Adapted from: A Daily Dose of Perek Shirah by Rabbi David Sutton

צְבִי אוֹמֵר: וַאֲנִי אָשִׁיר עֻזֶּךָ וַאֲרַנֵּן לַבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ כִּי הָיִיתָ מִשְׂגָּב לִי וּמָנוֹס בְּיוֹם צַר לִי.

The deer says: But I will sing of Your might, and rejoice towards morning in Your kindness, for You have been a stronghold to me and a refuge in the day of distress (Tehillim 59:17)

These are the words of a man on the run. When Shaul HaMelech sent his men to pursue David, Hashem planted a strategy in Shaul’s mind: The men would not break into David’s house and kill him immediately; rather, they would surround his house to prevent him from escaping. The plan was completely ineffective, for David was able to flee in the middle of the night. Furthermore, by waiting outside, Shaul’s men not only gave David time to escape, but also gave him a substantial head-start in his flight.

David rejoices toward morning because when dawn begins to break, he sees that he has put a substantial distance between himself and his pursuers.

The deer sings this song to Hashem, says the Chida, because its ability to run swiftly is the survival tool Hashem endowed him with. And that ability is frequently tested, because the deer is a sought-after animal. Its hide is strong, appealing to the eye, and useful for many purposes. Its meat is tasty. In addition, people enjoy the sport of deer hunting. There are many types of traps and snares designed to catch deer. Only because Hashem saves it again and again does the species manage to survive. In this way, the deer not only represents David HaMelech, but the entire Jewish nation.

Another aspect of the deer’s speed is that it uses this gift only to defend itself. It is always the prey, never the predator. It doesn’t use its speed to fight its pursuers, nor to take food from other animals. Because the deer is content with what Hashem gives it, and relies on Him for protection, Hashem treats it with extra care, for as Koheles (3:15) says, v’ha’elokim yivakesh es nirdaf, Hashem helps the pursued one. Thus, the deer teaches us to avoid unnecessary confrontation.

A further insight emerges from the fact that this praise is sung towards morning, while it is still night. The sefer Yashir Moshe explains that although morning symbolizes salvation, David HaMelech’s trust in Hashem is so complete that just contemplating the salvation that lies ahead gives him strength. He doesn’t have to see it to believe it.

A final lesson comes from the letters of the Hebrew word for deer — צְבִי. These are the first letters of the pasuk from Chabakkuk (2:4) that states,  צַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה— The righteous person shall live through his faith. That describes the deer, who has no power to fight; he can only run. He trusts Hashem to carry him to salvation and sings his song of emunah to the world. 

PRACTICAL TAKE-AWAY

The deer teaches us that Hashem has equipped every creature, including each person, with access to the resources it needs to survive. He saves us by giving us what we need to save ourselves.