Shabbath Shirà ideas

One of the customs associated with this Shabbath is to place crumbs outside for the birds to eat. We read in the Torah on this week about G-d giving the  manna to the nation of Israel, for their sustenance. Moshe told the nation of Israel that the manna would not fall on Shabbath, and therefore they should collect a double portion on Friday. There were rabble-rousers who wanted to embarrass Moshe and weaken his authority. They took manna they had collected on Friday, and after dark placed it out on the ground. Come morning, they hoped that people would think that the manna did indeed fall on Shabbath, and Moshe, who they contended made up the laws as he went along, was wrong. However, no manna was around on Shabbath morning. Why? Because the birds carried it away before the nation awoke, so that the nation would indeed trust in Moshe and respect the sanctity of the Shabbath about which Moshe spoke. 
To reward the birds for this noble deed, we feed them the week on which we read of the surrounding incident, the week of Beshalach.

birds crafting for Shabbath Shirà

wood garland with birds 

 

 

Find HERE and HERE  the winter birds from Becca Karen

 

little wood hand painted birds houses

 

bird feeders

 

parashah Beshalach - Shabbath Shirà

This Shabbath, on which the Torah portion of Beshalach is read, is known as Shabbath Shirà, The Sabbath of Song. The source of this special name is the portion of Beshalach, in which we read of the song the entire nation of Israel sang after the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea. This song, which is recited every day as part of the morning prayers, is a special song. Because of the importance of this song, the Shabbath on which we read it takes the name of "Sabbath of the Song." 

Myriam homemade tambourine

this year our tambourine is made with plastic plates, wool and wood beans

...Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing