Beshallach - feeding the birds

This Shabbos, on which the Torah portion of Beshalach is read, is known as Shabbos Shirah, 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 Shabbos on which we read it takes the name of "Sabbath of the Song." What makes this song so special that, above and beyond all the other miraculous events that are read about in the Torah portion, the Shabbos is given it as its moniker?
One of the customs associated with this Shabbos is to place crumbs outside for the birds to eat. (As to the Halachik correctness of this custom, see Shulchan Aruch Orech Chayim 324.) We read in the Torah on this week about G-d giving the "Man", manna, to the nation of Israel, for their sustenance. Moshe told the nation of Israel that the Man would not fall on Shabbos, 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 Man they had collected on Friday, and after dark placed it out on the ground. Come morning, they hoped that people would think that the Man did indeed fall on Shabbos, and Moshe, who they contended made up the laws as he went along, was wrong. However, no Man was around on Shabbos 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 Shabbos 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.
The Sefer HaToda'ah mentions an additional reason why we feed the birds this week. The chirping of birds is not just idle song. It is the way that birds praise G-d for providing them with their needs. Because, on this week, we too sing praise of G-d, we recognize the constant song of praise chirped by the birds by feeding them, as a form of reward.
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