Song of Songs · Chapter 1

The song of songs which is Shlomo’s. Our Rabbis taught, “Every Shlomo (because they were at a loss to explain why [Scripture] did not mention his father, as it did in Mishlei and Koheles) mentioned in Shir Hashirim is sacred [=refers to God], the King to Whom peace שָׁלוֹם belongs. It is a song which transcends above all other songs, which was recited to the Holy One, Blessed Is He, by His assembly and His people, the congregation of Yisroel. Rabbi Akiva said, “The world was never as worthy as on the day that Shir Hashirim was given to Yisroel, for all the Writings are holy, but Shir Hashirim is the holiest of the holies.” Rabbi Elazar son Azaryah said, “To what can this be compared? To a king who took a se’ah of wheat and gave it to a baker. He said to him, ‘Extract for me so much fine flour, so much bran, so much coarse bran, and produce enough fine flour from it for one loaf, sifted and superior.’ Similarly, all the Writings are holy, but Shir Hashirim is the holiest of the holies, for it is all comprised of fear of Heaven and the acceptance of the yoke of His kingdom.” — Notes: (1) I.e., King Dovid. (2) Maseches Shavuos 35b. (3) Rashi offers this explanation because he questions why does it not state, “The song which is Shlomo’s,” why is “of songs” necessary? (Sifsei Chachomim) (4) Alternatively “of songs” refers to the one thousand and five songs attributed to King Shlomo as it is stated, “and his songs were one thousand and five,” in I Melachim 5:12. (Gra) (5) Mishnayos Yodayim 3:5. (6) Alternatively “the song of ‘songs’,” the plural corresponds to the dual “songs” that comprise Shir Hashirim, the song that the congregation of Yisroel praises the Holy One, Blessed is He, and the song that the Holy One, Blessed is He praises the congregation of Yisroel. (Sefer Duda’im)

I say that this scroll is nothing other than a dialogue (vikuach) of the children of the exile, exiled in this bitter and hasty exile, who converse with Hashem their God — composed by Solomon, peace be upon him, who spoke it by the spirit of Hashem, with His word upon his tongue, to make known His affection, may He be blessed, toward them, and their love toward Him, lest anyone say that the Holy One, blessed be He, has abandoned them, and that Hashem has forgotten them because of the length of this exile. Or lest one say that this is nothing but the wickedness of heart of the children of Israel, who have forgotten His deeds, may He be blessed, and abandoned His covenant, and therefore Hashem too has rejected them, and His soul has loathed them, Heaven forbid. Therefore he considered and composed the beautiful words of this scroll, and likened Israel, in relation to Him, may He be blessed, to a king's daughter, perfect in beauty, lovely and graceful, beloved of a great king full of wisdom and complete in beauty, who was seen among the captives, and he loved her, and the girl pleased him, and she found favor before him more than all the other women; and he went out to war against her enemies and delivered her from her oppressors, and he hastened to give her cosmetics and her portions, and he loved her as his own soul; and she too loved him — his name and remembrance were the longing of her soul. And when the time of love arrived, the love of a bride, he brought her near to him, and they took their fill of love, and he embraced her and kissed her, and they drank deeply of love, for his love for her was more wonderful than the love of other women. And it was, when the days grew long, that he found in her a matter of unseemliness — that she had dallied in love with one of the eunuchs — and the king was very angry, and a royal decree went forth from before him, and it was written into the king's laws to send her away from his house and not to bring her back for some days, or ten days; yet he did not cut the bond between himself and her, nor did he write her a bill of divorce, but only sent her away from his house. And she went, wandering and roaming, from house to house and from courtyard to courtyard, and found no rest for the sole of her foot; and in her wanderings and misfortunes she would surely remember the love of her bridal days, the servants and handmaids who had attended her, and how good her beloved's caresses had been, and she would weep bitterly, saying: 'How have I been counted like a discarded earthen vessel, I have been cast away like one forsaken, from my house of rest and my royal palace, and my beloved's soul has grown sick of me.' Therefore her heart was broken within her, for she was left desolate, faint all day, and she yearned, and her soul even longed for the courts of her lord, and in her words she would say: 'Who will grant me to be as in the months of old, when my husband loved me, when his lamp shone upon my head.' And the king too remembered his wife, and what she had done, and what had been decreed upon her, and he said in his heart: Why should the bitterness of her sin loom so great before me? For that eunuch can neither do harm nor destroy, and indeed can do no good either — why then should my soul be repulsed by the wife of my youth whom I loved, seeing that she too has rejected what she chose and has bound her love again to her first husband? Then the king, when the days of her banishment which he had decreed against her were completed, his anger turned away from her, and he built her a house, and he was with her as in the first practice. And the woman guarded herself from that day onward against returning to the sin she had sinned. Yet, as the days went on, she took on bad character traits, and she became repulsive in his eyes because of her bad traits, and she rejected the discipline of reason; and he turned his hand a second time to thrust her from her standing and cast her down from her position, into the dens of lions and the mountains of leopards, and she became a thing trampled — this one tearing and devouring, that one preying and roaring, with none to deliver her from their hand; and it was, as she fled from the mouth of the lion, the bear would meet her, and if she gathered into a city, the serpent would bite her. And this second time he did not mention a fixed term for the days of her estrangement, out of the greatness of his grief and anger over her having repeated her folly and transgressed his will these two times; yet he still held fast to his love for her and chose no other in her place, and always, all day, his soul yearned: When will she turn back from her bad traits, which stand between her and being brought near to him and given his love? For she is his bride, whom he desired, and who among all the daughters of the earth can be compared to her — even now, while she is still in her latter sin, and how much more so once she removes from herself the garment of her bad traits! And just as her soul is precious in the eyes of the king, so his soul is precious in her eyes, for she remembers the love of her bridal days, the companion of her youth; she weeps bitterly night and day, her eye streams without ceasing, as she remembers the days of old, when his lamp shone over her head, and she yearns, and her soul even pines to return to the very earliest days, for she is lovesick; but she has not yet been purified from the defilement of some of her traits, which are not good, and the man gazes at her in silence, refraining from taking her by the hand to bring her back to him, until she is purified and rises of her own accord to that great level which she once had. And the days grow long for them in extended hope: she hopes that he will extend his hand to prepare and support her, while he waits until she first begins to prepare herself. And there is an old and foolish man who entices her, and with the smoothness of his lips seduces her away so that she will not return to him; and afterward a talebearer goes about speaking rebelliously against her, saying that she still clings to her impurity and continues to sin, and one of her own fears, which she herself had brought forth, rises up against her; and it angers him, his ears tingle at all that comes from the mouths of those who devise iniquity, who think wrongly about the king and about the queen, as they say: 'Does the king delay for no reason in bringing back his banished one, these many years?' And also concerning the king they stretch out their tongue, saying: 'Is she fit in his eyes, that he has not replaced her nor exchanged her for another? Why has he abandoned her and forgotten her?' Because of this matter, a child was born to them, who took up his parable and put into his mouth a new song; and his song was the words of their love and their longing, treasure upon treasure, of how they yearned intensely for one another even after she had been sent away, and that his hiding his face from her was not out of jealousy or hatred, for even there his hand guides and leads her; and that even while she is in the land of her enemies, even there the two of them exchange expressions of love — she making a request of him, and he inclining kindness toward her, spreading his wings over her, and taking her back as in the first practice, for she is not like other women, for she disdains their perversity, since they are evil beasts and their wickedness stems from their very hearts — but she is not so. And he, too, responds to her with his words, that he has loved her with an everlasting love, and speaks to her heart, that she is good in his eyes, so as to grant her request and do her bidding — but only after she first begins to prepare her cosmetics of adornment and, like a bride, decks herself with her jewels. Behold, in just this manner, in this very image, has it happened to us, the assembly of Israel, with the companion of our youth, our Father, our King, as our Sages of blessed memory applied this parable to the day of our departure from Egypt: 'To a king's daughter whom bandits seized... etc.; after a time the king sought to marry her... etc.' For out of His love for us, may He be blessed, He took us out of Egypt, split the sea for us, and brought us through it on dry land; and when the time of love arrived, the love of a bride, He brought us near before Mount Sinai and brought us in under His wings, and He kissed us with the kiss of His mouth by making us hear Torah and mitzvot from His own mouth, and He rejoiced greatly over us as a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, and He brought us into the Land of Israel and built for us the Chosen House. And it was, when He found in us a matter of unseemliness, that we had strayed after other gods, and our heart had been enticed after mute idols, that His anger burned against us and He drove us out of His house, and in His wrath He set a fixed term for our banishment, until the completion of seventy years in Babylon; and when these days were completed, Hashem returned our captivity and inclined toward kindness, as our Sages of blessed memory said: 'Does a man become jealous except of a mighty man over another mighty man?...' But what are these wretched idols, that they are mere vanity, unworthy of jealousy? For it would be like a woman who, in place of her husband, takes a eunuch. Therefore He prepared a palace in its proper order and brought us into His palace, and from then on we ceased to burn incense to the gods of the nations, the idols. But as our days grew long, we were drawn after bad conduct, and we held fast to the trait of baseless hatred, and because of this we were sent away from His house, and we went out and became wanderers from city to city and from kingdom to kingdom, refuse and rejected among the nations, and they made us a desolation; and behold, in terror we were shattered, we mourned there, dread held us fast, for the days of calamity have grown long for us, and we have not been saved, and none among us knows for how long — until when, Hashem, will the remnant, the remnant of Jacob, return? For the first days, when we were exiled to Babylon, were better than these, for His own mouth had declared a set time for our return; but this time He says, 'I will surely hide My face,' and a day of vengeance is in His heart, because of the presence of the trait of baseless hatred in our hearts, as it is stated in tractate Yoma, first chapter: 'For the first ones, whose sin was revealed, their end was revealed; for the last ones, whose sin was not revealed, their end was not revealed' — and it is this that has stood against us to destroy us, and because of it we are killed all day long in all the places to which we have been banished. And even so, He has not abandoned us, He has not utterly hidden His face from us — it is only in a flash of wrath, the left hand pushing away, but the right hand of Hashem drawing near. And we too have not forgotten the name of our God — Heaven forbid that we should! — for together, all of us, are prisoners of hope; always, all day, our soul thirsts greatly for Him, hoping that He will again have mercy on us, embrace us, and kiss us with the kisses of His mouth, and let us taste of the honeycomb of the pleasant words of Hashem upon us, mouth to mouth — this is the good thing we hope for, as He spoke to us through the prophets of truth and righteousness, saying of us, 'And all your children shall be taught of Hashem.' For we tasted a little, a very small amount, at the great and holy Assembly at Mount Sinai, so that we know His hand is still outstretched to receive us; for even this — while we are in the land of our enemies — He has not rejected us, nor loathed us, nor exchanged us, for Israel is His people whom He chose, one nation on earth, not reckoned among the nations; not so those who do not know Hashem, even when they witness the wonders of His deeds. But the portion of Jacob is not like these — those who cleave to Hashem, for in distress they seek Him out, submissive to His voice, and do not despise His rebuke. Therefore, out of concern lest anyone say that Israel, Heaven forbid, has come to ruin because they abandoned Hashem and He forgot them in this bitter exile — that we have forgotten the name of our God and He has cast us off as of this day — therefore God appeared through a great and eminent man, Solomon, king of Israel, through whom He caused His Shechinah to dwell among us in the Chosen House, and He put in his mouth a new song concerning the wretched Jews, prisoners of hope, exiled in this final exile, teaching in depth His love, may He be blessed, for us, and our love for Him as well, according to all the words of this book. For it teaches that it is not merely over the House lying in ruins, and our being exiled from our land, that our bond has been dissolved; for indeed our soul always thirsts to return to taste of the honeycomb of the kisses of the words of His mouth, as we tasted at Sinai in holiness, and we are still like the wife of one's youth, leaning on her beloved even after being sent away, saying to Him, 'Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,' etc.; and He too, may He be blessed, responds with His words to her, that she is a daughter of His people, His bride, and He will again draw her near, bring her in, and settle her in a palace built in its proper order, which He will build for her, an everlasting building, when we return to Him; and thereby He will comfort us for our sorrow over the ground which Hashem has cursed, and over Mount Zion which lies desolate, and for the grief of our soul over the length of our exiles. And His exalted wisdom, may He be blessed, decreed that the very one who built the first House should be the one to comfort us regarding this last exile — namely King Solomon, peace be upon him — who, even then, was already foretelling and speaking of the last House on the basis of the first. There is yet a second reason: behold, in the days of Solomon the moon was at its fullness, for from Abraham until him there were fifteen generations: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David, Solomon; and from then on the diminishing began, for Rehoboam's kingdom was flawed, and the flaw continued to grow until Zedekiah, who was the twenty-ninth generation, the utter completion of the diminishing; and from then we lacked everything, and all our precious things became ruins. Therefore, since the diminishing was destined to proceed from Solomon onward, the Holy One, blessed be He, wished that he should be the one to comfort us and teach us that, even today, in the length of our exile, the Rock who bore us has not moved from His affection for us, and we too remain devoted to Him, according to all the words of this holy song, and that He will not rest until He has utterly brought back His banished one. There is yet a third reason: behold, no man took the distress of our future subjugation to heart as did King Solomon, out of concern that the Sanctuary of Hashem, which His hands established, would not endure forever; for this reason, from the time the House was being built, he built, within the ground of the Sanctuary, a hiding-place for the Ark, for when the days of the destruction would draw near, as shown by the words of King Josiah: 'Put the ark into the house which Solomon built' — for who else had removed it until then from the house that Solomon built? Rather, this refers to its hiding-place, as our Sages of blessed memory said. And his own mouth was also full of this, saying, 'Except Hashem build the house...' etc. — as we have explained in its place, that he meant: woe over the loss of the first two Houses, for only concerning the House destined to be the Third House does 'except Hashem build the house — in vain do its builders labor on it' apply, for that House will be the work of God and will never be moved; likewise 'except Hashem guard the city' — as it is written, 'And I will be for her a wall of fire round about,' etc. — 'in vain does the watchman keep vigil,' as at present. And so, too, I take it regarding the verse, 'Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less this house that I have built' — meaning: except for that which Hashem Himself will build in this very place, for that will be the work of God. And therefore, because of his having been so troubled over this from the outset, it was fitting that it be he, and no other, through whom this song should be composed — a song which teaches, in depth, the love of Hashem for His people Israel, and that we have not forgotten Him in our exile, and that we too cleave to Hashem, and that He will not refrain from redeeming us, according to all the words of this holy dialogue — and how much more so now, since the three reasons stated have all come together in him, showing that it is fitting for him, and for no other man, to speak the words of this song. And this is the meaning of: 'The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's' — meaning: let it not seem strange to you that a song of the dialogue of the children of the second destruction should be spoken from the mouth of Solomon, builder of the first House, as though it should be attributed only to one of the great men among the children of that destruction; rather, know that this song is truly among the songs that are fitting for Solomon himself, and this is on account of the reasons stated in truth. Or it may be said, by attending to the statements of our Sages of blessed memory — some say that the Song of Songs was uttered at the Red Sea, from the mouths of the ministering angels; and some say it was at Sinai, from His own mouth, may He be exalted; and some say it was in the Tent of Meeting. Now, alongside the agreement of our Sages of blessed memory, according to what actually occurred, that the holy spirit rested upon Solomon and he composed three books — Song of Songs, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes — if we were to say that they had been forgotten and he restored them by the holy spirit, how could it say 'which is Solomon's'? For behold, Othniel ben Kenaz restored many halachot that had been forgotten from Israel through his sharp reasoning (pilpul), and they were not called by his name — so why should it be any different here merely because it came about through the power of pilpul rather than the holy spirit? But to answer this, let us attend to its saying 'which is Solomon's' (asher liShlomo) rather than saying 'A Song of Songs, of Solomon' (Shir HaShirim liShlomo), as it says elsewhere, 'A song of ascents, of Solomon.' Rather, this is like the matter we discussed in our commentary on the book of Proverbs, regarding the teaching that, may He be blessed, in the days of Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, it could already be said, 'Eliezer my son says: a calf in its first year,' etc. For would it not seem strange indeed to attribute his statement and teaching to the name of a mortal man, and not merely that, but generations before he was even born? But it is, as discussed there, that every single soul of Israel has its own portion in the Torah, corresponding to its particular aspect; and this is the kindness which He, may He be blessed, does for every single person — not to introduce anything new into the world pertaining to the aspect of a person's soul except through that person's own mouth, in each generation. And not only that, but He Himself, may He be exalted, will not even mention that holy teaching except in the name of its owner, for even before he was born it was already said, 'This is the portion of so-and-so.' So too in this matter: even though it was He, may He be blessed, or His angels, who sang this song at that time, from the very beginning they already said, 'The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's' — meaning, this is a song among the songs that belong to Solomon, that is, a song in which he has a portion of his soul, similar to the honored statement, 'Eliezer my son says: a heifer two years old,' etc., for from then it was already revealed that the ruling belongs to Eliezer his son — it is a portion of his soul. So too here it says, 'The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's' — it is his, a portion of his soul, and it was destined to be uttered through his mouth when it would come to be introduced anew in the world; and so, from then on, it is said, 'which is his.' And in a manner similar to the previous approach, it is possible, by applying the mind, to understand its saying 'HaShirim' (the Songs, plural) rather than simply 'a song, of Solomon's' — as our Sages of blessed memory say in Midrash Chazit (Song of Songs Rabbah): Rabbi Simon says, 'Shir HaShirim is entirely a single unit; but as for these other two, what do you make of them? — "A song of ascents, of Solomon" and "A psalm, a song for the dedication of the House, of David."' And it is fitting to know why he mentions, in this connection, these other two, and I believe I have come to understand it. For it was in their minds that these three songs together correspond to the two times the Temple was built, along with the Third House which we hope for: for 'A psalm, a song for the dedication of the House' was said concerning the House that Solomon built; and 'A song of ascents, of Solomon' was said concerning the second House, as is evident from the matter, 'Except Hashem build the house, its builders labor on it in vain; except Hashem guard the city, the watchman keeps vigil in vain,' etc. — for it teaches that it speaks of the House at the time of its being built the second time, since it was not attributed to a single builder, as the first was to Solomon, but rather it had many builders, and there were also guards for the city — some holding spears, etc., others holding tools, etc. — and the night was for them a watch and the day for labor. Whereas the Song of Songs speaks of the redemption and of the transition from the two previous Houses to the Third, for then he will kiss us with the kisses of his mouth, as we request in this final exile of ours, for this last House, which we hope for, will endure forever — by the merit of Jacob, whose lineage is complete, and therefore it is called 'House,' unlike the first, which, by the merit of Abraham, was called 'mountain' and later became a mountain of ruins, and unlike the second, which, by the merit of Isaac, was called 'field' and the field was plowed and laid waste. And by this it is saying: this is 'a song' among the three songs that Solomon composed, meaning, the song among the songs, the most praiseworthy of the songs that belong to Solomon. And this is because any song found within any of the holy books inevitably possesses a preciousness and greatness above the rest of the words of that book. He is saying that just as a song stands, in relation to the rest of the words of the book in which it is found, elevated above them, so too does this song stand in relation to the other songs that belong to Solomon — as though the remaining two were not even to be reckoned songs before this one, for it rises many levels above them — in the way that people, in praising a man of great, abundant, and lofty valor, commonly say of him, 'a hero among heroes' (gever begovrin) — meaning that he is not to be reckoned a man in comparison with empty and worthless people, but only among heroes, mighty men of valor, is he alone to be reckoned a man, while they are not comparable to him. So it says that this song is to be reckoned among the songs that belong to Solomon, as if this one alone is to be reckoned 'a song' relative to them. And this is because, regarding the hoped-for House that will be established forever, we still have a further inheritance in the House that is in heaven; for in our life, while still living, He will speak with us mouth to mouth, in a vision and not in riddles, like the vision He showed us at Mount Sinai. And such is the longing for which our soul thirsts: that we merit to be 'taught of Hashem,' mouth to mouth, as we began to experience at that holy Assembly — for we were purified there from the defilement of the serpent, had we not then incurred the sin of the Golden Calf, so that 'the pitcher was broken at the fountain' and our defilement returned to us; and now our soul is dry, and therefore, like a deer panting after the water-brooks, it yearns, and it even pines, hoping that He will again have mercy on us and purify us, bring us within the fence, and kiss us with the kisses of His mouth, for from then on we shall never be moved. Now, in the unfolding of this dialogue between Him, may He be blessed, and the children of Israel, there branches out both His praise of the assembly of His people Israel, and the assembly of Israel's praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, as will come to be explained in the streets of the city of this dialogue, with God's help. And it is possible that this is what our Sages of blessed memory intended in their statement: 'All the other songs are holy, but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies.' For is it not that all the other songs share this common feature — that they are holy praises to Hashem for the miracle and the deliverance which He wondrously performed, or for many miracles — they encompass the beauty of a single holiness, namely His praise, may He be blessed? But this Song is a holiness that encompasses two holinesses — the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the praise of Knesset Yisrael (the Assembly of Israel) — and this is why it is the Holy of Holies. Or, alternatively, all of it may refer back to His praise, may He be blessed: for the historic songs number ten, according to the statement of the Aramaic translator (Targum); and there is no doubt that each one has an aspect distinct from the others — there is a song for a miracle performed through the attribute of mercy, such as the Song at the Sea; and there is one for a miracle that came about through the attribute of judgment; and there is one for a shared aspect. And by analogy to the ten known aspects corresponding to the ten songs, he is saying that all the other songs are each a single holiness, since each one includes only a single holiness; but this Song is a holiness that encompasses all the holinesses, for here we praise the Holy One, blessed be He, in all His aspects, one by one — just as they took up the parable comparing Him to the stature of a man, saying, 'His head is as the most fine gold,' etc., from the head to the feet, to encompass all the aspects, as is known. And by this, we too may say, in the plain sense of the verse, 'Song of Songs' — a song encompassing all the other songs — referring to the aspect that encompasses all ten, as has been discussed.

"The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's" — and this is [to be understood as follows]: although the Sages, of blessed memory, said that every [instance of the name] "Shlomo" stated in the Song of Songs is holy [i.e., refers to God], except for "behold, the bed which was Solomon's" (Song of Songs 3:7) — nevertheless, in this verse the intent was about the songs that King Solomon composed concerning the Holy King who possesses peace (shalom), just as they, of blessed memory, explained it: for indeed, the existence of existing things comes about through peace, unopposed, while destruction comes about through opposition and its contrary; and from Him, the Source of every existing thing, peace comes, while destruction comes through His hiding His face from it, as it is said, "You hide Your face, they are dismayed, etc." (Psalms 104:29). And so some of the ancients, in stating the first principles of existence, said that they are peace and strife. And so the author began, as one relating the words of the congregation of Hashem and her prayer to God, may He be blessed, in her saying:

"The Song of Songs" — Since Solomon composed many songs, as it is written, 'and his songs were a thousand and five,' therefore he states at the opening of the book that this song is the most praised and exalted of all the songs attributed to Solomon, because it is a song of love; in it he tells of the full strength of the bond of intense love and the true attachment between God, blessed be He, and His people the House of Israel, and he took hold of a parable drawn from the intense and powerful love between a lover and his beloved, whose longing greatly increases when they are separated from one another, and who wait for the time of their permanent reunion to come. (And even though the allegorical meaning does not correspond to the parable in every particular detail, that is of no consequence, for such is the way of a parable — that it contains additional matters to embellish it, so that it will be accepted by the heart, sinking into the innermost chambers of the belly.)

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. She recites this song with her mouth in her exile and in her widowhood, “If only King Shlomo would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth as of yore,” because in some places they kiss on the back of the hand or on the shoulder, “but I desire and wish that he behave with me as his original behavior, like a bridegroom with a bride, mouth to mouth.” as in Bereishis 27:26 and Ibid. 29:11, and in many other places. (Sifsei Chachomim) — Notes: (7) “With the kisses of his mouth” is obviously superfluous, therefore Rashi explains that it refers to the days of yore. (Sifsei Chachomim) (8) If it were not mouth to mouth the verb נשק [=kiss] would be followed with a lamed For ... is dearer. Your love [is dearer] to me than any banquet of wine or than any pleasure and joy. In the Hebrew language, every feast of pleasure and joy is called after the wine, as the matter is stated, “to the house of the wine feast,” [and as in,] “They shall not drink wine with song,” [and as in,] “And there were harp and lute, tambourine and flute, and wine at their drinking parties.” This is the explanation of its apparent meaning. And according to its allegorical meaning: It was said in reference to when He gave them His Torah and spoke to them face to face. And that love is still more pleasant to them than any pleasure, and they are assured by Him that He will appear to them again to explain to them the secret of its reasons and its hidden mysteries, and they beseech Him to fulfill His word. This is [the meaning of], “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth.” — Notes: (9) Esther 7:8. (10) Yeshayahu 24:9. (11) Ibid. 5:12.

The first approach: "a kiss" (neshikah) — without a letter separating the two who are joined, it refers to a kiss on the mouth, as in "let him kiss me" (yishakeni); but with the letter lamed [prefixed to the object], it is on the hand, or on the shoulder, or on the cheek, as in "let me kiss my father and my mother" (1 Kings 19:20), and "Jacob kissed Rachel" (Genesis 29:11). "Your love" (dodekha) — the singular form "dodi" (my beloved) is also found, as in "he goes to my beloved, sincerely" (Song of Songs 7:10). It is sometimes a noun, and sometimes a descriptive term used like a noun, as in "the song of my beloved" (Isaiah 5:1). And one of the Geonim said that it [dodim] is the moisture beneath the tongue, in the sense of "let us take our fill of love (dodim)" (Proverbs 7:18). The second approach: a young woman from outside the town, [among the vineyards], saw a shepherd [passing by] and desired him and longed for him [in her heart], and she said, "Would that he would kiss me" — many times. And as though he heard her, she said to him thus: "for your love is better [than wine]" — your beloved ones bring more joy than wine; "and because of the fragrance of your oils" — for your name is like oil that is poured out, whose fragrance wafts abroad; "therefore the maidens" — the young women — "love you." The third approach: Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) speaks, and she begins with Abraham, who kept the commandments of Hashem; and the "kisses" were as it says, "and he kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5); and he took more delight in the service of Hashem than in wine, and he made known the works of his God, and turned souls back to the fear of Hashem.

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, etc." — This is the beginning of the revelation of the passionate longing for Hashem felt by those who, in this mighty exile, wish to cling to Him, may He be blessed. He portrays them, as stated, like a comely and gracious bride, the beloved of a king, who was sent away from his house and went out, and who was desolate and forlorn, sick with love all day for her first husband, leaning upon her beloved as she remembered the companion of her youth, the love of her bridal days; her heart was like a burning fire pent up in her bones, and she said in her heart, "I will speak, and it will bring relief to me; I will open my lips and I will answer" — perhaps God will relent and His mercy will be stirred at the sound of her supplications. And she answered and said, with a broken heart and an anguished body, in a bitter soul, like a poor woman storm-tossed: "Would that he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, as in days of old." Now, in order to arrive at the true nature of the matter, let us turn our attention to the essence and meaning of a kiss, which is the very fruit of the greatness of the love between cherished, beloved friends, when their love is wondrous — as a father favors a son, and his soul is bound up with his soul, he kisses him with the kisses of his mouth. And I believe I understand this from the pleasant words of our predecessors [the Sages], for love comes into being between equals and those who are joined together, and its opposite occurs through separation. Therefore they say that in order to show one's fellow one's love for him, as for one's own soul, one embraces him and kisses him. And the reason given to explain the excellence of the matter is that there are two kinds of connection and bonding, one above the other: one pertains to the physical, and above it is the one that pertains to the soul, and it is the greater one, penetrating the quality of their inner being. Therefore one who wishes to show the depth of his love for his covenant-partner does so through two [gestures]: he shows him these two bonds by which he is bound and connected to him — for the physical bond he embraces him, and for the bond of the soul he kisses him, to show that his soul is bound to his soul. For indeed the mouth is related to the soul, as Onkelos translated with his wisdom, rendering "and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7) as "a speaking spirit." And for this reason our Sages of blessed memory described the passing of the three shepherds of Israel [Moses, Aaron, and Miriam] — not by the hand of an angel but by His own hand, may He be blessed — as "death by a kiss," because His Shechinah, may He be blessed, cleaves to the soul, the spirit of life in their nostrils, and draws it after Him, may He be blessed, separating it from the physical — which is like a kiss, mouth to mouth, as they expounded on the verse "So Moses...died there...by the mouth of Hashem" (Deuteronomy 34:5). And something close to this happened to the three companions of Rashbi [Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai], who were taken when they gathered together at the Idra [the mystical assembly], in the midst of their discourse on the hidden secrets of the Torah which Elijah, of blessed memory, had told them — for their souls cleaved to the quality of the secret of the Torah and ascended above to God, who grants souls — even though it was not, strictly speaking, kisses mouth to mouth from His own mouth, as with Moses our teacher, but it was something resembling an actual kiss. [Such an experience] came to the entire people of the children of Israel on the day of the wedding of the giving of the Torah, when their souls departed, for they died upon hearing the voice of Hashem speaking with them — as they said, "their soul went out when He spoke" — because the Shechinah cleaved to their souls and they were drawn after it; for Israel, who stood at Mount Sinai, attained the prophecy of "face to face" and "to see the sounds." And to arrive at the essence of this teaching, let us recall, my beloved, their words in Midrash Chazit [Song of Songs Rabbah], as follows: "'Let him kiss us with the kisses of his mouth' — Rabbi Yochanan said: An angel would bring the utterance out from before the Holy One, blessed be He, at each and every utterance, and would bring it around to each and every one of Israel and say to him, 'Do you accept this utterance upon yourself? It has such-and-such laws in it, such-and-such punishments in it, such-and-such decrees in it, and such-and-such commandments, and such-and-such minor and major points in it, and such-and-such reward in it.' And Israel would say to him, 'Yes.' And it would go back and say to him, 'Do you accept upon yourself the divinity of the Holy One, blessed be He?' And he would say, 'Yes, yes.' Immediately the utterance would kiss him on his mouth. That is what is written, 'You have been shown to know' (Deuteronomy 4:35) — [meaning,] by means of a messenger. And the Rabbis say: the utterance itself would go around to each and every one of Israel and say to him, 'Do you accept upon yourself that I have such-and-such commandments in me, such-and-such laws in me, such-and-such punishments in me, such-and-such decrees in me, and such-and-such commandments, such-and-such minor and major points in me, such-and-such reward in me?' And he would say, 'Yes, yes.' Immediately the utterance would kiss him on his mouth. That is what is written, 'Lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen' (Deuteronomy 4:9) — that your eyes saw how the utterance was speaking." So far [the Midrash]. Now it is fitting to take note: How is it possible that the utterance be taken by means of an angel, when the angel has no continued existence, since after it delivers its message it passes and departs and is no more? And furthermore, it says "an angel would bring the utterance out from before the Holy One, blessed be He" — who brought it in, that it should go out from a state of non-existence, and how is it possible for it to go out from before Him, may He be blessed? And furthermore, what need was there for the angel — why did He not do it Himself, as the Rabbis hold? And furthermore, in saying "such-and-such laws in it" — surely each one of the Ten Commandments is a single commandment, so how can there be several laws and several commandments in it, and what is the meaning of these divisions — laws, punishments, decrees, commandments, minor and major points, and reward? And furthermore, what is this second question, "Do you accept the divinity of the Holy One, blessed be He?" — is this not already included in accepting the utterance? And furthermore, what is this answer, "Yes, yes," twice? And furthermore, in saying "immediately it would kiss him" — how can a kiss be attributed to an utterance, and what is the meaning of "on his mouth"? And furthermore, its statement, "that is what is written, 'You have been shown to know,' etc." — that verse speaks only of a revelation, may He be blessed, and not of the utterance being taken by means of an angel and going around. And furthermore, regarding the words of the Rabbis, "the utterance itself, etc." — is it not considered strange for the utterance to go, as it were, to each and every one and speak to him all these things? And furthermore, why, according to their view, did it not add the question "Do you accept His divinity, etc.," as in the view of Rabbi Yochanan; and likewise why is its answer "Yes" also stated twice? And furthermore, regarding its statement, "that is what is written, 'Lest you forget,' etc." — why did it not bring the proof instead from the verse "And all the people saw the voices" (Exodus 20:15), which our Sages of blessed memory expounded to mean "they saw that which is normally [only] heard"? And furthermore, who told them that the phrase "the things that your eyes saw" refers to what the utterance was speaking with him, and not to the commandments themselves, which they were "seeing" in the sense of hearing? However, in order to arrive at the explanation, let us preface it with two well-known premises, for the seeker of understanding. One: just as we observe that when an utterance issues from a person's mouth, breath goes out from his mouth, so we may picture, regarding the word of Hashem, that it goes forth and spreads an emanation flowing out, resembling the breath of a mouth, when He, may He be blessed, speaks — except that they differ according to the quality of the speaker. For man, being physical, his breath too passes away and does not endure, and is devoid of holiness except for the merit belonging to the speech itself, if it concerns matters of Torah and mitzvot. But He, may He be blessed, whose holiness has no limit, His breath too cannot be measured, nor can any angel or seraph [match it] — indeed Scripture testifies, as it is written, "By the word of Hashem the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host" (Psalms 33:6) — this shows, pointing as it were with a finger, that the breath of His mouth in speaking brought into being everything that is in the heavens. The matter is that speech cannot literally be conceived of Him, may He be blessed, given His greatness, as is known; rather, it is that from His Shechinah — which is His throne of glory, metaphorically described as a mouth, being the source from which the flow of His providence and influence, may He be blessed, issues to the lower world — from that inner point called "mouth" there issues a flow and a power of holiness spreading outward, and it is, in quality, like the breath of a speaking mouth going forth from its interior when He speaks; and through this spreading-forth it thickens somewhat, to the point of being heard as a sound. And that power which goes forth and spreads is what performs whatever He, may He be blessed, wills to accomplish by it. For there is no doubt that the Ten Utterances by which the world was created — since the breath of His mouth, may He be blessed, in the utterance itself, brought into being everything spoken of within it — and this holds true of any utterance that goes forth from His mouth, may He be blessed, as it is said, "For as the rain comes down... so shall My word that goes forth from My mouth not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I desire, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:10-11). Thus the utterance itself is the agent that acts and accomplishes and causes to prosper that for which it was sent. How much more so now, when His utterance, may He be blessed, which goes forth from His mouth, comes from the words of His Torah, whose holiness knows no bound — for then there is no comparing the holiness of the spiritual quality of the breath that then went forth from His mouth, may He be blessed, since He was, as it were, emanating and drawing forth, in the breath of His mouth, in every single utterance, from the spirituality of the world of the secret of holiness pertaining to Him, may He be blessed — from the inward sefirot of the Torah, which is inseparable from Him, may He be blessed, as is known — even though the utterance necessarily had to go forth and be chained down and thicken somewhat in a manner that human, physical man could bear, so that Israel could hear His voice. How sweet are the words of our Sages of blessed memory in Midrash Chazit, where, speaking of the giving of the Torah, they say as follows: "And some say that she drank it in from His mouth, and it is given to him, as it is said, 'For Hashem gives wisdom; from His mouth [comes] knowledge and understanding'" (Proverbs 2:6) — showing that the words of His mouth, may He be blessed, in the Torah that goes forth from His mouth, are, in their quality, related to something hidden within His mouth, may He be blessed. Thus it is not surprising that the utterance is something exceedingly spiritual, enduring forever, such that a perfect man could speak with it as he would speak with one of the angels on high — even though the level of speech surpasses them all, higher and higher, as they said in the chapter "Ein Dorshin" [Chagigah]: "Every utterance that goes forth from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, an angel is created from it, as it is said, 'and by the breath of His mouth all their host'" — so far [the passage]. Now, from the fact that it does not say "it becomes an angel," this shows that its quality is above that of an angel, since it is the angel that is created from it, through its spreading forth — and this is the meaning of "an angel is created from it," which is what we wrote regarding "the breath of His mouth, all their host" — that through the breath of His mouth He brought into being the heavenly hosts as well, who are the angels — for the quality of the utterance far surpasses them. Furthermore, secondly: the entire Torah — all its general principles and details, its grammatical fine points and interpretations — was stated at Sinai. And even though we find only the Ten Commandments recorded, there is no doubt that they encompass the whole Torah and its commandments, for all of them are interwoven within them, some in this one and some in that one, as Rashi, of blessed memory, states in the parashah, deriving it precisely from the verse; and likewise Rav Saadiah Gaon, of blessed memory, apportioned all 613 commandments among them. And on this matter we find sound reasoning in the words of our Sages of blessed memory in Midrash Chazit, for there it is stated that Israel said to Moses our teacher, "You speak with us, etc." (Exodus 20:16), and afterward they saw that whatever he taught them, they would forget, whereas what they heard from the mouth of the Almighty [directly] was not forgotten; then they said, "Moses is flesh and blood, who passes away, so too his teaching passes away," and they returned to Moses and said to him, "Let Him reveal it to us a second time, etc." Now, is it not strange that forgetfulness should befall something as brief as the Ten Commandments, since they are so few? All the more so since they say that, because the first two commandments were from His own mouth, may He be blessed, they were not forgotten — how could they attribute the absence of forgetfulness to their having learned them from His own mouth, rather than simply to their being only two commandments? Rather, there is no doubt that they were hearing not merely the Ten Commandments as they appear to us, but each and every one together with all its ramifications, encompassing the entire Torah, all its general principles and details — and regarding this, were it not for "Hashem of Hosts" having spoken (cf. Isaiah 1:9), who could contain them without forgetting, in a single moment, what was said within two commandments? And with this let us draw near to the explanation of the statement, considering carefully and understanding the matter of Hashem's word to Moses, "Mouth to mouth I speak with him" (Numbers 12:8). For behold, when a man speaks to his fellow face to face, the speaker's word travels not from mouth to mouth but from mouth to ear; so too, when a word of royalty issues from before Him, may He be blessed, surely it enters into Moses's ear and not his mouth, and it should have said, rather, "mouth to ear I speak with him." However, to understand one of the descriptions of the levels of the prophecy of Moses our teacher intended by His statement, may He be blessed, "mouth to mouth I speak with him," let us consider the level of the prophecy of the children of Israel at the standing at Mount Sinai, who heard it while awake — does this reach the level of Moses our teacher, or not? For behold, concerning them too it is said, "Face to face Hashem spoke with your whole assembly" (Deuteronomy 5:4), just as was said regarding Moses our teacher; and our Sages of blessed memory also said that, as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, tore open the heavens and the heaven of heavens and showed His glory, and there is nothing higher than this — or shall we say that no one else ever ascended to the level of the prophecy of Moses our teacher? And I think to understand this, in my humble portion, by dividing the way of attaining prophecy into four levels, one above the other; and this requires the preface that every wise-hearted man will find it difficult [to understand] how it is possible that He, may He be blessed — who is devoid of all corporeality and higher than all spirituality — should unite His speech with a mere tiller of the soil, a man of the earth formed from clay. However, the sages of truth have divided [man's inner] faculties into three, one above the other, which become unified in man: the first is the vital soul (nefesh), which cleaves to his physical being; above it is the spirit (ruach), which is bound to it; above it is the soul (neshamah), which rises above them all and is attached to the spirit — even though all of them derive from God above. Thus, when Hashem desires a man's ways and wishes to speak with him, He causes the flow of emanation to rest upon him according to the measure of the prophet's preparedness — [descending] to his neshamah, which is closest to Him, and from it chained down to the ruach, and from it to the nefesh, and from it spreading until it reaches the body. When the body is exceedingly pure, as it was with Moses our teacher, the physical body did not prevent Him from speaking with him while awake. But this was not so for any prophet besides him — even though their bodies were like pure, clear glass, purer in substance than the rest of the people — for they lacked the strength to receive the flow of the prophetic influence in their soul except as in a dream, when the soul is somewhat separated [from the body]. And even in a dream, why only partially? Because the soul still retains a bond with matter, [and] falls, under the influence of the flow of holiness, upon the body, and then it is humbled and becomes broken and crushed. Now, the joining of the emanation from Him, may He be blessed, to the true and righteous prophets is possible in one of four ways. First: when the utterance goes forth from Him, may He be blessed, to the prophet, the spirituality of the breath of His mouth goes forth to the soul of the prophet — which is inflated [with breath] from Him, may He be blessed — and cleaves to it. Now, we have written above that the mouth of man is related to the soul, such that the bond of the breath of His mouth to the soul of man is called a "kiss of the mouth." Thus the holy, spiritual breath would go — not from His mouth, may He be blessed, to the mouth of man to bind itself to his soul — rather, it is that which joins His mouth, as it were, may He be blessed, to the mouth of man, like a connecting channel (metsuka) which forms the connection between the vessel that pours and the vessel that is filled. And the man to whom Hashem has granted the merit of rising to this level of prophecy — his prophecy is indeed to be described as a kiss of mouth to mouth, as though the two mouths were joined by means of the spirituality of the breath of His mouth, may He be blessed, which joins them; and such was the prophecy of Moses our teacher. And how sweet is this — His statement, may He be blessed, "mouth to mouth I speak with him" — meaning that His mouth, may He be blessed, joins with the soul of Moses by means of the utterance [passing] from His mouth, may He be blessed, to the mouth of Moses, for from there comes the joining of the soul — even though the ear hears afterward, after this joining has occurred. And this did not happen with anyone but Moses alone; for even though a "kiss" is also mentioned regarding Aaron and Miriam, that was only in the sense of a joining meant to remove and elevate their soul at the time of their passing, but not with regard to the level of their prophecy. And below this there is a second level, in which the utterance — that is, the breath of His mouth, may He be blessed — does not join with the soul of the prophet at the very moment the utterance issues from His mouth, may He be blessed, because that prophet lacked the strength for such a joining, which would be truly mouth to mouth, cleaving to Him, may He be blessed, by means of the breath of His mouth, may He be blessed. Rather, after the word of Hashem has already gone forth from His mouth, and the breath of His mouth has been emanated from Him, may He be blessed — that great and holy power, of a level above that of an angel, joins with the soul of the prophet. And this is called the "kiss of the utterance" upon the mouth of man, pertaining to the soul, but not "the kiss of His own mouth," may He be blessed, since it occurred only after the utterance had gone forth from Him and was no longer issuing from His mouth, but rather mediates between them. And this, I think, is the intent of the verse that states, "whom Hashem knew face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10) — meaning, one with whom God joined by means of the pouring forth of the flow, as in the phrase "and Adam knew..." (Genesis 4:1) — while still "face to face," meaning while He was speaking with him, directly before his face, and not afterward. This is also the intent of "and he heard the Voice speaking to him" (Numbers 7:89) — meaning it was still speaking to him — and this is the first level. Concerning the second level, our Sages of blessed memory said, in the statement before us, that for each and every one of Israel at Mount Sinai the utterance would kiss him on his mouth, meaning it would join with his soul, as we shall explain, God willing. There is furthermore a third level, in which the breath of His mouth, may He be blessed, made and emanated in His speech, does not itself cleave to the soul of the prophet; rather, the breath of His mouth draws forth from itself a further spreading-forth that is not as refined as itself, and it is that second power which speaks with him — and the state of all three of these levels is still without intermediary. There is furthermore a fourth level, the lowest of all, in which an angel receives His utterance, may He be blessed, and the angel is the one who speaks with the prophet — as we heard reported in the name of the sage Rabbi Shlomo Molcho, may his repose be in the Garden of Eden, regarding their statement [about Moses], "this teaches that they suspected him of relations with a married woman" (Sanhedrin 110a), meaning that he received the flow of his prophecy from the angel Gabriel, and not directly from Him, may He be blessed, without intermediary. Thus the words of the statement [in the Midrash] come out correctly. For the view of Rabbi Yochanan is that even at the very outset, when the utterance went forth from Him, may He be blessed, before it had begun to go around to each and every one of Israel, it was heard "face to face" by the whole assembly together, as in "and all the people saw the voices" (Exodus 20:15), and likewise, "Face to face Hashem spoke with your whole assembly" (Deuteronomy 5:4). But once the utterance had finished going forth from His mouth, may He be blessed, and the spirituality of the utterance stood existing before Him, may He be blessed, as stated above, His wisdom, may He be blessed, decreed that it should speak in the ears of each and every one of Israel individually, [asking] whether he accepted upon himself everything included in the utterance — for the Torah was given to each and every one of Israel individually, as is known. And therefore Rabbi Yochanan said that, because of each individual's inability to attain, on his own, a cleaving to His utterance, may He be blessed — which issued from His great and holy mouth, of a level above that of an angel, as stated — [this joining occurred] only by means of an angel, which is the fourth level. He said that the angel would bring the utterance forth, meaning it would chain it down somewhat from its level of relation to being before Him, may He be blessed — since, because of the great cleaving and connection to His quality, may He be blessed, an existence less refined than the first was emanated from it. This is his statement, "it would bring the utterance forth from before the Holy One, blessed be He" — meaning it would bring forth an utterance from within the utterance that stands before the Holy One, blessed be He, which is itself a power emanated and drawn forth from it, yet was still of a quality higher than an angel — to the point that it can be said that the angel served as a chariot to it and would bring it around to each and every one of Israel, with the angel speaking and saying, "Do you accept, etc." And then, from this fourth level, by virtue of their good response, in giving thanks to the name of Hashem and accepting His commandment and His divinity, may He be blessed — through this preparation He, may He be blessed, would raise them up from it to the second level, in which the utterance would kiss them on their mouth, cleaving to their soul, as stated. And the view of the Rabbis is that their ascent was always gradual, [rising] to the level directly above, and not from the fourth level to the second, as in the view of Rabbi Yochanan, whose position holds that their ascent was without intermediate stages. Therefore they said that they began at the third level, in which the utterance itself would go around and speak with them. This is because, just as when He, may He be blessed, speaks with us, the substance of the utterance is a flow emanated from within His Shechinah, may He be blessed, in the breath that goes out from the mouth — which is beneath the essence of the Shechinah itself — so too, when it is said that the utterance, which was alive and enduring, was speaking, it means that a flow related to the breath of His mouth went forth from within it, [though] beneath the quality of the holiness of the utterance itself which had issued from His mouth, and this [lesser flow] would speak with each and every one of Israel — and this is the third level. And from this level, by virtue of the readiness of their merit and their acceptance, they rose from the third level to the second. And thus it is possible [to explain why the Midrash] does not abbreviate by saying merely "immediately it would kiss him on his mouth," but instead says "the utterance would kiss him," referring back to the essential utterance itself [at the higher level]. But the level of Moses our teacher is the first, which no other man attained — for even when the utterance came to the community [of Israel] as a whole, it was not at his level; and therefore it is not said of them "mouth to mouth" as with Moses, nor even "face to face" (panim el panim), but only "face to face" (panim be-fanim), "Hashem spoke with your whole assembly" — for the phrase "whom Hashem knew face to face" [said of Moses] refers to a joining — which is the meaning of "knew" — through the pouring forth of the flow from within, from above, to the face of Moses, as stated above; but with Israel there was only the lesser mode denoted "panim be-fanim," and all the more so according to the view of our Sages of blessed memory in the Midrash, that "panim be-fanim" refers to the faces of the ministering angels — and aside from this they were unable to bear it, to the point that they said, of blessed memory, that their souls departed, for their strength failed to bear the great power of holiness. And this is one of the differences between the levels of the prophecy of Moses our teacher and the rest of the prophets, indicated by the phrase "mouth to mouth" — aside from the splendor of the inwardness of his vision, [which came] through the shining lens (aspaklaria ha-me'irah), while the rest of the prophets [saw] through the non-shining one — as we shall elaborate at length, together with his other merits, in our commentary on the Torah, please God. Now with this, the general matter of the statement has been explained, and the pivot on which the dispute between Rabbi Yochanan and the Rabbis turns, and several doubts have been resolved; and let us come to the remaining ones, following the sequence of the statement's wording. It is that, through what was said in the first premise, it has been explained that there is a real existence and quality inherent in the utterance, such that it is fitting to say of it that the angel — who is beneath its level — brings it forth from before the Holy One, blessed be He, chains it down, draws it from its level, and brings it around to each and every one of Israel. This is because the King, the King of the world, does not exalt Himself to say, "I shall reign with a vast army," as a [human] king does; therefore He did not give His Torah to the collective alone but to each and every individual, as it says, "I am Hashem your God" — in the singular — even though He was speaking to the collective — because whoever fulfills His Torah, the whole world is worthwhile for his sake, and he becomes a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the creation of the world, for "a single righteous person is the foundation of the world" and sustains it — and this is his partnership: that He, may He be blessed, created it, and this person sustains it. And this is one of the reasons that He, may He be blessed, created a single man in the world — to show that all the worlds He created are worthwhile for the sake of a single person. And therefore, after the utterance went forth in a general way, He would bring it back in a particular way to each and every individual, so that the giving of the Torah would be to each one individually, lest a wicked thought enter a person's heart, saying, "Does not everything follow the majority? And do most of Israel not hold fast to the Torah? What does it matter to Him, may He be blessed, if I, a single poor individual, separate myself from the community?" Therefore He brought His utterance back to each and every one of Israel, lest he cast it off and abandon it. And He began by making it heard to the many first, in a general way, attaining thereby a kiss greater than what would be attained afterward by individuals, to teach in their hearts that the merit of the many is greater — and this is why their collective attainment came without intermediate stages. And He also spoke to them all in the singular, to teach that all of Israel are considered as one and are called a single soul — unlike the other nations, as is known — and that in their unity they rise to a level close to the attainment of Moses our teacher, as stated, in order to teach them to unite, which is the essential thing on which everything depends. And [the Midrash] says the angel [asked], "such-and-such, etc." — this is our statement in the second premise, that the Ten Commandments encompass all the particulars of the entire Torah. And it says "laws" — these are the ordinances of the Torah; "punishments" — the punishments attached to them; "decrees" — these are of rabbinic origin, a safeguard for His own safeguard, may He be blessed; "commandments" — these are commandments from the words of the Scribes which are not [in the category of] safeguard and decree, such as Chanukah and Purim and the like; "minor and major" — these are the hermeneutical principles by which the Torah is expounded, for they were all given at Sinai, and it selects "minor and major" [as representative] because these are the first of the thirteen principles in the baraita of Rabbi Yishmael, cited in Torat Kohanim, and the same applies to all the other principles. And after his saying "Yes," the angel would go back and ask, "Do you accept the divinity of the Holy One, blessed be He" — which, according to the view of the Rabbis, is because, since it was an angel speaking to them, [there was] a concern lest it enter an Israelite's mind that, just as the angel then served as an intermediary between Him, may He be blessed, and the children of Israel, so too he should accept the angel [as an object of worship] to serve as an intermediary — similar to the case of the ministering prince (sar) appointed over each of the nations. Therefore it would go back and ask, "Do you accept the divinity of the Holy One, blessed be He" — meaning, without intermediary — and then he would answer "Yes" to both matters, and they would not be separated. But according to the view of the Rabbis, that it was the utterance itself that was speaking — which is a part of God from above — there was no room for error in it, as there was when it was an angel, so there was no need to go back and ask, "Do you accept His divinity." And the Rabbis' statement, that from the outset they would say "Yes, yes" twice, is because, even though there was no need to specify and explain "do you accept His divinity" for the reason stated, nonetheless it is inevitable that, within the general statement of the words of the utterance, there are two matters implied in saying "I accept upon myself" — for inasmuch as it is of His quality, may He be blessed, saying this is tantamount to saying "I accept His divinity," while with regard to the content of the statement, from the aspect of its subject matter, it is the acceptance of the Torah and its ramifications, concerning which it says "such-and-such laws, etc." And to both matters he would answer and say, "Yes, yes." And [Rabbi Yochanan] brought proof from its saying "you have been shown to know" rather than "you have seen" — this indicates that it was by means of a messenger. And the Rabbis, for their part, brought proof for their view from "lest you forget, etc." rather than from the verse "and all the people see the voices" — because their intent is to prove two things, and both are [proven] from this verse, while neither is [proven] from that verse. They are: first, that the utterance was speaking with each and every individual, and this is [proven from] "lest you forget the things that your eyes saw" — in the singular — unlike the verse "and all the people see, etc.," which is in the plural. Second, that there were many things — laws, punishments, decrees, and commandments — subject to being forgotten, for otherwise how could it say "lest you forget"? And its saying "that your eyes saw" [indicates] "how the utterance was speaking" — [this serves] to exclude the view of Rabbi Yochanan, for if it was the angel speaking and they did not perceive [directly] the essence of the utterance itself, how could it say "the things that your eyes saw"? Did their eyes not see [only] the angel speaking to them, rather than the things themselves? But by this reasoning it would still be possible that they saw the things themselves, and one could still say "that your eyes saw" [meaning] that the utterance was speaking — so what is the difficulty? [The difficulty is this:] according to Rabbi Yochanan, it would be understandable that their eyes saw the angel clothed [in a perceptible form], but how could they see the utterance itself, which is not clothed or given physical form? To this it responds: "your eyes saw how it was," etc. — for they saw only how the utterance was speaking, not the utterance itself. It is also possible that all of these correspond to the three [prior] levels — for the angel, which is the view of Rabbi Yochanan, is the third level mentioned, since Rabbi Yochanan is the one who says, in the chapter "Ein Dorshin," that an angel is created from the utterance — and it is easy to understand how everything converges upon a single point. Thus have all the doubts raised by this statement been explained, for one who contemplates these words of ours. It thus emerges from the words of our Sages of blessed memory that at the holy assembly at Mount Sinai — which was a time of the love of espousal — Israel attained the level of a kiss to some degree, in that the utterance kissed each one on his mouth, even though this was not a kiss mouth to mouth as with Moses our teacher, [which involved] His mouth, may He be blessed, cleaving to their mouths; rather, it is the relation of their soul to the utterance at the moment of its going forth from His mouth, may He be blessed — for that is the ultimate purpose of the bond of a kiss. And with this let us come to the explanation of the verse. From the time that Hashem God created man upon the earth, He began to give him a taste of the felicity anticipated in the end of days, after the resurrection of the dead, speedily in our days — [when] He, may He be blessed, will delight with man in body and soul, and man will be like a chariot for the Shechinah, and will hear Torah from His mouth, mouth to mouth — until he sinned regarding the soul, and his substance became turbid; how much more so those who came forth from his loins, the offspring of Eve, who received defilement from the serpent. And from then it ceased to be possible for us to attain that former cleaving, until the dust returns to the earth as it was; for then they will be refined and purified in the furnace of the earth from the kinds of turbidity of the serpent's defiling filth, and when they are revived from the dust they will arise pure and clear, fit to be a chariot for His Shechinah, may He be blessed, and He will speak with them mouth to mouth — as we discussed regarding Genesis Rabbah's statement, of blessed memory, that in the Torah scroll of Rabbi Meir it was found written "and behold, death (mavet) is good" [instead of] "and behold, it was very good (me'od)" — and indeed the sages' words are true, for Israel, who stood at Mount Sinai, their defilement ceased, and therefore they attained a taste of that anticipated state, and from heaven Hashem let them hear His voice and kissed them through His Ten Utterances, as stated. But because of the [sin of the golden] calf, their defilement returned as before, and death entered through their windows, in place of the freedom from the Angel of Death that had been theirs; and from then the hope was lost of "let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" until the End of Days — for then we shall attain not merely the kiss of the utterance mouth to mouth for all Israel, as at Mount Sinai, but also mouth to mouth as with Moses our teacher, as explained in the [Midrashic] statement, and that is called the actual "kiss of his mouth." And this is the meaning of the verse concerning the future promise, "and all your children shall be taught of Hashem" (Isaiah 54:13). Therefore we, the children of the exile, prisoners of hope, our soul longs amid our troubles for that ultimate anticipated felicity, and with our mouth we fill [our speech] to say, "Let him kiss us with the kisses of his mouth," that He should cleave to us mouth to mouth [and] speak with us — for then it will be better for us than the attainment at Mount Sinai. And to understand the verse, let us note its beginning in the third person, "let him kiss me" (yishakeni), and its shift to the second person in saying, "for your love is better than wine." This is because, in the manner of a gift of love, one first forms a bond of love with the one whom one's soul desires, and only afterward [says], "let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." Now behold, Israel, after their separation from Him, may He be blessed, and evils having befallen them in this mighty exile, their souls yearning, ask of Him, may He be blessed, that He kiss them with the kisses of His mouth — that is, the cleaving of His word, may He be blessed, mouth to mouth. And therefore, because of the greatness of the request, they did not dare in their heart to ask directly, as one speaking in front of Him, facing Him, [saying] "kiss me with the kisses of your mouth," for they were ashamed and humiliated, like those who find it difficult to ask directly. Rather, like a poor woman, storm-tossed after being sent away, who grows bitter over the husband of her youth and returns her words to herself in bitter meditation, between herself and herself, [saying,] "Would that, as in months of old, he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" — so too the children of Israel, out of the greatness of their longing to cleave to Hashem and that He should speak with them mouth to mouth, bring forth words from their heart as though speaking between themselves: "Would that he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" — for she remembers the love of her espousal at Mount Sinai, when He began to kiss her, as stated. And out of anxiety — speaking of their being short of the merit needed for that attainment, since it is so great — they lacked the strength to speak of it directly to Him, may He be blessed, saying, "kiss me with the kisses of your mouth," lest someone say, "What is this — you have hastened to touch upon the edge of the attainment? Have you lacked nothing but the kisses of his mouth? First ask that he love you" — for He hates you on account of the evil of your deeds — "and only afterward request kisses from his mouth." Therefore she concludes by saying, "for [your love is better]," etc., meaning: Behold, regarding this I have set my face to speak directly before the presence of Hashem, and I know that I shall not be ashamed, for your affection has not been removed from me, since you love us, and I have not lacked this from you — for indeed, "your love is better than wine." This is because, behold, this is the way of those who drink from bowls of wine: they love sleep, so as to dissipate and remove the wine's effect from them; and behold, not only does their sleep dissipate their intoxication, but also the pleasantness which they had tasted is already lost and becomes as though it had never been. However, Your affection, my Beloved, toward me was not so; for when You brought us to the place which they, of blessed memory, called "the wine-house of Torah" — that is, Sinai — "and gave Your love to us," and our love was sweet to You, we knew that even from then, in our sins, when the Temple was destroyed, You were, as it were, sleeping over the evil of our deeds, until [the time] You would awaken, like one asleep, Hashem, to save us — as King David said, "Awake, why do You sleep?" (Psalms 44:24) — Your sleep did not reach the point of dissipating the sweetness of Your affection from us, for even though You cast us to another land, You did not abhor us, and the bonds of love were not undone between us — which is not the way of wine — for "your love is better than wine," better than ours. Or, it may be said: Let not the shortness of our attainment prevent us from receiving the flow of the kiss of Your mouth, for indeed, "your love is better than wine." This is because wine betrays those who are weak in strength — for one of strong constitution will not find it excessive and will bear it, but if a weak person says, "I am strong, I can drink wine," he will find the wine too strong for him, and it will overpower him — for wine does not act upon the strong according to his strength and upon the weak according to his weakness. But affections (dodim) are not so; rather, they cause the voice of Your words to be heard and to flow to the strong according to his strength and to the weak according to his weakness, as they said, of blessed memory, regarding the verse "the voice of Hashem in power" (Psalms 29:4) — that the utterance at Sinai came to each and every one of Israel according to his own strength — and this is the opposite of wine, where for the strong [the effect] enters weakly, and for the weak, strongly.

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" — meaning, let the King who possesses peace kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, in the manner of one who kisses the one he kisses in the bond of love, along the lines of "Hashem make His face shine upon you" (Numbers 6:25), the opposite of "and I will hide My face" (Deuteronomy 31:17). And it speaks of the King in the third person, similar to the matter of "let Pharaoh look out and appoint" (Genesis 41:33-34). "For your love is better than wine" — and it is fitting that You turn Your attribute of goodness toward me. "For your love is better than wine" — for indeed, Your acts of love, which are the Torah and the mitzvah that You wrote in order to teach through Your attribute of goodness, are good and dear to me more than wine, which is foremost among the pleasures of man in that it is pleasant in its taste, its aroma, and its nourishment, yet along with this it causes harm suddenly and unexpectedly — whereas in recognizing the ways of Your goodness toward me, my love for You will necessarily be greater than anyone else's love for You, and by this I am the more deserving of the kiss mentioned.

"Let him kiss me" — Now he begins to relate the extent of the longing that occurred after the lover parted from his beloved and went away, and what happened in those days. (And although Scripture does not explicitly state that the lover parted from her and left her, nor does it explicitly state who is speaking in each of the statements — such indeed is the way of the elegant style of the finest songs, which are terse and leave matters unstated; nevertheless they prove of themselves who is speaking and who is answering, and what was the cause of all the things said. And in this manner this scroll proceeds and continues on to its very end.) And he speaks here as if the beloved's inward parts stirred and she too longed for him, and she says to her heart: 'Would that that lover would kiss me again, in the manner of the beloved kisses that he kissed me with his mouth in days of old.' (And although she said 'kisses,' she added and said 'his mouth' for further clarification, for such is the way of women who mention the love of their youth — they clarify their words with additional words according to the greatness of their longing, and this is considered for them a matter of elegant style.) "For your love is better than wine" — Out of the abundance of her love for him, it became engraved in her soul as though he were standing before her, and she says to him: 'Behold, I desire these kisses, for the love you showed me in the past was better than a feast of wine, and therefore I desire it.' And the allegorical meaning is to say that Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel), while in galut (exile), remembers the love of Hashem that He showed her at the time He brought her out of Egypt, and at the time of her standing before Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, and the resting of the Shechinah (Divine Presence) that was upon her then; and her heart desired it, and so she begins to entreat Him to again let His Shechinah appear upon her, to explain to her the secret of the reasons of the Torah and the mysteries of its hidden things.

"Your love [dodayich]" — an expression of love and affection, as in "let us take our fill of love [dodim]" (Proverbs 7:18).

Like the fragrance of good oils. A good name is referred to as, “good oil.” due to their pleasant fragrance. (Sefer Duda’im) — Notes: (12) Alternatively, “good oils” symbolize Torah and mitzvos Like the fragrance of good oils. That those dwelling at the ends of the earth smelled, [i.e.,] those who heard of Your good reputation when You performed awesome deeds in Egypt. [Your name] is like flowing oil. Your name is thus called. It is said about you that “you are [like] oil that is constantly being poured forth so that your fragrance goes forth to a distance.” For such is the nature of fragrant oil, as long as it is in a sealed bottle, its fragrance does not diffuse. If one opens it and pours its oil into another vessel, its fragrance diffuses. — Notes: (13) See Rashi in Maseches Avodah Zarah 35b. Therefore young maidens love you. Yisro came upon hearing the news and converted; also Rachav Hazonah said, “For we have heard how Hashem dried up, etc.” And because of this [she proclaimed], “For Hashem your God, He is God in heaven, etc.” — Notes: (14) Yehoshua 2:10. (15) Ibid. 2.11. According to this Rashi, “maidens” represent proselytes, and because of the plural expression [עלמות], Rashi mentions two proselytes, Yisro and Rachav. (Sifsei Chachomim) Young maidens. Virgins, since the text compares Him to a young man whose beloved holds him dear. And according to the allegory: The “young maidens” are the other nations.

The first approach: "poured forth" (turaq) — a feminine form [used] of "oil" (shemen), even though no other instance like it is found — just as "house" (bayit) is a masculine word but is elsewhere used as feminine, as in "her house sinks down to death" (Proverbs 2:18); and likewise the word "sheol." The third approach: "therefore the maidens love you" — this is [referring to] "and the souls that they had made in Charan" (Genesis 12:5).

"To the fragrance of Your ointments," etc. Before we come to the explanation of these verses, let us set out the arrangement of the "table of this debate," and establish the setting of its matter: before whom does the King of Israel, blessed be He, go forth to debate with His people whom He chose; and His nation, too — before whom does she lean upon her Beloved and speak? For behold, the scene is set as if before the King, Hashem, with His sister — His beloved [Israel], blessed be He — standing opposite them, [namely] all the other nations; and all of these are called by the name "daughters of Jerusalem," as will be explained, with the help of Heaven, at the verse "I am black, etc." And in the debate with the Holy King, blessed be He, sometimes she will return her words to Him, blessed be He, and sometimes He too, blessed be He, will turn His face to speak to them, as in the matter of "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, etc."; and sometimes they, too, will respond to Him, blessed be He, and sometimes to Israel His people, according to the nature of the matter under debate at that point. And let us come to the matter, giving thought to what these "oils" are. Now Targum and Rashi, of blessed memory, agreed that this is said concerning the miracles and wonders [of the Exodus], and accordingly, in our own approach, we will say that Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) says: My Father, my Father who is in Heaven, do not regard me as small in Your eyes, [refusing] to accept me — for see, indeed see, that there is none like me among all the nations of the earth; and am I not better to You than all of them? For this is why I have emboldened my heart to ask for the kisses of Your mouth — for You chose us, and I know I will not be put to shame, for behold, You, Hashem, are the One who knows and is witness, that we are not like the souls of the Egyptian women, we the Hebrew women — for behold, the Egyptian women's hearts were not with You, even though the sign and the wonder came, when You performed awesome deeds in Egypt, where You showed, to make known that You are Hashem the God and there is none else. Yet all of this meant nothing to them, for they did not [truly] know You until the miracle of the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds, for it was very great, as it says, "and the Egyptians shall know that I am Hashem, when I am glorified through Pharaoh," etc. And even so, they did not cling to You, and none of them came to convert, from among all the tongues of the nations — even though it became known throughout the entire world, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said concerning the verse "and the waters were split" — it does not say "the sea was split," etc. — yet only two out of them all [came to believe]: Yitro and Rahab. And even these two, it was because their souls had some connection to holiness, as is known from the matter of the soul of the convert (ger) — behold, You are far from the innermost being of the rest of them. But not so is the portion of Jacob, for behold, all of them together are believers, the children of believers. And this is [the meaning of] "to the fragrance of Your good ointments" — this is the fragrance of the oils, [that is,] the miracles of Egypt, which the nations smelled — needless to say, the fragrance of the Ten Plagues, through which they [nonetheless] did not [truly] know You. But also, among these, was that oil through which "Your Name was poured forth" — that is the miracle of the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds, through which the knowledge of Your Name was poured forth into the world — whereas before, they did not essentially know You, but knew of You only in the heavens; and through it, [this knowledge] was poured forth also on earth, as it says, "and the Egyptians shall know that I am Hashem, when I am glorified," etc. — so far this point. That is to say: on account of this miracle, through which Your Name was poured forth into the world — on account of this miracle alone, only two "maidens" loved You — they are the souls of Yitro and Rahab — but no [whole] nation or tongue; and even these, it was because they were souls concealed within the midst of the Egyptians, even though they had some closeness to holiness. So it is that who is like Your people Israel — a nation one on the earth, wholly faithful to You? Now, Targum interpreted "[Your Name is as] oil poured forth" [to mean]: "and Your holy Name was made known in the land, for the one who was chosen was anointed with a great anointing." Now, following his approach — that he speaks of the anointing oil — we may say, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, concerning what is written of it, "throughout your generations," that even in the time to come the entire quantity that Moses made will still remain intact; nothing of it will be lacking, even though the Tabernacle and its vessels, priests, and kings were anointed from it. And this is to relate the praise of the Omnipresent — for behold, this is the way of the mighty of the world: that the more they continue performing mighty acts, the more their strength goes on weakening. But He, blessed be He — far be it from Him to be so — for even if He were to go to great lengths performing mighty acts, miracles, and wonders, His strength would never weaken, God forbid. And this is [the meaning of] "to the fragrance of Your oils" — these are the miracles and mighty acts; to their fragrance, which remains with us, that You performed in Egypt, we ask for the kisses of Your mouth as of old — for as in the days of our leaving Egypt, show us wonders, for You have not grown old and have not diminished in strength, God forbid — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, that Haman, or one like him, said [that God had grown old] — for behold, You, Hashem, have not changed; through Your performing mighty acts in the land [You show this] — for behold, "oil poured forth" upon the heads of kings — that is the anointing oil, from which nothing is ever lacking — so is Your Name and Your praise. Therefore, "maidens" — they are the souls of Your people Israel — "love You" — [they are] the maidens of the palace of the King of the world. Not so were the Egyptians, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, that they used to say, "the god of these [Israelites], who performed miracles in Egypt, has already grown old," etc. — and how much more so in the evil words that Haman [spoke] to Ahasuerus, and many like him. That is to say: and if so, where [is Your power now]? Look, our God, and see the difference [between the nations] and Your people Israel who know You; gaze forth from Your holy dwelling, and act according to all Your wonders, and return to us, and kiss us with the kisses of Your mouth, and do not forget us forever — for there is none like us among all the nations of the earth.

"Your ointments have a goodly fragrance" — for indeed, even though there were men who loved You, their love was [only] for the fragrance of Your good ointments, which flow forth to the whole world. "Your name is as ointment poured forth" — and the remembrance of Your name was to them like oil poured forth, wafting to them rich, marrow-like oils that are the life and the good of this world. And it was for the fragrance of those temporal goods, by which they recognized that these goods were from You, that they loved You; and when those goods departed from them, their love — which was dependent on a [temporal] thing — departed as well, as they, of blessed memory, said: "There was a pious man in the land of Uz, and Iyov (Job) was his name; when sufferings began to come upon him, he began to curse and blaspheme." And this is because they did not set their hearts to know You through the fragrance of those temporal goods, but did not "taste and see" Your goodness (cf. Psalms 34:9), that "His kindness endures forever" (Psalms 136). For this is because, on account of Your goodness, was the purpose of all that You intend, even in temporal goods; and in their reversal too, [Your intent] is to do good to another, for "You desire kindness" (cf. Micah 7:18). And by this, You ought to be loved on account of Your [own] goodness, not only on account of the good that is obtained from You. Therefore I say:

"Your ointments have a goodly fragrance" — Because of the fragrance of the good oils with which you anoint your flesh, and because you continually pour out oil upon your flesh at all times, to the point that your name is called by the epithet 'oil poured forth,' on account of the abundance of the pouring out of the oil — because of all these, all the young women love you. And the allegorical meaning is to say that because of the greatness of the miracles and their abundance which You performed wondrously from of old, Your name became renowned even among the nations.

"For fragrance [la-re'ach]" — meaning "on account of fragrance," similarly "open your mouth for the mute [la-illem]" (ibid. 31:8). "Poured forth [turak]" — an expression of pouring out and spilling, similarly "they pour it out upon the earth [yariku]" (Ecclesiastes 11:3). "Maidens [alamot]" — young women, similarly "the maiden [ha-almah]" (Genesis 24:43).

Draw me we will run after you. I heard from your messengers a hint that you said to draw me, and I said, “We will run after you,” to be as a wife to you. — Notes: (16) Alternatively, You initiate, by drawing us after You and to return to You as it is stated, “Bring us to You Hashem and we will return,” in Eichah 5:21. The king has brought me into his chambers. And even today, I still have joy and happiness that I cleaved to you. We recall your love. Even today, in living widowhood, I always recall your first love [for me] more than any banquet of pleasure and joy. They loved you sincerely. A strong love, a straightforward love, without deceit or intrigue, (in accordance with the expression of the verse, “and the crooked will become straight and heights will become a valley” ) that my ancestors and I loved you in those days. This is its simple meaning according to its context. According to its allegorical meaning: They mention before Him the loving kindness of [their] youth, the love of [their] nuptials, their following Him in the wilderness, a land of drought and darkness, and they did not even prepare provisions for themselves, but they believed in Him and in His messenger. And they did not say, “How can we go out into the wilderness, which is neither a land of seed nor food?” But they followed Him, and He brought them into the midst of the chambers of the envelopment of His clouds. With this, they are still joyful today and happy with Him despite their afflictions and distress; and they delight in the Torah, and there they recall His love more than wine, and the sincerity of their love for Him. — Notes: (17) Yeshayahu 40:4. (18) See Yirmiyahu 2:2. (19) Their love for You is much higher than the love of wine from which pleasure is derived. (Sforno)

The first approach: "let us recall" (nazkirah) — some say that it is from "azkaratah," the fragrance of incense (Leviticus 2:2), and similarly, "they will be recalled like the wine of Lebanon" (Hosea 14:8). "Sincerely" (mesharim) — the correct understanding is that it is a descriptive term for the wine, as in "he goes to my beloved, sincerely" (Song of Songs 7:10); "it goes down smoothly" (Proverbs 23:31). And the mem of "mi-yayin" (more than wine) extends its force to draw along what comes after it as well, as in "he shall accomplish his purpose against Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans" (Isaiah 48:14). The second approach: and each and every one [of the maidens] says to him, "draw me"; "and if the king brings me into his chambers, we will rejoice in you" all the more. The last word, "they love you," refers back to the maidens as well. The third approach: "draw me" — that he went out from his father's house [and was drawn after the Omnipresent]. "The king has brought me into his chambers" — that He revealed His secret to him and led him into the holy land; and through all of this he rejoiced, and in every place he called upon the name of Hashem.

"Draw me after you," etc. — Have I not asked of You for the kisses of Your mouth? Please do not turn Your words back to me, saying, "How can I, seeing that I have not yet been purified from the defilement of my backsliding?" For behold, I come before You [preempt You] by saying, "Draw me," etc. This is what we have said regarding the verse "Turn us back to You, Hashem, and we will return" (Lamentations 5:21), etc. — namely, that after it says, "Why do You forget us forever?" etc. (Lamentations 5:20), see how the mourner [the author of Lamentations] places his reply right beside it, saying: "Was this not from your own hands, for you did not return to Me?" Therefore he says: "I know, Hashem, I know that Your spirit is good, to help and to benefit the one who comes to purify himself — but You wanted, Hashem, that we begin, and then You would complete it, that we should come to be purified, and afterward You would assist us. But if You do this, behold we shall all expire, we shall all be lost, for the heart of stone is too hard to be aroused to hold fast to You. So do this instead, for the sake of Your righteousness: reverse Your method, and turn us back Yourself first — that You bring us to purity, and afterward we shall return — so that we not be, in Your eyes, like those who are difficult in their request. For behold, You already began to act in this way in the land of Egypt: even though we were idol-worshippers and grew our forelocks like the Egyptians, You drew us to Yourself and made our hearts fit, by giving us the two commandments of the blood of the Paschal offering and the blood of circumcision, so that each and every man would risk his soul for the sake of the honor of His blessed Name. For behold, they took [the lamb] and tied it to the legs of their beds, and slaughtered the abomination of Egypt before their eyes, and placed their soul in their own hands to be killed for the sanctification of His blessed Name, as it is said (cf. Exodus 8:22): 'behold, their very soul was [staked on] the abomination of Egypt before their eyes — would they not stone them?' And who would have thought such a thing of a people who but yesterday were worshippers of idols and grew their forelocks, and from one day to the next their heart was transformed to give over their souls for the sanctification of His blessed Name? This is a wonder — to be transformed from one extreme to the other, contrary to nature — unless it be that their Rock made them fit, and put it into their heart to sanctify themselves and act as priests to Him, blessed be He, and did not wait until we would first begin to purify ourselves." This is [the meaning of] "renew our days as of old" (Lamentations 5:21) — that is, like the days of our going out of the land of Egypt, as discussed. And this is what Solomon says here: "Draw me" — meaning, "Turn us back to You first, and afterward, after You, we will run and return." And he used the language of running, meaning: let our repentance not seem small in Your eyes after You draw us first, for this will be our glory — that You begin, so that afterward we will not return slowly, but rather we will run, and swiftly and quickly we will return to Hashem our God — which would not be so if we ourselves were to begin, for we would not have the strength for the haste of the purity of our repentance. Now, in order to arrive at the resolution of the words of the verse, one ought to pay attention to its entry in the singular — "draw me" — and its shift to the plural in saying "we will run," and its shifting back again to the singular in saying "the king has brought me," etc., and its changing yet again to the plural in saying "we will be glad and rejoice in you" — and likewise it says "has brought me" in the third person, not addressing Him directly. Now, in order to arrive at the explanation, let us preface two well-known premises for one who seeks understanding. The first: that which is called "man" [ish] or "person" [adam] is not so called with respect to itself and its flesh, but rather the "person" is the soul — and Scripture states explicitly, "It shall not be poured upon human flesh" (Exodus 30:32), teaching that the flesh is not the "person." The second: that the many souls of the myriads upon myriads of the people of Israel become as one, and are called a single soul — as in the phrase "seventy souls" (Exodus 1:5) — because their source is one, holy and unique. Now let us come to the explanation. Behold, we have written that in the formulation of the dialogue [of this Song], the participants are: He, blessed be He, Israel, and the Babylonians [the nations of the exile]. Now, among Israel in exile there are two parts: one, the part of the souls, which were present there at the standing at Mount Sinai, as is known; the other, the part of the bodies. And it begins first with the part of the souls, which is the essential "person," and is closer to its Maker than matter is. And it says: let it not be considered strange before You that I am able to return and cleave to You to the point that You kiss me with the kisses of Your mouth, in body and soul, etc. — behold, draw the part of the soul, which is close to You, and afterward, after You, I will run — I, together with the part of the bodies. And do not take issue with the fact that the part of the bodies, of which I said it would run along after me at first, without You drawing it as well at that time — but rather that only afterward would You draw it directly. For the reason that I, the part of the souls, am more ready, is that the King has already brought me into His chambers at the standing at Mount Sinai — for there He brought only me, the part of the souls, with Him, since this statement speaks concerning the children of this exile-band; for there we were seen devoid of body, for there He kissed me alone, and the longing remained in me. And she then continues and completes her words to Him, blessed be He, saying: behold, only now, when You kiss me in body and soul, will both parts "be glad and rejoice in You." Or, one might say: [He might object,] "Do not say, please, My God, 'behold, at Sinai you were present, and there you were — but it did not remain so for you, and now, today, you are unworthy, so how can you run to Me now?'" To this she replies: "Behold, at that time I was, by myself, only the part of the souls, for the children of these generations were there devoid of body — for the King brought only me into His chambers, which are the chambers of His Torah, and not the bodies; therefore it was in the company of the bodies that I sinned. But now, that You will kiss me with the kisses of Your mouth in body and soul, we will be glad and rejoice in You together, both of us, for now I am the part of the souls alone." "And we recall Your acts of love" from Mount Sinai — that that very sweetness and cleaving still clings and endures in our soul, unlike wine, as discussed above. Indeed, afterward, I and he together will recall Your acts of love, for their sweetness is better than wine — a sweetness that is not forgotten and does not pass away, unlike wine, whose sweetness passes. And how much more so, since even now, in this present exile-band, before the hoped-for bliss has come — for You have not yet kissed me in body and soul — behold, there are righteous ones who have cleaved to You through the fact that their souls entered the chambers of Your Torah at Sinai; how much more so after You kiss me in body and soul! This is [the meaning of] "sincerely do they love You" — and this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: "'Sincerely do they love You' — such as Ben Azzai and his companions" — and this is what our Sages of blessed memory said in Exodus Rabbah: that whatever the sages of every generation innovate [in Torah], their souls received it back then at Sinai — and this is what we said above on the first verse, that every soul cleaves to the portion of Torah that pertains to it, according to its own nature. Now, Ben Azzai and his companions — from the sweetness and desire that his soul desired for Torah back then, this desire was drawn also to his body, so exceedingly powerful and great was his desire for Torah, to the point that he said to his wife, in the midst of her wedding canopy, "My daughter, go to your father's house — my soul desires Torah" — which, in our view, it desired since Sinai, with respect to engaging in Torah study more than any other commandment. Now draw an inference a fortiori: if, through the fact that his soul, devoid of matter, was brought into the chambers of Torah at Sinai, this sufficed to reward, more than wine, his desire even toward matter, such that it became clothed in it, so that they "sincerely love You" already at Sinai, as discussed — how much more so now, that You will kiss us with the kisses of Your mouth in body and soul, through Your giving, of Your own accord, Your strong hand to draw me first, as discussed — for without doubt we will all cleave to You together with an exceedingly powerful cleaving. Or one might say [that] "we will be glad," etc. means: please do not withhold my request out of concern that He might call to us as He did at the standing at Mount Sinai, when we said to Moses our teacher, "You speak with us," etc. (Exodus 20:16) — [fearing] that now, likewise, perhaps when You kiss me with the kisses of Your mouth, we would turn back and say the same thing, and not want You to speak to us directly. For behold, unlike that former incident, this will not happen to us again — rather, "we will be glad and rejoice in You" alone, and we will not want to hear from anyone but You. For behold, "we will recall Your acts of love" which You showed us there, more than wine — which, even in our remembering it, is sweet to us, and is not like wine, which is not sweet to those who drink it except while it passes over the palate. But as for us — it is not only that when we tasted the honeycomb-drip of Your sayings they were sweet to us, but also now — for behold, Your love was then implanted within us in essence, with uprightness of heart, and this is [the meaning of] "sincerely do they love You" — and therefore we will not forget it, nor will we grow slack from it, if You return to us as of old, and we will no longer say, "let not God speak with us," but rather, to You alone shall we cleave, and Torah shall we seek from Your mouth alone. Now, in Vayikra Rabbah, parashah 26, our Sages of blessed memory said, and this is their language: "'Man and beast You save, Hashem' (Psalms 36:7) — Israel said: Master of the universe, as man we are [worthy to be saved as man]; as beast, save us — for we are drawn after You like a beast. This is [the meaning of] 'draw me after you, we will run.' To where are we drawn after You? To the Garden of Eden. This is [the meaning of] 'they are sated from the abundance of Your house' (Psalms 36:9)." End of citation. It is fitting to apply intellect and understand this statement of theirs. First: who compelled them to interpret it in this way? Second: if the purpose were to establish the obligation of salvation, it should say, "save us like a beast, which does not sin" — why does it preface and say "as man we are"? And what is the point of the comparison expressed by the letter kaf ["as"], seeing that Scripture states explicitly, "you are man" (Ezekiel 34:31)? Furthermore, its saying "this is what is meant by 'draw me,'" etc. — is this not the method of our Sages of blessed memory, when they use the formula "this is what is meant by," [to indicate] that without the verse cited there would be a difficulty in the text, meaning that it is this verse, and no other, that explains the text — and that is the meaning of "this is what is meant by," that is, by our saying "this is what is meant by," [we imply that] without it [the difficulty would remain]. Now what difficulty did they find in the text that this citation would resolve? Not only does it not resolve it, but on the contrary it seems to contradict it — for our asking and requesting that He draw us, and that we then are drawn, would indicate that of ourselves we would not do so. Furthermore, its saying "to where are we...," etc. — who does not know that it is to the Garden of Eden? Furthermore, its saying "this is what is meant by 'they are sated,'" etc. — how does this prove that we are drawn to the Garden of Eden? This is nothing but a promise made to the righteous. And furthermore, it says "this is what is meant by," as if without this the understanding of the text would be voided. Rather, what troubled them was the saying "man and beast You save, Hashem" — for behold, the beast is subordinate to man, since it is his property; so how can the verse conclude the salvation of man with the salvation of a beast? And if [the meaning is that] he is [saved as] "man" by the merit of "beast," the conjunction "and" would contradict this. Furthermore, if so, how does the verse then rest on "how precious is Your kindness, God" (Psalms 36:8) — for surely it would be more fitting for His precious kindness to be shown for the sake of man! Furthermore, if so, is the text then speaking of those who are not righteous? And how does it then proceed to say, "they are sated from the abundance of Your house," etc.? And if we said that the meaning of the verse is: "how precious is Your kindness, God" — [namely,] to save unworthy people by the merit of a beast — but people who are righteous, who "take refuge in the shadow of Your wings," their portion is not like this, but rather "they are sated," etc. — this cannot be, for then its saying "they are sated," etc. would not correspond to "save by the merit of a beast," and it would be more fitting to say instead, "and the people who take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, I will save them for their own sake" — or, if it meant that the unfit would be terrified into Sheol, it should then say afterward, "and the people," etc., "are sated," etc. Therefore they said "as man," etc. — for the title "man" [adam] is the most honored title in the Torah, as is known from the book of the Zohar, and it is said only of the people of Israel, as in the verse, "you are called man" (Ezekiel 34:31) — which is not so of any other nation, for they are considered as beasts in relation to Israel. Now the meaning is: "Consider us, our God, as the very essence of man, complete in wisdom, understanding, and knowledge above all other tongues, by virtue of our soul, which is a portion of God from above — yet in time of trouble, salvation is far from us! For it might be said: behold, you are called 'man' by virtue of your wisdom, so why did you not guard your souls so as not to sin, so that you came and defiled your souls, and your own wickedness now chastises you (cf. Jeremiah 2:19)? And if we are deemed like a beast — 'as a beast that goes down into the valley' (cf. Isaiah 63:14) — a spirit of folly descends into our physical matter to cause us to sin, as our Sages of blessed memory said: 'A person does not sin unless a spirit of folly has entered him,' etc. (Sotah 3a). He would also not bless us to make us supreme over all the nations of the earth in the world above, for the spirit of those called 'man' ascends upward, and the spirit of those called 'beast' descends downward (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:21)." For this reason it is said before Him: behold, the premise laid down is that we are called "man," but not in the very essence of "man" — rather we are "as man," with the kaf of comparison — for it cannot be denied that we were formed from matter, and are prone to sin, for we lack the understanding befitting the title "man," since with respect to our physical matter we resemble beasts. And therefore it is not far from You that You should save us as a beast, when we are in distress — and this is [the meaning of] "man and beast": that the one who is "man" shares also in this title of "beast," and thereby "You save, Hashem" — for man and beast, we are as one. And the reason is: behold, correspondingly, we too are drawn after You like a beast that walks after the one leading it, in its innocence — even should its leader burden it with a heavy load, heavier than it [can bear] — so were we before You, for we serve Hashem day after day, and we have no reward at all in this world; on the contrary, [we have only] distress and hardship, yet we do not cease being drawn after You like a beast, in wholeness of heart. This is [the meaning of] "draw me," etc. Now, there is a difficulty in the verse, which we noted above: it says "draw me" in the singular and "we will run" in the plural — and also, what is the meaning of the "drawing" and "running" mentioned? But this can be understood as follows: it states that we, of ourselves, are drawn after You, but only slowly; "draw me" [means]: draw the soul, which is close to You, for You cause Your spirit to flow into it and draw it, and through this we not only are drawn but we run — I and the body — for we hasten and hurry to do Your will always, to cleave to You, and we pay no attention to the benefits of this world, to reward or to the fruits of our good deeds, but rather we run only after You, and not after the vanity of the benefits of this world. And lest you say, according to this, how does the continuation, "the King has brought me into His chambers," follow? To this it replies, "to where are we drawn," etc. — meaning: see, please, Hashem our God, how it is fitting to credit us with favor for being drawn after You. For behold, the Satan, who is the evil inclination, pays back immediately: a man who stole does not get to benefit from what he stole, nor does the oppressor who oppressed his fellow, nor one who was given a deposit for safekeeping, nor a man who has relations with a married woman, who has not tasted the taste of sin and found it sweet to him — and the same reasoning applies to the rest [of transgressions]. But He, blessed be He, who tells us to serve Him — He does not give the reward on that very day, nor does He delay paying it for [only] days, or a decade, or from one's choicest years until old age — but rather, from this world until the world [to come]: today, to perform them [the commandments], and tomorrow, in the Garden of Eden, to receive reward. This is [the meaning of] "to where are we drawn after You? To the Garden of Eden" — that even though we receive no reward at all, all our days upon our earth, until our soul is banished from the body and goes to the Garden of Eden, the faithful God, blessed and exalted be His name forever, remains faithful toward us. And this is [the meaning of] the end of the verse: know why I will not hesitate, even though I gain nothing at all in this world — for behold, "the King has brought me into His chambers" — these are the chambers of the Garden of Eden, for there it [the soul] was found and there it was, before it came into this world. And the meaning of the verse, as said of the people of Israel, is that it is one and the same: "draw me after you, we will run" — I, together with the matter/body — for behold, the King has already brought His chambers [brought me into His chambers] in the Garden of Eden, and the longing clung to me even though I do not remember it; and this is [the meaning of] "they are sated," etc. Through this, what we sensed regarding those verses can be reconciled — namely, the meaning of the verse "man and beast You save, Hashem," as discussed, and "how precious is Your kindness" — that even though we are "man" with respect to receiving [eternal] bliss, You consider us as a beast in order to save us from distress. And what is the reason He considers us as a beast in order to save us? Because we are drawn after Him like a beast, all the way to the Garden of Eden. And this is [the meaning of] that "the people" also "take refuge in the shadow of Your wings" and do not rely on the benefits of this world, hoping instead for what "they are sated from the abundance of Your house" [means] — that is, the Garden of Eden, meaning, we are drawn to the Garden of Eden. This is plausible as to the intent of the statement, and let us return to the continuation of the verses in the manner in which we have proceeded.

"Draw me" — guide me in Your truth and teach me, in the sense of "after Hashem your God shall you walk" (Deuteronomy 13:5). "We will run" — for indeed, in the way of Your commandments we will run, rejoicing to do [Your] will before You. And this is because the King has already brought me into His chambers by relating to me the account of Creation and other than it, with sensory and intellectual proofs, in which He made known the purpose intended by it; and so we will be glad and rejoice in You, on account of Your having become a God to us. "We will find your love more fragrant [than wine]" — we will mention before You Your beloved ones and those who love You, who are the Patriarchs, who are... "Sincerely do they love you" — they loved You with an upright love, not dependent on anything, more than one loves the wine in which he takes delight.

"Draw me" — Draw me to you with even a slight drawing, and I will run after you with great speed. "The king has brought me into his chambers" — And by this: you, the lover who is dear in my eyes like a king, will bring me into your chambers, and there I will exult and be glad in you, and I will recall the love that is better than a feast of wine. And the allegorical meaning is to say that Knesset Yisrael said: 'Show me a hint of salvation and affection, and then I will hasten to return to You with all my heart.' And through this, bring me into the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple); I will exult and be glad in Your salvation, and I will speak in thanks to You for the wonders and for the salvations. "Sincerely do they love you" — This is to say: it should not be considered a disgrace to me that I pursue your love so much, for this is not merely on account of desire; rather it also comes from the side of the excellence and uprightness found in you, for those who love uprightly love you because of the abundance of excellence and uprightness in you. And the allegorical meaning is that Knesset Yisrael said: this love is held by me as a tradition from my forefathers, men of uprightness, and they established me upon the truth.

"We will run [narutzah]" — an expression of swiftness of gait, and it is phrased in the plural for a single person, as an expression of honor, similarly "and we will give you this one also [ve-natnah lecha]" (ibid. 29:27). "He has brought me [heviani]" — past tense in place of future, and there are many such instances in Scripture. "Sincerely [meisharim]" — from the language of "yashar" (upright) and fitting.

I am black but comely, etc. You, my friends, let me not be light in your eyes. Even if my husband has left me because of my blackness, for I am black because of the tanning of the sun, but I am comely with the shape of beautiful limbs. Though I am black like the tents of Keidar, which are blackened because of the rains, for they are always spread out in the wilderness, I am easily cleansed to become like the curtains of Shlomo. The allegory is: The congregation of Yisroel says to the nations, “I am black in my deeds [i.e., sins], but I am comely by virtue of the deeds of my ancestors, and even some of my deeds are comely. If I bear the iniquity of the [golden] calf, I can offset it with the merit of the acceptance of the Torah.” [Scripture] calls the nations, “the daughters בְּנוֹת of Yerusholayim” because it is destined to become the metropolis for them all, as Yechezkeil prophesied, “I will give them to you as surrounding villages לְבָנוֹת,” and similarly, “Ekron, and its suburbs וּבְנֹתֶיהָ.” — Notes: (20) According to Targum the faces of the Bnei Yisroel actually turned black like the skin of the Cushites, when they sinned with the golden calf. After they repented the blackness went away. (21) Yechezkeil 16:61. (22) Yehoshua 15:45.

The first approach: "and comely" (ve-na'avah) — like "beautiful" (yafeh), as in "delight is not fitting for a fool" (Proverbs 19:10) — meaning, pleasure is not becoming to him. And the nun is [part of] the nif'al construction, like "and all that is prepared in a stewing-pan" (Leviticus 7:9). The second approach: [and she turned and said to the maidens], who are the daughters of Jerusalem: "If I am dark compared to you" — [I am] like the tents of Kedar, upon which the sun is always [beating]; [yet] I am comely and of beautiful form, like the curtains of King Solomon. And do not think of me that I was born with this darkness — rather it is a chance occurrence, and it will pass. Its cause is the sun, which struck me outdoors, for my mother's sons quarreled with me and made me a keeper [of the vineyards], and before this I had not even kept my own vineyard. The third approach: "I am black, but comely" — afterward I went down to Egypt; even though [I was there], I remained comely, in that I clung to the rest of the commandments.

"I am black, but comely" etc. — Behold, we have written that in constructing this debate that exists between Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel), in this present grievous exile, and God, the Babylonians are present there, who see her as "empty, void, and waste," cut down in their midst. It is inevitable that when they hear her words, as she leans upon her Beloved, saying, "let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth," for she is better than wine, and it befits her to draw nearer than all of them — will they not open their lips and shake their heads, saying to her: Why do you glory in your beauty? Is it not before our eyes that you are black and darkened by the oppression of the Babylonians? And even if it were as you say, why then do you go about darkened all your days, upon your own land, in sufferings all the days of your life — and even in your death, what is your advantage, for do you not die like the death of all mankind, you too? Concerning this, the role of the body of the nation of the children of Israel, who bear the exile, was cast as that of a girl who argues with her rival girls, turning her face toward the Babylonians — who are called "the daughters of Jerusalem," as our Sages of blessed memory said, teaching that Jerusalem is destined to become a metropolis for all the nations; and behold, they explained [the word "daughters"] like [the formula] "Jericho and her daughter-towns" [i.e., its dependent villages]. And she says to them: "I am black, but comely," etc. For that which you have seen — that "I gave my back to those who struck me" — does this not indicate the very greatness of my stature! For even though I am black, and go about darkened by the oppression with which you oppress my body in exile, I acknowledge Hashem that I too am comely, and delight in my Beloved in the fellowship of the soul. And this is as we have stated previously, that when He, may He be blessed, debates with Israel, all the other nations are present as well at that same standing, and our nation says: I know that all who see Jacob given over for spoil, and Israel to plunderers, in this present grievous exile — sojourners of Meshech, filth and refuse among the nations — do you not regard me as worthless earthen pitchers, which have no strength, so that they may be shattered? Yet how could you, seeing the people of the children of Israel in their standing, declare — say before God and man — that there was none like her among all the nations, as is stated in the verse, "because of the fragrance of your oils," etc., "draw me, we will run after you," etc., which indicates that they alone are attached to Hashem, and not like those hated of Hashem — rather, He is "the Portion of Jacob, for He is the Former of all," and through Jacob He is glorified. Will you not truly mock me, saying: over whom do you delight? "You open the mouth wide, you stretch out the tongue" — claiming that you, and none besides you, are attached to the Creator of the beginning as none else is — yet you, instead of the Beloved, embrace dunghills; and had the eternal God desired you, He would not have cast you into the great deep, would not have let slaves rule over you, would not have let the foot trample you, the feet of a poor and lowly people rise over you. But this is only because you are the thing that He, may He be blessed, has cast off and loathed among all the nations. Therefore Knesset Yisrael turns her face toward them, and her words declare, "I am black, but comely" — meaning: that which I am now crushed, and suffer the sun's scorching, the troubles of exile, under your hand, is only "like the tents of Kedar." For He, may He be blessed, has not given you dominion over the inner soul, but only over the body, in order to protect the soul — like the tents of Kedar, which are blackened on the outside, for they bear the sun's scorching in order to protect what is within them, as is known. So too the enemy has no dominion in this world over the sinning soul, only over the body, as we have stated in [our work] Chavatzelet HaSharon, on the verse, "and they gave over their bodies, that they might not serve...," etc. And as I have heard in the name of the pious Rabbi Yosef Yaavetz, of blessed memory, on the verse, "who have said to your soul, bow down," etc. — that our enemies plot against us, to drive us away from our God, by an exchange, turning good into evil, in order to subdue and destroy the soul. And this is [the meaning of] "who have said to your soul, bow down," etc. — but you shall say: give me the soul, and take the body for yourself, whether for death or for scourging, etc. — for you give yourself over for the sanctification of Hashem's Name, and thereby grant him dominion over the body, and not over the soul, for he cannot prevail over it unless it comes to obey him. And this is [the meaning of] "and you made your back like the ground" — in such a way that the subjugation of our bodies and our land into the hand of Ishmael is no indication of how little we are worth; rather, the reverse is true: in order to raise the soul on high, the body suffers, paying in full for all its guilt. And this is what she says here, in saying "like the tents of Kedar." And as for what I have told you — that our body bears the sufferings in place of the soul — do not press to ask: if so, then after the death of the holy martyrs, will their bodies perish? For just as in the "palaces" that are [only] tents of Kedar, [their dwellers] end up embracing dunghills [i.e., are discarded when they wear out], so too the body was never made and never created except to be a shield for the soul, and it has no reward whatsoever for its labor, for it will "return to the earth as it was." If so, then from the very drift of my own words they might press upon me, saying: why then did I say, "we will be glad and rejoice in you"? For this indicates that the portion of the bodies also derives enjoyment, as has been said. But know, then, that their being shields for the soul applies only now, in this world; but in the future the dry bones will live again, and all of them will delight together — except that even now "the lips of the righteous move in the grave" — and how much more so if, in our very lifetime, He kisses us with the kisses of His mouth, for then all of them together will delight in abundant peace. And this is [the meaning of] "as the curtains of Solomon" — that is to say: know, O daughters of Jerusalem, that even though I resemble the tents of Kedar, I am not, in my essence, like those [ordinary] tents, which have no inherent worth and are discarded when they wear out; rather, I am "like the curtains of Solomon" — that is, the curtains of the Tabernacle, which possess sanctity, as is known. And this is [the meaning of] "as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon" — He is the King to whom peace belongs [a play on the name "Shlomo," read as melekh she-hashalom shelo, "the King to whom peace belongs," namely God].

"I am black, but comely" — the author placed first the words of the congregation of Jerusalem [addressed] to the outlying districts called "the daughters of Jerusalem," as it is said, "yet they are not, to you, as daughters," to make known that they should have no grounds for complaint regarding what she seeks from Hashem, may He be blessed — namely, individual providence over her — lest they say that there is favoritism in the matter. She says: it is fitting that God, may He be blessed, should desire me, for even though I am black in deeds like they are, nevertheless I am comely in the knowledge of God, may He be blessed, in fear of Him, and in love of Him. "As the tents of Kedar" — for the blackness in them is incidental, not intrinsic, since they were not made from black cloth but rather from white cloth to which blackness happened to occur; but I am comely in my very essence. "As the curtains of Solomon" — which are comely of themselves, both in the materials from which they were made and in their workmanship and their arrangement.

"I am black, etc." — She turned her face toward the young women of her own age, and said to them: 'You, daughters of Jerusalem, do not think that the lover has abandoned me because of the blackness now found in me, for even though I am black, nevertheless I am comely in his eyes. And although there is blackness in me like the tents of Kedar, which are spread out to the rain of the heavens and become blackened from the constant abundance of rain, behold, I am readily able to become white, to be like the curtains of Solomon, which are of the utmost whiteness; and therefore I have not been despised.' And the allegorical meaning is that Knesset Yisrael said, facing the nations: 'Do not think that Hashem has despised me because of the transgression found in me, for despite this I am dear in His eyes because of the merit found in me, and when I return to Him He will atone for the iniquity of my transgression, and they will become white as snow.'

"And comely [ve-navah]" — from the language of "naeh" (comely) and beauty, similarly "comely as Jerusalem [navah]" (below 6:4). "As the curtains of [ki-yri'ot]" — an expression for a hanging screen.

Do not look upon me. Do not look upon me disrespectfully, as in, “for they had gazed [disrespectfully] upon the Ark of Hashem.” — Notes: (23) I Shmuel 6:19. That I am so black. For my blackness and my ugliness are not from my mother’s womb, but from the sun’s tanning, for that blackness can easily be whitened by staying in the shade. — Notes: (24) שחרחרת is a combination of two words, שחר and חרת, the latter is the blackest of black. (Gra) My mother’s sons were incensed against me. These are the Egyptians among whom I grew up, and they went up with me in the mixed multitude. They were incensed against me with their enticement and their persuasion until they made me— keeper of the vineyards. And there the sun tanned me and I became black; i.e., they made me a worshiper of other gods, but my own vineyard [i.e., my God], which was mine from my forefathers, I did not keep. We find in Scripture that leaders are called with the expression of ‘vineyards,’ as it is stated, “And I will give to her her vineyards כְּרָמֶיהָ from there,” which the Targum renders as, “And I will appoint for her her leaders.” And similarly, “he does not turn by the way of the vineyards.” — Notes: (25) Hosheia 2:17. (26) Iyov 24:18.

The first approach: "swarthy" (shecharchoret) — the doubling [of the letters] comes to diminish, not to intensify, like "reddish" (adamdemet), which means slightly red. "That has tanned me" (she-shezafatni) — the first shin stands in place of "asher" (that), as in "that when we were brought low, He remembered us" (Psalms 136:23); and its meaning is, it has exposed/darkened me, as in "the eye of the hawk has not seen it" (Job 28:7). "Were incensed against me" (nicharu vi) — the nun is added for the nif'al construction, like "nilchamu vi" (they made war against me), from the root "lecharcher riv" (to stir up strife); and similarly, "and his anger burned." "Keeper" (noterah) — one who guards; it is a descriptive noun [in participial form]. The third approach: "that the sun has tanned me" — this is the exile (galut), and its cause was, "my mother's sons were incensed against me" — for in Egypt there were many idol-worshippers; and so Ezekiel says, "and I made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt... and I said to them, cast away, each of you, the idols of his eyes..." (Ezekiel 20:5-7); "but they rebelled against Me" (Ezekiel 20:8); and afterward they repented, as it says, "and God heard their groaning" (Exodus 2:24). And this is [the meaning of], "tell me the essence of your commandments, for you are a shepherd, so that I should not mingle with the Egyptians."

"Look not upon me, that I am [swarthy]," etc. — Now, there was room for the Babylonians — who are [meant by] the daughters of Jerusalem — to say that not only does physical matter receive blackness, but the soul does as well, for she [Israel] has so many iniquities and sins; and perhaps your God loathed you and chose one of the [other] nations instead. Therefore she [Knesset Yisrael, the assembly of Israel] preempts them and answers with her own words, "Look not upon me, that I am swarthy." This is like what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Rabbi Yitzchak said: There was an incident involving a Cushite maidservant who went down to draw water from the spring, she and her companion. She said to her companion, "My friend, tomorrow my master is divorcing his wife and taking me as a wife." Her companion said to her, "Why?" She said, "Because he saw that her hands were sooty." Her companion said to her, "You greatest fool in the world! Let your ears hear what your mouth is speaking! If, [even in the case of] his wife, who is most dear to him of all, you say he wishes to divorce her because he saw her hands sooty for a single moment — you, who are entirely sooty and black from your mother's womb all your days, how much more so [would he not want you]!" So it was: since the Babylonians used to taunt Israel and say, "This nation has exchanged its glory," etc., Israel would say to them, "But if even we, [blackened] for a time only, are like this," etc. So too, following our method, on the level of the souls, [Knesset Yisrael] says: "Do not look at me, O daughters of Jerusalem, thinking that I am swarthy" — for besides the blackness of [my] afflictions, there is also, in the soul, the blackness of iniquities and sins. And this is [the meaning of] "shecharchoret" — a doubled expression [a reduplicated form of the word for "black"] — for indeed the impurity, that is, the blackness of iniquities, is not natural to her but rather incidental; for indeed, "the sun has tanned me," and blackness attached itself to me unnaturally — which is not the case with you, whose blackness is natural. Lest you say: But behold, you can see that my mother's sons — who are the righteous ones of the generations — receive wrath on my account, for many righteous people were stricken and died for the sanctification of Hashem's Name, and they are "my mother's sons," she being the Shechinah [the Divine Presence], for the righteous are truly called her children; and if no attaching blemish clung to the portion of the soul, why were the pious ones of the Most High stricken? With this it becomes possible to explain the word "nicharu" [they were incensed], vocalized with a chirik under the nun — for it was they who received the wrath. Know, then, that it was not because of the blackness of their own souls that they died, but for my sake — for I am the collective portion of all the souls of Israel — I became defiled, and it was I who brought about their wrath, and it was because of my sins that they died, in order to purify the stains of my guilt and to whiten them, and so that the daughters of Jerusalem should not answer, "If so, then since your blackness is unnatural and passing, unlike our blackness, which is natural, then why do you go about in gloom, to the point that your own mother's sons became incensed with you, while we remain at ease upon our lees?" Therefore she completes her statement and says, "They made me keeper of the vineyards" — for while the Holy Temple still stood, I was appointed from Heaven keeper of the vineyard of "Hashem of Hosts, the House of Israel," and also of all the other vineyards, which are the nations — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Had the nations known what the priests obtained for them from the inner essence of the Temple, they would not have destroyed it." So too regarding the seventy bulls of the festival [of Sukkot], corresponding to the seventy nations, as stated in Midrash Chazit (Song of Songs Rabbah) on the verse "Behold, you are fair" — that seventy bulls were offered on the festival, corresponding to the seventy nations, so that the world should not be laid waste on their account. "But my own vineyard I have not kept" — rather, I kept the vineyards of the nations so that they would endure, in order to chastise me [through them] — and not because of any superiority of theirs over me, but rather like a king who sustains his servants in order to chastise, through them, the son whom he loves. And as for the word "tir'uni" ["look at me"] — it carries a connotation of contempt, as the commentators say. So, on the level of the souls, she says: "Do not disgrace me" — meaning, do not call me [wholly] black like [inert] matter, for behold, I am only "shecharchoret" [swarthy] — for my blackness attached itself to me only because "the sun has tanned me," and the rest is as has been said.

"Look not upon me, that I am swarthy" — do not draw proof from the [outward] deeds, which are flawed, so as to judge me to the side of guilt regarding the thought of the heart, for indeed the deeds were done to me by habit, incidentally. "That the sun has tanned me" — [these flaws] were acquired through habituation. "So they made me keeper of the vineyards" — to occupy myself with the needs of temporal life. "My own vineyard" — that is, engagement in Torah and mitzvot. "Have I not kept" — I did not occupy myself with it, out of impatience of spirit caused by temporal happenstance, and so I ruined my deeds.

"Look not upon me" — Do not look at me in a scornful manner because I am in the utmost blackness, for it was not born in me from my mother's womb; rather it came about by chance, for the sun looked upon me and shone upon me, and through this the blackness was born in me. I am therefore readily able to become white easily, once the chance circumstance is removed, when I stand in the shade. "My mother's sons were incensed against me" — This is to say: do not think that I am a woman who runs about in the field, in the face of the sun, and whose feet do not dwell in her house — for it is not so; rather, my brothers, my mother's sons, became angry with me and appointed me to sit and guard their vineyards in the eye of the sun, and I never even guarded my own vineyard, and I was not accustomed to standing in the sun, and because of this I became especially black. And the allegorical meaning is that Knesset Yisrael said: do not despise me for having served the golden calves in the days of the kings of Israel, for it was not done of my own will, but rather through the coercion of the kings, and I was ready to be separated from them once those who coerced me were removed.

"Look upon me [tir'uni]" — its meaning is gazing in a scornful manner, similarly "I have made you a gazing-stock [le-ra'avah]" (Ezekiel 28:17). "Swarthy [shecharchoret]" — from the language of "shecharut" (blackness), with the doubling of the second and third root letters, indicating an abundance of darkness, similarly "greenish or reddish [yerakrak o adamdam]" (Leviticus 13:49). "That has gazed upon me [she-shezafatni]" — an expression of seeing and looking, similarly "the eye that gazed upon it [shezafato ayin]" (Job 28:7). "Were incensed [nicharu]" — from the language of "charon af" (burning anger) and wrath. "Keeper [notera]" — an expression of guarding, similarly "will He bear a grudge forever [ha-yintor le-olam]" (Jeremiah 3:5).

Tell me, you whom my soul loves. The Holy Spirit now repeatedly compares her to sheep that is endeared to the shepherd. The congregation of Yisroel says to Him, as a woman to her husband, “Tell me, You Whom my soul loves, where do You pasture Your flock [i.e., Bnei Yisroel] among these wolves in whose midst they are? And where will You rest them at noon, in this exile, which is a distressful time for them, like noon, which is a distressful time for the flock?” — Notes: (27) I.e., the nations. (28) Because of its intense heat. For why should I flit about. And if you ask, “What does it concern You?” It is not complimentary for You that I should be like a mourner, who veils herself over the lip, weeping for my sheep. — Notes: (29) I.e., Bnei Yisroel. (30) I.e., weeping over the plight of my people. Around the flocks of your companions. Near the flocks of the other shepherds, who pasture flocks as You do; i.e., among the flocks of the nations, who rely on other deities, and who have kings and princes leading them.

The first approach: "where do you pasture" (eikhah tir'eh) — some say that its sense is a question of place, in the sense of "where are they," with the meaning of "eifoh" (where). "Why" (shallamah) — the shin stands in place of "asher" (that), like the shin in [the expression] "that you speak with me." "As one veiled" (ke-oteyah) — some say [it means] one who darts about, and say that it likewise appears in "and the people rushed" (1 Samuel 14:32); and some say [it means] one who is put to shame, as in "he shall cover his upper lip" (Leviticus 13:45). But what seems correct to me is that it is from [the same root as] "and He will surely wrap you up" (Isaiah 22:17), "he shall wrap himself as with a garment" (Psalms 109:19). The second approach: she returned to her beloved and said to him: "Tell me where you pasture your flock, and where you make it rest, and I will go back to being a shepherdess; and I am afraid that I might mingle with the flocks of your fellow shepherds."

"Tell me," etc. — Just as the material part [of Israel] finished speaking to the Babylonians, the part of the bodies that bear suffering returned to her God, and she said: Have I not said to them that I bear the burden of the sins of the souls that act among the idol-worshippers? And with this it would have been enough to burn away the evil of their opinion that arose in their minds, since it is the scorn of families that terrified me; and I said, this is indeed the joy of my paths, for it is good for me, for through my affliction my soul shall rejoice in Hashem. However, I will not conceal from my Master that the length of my exile is grievous to me for two reasons: one, concerning the honor of Your great Name; the second, that it burns like fire, the wrath of the oppressor, and I cannot bear it, and suddenly I am broken and there is no cure. And before I answer, I state that the part of the bodies that bears the sufferings cannot be withheld from me, for I am dust and ashes, and what can I do for my own sake? Therefore I went first and said, "Tell me," [namely,] "whom my soul loves" — meaning: if I had said "I love You," that would not be correct, for love exists only between equals, and there is no fathoming Your greatness, and I am dust and ashes; but act for the sake of my soul, which loves You, for there is some equivalence in this, since it is a portion of God from above, and it rises up above and shines forth and bestows, and from soul to flesh the flow of Your goodness spreads. And this is [the meaning of] "tell me" that my soul — which loves You and is closer to You than I am — [should have its plea answered], for love exists only among those of equal standing, since it is a portion of God from above, as has been said. And look down from heaven and see that two evils are stirring in my exile. The first: what will You do for Your great Name — that is, "where do you feed [me]," from where will my sustenance come? In this dreadful exile, instead of my being accustomed to receive the flow from You directly and by Your own hand — now how will You allow me to be seen in an exile that comes about through a minister, which is not in keeping with Your honor, that You sustain Your children through one of Your servants? The second: "where do you make [me] lie down" — where shall I find a resting place and the repose of shade in which to shelter, in an exile that resembles noontime, when the sun strikes and scorches. Or, "where do you make [me] lie down" refers to the character of the exile, which is now like noontime, for even in a place of shade the day grows hot, so that even in the place of which it is said that its shade is greater than its heat, it will blaze like the blazing of fire. Therefore, "arise" before they are consumed, and hasten quickly — do not delay in granting my petition and request, which I stated, "let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth," which we have longed for — hasten it. And if you ask, why this question, "where do you feed"? Behold, are these not My words through the prophet: "Seek the peace of the city ... for in its peace shall you have peace" (Jeremiah 29:7)? This is like their saying, may their memory be blessed, in Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer, that in the generation of the Dispersion, when Hashem came down to see the city and the tower, He brought down seventy princes of the Sanhedrin on high, angels of the Most High, and divided the nations according to their number, and set these as ministers over them, and cast lots; and the lot of Israel fell to the Holy One, blessed be He. Then it was said, "The lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places" (Psalm 16:6), etc. Thus it is found that, with regard to this division, the seventy are called, blessed be He, His "companions," that is, "ministers." Now, when the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, and gave Israel His people their inheritance while we dwelt upon our own land in abundant peace — were we not sustained then not through any minister, but by Him directly, by His own hand, blessed be He? But when, because of our sins, we were exiled from our land to a land where our spirit is lowly, to eat from the leftover residue of the good which He, blessed be He, pours into the city into which we were exiled, through the minister — who is like a foolish instrument through which to pour it — this is [the meaning of] "seek the peace [of the city]," etc., "for in its peace shall you have peace." And how demeaning it is that we eat from the residue of the peace that flows to the nations through the minister, instead of eating directly, because our Father in Heaven [feeds us] without intermediary! And this, I believe, is close to their saying, may their memory be blessed, in their statement, "whoever dwells outside the Land," etc. — that he is like a son raised in the palace of the king his father, whom the king provides for day after day, through the king himself, from the king's own bread and from the king's own wine; and one day, having done something not good in the eyes of the king his father, [the king] banished him, and he went to another land; and there too his father did not abandon him, but fed him and gave him drink — but through the minister who rules over the land to which he had gone. Now when that son saw that his bread was given by the hand of a man, one of the king's ministers, and not by his father as at first, would he not answer and say, "Behold, I am like one who has no father, for he gives me nothing as at first, but only provides for me through a steward"? And this is [the meaning of] "like one who has no [father]," etc. — may He turn in His mercy to His people, to give them bread, rather than have them go back to being fed by a ruler whom they did not know. And so they, may their memory be blessed, say: "Israelites who dwell outside the Land are [regarded as] worshippers of idolatry, but in purity" — for it appears as though they worship the minister, after receiving from his hand; and this is [the meaning of] "in purity," meaning, not in rebellion and not in treachery, but only in purity of heart. And behold, there is no greater shame and wrath for us than this: that instead of our receiving from Him, blessed be He, while all the other nations were sustained through us, it is now reversed, and we have become like a poor person, wrapped in hunger, at the doors of his father's servants, [begging] for a loaf of bread. And this is [the meaning of] "why should I be as one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions" — who are the nations, likened to flocks, which the seventy ministers — who correspond to "your companions" — shepherd, for the nations have received their portion together with You. And why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of the ministers, eating from the residue of the pasture of their flocks, which their ministers pour out for them? He, blessed be He, answers this, and says: "If you do not know, O fairest among women, where I feed," etc. — [feed] through Me and not under a minister — "go forth" from the confines of your own deeds, and follow "in the footsteps of the flock" — these are the steps and paths of the flock, namely, the root of Israel, your ancestors, who are called "flock," as they, may their memory be blessed, say in Vayikra Rabbah, parashah 26, as explained above regarding the verse "draw me" (Song of Songs 1:4), etc. — that they were called this because they always drew themselves after Hashem without complaint, and accept sufferings with humility, like a flock. And so, regarding what you said, "why should I be," etc. — do not fear, for indeed you shall rise even to the level where it need not be said [only] of the great ones of Israel — for even your kids, who are your small ones, will you not feed them from above, "beside the dwellings of the shepherds," who are the ministers? For it need not even be said that they will not receive from the pasture which the shepherds — who are the ministers — pour out for their nations, but rather from above, from the dwellings of the ministers in the heavens above, will their nourishment come; and this is known, that when Israel is worthy, they are nourished from the flow that is above the dwelling place of the ministers. And regarding the second matter, that you said, "where do you make [me] lie down at noon," fearing lest you be consumed by the fire of exile — this fear should not enter your mind, for you shall not be consumed by it, since, "I have compared you, my darling, to a mare," etc. This is because, behold, our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said regarding this verse in the Midrash, that the horses of Egypt, of Pharaoh's chariots and his army, were male, and God made their waves appear, in the eyes of Pharaoh's riders, like female horses; and Pharaoh's chariots eagerly ran toward the waves and sank, and the Egyptian would say to his horse: "Yesterday I was leading you to the Nile and could not; now you lead me to my drowning." Now it is fitting to take note that, according to these words, how is the statement "I have compared you, my darling" to be understood? For it does not fit either in the sense of comparison [dimayon] or in the sense of stillness [demamah]. However, it fits well according to our own statement, for this is His, blessed be He, answer, He who lifted up His voice and said to the daughter of His people, whom He loves: Behold, two things call out to you, of which you were afraid in this dreadful exile. The first: "where do you feed," [that is, the feeding of] the honor of a king's daughter, from the leftover, deceptive bread, from the food of the slave of a Cushite king — the shadow of the Cushite having turned sullen and bitter. The second: that you feared lest you be swallowed up in the burdens which they load upon you day after day. Now the answer to the first has already come, and regarding the second I say to you that you should not fear, for, "I have compared you to a mare," etc. This means: do not fear, for you shall not be ashamed, for know for certain and see, that just as it happened with My mare among Pharaoh's chariots, it will also be precious for them — for just as I made the waves of the sea appear, in the eyes of Pharaoh's riders, like female horses, so that the male horses of Egypt danced like rams upon the waves, and what arose in their minds was that this would be for their benefit and good, yet it was the reverse, for "the depths covered them" (Exodus 15:5), for there the mighty ones fell — so too, My people, My darling, [I have compared you] to My mare, in relation to those who oppress you. For just as My mare then was the waves of the sea, eager to pursue and fall upon Pharaoh's riders, who thought they would benefit, and [instead] they sank in them and perished — so have I compared you, My darling: that those who oppress you and rise up against you, thinking thoughts for their own benefit, [these thoughts] are actually for their own harm, for thus shall they sink and be swallowed, for "all who devour you shall be held guilty; evil shall come upon them" (Jeremiah 2:3) — they shall perish, and you shall stand firm. Now, up to this point [we have] His, blessed be He, answer to her questions and requests, "where do you feed," "where do you make [me] lie down," which arose out of the dispute. But although all her salvation, and all the desire of her question and her main petition which her soul longed for and which her mouth had opened to speak, namely, "let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth," still stands [unanswered] — therefore God answers and says, "your cheeks are comely," etc. This is by way of mentioning the statement of our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, and this is its wording: "Your cheeks are comely with turtledoves" — at the time when they wail over the halachah with one another, such as Rabbi Abba bar Mimi and his colleagues; "your neck with strings of beads" — at the time when they string together words of Torah, and from words of Torah to the Prophets, and from the Prophets to the Writings, and fire blazes around them, and the words were as joyous as at their giving at Sinai. And was their essential giving at Mount Sinai not given in fire? As it is said, "and the mountain burned with fire unto the heart of heaven" (Deuteronomy 4:11). Ben Azzai was sitting and expounding, and fire was around him. They went and said to Rabbi Akiva: Rabbi, Ben Azzai is sitting and expounding, and fire is blazing around him. He went to him and said to him: I heard that you were expounding, and fire was blazing around you. He said to him: Yes. He said to him: Perhaps you were engaged with the chambers of the Chariot? He said to him: No, rather I was sitting and stringing together words of Torah, and from Torah to the Prophets, and from the Prophets to the Writings, and the words were as joyous as at their giving at Sinai, and were as sweet as at their essential giving. And was their essential giving at Sinai not given in fire? As it is written, "and the mountain burns with fire." Now it is fitting to take note, aside from the apparent difficulties: what is the meaning of "wail," when on the contrary a legal tradition requires calm clarity? And what is the meaning of that "stringing"? Also, he says, "they string together words of Torah, and from words of Torah to the Prophets" — for his saying "words of Torah" [a second time] is superfluous, and it should properly have said "they string together words of Torah [leading] to the Prophets." And likewise in the words of Ben Azzai, when he says, "I was sitting and stringing together in words of Torah, and from Torah to the Prophets" — for it should properly have said, "stringing from Torah to the Prophets." And also his saying "sitting" — what is its point, and what is the inference in these fine details? However, the main point requiring attention is the meaning of that "blazing." For Rabbi Akiva's question was valid: perhaps you were engaged with the chambers of the Chariot? And what was [Ben Azzai's] answer: "I was stringing," etc.? How did this resolve the length of his wonder, and if it is [indeed] an answer, how did this matter escape Rabbi Akiva's notice? Also, the statement "the words were joyous," which he said, is not readily acceptable — for how can joy apply to the sound of words, to say that "the words were joyous"? And how were they "joyous as at their giving at Sinai," and what connection did this have with Sinai? And what is the force of his wonder when he says, "were they not given in fire," and it is not brief, saying, "the words were joyous, as at their giving at Sinai, which was given in fire, as it is said, and the mountain burns with fire"? And furthermore his saying, "as it is written, and the mountain," etc., as though without this there were a difficulty in the verse. Now, in order to arrive at the explanation, let us preface a well-known introduction for the attainment of knowledge, namely: that every single commandment has a root of holiness above, each one according to the aspect of its secret; and when a person performs it, its source and root are aroused, and its light increases and cleaves to the root of that person's soul above, and extends in stages down to the part of his soul below, to the earth, and he acquires an extension of some [measure of] holiness — indeed, even to his entire body and flesh, according to his degree — and how much more so one who has stood in the counsel of Hashem and knows how to have proper intent in it when performing it, as is known. However, the light and flow that increases and is bestowed through engagement in Torah for its own sake is not comparable to engagement in any single commandment, and this is why they said, "the study of Torah is equivalent to them all." And the reason for this praiseworthy matter is this: behold, in the manner of "a tree planted by streams of water," its trunk is very abundant, rich and fat, beside its branches and boughs — so is the relation and character of the Torah to its commandments. For just as a branch will not blossom except from the trunk of the tree, and from the nourishment it draws from it, so every commandment — all the light that increases and extends to those who perform it — is drawn only from the root of the might and spirituality of the Torah which is above, for it is that which encompasses them, and they are lights branching out from its aspects, as is known. And just as one who tends the tree benefits all its branches, for in its wholeness they too have wholeness, so one who engages in Torah increases light and abundant flow to all the particulars of its branches, for they are all mentioned and enacted within it — which is not the case with one who engages only in watering one of the branches of that tree, for it will only avail to moisten that branch alone. So likewise, by way of analogy, one who engages in a single commandment gives strength and light to it alone, and fills it with strength to draw from the essential inwardness of the Torah — and how much more so [when he engages in] the commandment together with words of Torah — yet not through engaging with one branch will he benefit the essence of the tree, for the whole benefits the part, but the part does not [benefit] the whole, nor another part. And this is the matter of [why] the study of Torah is equivalent to them all. And still there would be room for a person to say that not all aspects of the Torah attain the paths for drawing forth the great fire from its supernal root, only [that this applies to] one who has stood in the counsel of Hashem and toiled inwardly in the hidden things of its secret — but not to those who engage in its plain sense, or in its expositions and its lighter hints, which are lighter than its secrets. For by what path would the merit of engaging in its plain sense proceed, to draw and bring forth from the inwardness of the fire of its secret, from the supernal fullness? However, this is not so. For behold, all the parts of our Torah which the early [sages] delineated are four, ascending and descending in gradation: plain sense (peshat), hint (remez), exposition (derash), and secret (sod) — these are its four levels; and above these, the higher one is closer to Him, blessed be He, than the one below it, and the same reasoning applies throughout. And it is true that one who engages in the higher level arouses the holiness of its inwardness, and there will be light, and he will increase and draw it forth more than those who engage in the three levels below it. However, it is not withheld, from a certain aspect, from also increasing and drawing forth from its supernal spirituality, since all its levels are bound to one another and do not separate — like the well-known saying, "like that snail whose garment is [attached] to it, from it and within it." And just as a person cannot lift his hand or his foot devoid of the vitality of the soul placed within it — even though this is matter and that is spirituality — how much more so in a matter whose very plain sense is itself spiritual and inseparable from its inwardness. Nevertheless, the illumination will not be visible in this land [below], for the illumination, in its glory, is above the heavens. But nonetheless, if [one is] a pure vessel, like the sages of old to whom Hashem apportioned Israel His people through the Torah, and he toils [in it] — not only through engaging in the Account of the Chariot will he draw down from the great fire until fire literally descends to the earth, as in the incident of Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh, in the chapter "Ein Dorshin" [of tractate Chagigah], where the whole valley was filled with fire — but even by way of its plain sense there is a straight path for people, by which to connect the levels and link them in such a way that each level becomes, as it were, a conduit to the one above it, to pour forth through it the flow of the fire of its spiritual law down to this land below. And this happens when they know, first, how to connect the plain sense with the hint, and the hint with the exposition, and the three of them with the secret — for each one of these intends, in its plain sense, some matter which it hints at in the hint, and how it is beautified in the exposition, and how the supernal foundation is hinted at within these — as though forming, out of these four aspects, a strong bond and a single string, like strung fish that are joined into one by the thread, with this one first, this one second, and this one last; for through this, the three become conduits for bringing down the flow along the path of the secret that cleaves above. And still, all this remains within the Torah itself, which is high above — but by what path is the great fire that belongs to it drawn down to the earth below? Therefore, after that connection has been made among the aspects of the Torah — from it and within it — the matter is drawn onward and connected with verses of the Prophets that relate to the matter, and also so that the plain sense should be directed, in his heart, toward the hint and its corresponding aspect in the secret of the Torah, which he had intended at first. And it is known that just as the Prophets are below the Torah itself, so will his engagement with the Prophets be — after the connection he had made in the Torah — like a conduit descending below, to pour forth and reveal from the supernal [level] that had begun to be poured forth, clothed in what preceded it; and in this manner, from the Prophets to the Writings; and then, through the Writings, the light that had begun to spread is revealed, until it is seen below, on earth, like a spring of blazing fire, before the righteous person who does so, as is known — for the aspect of the Writings is like a mouth that reveals what is within, through their joining together; even the existence of the matters, though they are things perceived by the senses, reveal the light hidden within their inwardness. Now let us come to the explanation. It was difficult for him [i.e., for the author of this Midrash] in the verse: the matter of "turtledoves," whose meaning is as in the phrase, "and he shall bring near from the turtledoves" (referring to sacrificial law in Leviticus), being placed beside "cheeks," and being related to "strings of beads." Therefore he said that [Scripture] praised Israel by [speaking of] two kinds of righteous people found among them. One kind: those whose whole salvation and whole desire is in the warfare of Torah, multiplying in session, as though uprooting mountains and grinding one against another in dialectical give-and-take, until they understand the matters thoroughly, in an acceptable way, resembling cheeks that chew hard food until it becomes pleasant to accept and eat. There is also a second kind, namely, those who bear the yoke of the entire burden of the people upon them, pouring out to them all the flow of their needs, by virtue of their piety together with the beauty of their wisdom. And regarding the first kind, which is likened to "cheeks," he said, "your cheeks are comely" — but "like turtledoves," meaning not with haughtiness and pride of heart, [seeking] to be victorious or to boast of one's sharpness and the like, but rather in humility, waging his battle of dialectical analysis like one who wails in bitterness of soul over the difficulty of the halachah, like these turtledoves, which constantly moan like the moaning of those who wail. And likewise "your neck" [refers to] those who bear the yoke of the burden of the whole people upon them, men of [good] deeds together with wisdom and its root, when they are "in strings of beads," that is, when they string and connect, within the Torah itself, its aspects — from it and within it, and from it to the Prophets, and from the Prophets to the Writings — for through this, as stated in the introduction, they pour forth a flow of holiness upon Israel, and upon the Rabbis, and upon their disciples, and the disciples of their disciples, and a flow of blessings of good upon the land, they pour out completely in every respect, for they bind the worlds together, to the point that the fire of the supernal world extends all the way through to the land below. And this is [the meaning of] "and fire blazes around them," which is the ultimate purpose of the existence of this world. And because it might seem, as it were, strange that from the plain sense there should issue lightning and blazing fire, therefore he said, "and the words were joyous." This is because, behold, this is the nature of joy: a person called "joyous" by name — if something comes to him that is pleasing to the soul, or "wine that gladdens the heart of man," his joy will be inward, like fire burning, held within his bones, and he will not have the strength to contain it within, for in a moment he will reveal it — for his face will shine with oil, and all who see him will recognize that his heart is joyous, through the shining brightness of his face. And this is nothing other than a light drawn out, into his physical being, to the outside, from the inwardness of the spiritual soul. So too with this matter: even though the words are, in their plain sense, garbed [in physical form], [their inner light] is drawn from their inward and secret spirituality out to the outside — for it is like the soul within the body, as in the matter of what our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said, that Moses saw the letters flying off — which is the spirituality within the letters — and it grew too heavy for him, and then "he cast [the tablets] from his hands." And this is [the meaning of] "and the words were joyous." And still, who proves that this is so? Therefore he said, "as at their giving at Sinai" — and this is a very powerful proof. For behold, when we sat there, did we not hear plain-sense words — namely, "I am [Hashem your God]," meaning, "you shall not have," etc., "you shall not make," etc.? And with all this, "the mountain burned with fire." But there is no doubt that this is only because the inwardness was extending through and being revealed upon the garbed words, and from them, outward — for nothing went forth from Him, blessed be He, except the spirituality, the inwardness of the Torah, which is a "fire of law," and it descended in stages until Israel heard plain-sense words, and the manner of this extension was an inward fire extending through and being revealed. And this is [the meaning of] "as at their giving at Sinai," and this is the nature of joy, as stated. And lest we say that these very words which you are expounding were said there themselves — [in which case] we would say that the hand of that holiness is still outstretched to make the words shine as then — but these are words that were not [said there]; who knows whether you have the strength to make them shine? Therefore he said, as though in wonder: "and was their essential giving at Mount Sinai not given in fire?" And so too below, in the wording of Ben Azzai's statement to Rabbi Akiva, he said, as though in wonder: "and was their essential giving not given at Sinai in fire?" — meaning: granted that I would not have had the strength, in that I was stringing and connecting through the intention of [joining] the plain sense with the inwardness, to bring down the great inward fire and reveal it outward — behold, there is a little help in this: for behold, their essential giving at Mount Sinai was indeed given in fire, and this hints to me a known premise, that everything which all the sages will innovate until the end of all generations was [already] given at Sinai, as they, may their memory be blessed, say in the Midrash Shemot Rabbah and in tractate Megillah. And this is their essential giving — meaning, that the matters I was expounding were themselves given at Sinai in fire; and therefore, since these very things were given in fire, I have the strength, through the goodness of my intention, to connect them with the inward, secret fire, and to bring the fire to shine forth again in the manner in which it came at first. And he said, "as it is written, and the mountain burns with fire" — because, behold, it was difficult for him in the verse: since the fire was descending from above, down to the earth, it should properly have said, "and fire burned from the heart of heaven down to the mountain"; but by saying, "and the mountain burns with fire unto the heart of heaven," it appears that the essence of the fire was from below, ascending to the heart of heaven. And if we say that this is indeed so, it cannot be, for fire from below cannot ascend to the heart of heaven. But according to our own statement — "as it is written, and the mountain burns," etc. — the supernal fire was extending forth and issuing from the plain-sense words that they were hearing, after their extension downward, as stated regarding his saying that the words were joyous; and since the essence of the fire was from above, to the place from which it came, there it would return — namely, unto the heart of heaven. And with this the matter of the statement comes out correctly. And based on these words, let us return to the path we have been treading: that He, blessed be He, comes to answer our question, which we asked of Him, saying to Him, "let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" — that just as at the standing at Mount Sinai, we should return to being taught directly by Hashem, [that] He should speak with us mouth to mouth. And He says: this is not [attainable] for you in the future redemption except by the merit of Torah, as stated by Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd), peace be upon him, regarding the verse, "poor, and riding upon a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9) — that this is by the merit of those who hold fast to the Torah, as in the phrase, "Issachar is a large-boned donkey" (Genesis 49:14). And it is true that "your cheeks are comely with turtledoves" — these are the unique, treasured individuals who chew through every difficult matter, with its difficulties and resolutions, until it becomes pleasant to the soul; and likewise there are those who bear and lift the yoke of the generation, like the neck, "with strings of beads," as stated — but this is not [true of] all of you, or of the majority of the people. Therefore do not be terrified and do not be hasty, until "we will make you rings of gold" — for beyond the few in number who are likened to turtledoves among you, further rings of gold will be made, in addition to them, so that their engagement in Torah — wailing over the halachah like turtledoves, out of hardship and suffering — will be made for you; and this is [the meaning of] "gold," which hints at judgment (din) and suffering. And do not answer me that a legal tradition requires calm clarity, so how can it succeed by way of suffering? Behold, I answer you: for it will come "with studs of silver" — that they will be visited with mercy and kindness, and it will not be all judgment; rather, the visitations of mercy will draw near to one another and will overpower the judgment and the wrath — just as studs of silver draw near to one another and, [though set] upon the gold, appear to rule and prevail over it. So they will be visited, morning by morning and moment by moment, with mercy, to which the silver is likened. And then, "I will give my love to you" — and not now, for it is not yet your time; it is not a time for love; kisses shall you seek from My mouth, until you have perfected yourself in Torah, as stated.

"Tell me" — the author began [here] the words of the congregation of Jerusalem to Him, and His response, in the manner of the words of a forsaken lover to her beloved. And he said, "Tell me, O you whom my soul loves" — You, Hashem our Father, whom my soul loves — even though my deeds are corrupted, tell me. "Where you feed" — the students, [teach them] knowledge and understanding. "Where you make [your flock] rest at noon" — teach the multitude to be under the sages of the generation, that they conduct themselves according to their teaching. "At noon" — at a time when there will be two sons of noon (bnei tzohar) disputing in halachah, each of them illuminating his words with a proper rationale, just as happens at noon, when half the light is in the courtyard and half in the west; and this happened because "my own vineyard I did not keep," and they [the disputants] did not serve their full purpose. "For why should I be as one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions" — of the flocks of those companions who dispute [in halachah] and their students, who are Yours, and who say to one another that [their words] are "the words of the living God," and so I will be like one who wraps herself over her lip (cf. Leviticus 13:45), not knowing whom to ask, so that he might inform me of the correct matter.

"Tell me, etc." — As if she sends her words to the beloved and says to him: You, the beloved whom my soul loves, tell me where you pasture the flock and where you make it rest at noontime (for that is the time to make the flock rest), and as if she says: let me know your place, and I will come to you to graze together with you among the flock. "For why" — for why should I be as one wandering here and there among the flocks of the shepherds, your companions, searching until I find you. And the allegorical meaning is that Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) says: open my heart to know Your truth and Your power, so that I may be drawn after You and cleave to You — why should I go about wandering, lacking knowledge, searching, and confused?

"Where [eichah]" — it is like "anah" (where), similarly "where is he [eichah hu]" (II Kings 6:12). "You make [your flock] rest [tarbitz]" — an expression of lying down to rest. "At noon [ba-tzohorayim]" — from the language of "tzohar" (brightness) and light, and it is midday. "Shallamah" — equivalent to "asher lamah" (why is it that), the letter shin standing in place of "asher." "As one who veils herself [ke-otyah]" — an expression of swooping and darting, similarly "and swooped upon the spoil [va-ta'at el ha-shalal]" (I Samuel 15:19).

If you do not know. This is the shepherd’s reply, “If you do not know where you should go to pasture your sheep, you, O fairest of women, for the shepherd has ceased leading them — — Notes: (31) If you are uncertain about a matter of law, follow in the footsteps of your forefathers and follow their tradition. (Sforno) Go forth in the footsteps of the sheep. Look at the footsteps, the way that the sheep went, and the footsteps are discernible;” traces in O.F. There are many similar instances [of עקב in Scripture, “and Your footsteps וְעִקְּבוֹתֶיךָ were not known,” [and] “your steps עֲקֵבָיִךְ were cut off,” [and] “And it will return on its heel עָקֵב,” [meaning] that they will return in their tracks. You go on that path. And pasture your kids — Notes: (32) Tehillim 77:20. (33) Yirmiyahu 13:22. (34) Bereishis 49:19. (35) Alternatively, one who seeks God [symbolized by the shepherd], should follow the footsteps of the flock until he reaches the “shepherd.” (Sefer Duda’im) near the dwellings of the shepherds. Among the dwellings of the other shepherds whom you are near. This is the allegory: If you do not know, My assembly and My congregation, O fairest of women, among other nations, where you should pasture and be saved from the hand of those who oppress you, to be among them, and not have your children perish, ponder the ways of your early ancestors, who accepted My Torah and kept My ordinance and My commandments, and go in their ways. As a reward for this, you will pasture your kids near the princes of the nations. And similarly Yirmiyahu said, “Set up markers for yourself ... set your heart to the path, etc.” — Notes: (36) Yirmiyahu 31:20.

The first approach: "by the footsteps of the flock" — [the marks of the flock's tracks], as in "and Your footsteps were not known" (Psalms 77:20). "Your kids" (gediyotayikh) — "gedi" without [specifying] "goats" refers to the young of any kosher animal. The second approach: he answered [her]: "If you do not know [where to feed], go out for yourself by the footsteps of the flock, and feed small kids, just as you are small — above the dwellings of my companions," and that is my place. The third approach: the Shechinah (Divine Presence) answered: "If you do not know, go in the way of your fathers, and let your children who will be born feed according to the way of the tribes."

"If you know not" — [i.e., if you lack] a settled halachah. "O you fairest among women" — in the attribute of kindness and abstinence. "Go your way forth by the footsteps of the flock" — since the halachah is unsteady in your hand, follow after the [established] custom. "And feed your kids" — those destined to nurse like you, [meaning] the students destined to teach. "Beside the shepherds' tents" — in the teachings of the sages of the generation, so as to know the reasons, and let them discern which view is fit. Indeed, your excuse in saying "the sun has tanned me" is an insufficient excuse. For behold—

"If you know not for yourself" — as if the beloved answers her and sends his words, saying: O fairest among women, if you do not know where My dwelling place is, go out and walk in the path of the footprints of the flock — My flock — and pasture also your kids above the dwellings of the other shepherds, for that is My place; you will thereby be close to Me. And the allegorical meaning is that He answers her: if you have not attained the wisdom to know My truth on your own, rely on the received tradition (kabbalah) and hold fast to the ways of your fathers, and you will be attached to Me; then you will be raised above all the nations of the lands, for I am greater than all the gods of the peoples, who are but the heavenly princes.

"By the footsteps of [be-ikvei]" — meaning by the tread of the footprints of the foot, similarly "and Your footsteps were not known [ve-ikvotecha]" (Psalms 77:21). "And feed [u-re'i]" — from the language of "mir'eh" (pasture). "Your kids [gedioteiyich]" — from the language of "gedi izim" (a kid of the goats). "Beside [al]" — meaning above/alongside. "Tents [mishkenot]" — from the language of "mishkan" (dwelling).

To steeds in the chariots of Pharaoh I have likened you, my beloved. This lamed is like the lamed of, “At the sound לְקוֹל of His giving an abundance of water,” and as in, “like the fragrance לְרֵיחַ of your good oils.” לְסֻסָתִי=] at the gathering of many steeds, for I gathered My camps to go out toward you against the chariots of Pharaoh to save you, as it is stated, “You trampled [them] in the sea with your steeds,” i.e., many steeds. There I silenced you [=דִּמִּיתִיךְ, My beloved; I silenced you from your cry, as it is stated, “and you shall remain silent.” I saw this in Aggadic works. Another explanation—I have likened you my beloved. There I demonstrated [=דִּמִּיתִיךְ to all that you are My beloved. — Notes: (37) Yirmiyahu 10:13. (38) Above 1:3. (39) Chavakuk 3:15. (40) Shemos 14:14. To steeds. A gathering of horses, chevalchie in O.F. I have likened you. Adesmei in O.F., as in, “they intended דִּמּוּ to kill me,” for there I adorned you with beautiful ornaments. — Notes: (41) Shoftim 20:5. (42) At the Red Sea. (43) Because I intended to demonstrate that you are My beloved.

The first approach: "to my mare" (le-susati) — the yod is extra, as in "she was full of justice" (Isaiah 1:21) [and] "she loved to thresh" (Hosea 10:11). "I have compared you" (dimitikh) — I have likened you, as in "and to whom will you liken God" (Isaiah 40:18). The second approach: "to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots" — which is [made] of wood or iron — "I have compared you" to this splendid thing. The third approach: and when she returned in repentance, the Shechinah said: "to my mare [among Pharaoh's chariots] I have compared you" — Knesset Yisrael — for you kept the yoke of the commandments and did not turn from the way; therefore I will give your reward [and adorn you], and you will carry out silver and gold [with you] from Egypt.

"To a steed," etc. — Now, the explanation of these verses proceeds according to the way of our Sages, may their memory be blessed: that the verse "To a steed," etc., is the answer to the question "Where do you make it lie down" (Song of Songs 1:7), while the rest [of the verses answer] the primary question, "[Let him] kiss me," as has been discussed. It is further possible that the beginning of His, may He be blessed, answer to this question is from the verse "To a steed," etc., following the way that the masters of the plain sense (ba'alei ha-peshat) took in explaining "to a steed," and in explaining its statement "with turim." And it is this: that after He, may He be blessed, answered the question concerning the portion of the bodies, He then — continuing from where He had left off — turned to answer the portion of the souls that was asking, since it is the body that the soul draws after it. Thereupon, after Him, may He be blessed, the portion of the bodies would run as well, together with the portion of the soul — for since at present we are not worthy, He will not wait until we come to be purified, but rather He will begin first and afterward we will run, as in the matter we wrote concerning the verse "Turn us back, Hashem, to You [and we will return]," etc. And this is as He did in Egypt. For there were therefore two extremes: that from our having been worshippers of idolatry, He took us to Himself — "[Let Him] kiss me with the kisses of His mouth" being nothing other than that He, of His own accord, drew righteousness near, and the spirit of Hashem began to render us fit before we ourselves had begun. For were it not so, we would not have drawn out the lamb and bound it to the legs of the bed and slaughtered it before the eyes of all Egypt, exposing our own souls to death, since we sacrificed the abomination of Egypt before their eyes. And this is the statement at the end of the verse, "Renew our days as of old," as explained above: that He should deal with us as in the days of our exodus from Egypt, when He turned us back to Him first, and only afterward did we return. And with this, He, may He be blessed, says "To a steed," etc. And this is by way of prefacing: since Israel at that time were comparable and similar to those idolatrous Egyptians, is it not so that, corresponding to the Egyptians being likened to horses, Israel resembled them? And as for why He, may He be blessed, always refers to them [Israel] in the feminine — behold, this is their [fitting] name, that it would be proper to call them "horses" [i.e., mares]. But behold, He, may He be blessed, took hold of the other extreme, and likened us instead to His companion, and "My love," and "wife of one's youth." And this is [the meaning of] "to a steed," etc. — to say: in place of, and instead of, calling you "My mare," which would have been fitting to apply to you, behold I did not do so, but rather I likened you to the category of being a marriage-partner, as though you were My love — and this is [the meaning of] "I have compared you, My love." But it is not fitting to do so now, for behold, then you were more ready for this than you are now. For behold, "your cheeks are comely," etc. — and this is based on what appears from the Targum, that "turim" are "zamamin" (bridle-pins), like a bit and bridle which do not allow the horse to turn this way or that from the path along which its owner leads it. Let us now come to the matter. It is that, behold, there were then two things in Israel's possession, through which they merited the whole honor of the kisses of His mouth, may He be blessed, at that holy standing [at Sinai]. One: Israel's going out from Egypt into that desolate wilderness after Moses, without saying, "Where is the provision for the journey," and the foods suitable for the sick and for the elderly, and for those weaned from milk, and those taken from the breast, and for livestock, and for nursing women, and for pregnant women — but rather [going] with dough before it had leavened. And this is His, may He be blessed, statement, crediting us truly with goodness, by saying, "I remember for you the kindness of your youth," etc., "[and] your going after Me in the wilderness," etc. Second: they bore, with love, the yoke of Torah and mitzvot upon their necks like strings of pearls, and not like [reluctant] bearers of a yoke — as shown by her saying, "We will do and we will hear." And this is [the meaning of]: concerning the first, "your cheeks are comely with turim" — for it is as though there were on your cheeks bridle-pins and bits, [so that] you did not turn to the right or the left; and also, "your neck with strings [of beads]" [refers to] the Torah and mitzvot — and that is the second [merit]. However, now, even though you have not lacked the yoke of Torah, the "turim" on your cheeks — [namely,] not turning to the right or the left — are not present in you. Therefore, "[We will make] rows of gold" and bridle-pins for your cheeks, to walk in wholehearted sincerity after Me as of old, shall be made for you, in order to prepare you. But they shall be of gold — which is on account of the wrath and judgment of the exile and the birth-pangs of the Messiah — and you need not fear lest the wrath consume you, for behold, the gold and the wrath will not be everything, but rather, together with them, [there will be] "studs of silver" — mercy — so that the left hand pushes away while the right hand draws near. That is to say: through this you will merit that for which you asked: "I will kiss you with the kisses of My mouth."

"I have compared you, O my love, to a steed in Pharaoh's chariots" — for just as it happened to you when, in being My mare among Pharaoh's chariots, My Shechinah was revealed over you like a man of war, and you were victorious over them all — so have I likened you in your being My love. And this is because indeed, [these events] teach your deeds and your views, [grounded] in the foundations of My Torah and its proofs, and you shall not turn back [from them]. And while you are in this manner, even then—

"To my mare" — You, my beloved, behold I have compared you, against all the maidens, to a mare harnessed to Pharaoh's chariots, as against the other mares that are in the land of Egypt, for these are superior to all of them, since the source of horses is from Egypt, as it is said, "and the source of the horses that Solomon had was from Egypt" (I Kings 10:28). And the choicest of them all are harnessed to the king's chariot. And the allegorical meaning is to say: behold, you are beloved beyond all the families of the earth, even beyond the choicest among them.

"To my mare [le-susati]" — the female of the horse (sus) is called "susyah," just as the female of the donkey (chamor) is called "chamorah," with the yod added; and because of the added yod the heh is turned into a tav in order to attach it to the yod, similarly "full of justice [malati mishpat]" (Isaiah 1:21), where because of the added yod the heh is turned into a tav. And he speaks in the feminine because it was the practice of kings and officers to harness female horses to their chariots, for with male horses it would be difficult for the driver to restrain them from running, so that they should go slowly and not race. "Pharaoh [Par'oh]" — all the kings of Egypt are called by the name Pharaoh. "I have likened you [dimitich]" — from the language of comparison and parable. "My love [ra'yati]" — my companion.

Your cheeks are comely with rows of gems. Rows of earrings and a golden forehead plate. — Notes: (44) Alternatively, ornaments in the shape of turtledoves [=תורים] (Ibn Ezra) Your neck with [pearl] necklaces. Golden necklaces and pearls strung on golden threads of the bounty of the [Reed] Sea.

The first approach: "with circlets" (ba-torim) — some say it means rows of ear-rings and a gold frontlet, and some say it means ornamental designs, saying that it derives from [the word] "to'ar" (form). And what seems closest to correct to me is that it has no parallel anywhere except in one place — right after it, [namely] "circlets of gold" (torei zahav) [in the next verse]. "Studded" (nequdot) — like "nequdim" (speckled). The second approach: "are comely" — he likened the headdress upon her cheeks to a bridle-ornament [fashioned in the shape of the circlets] on the cheek of a mare, and her cords to strings of beads on the neck of a mare; and "circlets of gold" would be fitting for you.

"Your cheeks are comely with circlets" — [this refers to] the plunder of Egypt. "Your neck with beads" — the plunder of the sea. Now

"Your cheeks are comely with circlets" — your cheeks are comely and fitting to be adorned with circlets (torim), and your neck is comely and fitting to be adorned with strings of pearls and precious stones. And the allegorical meaning is to say: you are worthy and fitting to have abundant goodness bestowed upon you.

"Are comely [na'avu]" — from the language of "naeh" (comely) and beauty. "Your cheeks [lechayayich]" — these are the jaws near the eyes, similarly "they shall smite the judge of Israel upon the cheek [al ha-lechi]" (Micah 4:14). "With circlets [ba-torim]" — these are pearls arranged in a pleasing form and beautiful configuration; and related to it is "according to the estate of a man of high degree [ke-tor ha-adam ha-ma'alah]" (I Chronicles 17:17), meaning "according to the form and configuration of a man of high station." "With beads [ba-charuzim]" — these are precious stones and pierced pearls joined together on a string, and in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, "strings of fish [macharozot shel dagim]" (Bava Metzia 21a).

Circlets of gold we will make for you. I and My tribunal decided before Pharaoh’s arrival that I should entice him and harden his heart to pursue you with all the best of his hidden treasures; so that we should make circlets of golden ornaments for you. With spangles of silver. That were already in your possession, that you took out of Egypt; for the plunder at the sea was greater than the plunder in Egypt. — Notes: (45) Symbolized by gold. (Sifsei Chachomim) (46) Symbolized by silver. (Sifsei Chachomim) Spangles. Silver objects studded and decorated with stripes and hues.

"We will make you circlets of gold" — along with the completion of all the silver studs.

"We will make you circlets of gold" — and just as you are worthy of ornaments, so I will make for you ornaments of gold circlets, with studs of silver upon them, this being a most magnificent piece of jewelry. And the allegorical meaning is to say: just as you are worthy of goodness, so I will bestow it upon you.

"We will make [na'aseh]" — sometimes [Scripture] speaks of an individual using plural language, as an expression of honor.

While the king was at his table. The congregation of Yisroel replies and says, “All this is true. You bestowed good upon me, but I repaid You with evil, for while the King was still at the table of His wedding banquet...” — Notes: (47) At Mount Sinai. My spikenard gave out its fragrance. This expression is instead of [saying], “gave forth its stench.” When the Divine Presence was still at Sinai, I sinned with the [golden] calf; Scripture describes it with an expression of love, “gave out its fragrance,” and it did not write, “stank,” or “became putrid,” because Scripture speaks euphemistically. (See Rashi in Maseches Shabbos, Chapter “Rabbi Akiva” who states the reason for not writing “stank” or “ became putrid” is because of love. However according to the Tosafists explanation there, the reason that “gave out” is written instead of “abandoned its fragrance,” is because of love. However, it is not written, “stank,” or “ became putrid,” even without that reason, but because of euphemism.) — Notes: (48) 88b.

The first approach: "at his round table" (bi-mesibo) — like "the circular passages of Jerusalem" — the precious circular structure. "My spikenard" (nirdi) — a fragrance resembling saffron (karkom). The second approach: she answered: "Even though I have a good fragrance — for even the king [when he was at his round table] desired to smell my spikenard — you have [a fragrance] even [better than mine]" — that is, "a bundle of myrrh"; and I would desire that it should lodge between my breasts, and I would embrace "the one who is like a cluster of henna," which is [to be found] in Ein Gedi. The third approach: Knesset Yisrael said: "Remember for me the covenant of Abraham," whose fame went out through the whole world like spikenard, and whose name was carried like a bundle of myrrh.

"While the king..." [sat at his table] — Have You not said, Hashem, giving a reason why You are not in haste to redeem us as in the days of our going out from the land of Egypt, on the grounds that we were good then? But is this argument not, as it were, strange? For what merit did we actually have, seeing that "while the king sat at his table" — within the forty days before the tablets of the decree of freedom [cherut, a play on charut, "engraved"] were to be given — "my spikenard sent forth its fragrance," and that calf came out! And not only did You not remove Your favor from us, but You increased Your kindness. "A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me" means that not all of us sinned, but only a few — the mixed multitude [erev rav] — gave off the smell. This is because, just as a bundle of myrrh whose scent is preserved does not dissipate — for it is known that myrrh which is not bound up loses its scent — so was my beloved to me: for it was Your kindness, Hashem, that You were with us so that not all of Israel together would sin, since "between my breasts" refers to the heart, for it is between the breasts that the heart lodges — there my beloved lodges — so that my sense would remain intact within me, and my fragrance, for You were together with our heart, so that we would not all sin. How much more so, seeing that when we heard the calf declare — as our Sages of blessed memory said, "I am Hashem, etc." [i.e., the calf itself proclaimed divinity] — had we all gone astray, would we not all have perished together, as our brethren perished, as it says, "and Hashem struck the people, etc." (Exodus 32:35)? It was out of the abundant goodness toward the House of Israel that You were like a bundle of myrrh to all who were prepared for it, so that no mishap would come from their hands, that they would not all give off their scent. Or, close to this approach: "while the King, may He be blessed, was at His table" unique to Him — meaning that I was an entourage and a chariot to Him at Sinai, as we have said regarding "and He came from the myriads of holiness [ve'ata merivevot kodesh]" (Deuteronomy 33:2) — it does not say "with the myriads" [berivevot], for He, may He be blessed, set aside His [angelic] chariot and came to make a chariot out of Israel instead. Then "my spikenard" — that is, my good inclination [yetzer tov] — "sent forth its fragrance," meaning we said, "we will do and we will hear" [na'aseh venishma] (Exodus 24:7). That is to say: only after that gathering, when we were removed from essentially being that chariot, did we sin with the calf. And the reason we were meritorious while we were the chariot is that "a bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me" — for just as the bundle preserves the myrrh from losing its scent, and once the bundle is opened its scent dissipates, so was my beloved to me: while we still stood, may He be blessed, in that holy state, we were bound up within holiness, and our scent remained within us — and not only what we uttered with our mouths, "we will do and we will hear," but also what was in our hearts was bound to Him, may He be blessed, for "between my breasts" is the place of the heart, there it lodges — which was not so afterward. Thus all our merit then came from You, and not from us. Moreover, You continued to increase and add further good — for had it not been so, behold, we would have perished, all of us would have been lost. So how can You praise our merit in those days? Was it not that, but for the greatness of Your kindness, we would have been as nothing? That is: may Your kindness be now, too, as then, to give us drink from the kisses of Your mouth. And this is: "a cluster of kopher [henna/atonement] is my beloved to me, etc." — referring to the fact that You did not wipe us out by the hand of the sinners, for You had compassion, and You divided the punishment and the atonement into innumerable parts, as You said, "and on the day that I make an accounting, I will hold their sin against them, etc." (Exodus 32:34) — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "There is no reckoning, etc., that does not contain within it [a portion of the punishment for] the sin of the calf" — by the parable of our Sages of blessed memory, of a king who was angry at his son and swore to cast a great stone upon him, but so as not to kill him, broke it into fine pieces and cast them upon him little by little. This is the "cluster of kopher" that You made — a cluster of atonements [kapparot] which has many berries in it, so as to cast one berry at a time. Or, the word "kopher" may be understood in its plain sense, related to "kefor" [frost], which is extremely cold, meaning: a cluster of coolness, to temper the heat of judgment's boiling, by making the punishment into berries like a cluster — so was my beloved to me, in keeping with what was said. Furthermore, those berries which You mete out at each reckoning, likened to a cluster, are like the vineyards of Ein Gedi — for not even one of all those reckonings was meted out with Your full strength, for had it been so, there would be no remnant surviving, Heaven forbid — but rather, like a cluster that grows in the vineyards of Ein Gedi, of which our Sages of blessed memory said that it bears grapes seven times each year — from which it follows that it never gives its fruit with its full strength any single time, for its strength is always held in reserve for what comes after — so too do You, Hashem, divide the reckoning into many parts, and even those parts are not [meted out] with great force. Therefore, just as then Your compassion and mercy stirred for us despite our having made the calf, so now too, Hashem, do not withhold Your mercy — return to have compassion on us and grant our request, to draw us close to You, and give us to drink from the kisses of Your mouth. He, may He be blessed, replies and says, "Behold, you are fair, My love, etc." — meaning: have you not laid the burden of the guilt of the calf upon yourself in order to embellish your petition? But it is not so, for "behold, you are fair, My love" — for you indeed were fair, since it was the mixed multitude that made the calf, and not you — referring to those among you who remained and did not sin at all in the calf, aside from the failure to protest, which you said was as though I were to you a bundle of myrrh. Now, "behold, you are fair" — for had they not been predisposed to it, I would not have safeguarded their hearts, and this is why it repeats and says, "behold, you are fair." Or, according to the second approach among the verses above, it would mean: "behold, you are fair" when you were My love, that is, at Sinai, when your defilement ceased while My entourage was still upon you; and also "behold, you are fair" after that gathering, for you did not sin — only the mixed multitude did — and even those from among you who sinned, after it was done, the guilt of the matter is not, in essence, upon them, for "your eyes are like doves" — meaning your eyes deceived you, for once the mixed multitude had acted, your eyes then led you astray, for you saw that calf emerge, and with its mouth it would speak, "I am [Hashem your God], etc., who brought you out, etc." (Exodus 20:2). Or it may mean that "your eyes" refers to the elite of the generation, called "the eyes of the congregation" (Numbers 15:24), who indeed were like doves, in that they did not exchange Me at all, like a dove that does not exchange its mate.

"While the king sat at his table" — [He was] preventing our garments from wearing out, through the pillar of fire and cloud, and His other wonders. "My spikenard sent forth its fragrance" — my deeds gave forth a pleasant fragrance. And behold, now

"While the king was at his table" — as if the beloved sends her words to say to him: behold, while the king is reclining at his table at the end of the feast — and that is the time it is customary to bring before him the precious perfumed incense to raise up a good scent — nevertheless, the bundles of spikenard that are with me give off their scent and waft very strongly, nullifying the scent of that incense. And the allegorical meaning is to say: behold, the good deeds in my hands have overpowered greatly the deeds of the choicest among the worshippers of stars and constellations (idolaters), and they are as nothing and emptiness compared to my deeds.

"While [ad]" — meaning "while yet," similarly "while I was yet in my own country [ad heyoti al admati]" (Jonah 4:2). "At his table [bi-mesibo]" — his practice was to recline and lean upon couches at the time of eating. "My spikenard [nirdi]" — a kind of perfume.

A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me. My beloved has become to me as one who has a bundle of myrrh in his bosom, and he said to him, “Here, [take] this bundle, which will give a more fragrant aroma than the first one that you lost.” So, was the Holy One, Blessed Is He, appeased by Yisroel for the incident of the [golden] calf and found them an atonement for their iniquity and said, “Donate to the Tabernacle, and let the gold of the Tabernacle atone for the gold of the calf.” Between my breasts he shall lie. Even though I betrayed Him, He said He would dwell there. — Notes: (49) I.e., in the Tabernacle. Between my breasts. Between the two staves of the Ark. — Notes: (50) Maseches Yoma 54a; the Gemara there explains that the staves of the Ark protruded into the curtain causing it to bulge like a woman’s breasts.

The first interpretation: "a bag of myrrh" — Some say that myrrh (mor) is musk [in Arabic], but the word "I have gathered" (arithi) [elsewhere in the Song] would ruin this interpretation; rather it is from a precious spice, and the sense of "a bag of myrrh" is like "a bundle of money" (tzeror ha-kesef, Genesis 42:35). The third interpretation: "my breasts" (shadai) — these are the Torahs and commandments that he was teaching to the people of his generation, [until they acknowledged that there is none like Hashem, may He be blessed] — just as there is nothing to be found comparable to the cluster of henna in En-gedi, which proclaims His praise.

"My beloved is to me as a bag of myrrh" — You are with me, foremost of all perfumes. Indeed, [what I ask is] that he "lies betwixt my breasts" — that His Shechinah (Divine Presence) be revealed upon me as of old, and that we return to You as of old. But the matter is not so, for

"My beloved is a bag of myrrh to me" — nevertheless, You, my beloved, are considered by me to be like a bag of myrrh, for since it is bundled and tied up, its scent remains within it so that it does not dissipate, and it (the myrrh) surpasses the scent of my spikenard; therefore my desire is toward You, and I long for You to lodge between my breasts, to delight in You. And the allegorical meaning is to say: behold, the good things that You have bestowed upon me have surpassed my own deeds; therefore I long for Your Shechinah (Divine Presence) to dwell within me.

"A bundle [tzeror]" — an expression of binding, similarly "his bundle of money [tzeror kaspo]" (Genesis 42:35). "Myrrh [ha-mor]" — a kind of perfume. "My beloved [dodi]" — my loved one. "My breasts [shadai]" — these are a woman's breasts (dadei). "Lies [yalin]" — an expression of abiding continually, similarly "righteousness lodged in it [tzedek yalin bah]" (Isaiah 1:21).

A cluster of henna. There is a spice called כֹּפֶר as in, “Henna כְּפָרִים with spikenard,” and it is shaped somewhat like clusters. — Notes: (51) Below 4:13. In the vineyards of Ein-Gedi. [Ein-Gedi is] the name of a place, and there it is common. I saw in Aggadah that those vineyards produce fruits four or five times a year. And this is an allegory of the many atonements and forgiveness that the Holy One, Blessed Is He, forgave them for the numerous trials with which they tried Him in the wilderness. — Notes: (52) Alternatively, henna are composed of many seeds and their fragrance diffuses over great distances, symbolizing that the miracles God performed were heard from afar.

The first interpretation: "a cluster of henna (kofer)" — in the Arabic language it is "kafur," and in [another] language "kanfura," and it is like "clusters" (eshkolot); some say it is a type of clove (karnefel), but the first [explanation] is the more likely. "In the vineyards of En-gedi" — the name of a place [in the land of Israel, where the cluster of henna is found].

"My beloved is to me as a cluster of henna in the vineyards of En-gedi" — where the balsam [grows], as the Sages, of blessed memory, related — so You show [only] the scantiness of Your good ways among us, in comparison to time gone by.

"A cluster of henna" — You are, in my eyes, like a cluster of henna that grows in the vineyards of Ein Gedi, abundant with berries, whose scent wafts far away. And the allegorical meaning is to say: You have performed many wonders with me, wonders that are heard of to the ends of the earth.

"A cluster [eshkol]" — thus is called the stem with the berries hanging on it, similarly "a cluster of grapes [eshkol anavim]" (Numbers 13:23). "Henna [ha-kofer]" — a kind of perfume. "In the vineyards of [be-charmei]" — this is borrowed figuratively for orchards that have trees, similarly "an olive grove [kerem zayit]" (Judges 15:5). "En-gedi" — the name of a place in the land of Israel.

Behold, you are comely, my beloved. I was ashamed of my going astray, but He encouraged me with appeasing words, saying, “I have forgiven because of your words.” And you are most fair, for your eyes are like doves; i.e., a bride whose eyes are ugly, her entire body requires examination, but she whose eyes are beautiful, her body requires no examination. The allegorical meaning is: I forgave you for your iniquity, and behold you are fair with “Let us do,” and you are fair with “Let us hear;” fair with the deeds of your forefathers and fair with your own deeds, because — — Notes: (53) I.e., Yisroel. (54) Bamidbar 14:20. (55) See Maseches Ta’anis 24a. (56) Shemos 24:7. (57) Ibid. Your eyes are like doves. There are righteous among you who clung to Me like a dove, that once it recognizes its mate, does not allow him to mate with another. Similarly, “and all the sons of Leivi gathered around him,” and they did not err with the [golden] calf. Another explanation [of הִנָּךְ יָפָה, behold, you are beautiful through the construction of the Tabernacle, as it is stated, “and behold, they had done it, etc. And Moshe blessed them;” he praised them for that. — Notes: (58) Even when its mate is not there. Similarly, Bnei Yisroel do not abandon God even during the period when the Divine Presence is “hiding” from making its presence felt. (Sefer Duda’im) (59) Shemos 32:26. (60) Ibid. 39:43.

The first interpretation: "your eyes are doves" — (that is, like doves), similar to [the phrase] "a devouring fire" (esh okhelah) [it is]. The second interpretation: he replied, "Behold you are fair, your eyes are doves" — like a dove that loves her mate and does not leave him. The third interpretation: the Shechinah (Divine Presence) replied, "Now you will be adorned with strings of jewels" — prophets whom I will send to you, and they are your eyes.

"Behold, you are fair, my love" — God, may He be blessed, replies: Behold, now you have no need for that manner of revealed Shechinah through signs and wonders as of old, for I have already made you fair by giving the Torah and the commandments, which I wrote to teach through intellectual proofs — and this is [true] in your being My love, as mentioned. "Your eyes" — the teachers among the sages of the generations. "As doves" — like the eyes of doves. "Fitly set" — so they gaze upon the wonders of the Torah and its proofs in their fullness.

"Behold, you are fair, my love" — as if the beloved sends his word to praise her, saying: behold, you are fair, and your eyes are like the eyes of doves, which are very beautiful and draw love. And the allegorical meaning is to say: behold, your deeds are good and fitting, and they draw My love toward you.

"Behold, you [hinach]" — meaning "hinei at" (behold, you), similarly "behold, you are with child [hinach harah]" (Genesis 16:11).

You are handsome, my beloved, most handsome. The beauty is not mine, but Yours; You are the handsome one. Most handsome. For You overlooked my transgressions and caused Your Shechinah to rest in our midst. This is the praise of the descent of the fire, “and all the people saw and shouted for joy.” — Notes: (61) By Yisroel to God. (62) Vayikra 9:24. Indeed our bed is fresh. Through your pleasantness, behold our couch is fresh with our sons and daughters, all of whom gather unto You here, as it is said, “and the assembly was gathered, etc.” The Tabernacle is called a bed, as it is stated, “Behold the bed of Shlomo,” and similarly, the [Beis] Hamikdosh is called a bed, as it is said concerning Yo’ash, “in the bed chamber” which was in the “House of God,” because they are the source of Yisroel’s fruitfulness and procreation. — Notes: (63) Vayikra 8:4. (64) Below 3:7. (65) II Divrei Hayomim 22:11, 12.

The first interpretation: "leafy" (ra'ananah) — like moist and soft. The second interpretation: she replied, "Behold you are fair" — and we were in need of a leafy couch, and the beams of our houses would be cedars, so that we might dwell in a hidden place.

"Behold, you are fair, my beloved," etc. — Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) responds and says: "Not unto us, Hashem, not unto us" (Psalms 115:1) — the merit by which You removed the guilt of the [golden] calf from upon us. For "behold, you are fair, my beloved" — this is to guard us so that we would not sin; truly, [the word] "pleasant" applies to You as well: unlike a person who cannot be appeased at the time of his anger, You, even at the time of anger, are indeed pleasant — receptive to those who pray before You to find favor in Your eyes, as Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher), peace be upon him, prayed before You, and You relented from the evil decree, in such a way that the credit for the good belongs to You, Hashem. And if we run after You to seek merit, whose merit stood for us besides Your great kindness? "[Yet] not unto us, Hashem" is attributed only to others who were there to help us, and these are three categories. The first: the women whom You gave us, for they were "a help corresponding to us" (ezer ke-negdo), in that they were kept from sinning [in the golden calf], as is known from the words of our Rabbis of blessed memory. And we have, further, two categories of righteous ones: our holy forefathers — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — who are in the heavens above, and Moses and Aaron, who are on the earth below. For the standing of these three acquired and redeemed us immediately, before our own eyes, in addition to the greatness of Your essential kindness. And this is the meaning of my statement "also our couch," etc. — to say that, together with these three, You were essentially and foremost ours. "Also our couch is fresh" — this refers to our wives, for the moistness of their righteousness, which they had in Egypt, did not dry up, and they did not give a share [of their jewelry] to the [golden] calf as we did. This is [the meaning of] "also my couch is fresh" — the women are the couch and beds of the men. We also have reason to be grateful for "the beams of our houses," etc. This is what our Rabbis of blessed memory said regarding the verse "Remember for Abraham" (Exodus 32:13), etc. — that Moses said: "Are there not seven righteous men for whose sake this may be done — myself, Aaron and his four sons, and Joshua?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Ten are required." Moses said to Him: "Remember for Abraham, for Isaac, and for Israel" — for these three complete the ten. And of these it says "the beams of our houses," etc. This is because "korot" (beams) refers to the upper timbers upon which the roof of the upper story rests, above the heads of those who dwell in it, while "raheitenu" (our rafters) are those in the ceiling of the house that is beneath the upper story, below the feet of those who dwell in it — as our Rabbis of blessed memory expounded, "our rafters are cypresses" (Song of Songs 1:17): the place where the priests would run about (rahutim), like cypresses, as it is written, "and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress" (I Kings 6:15), according to the commentators' explanation. Now let it be said, in our own way: behold, we had two kinds of pillars as a support and stronghold to lean upon — the first, high and lofty, like cedars; and the second, like cypresses. These are: the first category — our holy forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are in the heavens above; and the second — Moses, Aaron, and the other holy ones, who are on the earth. And of the first category it says, "the beams of our houses are cedars" — these are the forefathers, who are in the heavens above; and likewise, "our rafters" are the wood below, in the upper story, upon which we tread and lean and are sustained — these are Moses and Aaron, who were then below, in this world. These two categories stood [in merit] for us, as is known, for Aaron, too, did well in that he set the appointed time for the next day, so that the mishap [of the calf] did not spread further among Israel. Or, conversely: "korot" (beams) refers to Moses, Aaron, his four sons, and Joshua — seven righteous men whom our Rabbis of blessed memory enumerated, whose glory is upon the earth — while the "rehitim" (rafters), which are trodden upon, refer to the forefathers, who are trodden beneath the earth, sleepers of the dust, who complete the number [to ten], as our Rabbis of blessed memory said regarding the verse "Remember for Abraham," etc., that it was for the completion of the number, and it all comes down to the same point. So, then: to You, Hashem, and to those whom I have mentioned, I have reason to be grateful — but not to myself, for "I am the rose of Sharon," etc. This is because, just as the rose that grows in Sharon, a place moist with water, blossoms abundantly, and likewise the lily of the valleys, where there is abundant water, its blossoming is greater than that of a flower growing in a high place — yet when water is lacking there, they wither and dry up quickly, before any other grass — which is not so for the rose and the lily that grow on a mountain: they do not wither quickly. So it was with us: we blossomed abundantly and said "we will do and we will hear" (na'aseh ve-nishma) — yet within a short time, when Moses was absent from me, which is like the withdrawal of water from the rose, the abomination of the [golden] calf was done among us. Behold, then, of myself — what am I? And so, now too, just as then, act for their sake, even though we are unworthy — for even then we were not perfect, yet You did not forsake Your kindness.

"Behold, you are fair, my beloved" — In any case, You were beneficial to us in this, for You broaden our hearts when [Your] glory walks in our midst as of old. "Indeed, pleasant" — and You forgave and guided us as of old. "Also our couch" — the foundation of the bed. "Is leafy" — even though my bedding departed through the corruption of my deeds, for You hid Your face — nonetheless, the foundation of the bed, which is the knowledge of God, may He be blessed, and the leaning of our hearts toward Him, is new and fresh as of old, and ready to receive the bedding when Hashem returns to Zion, for we have not forgotten the name of our God.

"Behold, you are fair, my beloved" — as if she (the beloved) answers with her own words to praise him, saying: behold, You are fair in appearance, and moreover a thread of kindness (chesed) is drawn over You, so that You are pleasant and beloved. "Also our couch is leafy" — also the bed that You prepared long ago for us to lie in, to delight in love, behold it was comely and fair like a leafy, fresh tree. And the allegorical meaning is to say: the good that You bestowed upon me long ago was of the choicest kind, with abundant kindness; and the place of Your dwelling within me long ago, upon the kaporet (the ark-cover), was most precious.

"Pleasant [na'im]" — beloved and cherished, similarly "pleasant plants [nit'ei na'amanim]" (Isaiah 17:10). "Our couch [arseinu]" — thus is called the bed, similarly "the couch of my bed [eres yetzu'ai]" (Psalms 132:3). "Leafy [ra'ananah]" — an expression of moisture and dampness, similarly "fat and full of sap [dishenim ve-ra'ananim]" (ibid. 32).

The beams of our houses are cedars. This is in praise of the Tabernacle. — Notes: (66) Alternatively, the beams whose function is to support the structure, symbolize the righteous whose concerns and desires are that their actions benefit and protect their entire generation. (Sefer Duda’im) Our panels. I do not know if this רָהִיטֵנוּ is a term referring to boards or a term referring to bars, but I do know that also in the language of the Mishnah, we learned, “the רָהִיטֵי [panels] of a person’s house testify against him.” — Notes: (67) The text of the Mishnah referred to by Rashi as we have it does not mention רהיטי at all, rather the text reads, the אבנות [stones] of a person’s house and the קורות [beams] of his home, testify against him.” However, the text that Rashi had [רהיטי ביתו של אדם] can be found in Dikdukei Sofrim and also in Radak’s Sefer Hashoroshim. (68) Maseches Chagigah 16a. (69) Alternatively, רהט means “hasten” in Aramaic. The Targum for רץ [=run] is “רהט,” see Bereishis 18:7. It therefore symbolizes the Beis Hamikdosh which King Shlomo hastened and completed in seven years.

The first interpretation: "our panels" (rahiteinu) — from the Mishnaic expression "the rahitei (fittings/panels) of a person's house." "Cypresses" (berotim) — it has no parallel elsewhere, and all the commentators have said that it is like "beroshim" (cypresses), though [letters] do not ordinarily interchange except for the [vowel-]letters alef, heh, vav, yod. The third interpretation: Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) said, "I wanted [in the Tabernacle] to serve You first, and afterward to build You a house of cedars; (but) I am like a lily in the valley that every passerby tramples," and the terror that the Egyptians would inflict upon me was total.

"The beams of our houses" — the sages of the generations. "Cedars" — [they are] lofty in wisdom, Torah, and commandments. "Our panels" — their disciples.

"The beams of our houses are cedars" — the house that You prepared for us long ago to come into, behold its beams were cedar wood, and the structure of the house's upper chambers, from room to room, built for us to walk about in, was of cypress wood, pleasant to look upon. And the allegorical meaning is to say: behold, the Temple in its entirety, which You prepared long ago for Your dwelling, was a wondrous and magnificent structure.

"Beams [korot]" — thus is called a thick piece of wood, similarly "let us take from there each man a beam [korah achat]" (II Kings 6:2). "Our panels [rahiteinu]" — these are the structures in the upper stories of houses through which one walks and runs from room to room, similarly "a king is held captive in the tresses [rehatim]" (below 7:6); for the Targum renders "va-yaratz" (and he ran) as "ve-rahat," and by this term the water-troughs are also called, as it says "and they filled the troughs [ha-rehatim]" (Exodus 2:16), this being on account of the running of the water in them. "Cypresses [berotim]" — like "beroshim" with a shin, and it is the name of an important non-fruit-bearing tree.