The story is told  that a crate of parakeets which was in transit at Kennedy airport in Néw York City somehow fell and  broke open. The exotic birds flew free,  and were spotted on wires and telephone poles in various parts of the five boroughs to the surprise and delight of even the most blasé New Yorker. 

I don’t know if this actually happened , but I myself was witness to seeing a magnificent flock of these birds while  at the home of a dear friend who lives in Brooklyn. I was visiting her one winter day and as we had our morning coffee I looked out her window and saw a large bird feeder covered from head to toe with the most beautiful parakeets with vibrant green plumage. As a New Yorker I had never seen anything like it. That’s when she told me the story about the fractured crate. And she concluded by telling me that her neighbor would put out bird feed and every morning the birds would come and feast on the feed. 

That’s what birds do. 

If you put out the crumbs, they will come. 

It’s only natural. 

This week’s Torah portion is called Beshalach and it reports on something supernatural. The portion focuses on the epic miracles that accompanied the Jewish nation as they escaped their Egyptian slave masters. 

As the nation flees they are faced with the waters of the sea in front of them which stops them in their tracks.   It seems they are trapped and then a miracle of vast proportions takes place, the sea splits and the Jewish people cross over in safety. The sea crashes down on the pursuing Egyptians and the Israelites are safe at last. 

It’s an epic miracle. 

Yet, as the Jewish nation begins to  travel in the desert the people are hungry and complain.  They forget about the huge miracle they just witnessed. 

The Almighty responds to their cries with yet another miracle by providing Manna, a heretofore unknown foodstuff, that miraculously falls from the sky. 

This food was unusual. 

If you would think about a succulent steak, that’s what the Manna would taste like to you. If a person would think about a vegan burger, voila so be it. Whatever a person would think about so would be the taste. 

The saintly Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, Jewish leader from the 1900s, asked, what happened if a person wouldn’t think? 

What would be the taste of the Manna?

He answers that the Manna would have no taste at all.

If we are not mindful, if we don’t think or pay attention, we will be missing the depth of the experience, the richness and taste of the gift we have been given.  

The seeds of mindfulness were sprouted with the Manna. 

The Manna came with a manual, some caveats  which accompanied the experience. For example, despite the fact that the Manna fell each day enough to provide for the day ahead, on Fridays a double portion would fall, an extra portion for Shabbat. 

Moses relayed this to the Jewish people and told them no manna would fall on Shabbat!

(This is one of the reasons we have two Challahs at our Shabbat meal to remind us of the double portion of manna that fell in the desert.)

There were a duo of trouble makers who wanted to prove Moses wrong.  They woke up early on Shabbat morning, and while the congregation was still asleep, they surreptitiously sprinkled some Manna on the ground so it would look like Manna fell after all and that would prove Moses wrong. 

Lo and behold, some birds flew by, ate the Manna, and by the time everyone awoke, no sign of the “planted” Manna. 

Because the birds did this wonderful favor, every year we celebrate them on this particular Shabbat and children, and adults, have a custom to make bird feeders or sprinkle crumbs before Shabbat out of gratitude to the birds for their good deed. 

While this is lovely it also seems a bit simplistic. 

As my friend’s neighbor proved with her laden bird feeder, if you put out something for birds to eat-they will come and eat-it’s just what birds do! 

It’s just natural isn’t it?

Indeed it is!

The purpose of the celebration is not for the birds, it is really for us! 

It is to help us build the muscle of gratitude, to increase mindfulness and awareness, to help us recognize those who do things for us, even if it’s their job. 

Even if it’s their nature-like parents who only live to give to their child. 

It is incumbent upon us to see those who provide for us in any way and remember to thank them. 

Captain Charles Plumb was a fighter pilot who flew 74 sorties  off the Kitty Hawk in the Vietnam war. On what was supposed to be his last mission before returning home, Captain Plumb’s plane was shot down. He bailed out, his parachute brought him safely to earth after which he was captured and brutally tortured for the next five years. After his eventual release, Capt Plumb went on speaking tours around the USA to share his experiences. 

Once, after a speech somewhere in a diner in middle America, the Captain noticed a fellow diner staring at him intently. Finally the gentleman approached him and asked him if he was perhaps Capt Plumb, fighter pilot from the Kitty Hawk, who safely bailed out of his aircraft before being imprisoned?  

Capt Plumb was amazed by the information that gentleman knew and asked

“Do I know you?”

To which the gentleman replied

“Sir, I am the sailor who packed your parachute, I guess it worked”. 

Captain Plumb was so moved to meet this sailor and he thanked him from the bottom of his heart for having done his job so well, as it saved his life.

They parted warmly after much conversation, but the Captain was upset. He thought to himself how he must have passed this fellow many times on board and never acknowledged him. He wondered if he had ever shared a kind word with any of the men who worked below deck who did their jobs diligently, putting  together the parachutes of his fellow pilots. 

Rabbi Paysach Krohn who publicized this story, reminds us to think about the people in our lives who have “packed our parachutes”. 

These are the people in our lives who have given us love, attention, service or inspiration just when we needed it-even it was their job. 

As he says so beautifully 

“In the free falls of life, with crosswinds and turbulence ever present, we often land safely with our feet on the ground only because of those who packed our parachutes-and we owe them recognition.”

We need to be mindful in our interactions and recognize those who have made a difference to us. 

Even if it was just their job!

Even is was just their nature. 

Even if they were doing what they were just supposed to do. 

Because without them, where would we be?

Probably like some bird on a wire, trapped in self absorption,  with a life that is “for the birds”!

Shabbat Shalom and so much love