…Feed the birds on Erev Shabbos Shirah?
Seems like an interesting minhag, no? It’s cold, sometimes snowy, and in many places, there are no birds flying around! There are many answers for this cool minhag, but here’s a thought: The Medrash (Shemos Rabbah) says the birds sang along with Klal Yisrael at the Yam Suf. The Jewish children took fruit that, b’derech neis, grew from the walls of the Yam Suf and fed it to the birds. Then the birds joined along in praising Hashem!
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov explains that every Yid has a song inside him, even if he feels he isn’t a super musical person. What is a song? A song is when we express how we really feel to Hashem. It doesn’t need the perfect chords and arrangements. It needs to be real. Rachmana Liba Bai. Hashem wants our hearts. There are songs that are sad, and they express sad feelings, and there are songs that are happy, and there are songs that are silly! For example, Dovid Hamelech would constantly sing to Hashem; when he had a great day, or when he was having a very hard time. He would daven and sing, almost like a bird constantly sings to Hashem. The next time you’re feeling really happy, or even the next time you’re feeling confused or sad… be like a bird! Tell Hashem about it; sing it to Him. Tell Hashem how you feel!!! You’ll be amazed by the results.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 23.