In the introduction to her marvelous new book, Exploring Perek Shira, Rebbetzin Shoshana Tugendhaft writes: “Nature on all its levels works in perfect harmony, each element vital in a delicately balanced ecosystem.” We are blessed to live near many beautiful natural areas, tranquil wetlands and marshes that illustrate this delicate balance and nourish the soul!
Tag Archives: Perek Shira
As the nesting season draws to a close, and the migratory birds have returned to their summer homes, we see fewer and fewer of our ‘regulars’ like the Great Blue Herons and Wood Storks here in the preserves. Some of the juveniles and a few baby birds, like the Night Herons, Cattle Egrets, and Common Moorhens (Gallinules) still remain, […]
This post is a tribute to some of the small creatures of nature that I pass by nearly every day when I’m out walking, but which are too often overlooked, and very often neglected in my blog. I’ve written in the past about Perek Shira (literally, Chapter of Song) the mysterious and beautiful ancient text also […]
You’ve probably heard some variation on the expression, “If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and sounds like a duck, it must be a duck.” Well, the truth is, it’s not so simple! There are many kinds of water fowl that look sort of like ducks, and are commonly mistaken for ducks, […]
In a recent blog post, I mentioned that the name of Zipporah, the wife of Moshe (Moses) is ‘Bird’, in Hebrew. There are often variations in the spelling of Hebrew words transliterated into English, and most often Tzippor (or Zippor) is translated as Bird.Rabbi Natan Slifkin is the author of Nature’s Song (2001), a remarkable book about the beautiful […]
Sometimes it isn’t birds that capture my attention on my walks. Sometimes it’s the reptiles, the amphibians, the fish, the plant life whose beauty just makes me stop in my tracks. Experiencing, and truly appreciating, the wonder of the natural world on a daily basis has become more and more essential to me in recent […]
The Sparrows’ boisterous song reverberates through the narrow winding stone streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, and seems to grow louder as you approach the Kotel. Its lively sound is nearly as ever-present along the shores of the Yarkon River, near where the River flows into the Sea, part of a loud, mixed chorus […]
Perek Shira (פרק שירה) is a little gem of a book, an ancient source believed to be at least 1800 years old; some say it is perhaps even older, written by King David or King Solomon. Known as The Song of the Universe, or The Song of Creation, Perek Shira is a collection of 85 […]
Birder's Journey 