, 

Week 6 (Book 7): The Songbird is Saying

 B”H

The Songbird is saying, 

The songbird has also found her home, 

Your right hand, O Lord, is most powerful;

Your altars, G-d of Hosts 

The mountains melted at the presence of the Lord

Bands of the nether world have surrounded me; 

Is this how you repay Hashem, 

The snares of death confronted me

You disgraceful, unwise people?! 

Surround me with songs of deliverance forever. 

And the sparrow a nest for herself, 

The beams of our houses are cedars; 

Where she may lay her young 

My King and my Lord. 

Is He not your Father, your Master? 

Your right hand, O Lord, crushes the foe.

You are a refuge to me; protect me from distress; 

He has made you and established you. 

Our corridors are cypresses.

Indeed, who in heaven can be compared to the Lord 

Also our couch is leafy.

And her rival vexed her sore, to make her fret, 

That must be muzzled with bit and bridle 

Also the clouds dripped water.

In the path you should go

Be not like a horse, like a mule, senseless, 

Because Hashem had shut up her womb.

When being adorned, so that it not come near you. 

Behold, you are comely, my beloved, yea pleasant; 

I will enlighten you and educate you 

I am a rose of Sharon, a rose of the valleys.

I will advise you with what I have seen. 

Who among the supernal beings can be likened to the Lord!

Week 5 (Book 7): The Crane is Saying

 B”H

The Crane is saying, 

Give thanks to G-d with the lyre; 

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;  

Then the heavens will extol Your wonders, O Lord

Behold, you are comely, my beloved; 

For the pains of death have encompassed me; 

My marrow became [dry] as the droughts of summer, Selah. 

And the elite of his officers sank in the Red Sea. 

A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me; 

Between my breasts he shall lie.         

My sin I made known to You, my iniquity I did not cover. 

But unto Hannah he gave a double portion; 

For he loved Hannah, but Hashem had shut up her womb.

   

Streams of scoundrels would affright me. 

You crooked and twisted generation. 

The depths covered them;

Indeed, the flood of many waters will not reach him. 

They descended into the depths like a stone.

Destruction is not His; it is His children's defect 

At a time when You may be found; 

Behold, you are comely; your eyes are like doves.  

Make music for Him with the ten-stringed harp. 

The earth trembled, the heavens also dripped;

Your faithfulness, too, in the congregation of the holy ones.

And You have forgiven the iniquity of my transgression forever. 

A cluster of henna-flowers is my beloved to me, 

When You marched out of the field of Edom, 

For this let every pious man pray to You, 

In the vineyards of Ein-Gedi."

          

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" 

 

Week 4 (Book 7): The Eagle is Saying

 B”H

The Eagle is saying, 

And You, G-d, Lord of Hosts, Lord of Israel, 

A faithful God, without injustice He is righteous and upright. 

With praise, I call to the Lord, for from my enemies I shall be saved. 

Pharaoh's chariots and his army He cast into the sea,

Awake to [remember] all the nations; 

The Lord is a Master of war; the Lord is His Name. 

The deeds of the [Mighty] Rock are perfect, 

For all His ways are just[ice]; 

Lord, when You went forth out of Seir,

Do not be gracious to any wicked traitors, sela!" 

Make known to me the path of life, 

Your cheeks are comely with rows, your neck with necklaces.     

And it came to pass upon a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, 

With the bliss of Your right hand forever.

Praiseworthy is the man to whom the Lord ascribes no iniquity

And in whose spirit there is no guile.

I shall sing to the Lord, the G-d of Israel.

That he gave to Peninnah his wife, 

And to all her sons and her daughters, portions;

Whose sin is concealed. 

 

When I was silent, 

While the king was still at his table, 

My spikenard gave forth its fragrance.

My bones decayed with my moaning all day long.

 

Praiseworthy is he whose transgression is forgiven, 

That I may be satiated with the joy of Your presence, 

We will make you rows of gold with studs of silver.   

Of David, a maskil