Introduction to Perek Shira
Rabbi Eliezer said: Whoever engages in reciting the "Perek Shira" in this world deserves to recite it in the World to Come, as it is written, "Then Moses will sing" - it does not say "sang" but "will sing", that is, in the World to Come.
Rabbi Eliezer the Great said: "Whoever engages in the Perek Shira (Torah) every day—I testify over him that he is worthy of the World to Come, saved from calamities, evil inclination, severe judgment, the accusing angel, and all kinds of evil and destruction. Commit with all your heart and with all your soul to knowing His ways, and guard the gates of His holy sanctuary and observe His laws and His commandments. Keep His Torah in your heart and let the fear of Him be before your eyes. Guard your mouth and your tongue from all transgression and guilt, and He will be with you wherever you go, and He will teach you wisdom and knowledge of all things. You must know very well that everything the Holy One, Blessed be He, created He created only for His own glory, as it is written (Isaiah 43:7), 'Everyone who is called by My name was created for My glory—I formed them and I made them!'"
Our Sages of blessed memory said that when King David completed the Book of Psalms, he had a feeling of self-satisfaction. He said before the Creator, "Is there any creature in Your world that sings songs and praises to You more than I?" At that very moment, a frog appeared to him and said, "David! Don't be so pleased with yourself, for I sing more songs and praises than you. Not only that, but three thousand parables are spoken over each song I sing, as it is written (1 Kings 5:12): 'And he spoke three thousand parables, and his songs were one thousand and five.' Not only that, but I fulfill a great mitzvah (commandment), and this is: there is a species on the beach whose sustenance comes exclusively from creatures that live in the water, and when it is hungry, it takes me and eats me. Therefore, I fulfill the commandment of what is said (Proverbs 25:21-22), 'If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat.'" And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. "He will reward you" means "He will make you whole.".
Chapter 1
The heavens say: "The heavens declare the glory of the Almighty; the skies proclaim the works of His hands" (Psalm 19:2).
The Earth says: "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it" (Psalm 24:1). And it is said: "From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise—'Glory to the Righteous One'" (Isaiah 24:16).
The Garden of Eden says: "Awake, O North Wind, and come, O South Wind! Blow upon my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat of its choice fruits" (Song of Solomon 4:16).
Gehinom (Hell) says: "For He satisfies the anxious soul, and fills the hungry soul with good things" (Psalms 107:9).
The Desert says: "The wilderness and the barren land shall be glad; the dry plain shall rejoice and blossom like a rose" (Isaiah 35:1).
The fields say: "The Lord founded the earth by wisdom; he established the heavens by understanding." (Proverbs 3:19)
The Waters say: "The sound of His voice places many waters in the sky, and He sends up the vapors from the ends of the Earth" (Jeremiah 51:16).
The Seas say: "Even greater than the sound of many waters, stronger than the waves of the sea, is the power of HaShem on High" (Psalms 93:4).
The rivers say: "The rivers will clap their hands, the mountains will sing for joy!" (Psalms 98:8).
The Springs say: "And both those who sing like flute players, all my springs are in you" (Psalms 87:7).
Chapter 2
The Day says: "Day by day he pours out praise, and night by night he reveals wisdom" (Psalm 19:3).
The Night says: "Declaring Your goodness in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night" (Psalm 92:3).
The Sun says: "The sun and the moon stand still in their dwellings, at the light of Your arrows that cross, at the flash of Your shining spear" (Habakkuk 3:11).
The moon says: "He (HaShem) made the moon to (set) the festivals; and the sun that knows its destiny" (Psalms 104:19).
The stars say: "You are unique, HaShem; You made the heaven, the heaven of heavens, and all its hosts, the earth and all that is in it, the seas and all that is in them. And You give life to them all, and the hosts of Heaven bow down to You" (Nehemiah 9:6).
The Rain Clouds say: "He made darkness His hiding place and wrapped Himself in His cloak, dark waters and clouds of heaven" (Psalm 18:12).
The "Clouds of Glory" say: "Even when the sky is clear, He loads the clouds of rain to form; the cloud will spread His light" (Job 37:11).
The Wind says: "I will say to the north, 'Relinquish'; and to the south, 'Do not turn back'; Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 43:6).
The Lightning says: "He is the one who makes lightning for the rain; he is the one who brings out the wind from his storehouses" (Psalms 135:7).
The Dew says: "I will be like the dew for Israel, they will blossom like a rose and their roots will be like the cedars of Lebanon" (Hosea 14:6).
The Rains say: "You poured down a shower of generosity, O God. When Your inheritance was weary, You firmly restored it" (Psalms 68:10).
Chapter 3
The wild trees sing: And the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Eternal, for He has come to judge the earth. (Dibre Hayamim I 16:33)
The vine sings: Thus says the Eternal: As when wine is found in the cluster of grapes and one says, «Do not destroy it, for it is blessed,» so I will do for the sake of My servants, so that I will not destroy them all. (Isaiah 65:8)
The fig tree sings: He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit (Proverbs 27:18)
The pomegranate sings: Like a split pomegranate are your cheeks behind your veil. (Shir Hashirim 4:3)
The palm tree sings: The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon. (Tehillim 92:13)
The apple sings: Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. I sat in its shade and delighted in its fruit, which was sweet to my taste. (Shir Hashirim 2:3)
The ears of wheat sing: Song of the ascents; From the depths I have called to You, O Eternal. (Tehilim 130:1)
The ears of barley sing: A prayer of the afflicted, when he faints and pours out his complaint before the Eternal. (Tehilim 102:1)
The remaining ears of grain sing: The valleys are adorned with flocks and covered with grain; they exult with joy and sing. (Tehilim 65:14)
The vegetables sing: You water its furrows abundantly and make water run in its channels, You soften it with showers, You bless what grows in it. (Tehilim 65:11)
The pastures sing: May the glory of the Eternal endure forever; may the Eternal rejoice in His works. (Tehillim 104:31)
Chapter 4
The rooster crows: When God goes to the righteous in paradise, all the trees of paradise are sprinkled with fragrances, they sing and praise, then the rooster wakes up and praises.
In his first call he sings: Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O everlasting doors, that the King of Glory may come in. "Who is the King of Glory?" "The Eternal, Strong and Mighty, the Eternal, Mighty in battle." (Tehillim 24:7-8)
In his second call he sings: Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted up, O everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in. "Who then is the King of glory?" "The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." Selah. (Psalms 24:9-10)
In his third call he sings: Arise, righteous ones, and dedicate yourselves to studying the Torah, so that your reward may be doubled in the World to Come.
In his fourth call he sings: I will wait for Your help, O Eternal One. (Genesis 49:18)
In his fifth call he sings: How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you wake up from your sleep? (Proverbs 6:9)
In his sixth call he sings: Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes and you will have bread in abundance. (Proverbs 20:13)
In his seventh call he sings: It is time for the Eternal One to act, for they have annulled Your Law. (Tehilim 119:126)
The hen crows: He who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever. (Tehillim 136:25)
The dove sings: Like a swallow or a crane, so I cry out, I moan like a dove; my eyes grow dim when I look upward. O God, how oppressed I am! Be You my security. (Isaiah 38:14)
The dove says before God: Creator of the universe, let my food be bitter like the olive but come from your hand and not sweet like honey but from the hand of man (Babylonian Irubin 18a)
The eagle sings: You then, O Eternal One, God of hosts, God of Israel, awaken to punish all the nations; show no mercy to any wicked traitor. Selah. (Tehillim 59:6)
The crane sings: Praise the Lord with the lyre, sing praises to him with the ten-stringed psaltery. (Tehillim 33:2)
The bird sings: Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself and to raise her young, beside Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. (Tehillim 84:4)
The swallow sings: So that my glory may sing praises to you, and not remain silent. O Eternal, my God, I will praise you forever! (Tehillim 30:13)
The sparrow sings: My help comes from the Eternal, who made heaven and earth. (Tehilim 121:2)
The web-footed bird sings: Light shines for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. (Tehilim 97:12)
The owl sings: Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. (Isaiah 40:1)
The stork sings: Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her time of service is completed, that her guilt has been paid for, for she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:2)
The raven sings: ”Who provides the raven with its prey, when its young cry out to God and wander about in search of food?” (Job 38:41)
The falcon sings: And their seed will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them will recognize that they are the seed whom the Eternal has blessed. (Isaiah 61:9)
The domestic goose sings: Praise the Lord, call on His name, make known His deeds among the nations. Sing praises to Him, tell of His wonderful works. (Tehillim 105:1-2)
The goose that wanders through the desert, when it sees the people of Israel studying Torah, sings: “A voice cries in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make ready in the wilderness a highway for our God.’” (Isaiah 40:3); and when it finds its food in the desert, it sings: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man; blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:5,7)
The young birds sing: Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is God, an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:4)
The lynx sings: I will call them with my whistle and gather them together, for I have redeemed them, and they will multiply as they multiplied in the past. (Zechariah 10:8)
The cricket sings: I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. From where will my help come? (Tehilim 121:1)
The grasshopper sings: “O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your Name, for You have done marvelous things; Your plans of old are faithful and true.” (Isaiah 25:1)
The lizard sings: Praise him with resounding cymbals. Praise him with clashing cymbals. (Tehilim 150:8)
The fly, at the hour when the people of Israel do not study Torah, sings: A voice cries out, «Proclaim!» and says, «What shall I proclaim? That all living creatures are grass, and all their beauty is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God will stand forever.» (Isaiah 40:6, 8) Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near, says the Eternal One, who creates the fruit of the lips, and I will heal him. (Isaiah 57:19)
The great fish sing: Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all the deeps. (Tehillim 148:7)
The livyatán sings: Give thanks to the Eternal, for He is gracious; His mercy endures forever. (Tehilim 136:1)
The fish sing: The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over many waters. (Tehillim 29:3)
The frog sings: Blessed be the Name of the glory of His reign, forever.
Chapter 5
The pure little beasts sing: Who is like You among the gods, O my Lord? Who is like You, immense in Holiness, the most worthy of praise and doer of miracles? (Exodus 15:11)
The great pure beasts sing: Sing joyfully to God, our strength! Sing to the God of Jacob! (Tehillim 81:2)
The unclean little beasts sing: Do good, O Lord, to the good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. (Tehilim 125:4)
The great unclean beasts sing: When you eat the fruit of your labor, you will be happy, and it will go well with you. (Tehillim 128:2)
The camel sings: The Lord roars from on high, and utters His voice from His holy dwelling; He roars mightily for the sake of His flock. (Jeremiah 25:30)
The horse sings: Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, and as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Eternal One our God, until He gives us His mercy. (Tehillim 123:2)
The mule sings: All the kings of the earth will praise You, O Lord, for they have heard the words of Your mouth. (Tehilim 138:4)
The donkey sings: Yours, O Eternal One, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and on earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Eternal One, and You are exalted above all things. (Dibre Hayamim I 29:11)
The bull sings: Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying: I will sing to the Lord, extolling His greatness. Horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. (Exodus 15:1)
The wild beasts of the field sing: Blessed is the kind one and the one who does kindness.
The deer sings: But as for me, I will sing of Your strength; yes, I will praise Your mercy in the morning, for You have been my strength, and my refuge in the day of my troubles. (Tehillim 59:17)
The elephant sings: How great are Your works, O Eternal One! And Your thoughts are very deep. (Tehilim 92:6)
The lion sings: The Lord will go forth like a mighty man, he will stir up jealousy like a warrior; he will lift up his voice and cry out, he will show himself mighty against his enemies. (Isaiah 42:13)
The bear sings: Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, and let the people of Kedar be exultant; let the inhabitants of Sela shout aloud from the mountaintops. Let them glorify the Lord and declare His praise in the islands. (Isaiah 42:11-12)
The wolf sings: In every accusation or complaint concerning an ox, a donkey, a lamb, clothing, or anything else that has disappeared and belonged to the complainant, the judges to whom both litigants bring the case shall hear the case, and the one condemned by the judges shall pay double to the other. (Exodus 22:8)
The fox sings: Woe to him who builds his house with dishonor, and his chambers with injustice! Woe to him who takes advantage of his neighbor's service without pay, and does not give him the reward for his labor! (Jeremiah 22:13)
The hunting dog sings: Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones. Praise is fitting for the upright. (Tehillim 33:1)
The cat sings: I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until I had consumed them. (Tehilim 18:38)
Chapter 6
The reptiles sing: Let Israel rejoice in its Creator, let the children of Zion be glad in their King. (Tehillim 149:2)
The violent reptiles sing: Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children will be like olive shoots around your table. (Tehillim 128:3)
The serpent sings: The Eternal One upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are cast down. (Tehillim 145:14)
The scorpion sings: The Eternal is good to all, and His benevolence is present in all His works. (Tehilim 145:9)
The snail sings: Let them be like a snail that slithers and passes away, like miscarriages of a woman; let them not see the sun. (Tehillim 58:9)
The ant sings: Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider its ways and be wise. (Proverbs 6:6)
The rat sings: Praise the Lord, all that has breath. Hallelujah! (Tehilim 150:6)
The dogs sing: Come, let us bow down and kneel, let us prostrate ourselves before the Eternal One our Maker. (Tehilim 95:6)
Prayer after reading Perek Shira
Rabbi Yeshaya, the student of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, fasted eighty-five times and asked, “Do dogs, of whom it is written, ”and dogs that are shameless and know no satiety,“ have the merit of uttering praises to God?” An angel from heaven appeared to him and said, “Yeshaya, how long will you fast for this reason? I swear before God that since this secret was revealed to the prophet Habakkuk, it has not been revealed to anyone else. Only because you are the student of a great person have I been sent from heaven to reveal it to you. It is said of dogs, ”But among the children of Israel, not even a dog will bark.’ And furthermore, they have the merit that their excrement is used to tan the hides on which Tefillin, Mezuzot, and Torah scrolls are written; therefore, they have the merit of uttering Shira.” And as for what you asked, do not ask it again, as it is written, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble.” (Proverbs 21:23) Blessed be the Eternal One forever. Amen and Amen. (Psalms 89:53) From Zion, blessed be the Eternal One, who dwells in Jerusalem. Hallelujah! (Psalms 135:21) Blessed be God the Eternal One, the God of Israel, who does only marvelous things. And may His glorious Name endure forever, and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen. (Psalms 72:18-19)
It is recommended that at the end of the Perek Shirá you recite this prayer
Master of all worlds, before You, God, my God and the God of my fathers, may it be that by the merit of the Perek Shira that I read and pondered, which is the song of minerals, plants, and living beings, and of the holy angels who are charged over them by divine decree; and which is the way in which Divinity is unified with all worlds and the unification of the earthly with the supreme; and that reading it is considered like bringing sacrifices upon the altar. May this hour be considered a moment of piety, of attention, and of listening, may my reading of the Perek Shira be considered before You as if I had understood all the secrets hidden within it. Make us return in Teshuvah before You and may we have the merit to find ourselves in the place where all souls are brought forth; May it be considered as if we have resolved all that we came to rectify, both in this life and in our past lives, and may we have the merit to be with the Tzaddikim and the righteous in Paradise. Fulfill all our desires (here it is good to ask if you need something specific). Send us abundance and prosperity in all that we undertake, and through this Shira, may all evil decrees be annulled, and may You send pure blessings to all the worlds. May we have the merit to sing praises to You in the World to Come, and may Your Divine Glory return to Your Holy City soon in our days. Amen.