Perek Shira (Hebrew פרק שירה, lit. "Chapter of Song") is an ancient Jewish text. There are a number of versions extant, some associated with the Ashkenazic tradition, some with the Sephardic, and some with the Mizrahi Jews tradition.[1] It was first printed, with a commentary, in Moses ben Joseph de Trani's Bet Elohim (1576), but it is mentioned as early as the 10th century.[2] It contains 85 sections, in each of which elements of creation, beginning with the celestial and ending with dogs, use biblical and rabbinic verses in order to sing God's praises. Use of Perek Shira used to be prevalent in the daily liturgy and medieval philosopher Joseph Albo wrote that whoever recites Perek Shira is guaranteed a place in the World to Come.[3]
Title page of Perek Shira in an 18th-century illuminated manuscript.A close up of Perek Shira from a 17th-century Dutch Siddur
Though Perek Shira means "Chapter of Song", the book is actually organized into six chapters. Some of the utilized verses make mention of the speaker. For example, the song begins with the heavens who say, "the heavens speak of the glory of God, and of His handiwork the skies tell." (Psalms 19:2) Others describe some characteristic or activity of the speaker, e.g., the book ends with the dogs who say "come, let us prostrate and bend our knees, and kneel before God our maker" (Psalms 95:6).
The vast majority of the verses of Perek Shira are biblical, and most of these are from the book of Psalms, but there are also a few verses from the Babylonian Talmud, at least one from Kabbalistic literature, and a very few whose source is unknown.[4] Some of the birds and animals listed are difficult to identify.[5] It appears that all the creatures named are found in the Holy Land, the only exceptions perhaps being the elephant (whose song is Psalms 92:6) - but elephants were brought into the Holy Land by foreign armies, as mentioned, for example, in the First Book of Maccabees; and the leviathan (whose song is Psalms 136:1), presumably a mythic sea beast mentioned in the Bible.
In modern times, Perek Shira does not often appear liturgically. However, there are many publishers who publish Perek Shira as a separate entity, anywhere from a wallet-sized booklet to full-sized coffee table books complete with pictures illustrating each of the characters speaking to God.
^Macy Nulman, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ: Jason Aronson) page 266; Malichi Beit-Arie, PEREK SHIRAH, Encyclopedia Judaica (2nd ed. 2007) vol. 15, page 760. An example is that one version has the mouse and the cat alternate with two verses each, another version separates them and gives each only one verse.
^Macy Nulman, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer (1993, NJ: Jason Aronson) page 266; Bacher, Wilhelm; Judah David Eisenstein. "SHIRAH, PEREK (PIRKE)". Jewish Encyclopedia. S. Retrieved 3 February 2009.; Malichi Beit-Arie, PEREK SHIRAH, Encyclopedia Judaica (2nd ed. 2007) vol. 15, page 760.
^Bacher, Wilhelm; Judah David Eisenstein. "SHIRAH, PEREK (PIRKE)". Jewish Encyclopedia. S. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
^Slifkin, Rabbi Nosson (29 March 2005). "The Circle of Life". Current Issues: Science & Medical. Aish. Retrieved 2009-02-04.; see, e.g., the source citations in Rabbi Nosson Scherman, Perek Shirah: The Song of the Universe (2005, Brooklyn, Mesorah Publications), and in Rabbi Natan Slifkin, Perek Shirah: Nature's Song (2nd ed., 2009, Zoo Torah). The dove's second verse, the frog's verse, and the verse of the wild beasts of the field, are from the Talmud. The rooster's first verse is from the Zohar. A very few verses (such as the mouse's) cannot be identified.
^A particular example is a winged creature called the retzifi, whose song is the verse of Isaiah 40:1; the word does not appear in the Bible or Talmud. Slifkin's first edition (2001) identified this (as had many previous commentators) as the bat (although the Hebrew Bible uses the word atalayf _for the bat), and was followed in this by Scherman, but in his 2009 second edition, Slifkin had revised this to the laughing dove.
External linksedit
Rabbi Nosson Slifkin's downloadable 2003 English translation with Hebrew text
Rabbi Eliezer Raphael (Lazer) Brody's downloadable 2011 English translation
Perek Shira transliterated, translated or in hebrew
April 11, 2024
perek, shira, hebrew, פרק, שירה, chapter, song, ancient, jewish, text, there, number, versions, extant, some, associated, with, ashkenazic, tradition, some, with, sephardic, some, with, mizrahi, jews, tradition, first, printed, with, commentary, moses, joseph,. Perek Shira Hebrew פרק שירה lit Chapter of Song is an ancient Jewish text There are a number of versions extant some associated with the Ashkenazic tradition some with the Sephardic and some with the Mizrahi Jews tradition 1 It was first printed with a commentary in Moses ben Joseph de Trani s Bet Elohim 1576 but it is mentioned as early as the 10th century 2 It contains 85 sections in each of which elements of creation beginning with the celestial and ending with dogs use biblical and rabbinic verses in order to sing God s praises Use of Perek Shira used to be prevalent in the daily liturgy and medieval philosopher Joseph Albo wrote that whoever recites Perek Shira is guaranteed a place in the World to Come 3 Title page of Perek Shira in an 18th century illuminated manuscript A close up of Perek Shira from a 17th century Dutch Siddur Contents 1 Content 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksContent editThough Perek Shira means Chapter of Song the book is actually organized into six chapters Some of the utilized verses make mention of the speaker For example the song begins with the heavens who say the heavens speak of the glory of God and of His handiwork the skies tell Psalms 19 2 Others describe some characteristic or activity of the speaker e g the book ends with the dogs who say come let us prostrate and bend our knees and kneel before God our maker Psalms 95 6 The vast majority of the verses of Perek Shira are biblical and most of these are from the book of Psalms but there are also a few verses from the Babylonian Talmud at least one from Kabbalistic literature and a very few whose source is unknown 4 Some of the birds and animals listed are difficult to identify 5 It appears that all the creatures named are found in the Holy Land the only exceptions perhaps being the elephant whose song is Psalms 92 6 but elephants were brought into the Holy Land by foreign armies as mentioned for example in the First Book of Maccabees and the leviathan whose song is Psalms 136 1 presumably a mythic sea beast mentioned in the Bible In modern times Perek Shira does not often appear liturgically However there are many publishers who publish Perek Shira as a separate entity anywhere from a wallet sized booklet to full sized coffee table books complete with pictures illustrating each of the characters speaking to God See also editPsalm 19 Psalm 92 Psalm 95 Psalm 136 Psalm 150References edit Macy Nulman The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer 1993 NJ Jason Aronson page 266 Malichi Beit Arie PEREK SHIRAH Encyclopedia Judaica 2nd ed 2007 vol 15 page 760 An example is that one version has the mouse and the cat alternate with two verses each another version separates them and gives each only one verse Macy Nulman The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer 1993 NJ Jason Aronson page 266 Bacher Wilhelm Judah David Eisenstein SHIRAH PEREK PIRKE Jewish Encyclopedia S Retrieved 3 February 2009 Malichi Beit Arie PEREK SHIRAH Encyclopedia Judaica 2nd ed 2007 vol 15 page 760 Bacher Wilhelm Judah David Eisenstein SHIRAH PEREK PIRKE Jewish Encyclopedia S Retrieved 3 February 2009 Slifkin Rabbi Nosson 29 March 2005 The Circle of Life Current Issues Science amp Medical Aish Retrieved 2009 02 04 see e g the source citations in Rabbi Nosson Scherman Perek Shirah The Song of the Universe 2005 Brooklyn Mesorah Publications and in Rabbi Natan Slifkin Perek Shirah Nature s Song 2nd ed 2009 Zoo Torah The dove s second verse the frog s verse and the verse of the wild beasts of the field are from the Talmud The rooster s first verse is from the Zohar A very few verses such as the mouse s cannot be identified A particular example is a winged creature called the retzifi whose song is the verse of Isaiah 40 1 the word does not appear in the Bible or Talmud Slifkin s first edition 2001 identified this as had many previous commentators as the bat although the Hebrew Bible uses the word atalayf for the bat and was followed in this by Scherman but in his 2009 second edition Slifkin had revised this to the laughing dove External links editRabbi Nosson Slifkin s downloadable 2003 English translation with Hebrew text Rabbi Eliezer Raphael Lazer Brody s downloadable 2011 English translation Perek Shira transliterated translated or in hebrew Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Perek Shira amp oldid 1169362925, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
