Song of Songs · Chapter 2

A rose. This is a rose שׁוֹשַׁנָּה=חֲבַצֶּלֶת. — Notes: (1) Alternatively, a young rose is called חבצלת and requires the abundant sunshine of the mountains. A mature rose is called שושנה, and the climate of the valley is best suited for it. (Sefer Duda’im) A rose of the valleys. This [rose] is prettier than the rose of the mountains because it is always moist, since the sun’s intensity is not strong there. — Notes: (2) Also, the mountain rose wilts sooner.

The first interpretation: "rose" (chavatzelet) — a rose (vered). "Lily" (shoshanah) — "gilyo" in the vernacular (la'az); and it is possible that it is called so because it has six petals. The second interpretation: "(for) I am now exposed/outside, like a rose of Sharon."

"And so, I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem" — I administered the oath by making known that I am lovesick. "If you awaken" — her, to pray. "Or if you stir up love" — the love of my beloved, to have mercy upon me. "Until it please" — through the merit of the generation, or at the ketz hayamin (the appointed end of days).

"I am the rose of Sharon" — now she sends her words, recounting her own praise in order to be loved by the beloved, and thus she says: I am like the rose that grows in a rich and fertile place, which is very beautiful, and like the lily that grows in the valleys, which stands in its moistness — it (the lily) has six petals and does not change; so too I always stand firm in my beauty without change. And the allegorical meaning is that Knesset Yisrael says: at all times I stand moist with good deeds, and my hand holds fast to the commandments (mitzvot), and my foot stands firm on a straight path, from which I do not turn aside.

"Rose [chavatzelet]" — this is the fragrant rose (vered). "The Sharon [ha-Sharon]" — this is a fertile and lush place, similarly "and the Sharon shall become like a wilderness [ka-aravah]" (Isaiah 33:10). "Lily [shoshanat]" — the name of a fragrant plant, called so because it always has six petals.

As a rose among the thorns. Which prick it, but it constantly retains its beauty and its redness, “so is my beloved among the daughters.” They entice her [i.e., Bnei Yisroel] to pursue them, to stray, as they do, after other gods, but she remains steadfast in her faith. — Notes: (3) The nations torment the Bnei Yisroel. (4) Alternatively, just as it is difficult to pick a rose from among the thorns, so too it is difficult to redeem the Bnei Yisroel from among the nations.

The second interpretation: he replied, "You are not like the lily of the valleys, [which is easy to take]; rather you are, among the daughters, like a lily among the thorns." The third interpretation: the Shechinah replied, "I will make you like a lily among the thorns, so that no person will be able to touch it."

"As a lily," etc. — He, blessed be He, responds and says: Also, as you have said, so it was — that although the guilt of the sin of the [golden] calf is attributed to you, your guilt is not so grave, for did you not mix among the Egyptians and learn from their deeds? This is what our Rabbis of blessed memory said: that Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher), peace be upon him, said to the Holy One, blessed be He, when that calf was made: To what may the matter be compared? To a wise man who made a reputation for his son and placed him in a marketplace of harlots while he was still a youth — for then, the youthfulness and childishness did their part, and the marketplace did its part, and there is no sin or guilt upon the youth. So too, You, Hashem, [placed] Israel, who is a youth in the service of Hashem, among the Egyptians, a place full of idols, etc. And this is what is said here: "as a lily among thorns," etc. For just as the lily that grows among thorns — if you see it full of blemishes, trampled, and pierced — one does not cast blame and attribute its blemish to itself, to say that its quality is bad, for this is not due to it but only due to the evil of its company (for the thorns trampled it and raised blemishes upon it, and from them the harm attached itself to it), so was "my love" among the daughters: for due to the evil company of the Egyptians and those who joined themselves to them there, like the erev rav (the mixed multitude), they became accustomed to evil, to make dumb idols, all according to the custom of the land in which they grew up. That is to say: were it not for those thorns, your merit would have been great from then on. But how can I hasten to redeem you until the measure of your merit is filled?

"As a lily among thorns" — which grows only among them. "So is my love among the daughters" — and this is because she will not turn to Me in any other way.

"As a lily among the thorns" — as if the beloved sends his word to say to her: indeed it is true that you are like a lily; and I will add further to your praise, to say that you, compared to all the other daughters, are like the lily that stands among the thorns, such that it is impossible for anyone to come near it to touch it and mar its form; so too you, with the abundance of your beauty — which is a cause to inflame the hearts of men to pursue your love — nevertheless, with all this, you do not allow anyone to come close to you. And the allegorical meaning is to say: even though all the idol-worshippers entice you to go in their ways, to join with them, you do not desire it nor listen to them.

"The thorns [ha-chochim]" — a kind of thorn, similarly "a thorn that comes up in the hand of a drunkard [choach]" (Proverbs 26:9).

As an apple tree. When an apple tree is among trees that do not bear fruit, it is more precious than all of them, for its fruit is good both in taste and in fragrance. — Notes: (5) Alternatively, Targum renders תפוח as an Esrog tree. So is my beloved among the sons. Among the young men. The allegory is: So is the Holy One, Blessed Is He, superior to all the gods. Therefore, “in His shade I delighted and sat.” The Midrash Aggadah [explains], this apple tree, all flee from it because it provides no shade; so did all the nations flee from the Holy One, Blessed Is He, at the giving of the Torah, but I, “in His shade I delighted and sat.” — Notes: (6) Although the other nations fled, Bnei Yisroel perceived the eternal benefit of sitting in His shadow, by accepting the Torah.

The first interpretation: "like an apple-tree" (ke-tapuach) — the name of the tree. The second interpretation: she replied, "Like the apple-tree that stands in the garden set apart from [other] trees, so is my beloved, and I delighted in him." The third interpretation: Knesset Yisrael said, "Are You not mine, though in the eyes of Egypt You seemed like an apple-tree — and when will the appointed end (ketz) arrive, that I may sit in Your shade, and You will bring me to a land flowing with milk and honey, and abundant grain and wine?"

"As an apple-tree, etc." — Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) responds and says: Behold, I acknowledge that just as You have said, Hashem, so it is — that at the Exodus from Egypt I was good, and it is fitting that this continue from now on as well. Nevertheless, please grant my request and my petition to bring us the good and hoped-for reward for another reason as well — namely, because we have borne the sufferings and the exile so exceedingly — and say to our troubles, "Enough," and make us rejoice according to the days of our affliction (Psalms 90:15). For behold, "as an apple-tree, etc." — the meaning is this: behold, one who dwells in His, blessed be He, shade in the days of this present exile-hardship, compared to one who dwells in the shade of one of the [gentile] princes, is like the difference between a man who sits under the apple tree — which among trees has no equal in shading — and one among the other, thickly-branched trees, where the sun strikes the head of the one sitting beneath it, and his legs, and his innards, and distresses him; unlike the man who sits under a barren tree of the forest, which has very dense shade, for in its shade he lives untroubled and at ease — heat and sun do not strike him. And so, the one sitting under the barren forest tree would say to the one under the apple tree: "Tell me, what do you gain from the shade of the apple tree? For by day the sun strikes you, and the moon by night, and in its shade you are irritable and troubled; better to sit in the sheltered shade of a forest tree, and then you will find rest like me today." Would not the one under the apple tree answer and say: "It is better for me that I am struck by the sun facing me under the apple tree; for behold, days are coming when it brings forth pleasant apple fruit, and my loss will be made up in my reward — all the more so since the apples will also benefit my inward self, and the sun distresses only my outside. But you, who chose to sit under a tree of the forest — true, for now you are spared from heat and sun, but you cannot hope to eat of its fruit, for it has none; and when autumn comes, its leaf withers and its shade, too, is gone — and how much more so now, to eat of its fruit, for fruit it does not produce at all." Just so does this befall us, the children of Israel, in relation to the [gentile] princes: for even in His, blessed be He, shade all the worlds and their offspring live; but we, the children of Israel in particular, are indeed given over into exile, for our Rock has sold us and Hashem has delivered us up (Deuteronomy 32:30); and yet it is not beyond Him, blessed be He, to shade us always — but it is like the shade of the apple tree, which is not dense shade, and among the branches He sends us the troubles and sufferings of exile like the sun facing us. However, one who dwells under the shade of one of the [gentile] princes is indeed safe from being struck by the sun of troubles, and he is at ease in his house and flourishing in his palace. Now, when one of them [the gentile princes] says to the children of Israel: "Why do you crush yourselves under the Torah of Hashem and live in its shade, under a King and princes, instead of choosing to dwell under one of the [gentile] princes, so that you might have rest?" — would not the man of Israel answer and say: "I have indeed chosen to take refuge in His, blessed be He, shade in this present exile, which does not shelter me like a dense shade, in order to refine our impurity and purify us from dwelling in the tents of the shade of a prince among princes; for indeed, in the future I will taste of the honeycomb of the great, hoped-for happiness" — which is not so for the one who dwells under one of the [gentile] princes, for even though he shades and shelters him now, he cannot hope for happiness in the future; and all the more so, since he shelters him only during his lifetime, and sometimes not even the whole of it, for when Hashem visits judgment upon the host of the heights, "the helper stumbles and the helped one falls" (Isaiah 31:3). And this is the meaning of: "as an apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved" — Hashem, blessed be He — "among the sons," who are the [gentile] princes; for He, blessed be He, does not shade us now with dense shade, but only like the shade of the apple tree, whereas the [gentile] princes truly shade like the trees of the forest. "And I sat" in his shade — that is, my Beloved's — "though the sun strikes me, I delighted, and I sat." Why? "For his fruit was sweet to my palate" — that is the hoped-for happiness. That is to say: therefore, please, Hashem, do this for this reason — that we have suffered to dwell under the shade of the apple in many afflictions — therefore give us a taste of the good fruit, which is our request and our petition. And should you ask: where have we tasted its future fruit of which we spoke, "and his fruit was sweet to my palate"? Has not "no eye has seen, etc." (Isaiah 64:3)? Behold, truly I have tasted of it: for He has "brought me to the house of wine" — that is Sinai — and there I tasted the kisses of His mouth face to face, and it was exceedingly pleasant to me, and His words were sweet to me, and I still stand in that longing. And should you ask: how were His words sweet to me, seeing that had He not held the mountain over me like an overturned cask (Shabbat 88a), I would not have accepted it — so how were they pleasant to me? Therefore it says, "and his banner over me was love" — meaning: the reason He needed to place His banner over me, like one who conquers a city, was not out of hatred toward us regarding His, blessed be He, Torah, heaven forbid, but rather out of love. And this is what they, of blessed memory, said in Tanchuma, parashat Noach: that we did not refuse to accept the Written Torah, but our reluctance was only toward the Oral Torah, for Israel's intent was only out of their love for Hashem, saying: "Who can muster the strength to stand by all the minutiae of the Oral Torah, and why should we constantly err?" — therefore they said that the Written Torah alone would be good for them. Thus it is found that this was for them out of love. And this is the meaning of "and his banner over me was love." Or it may mean: Behold the greatness of His, blessed be He, kindness — that it was not enough that He preceded me at Sinai, but that afterward He did not wait until I came of my own accord; rather, He went out to meet me like a bridegroom going out to meet a bride, as they, of blessed memory, said concerning the verse "And Moses brought the people out to meet God" (Exodus 19:17). And this is what it says: "He has brought me, etc." — for He, blessed be He, brought me to Mount Sinai, which is the "house of wine," to give us to drink of the spiced wine. And not only that, but also, when we then accepted His divinity and His kingship over us, it would be comparable to a king who reigns over a nation or a kingdom — and He raised His banner over us; yet He did not act like an ordinary king; for when an ordinary king reigns over a people, the banner over them signifies might and wrath, to instill fear. But He, blessed be He — although before Him there are four banners of the Chariot: of love, of might, of mercy, and of kingship — did not then raise over me the banner of might or of kingship, but only that of love, for He desires kindness toward us. And this is the meaning of "and his banner over me was love." Or it may mean, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: that when Israel saw at Sinai the Chariot of His, blessed be He, angels arranged in four banners, they desired greatly, saying, "Would that He, blessed be He, would make a chariot of us as well, in four banners" — and He, blessed be He, fulfilled their desire and divided them into four banners: the banner of the camp of Judah, the banner of the camp of Reuben, etc. And according to our approach, it says: See now how "his fruit was sweet to my palate" — for behold, He brought me to the "house of wine" and gave me to drink of the wine of His Torah, and my soul so desired Him that "his banner over me was love" — meaning, His banner, which He, blessed be He, has — four camps of the Shechinah (Divine Presence) in four banners — which rested over me, was constant love; so that my loving Him would result in the Shechinah resting upon me, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said — and this is nothing other than to constantly taste of His fruit. And should you ask: if so, then why did my soul become disgusted upon hearing Torah from His mouth, saying, "You speak with us... and let not God speak with us" (Exodus 20:16)? For behold, "sustain me with flagons, etc." — my statement, saying "You speak, etc.," was not out of hatred for the kisses of His mouth, heaven forbid, but rather, on the contrary, for the reason that "I am lovesick." And this can be understood with sound reasoning from the word "and we will hear" (venishma), which appears superfluous — but it may be understood thus: "Speak now with us" — and should you ask, when You speak with us, will Your voice not be heard by all of Israel, twelve mil by twelve mil (a mil being a talmudic measure of distance)? — this is indeed not so; rather, "we will hear" — and this is as is known: that it was not the voice of Moses alone, but rather they heard the voice of Hashem from within the voice of Moses. And this is the meaning of "Moses would speak and God would answer him with a voice" (Exodus 19:19) — for the voice of Moses was like a garment for His, blessed be He, voice. And this is what they, of blessed memory, said: that the Holy One, blessed be He, was like Metatron (a supernal angelic intermediary) for Moses; and likewise it is said that Moses was like a sh'liach tzibbur (prayer leader) and He, blessed be He, was like an adjunct responding to him. And this is the meaning of "and we will hear" — that is, in such a way that it would be heard, so that His, blessed be He, voice would not depart from within your voice — in such a way that it would be heard; and we do not exclude this, but rather only that "God should not speak with us" — meaning, directly from Him to us without intermediary, lest we die. Thus the statement "and let not God speak, etc." is not superfluous. And this is what it says here: "Sustain me with flagons" — for I love the wine of the words of His, blessed be He, mouth, but I requested a support by which to receive it, namely, that I should not receive the wine devoid of a garment, but rather from within a flagon — just as the voice of Hashem was from within the voice of Moses. Let this be a joy to me. "And refresh me with apples" — as when their souls departed at His speaking, the scent of a field of apples came from the Garden of Eden to restore their souls when they returned within them, as they, of blessed memory, said, that through this they returned into themselves. This was only because of the fact that "I am lovesick" — for my sickness was from my abundant love for my Lord, blessed be He, and for the sweetness of the fruit of His mouth; for on that account I feared lest my soul be drawn after Him and all our bodies remain without souls. And so, on the contrary, from this there is proof that "his fruit was sweet to my palate," and therefore I asked concerning the future, that my materiality be refined and I would receive it. Or it may be understood with sound reasoning, discerning from the verses that from the verse "as an apple-tree, etc." onward it is no longer addressed in the second person. Rather, it is that when Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) sees that there is still a delay remaining in the exile on account of our lack of preparedness, His, blessed be He, response to her turns her face toward the "daughters of Jerusalem" who are before her — as mentioned, these are the Babylonian exiles — and she says to them: "Have you not seen that He, blessed be He, waits until we return to Him, and it is you who delay us? Let it not enter your minds that our soul is disgusted with exile, for it is not so; rather, although 'as an apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons,' as was said in the previous approach, nevertheless in his shade — which does not fully shade me — I have now delighted and sat, to endure the striking of the sun of servitude. Why? Because his fruit is the future happiness that will be given to us, sweet to my palate, and were it not for this suffering we would not eat of it; for this reason our father Abraham sold us, and Hashem delivered us up, as is known. And let it not enter your minds that His soul is disgusted with us and that He has set you in our place — for it is not so; rather, 'he has brought me to the house of wine' — the place to which we were driven — that is the 'house of wine,' meaning judgment and wrath, for it is like the metaphor of wine — and He has not distanced Himself from me, heaven forbid, but rather, 'his banner is over me,' for the Shechinah, in her four camps and banners, is over me even in the place of exile, as the verse states, 'and I was among the exiles' (Ezekiel 1:1), as they, of blessed memory, said in the Zohar: that this is why the visions of Ezekiel occurred, and he recorded all that he saw, in order to restore the heart of Israel — for it had arisen in their minds that Hashem had forsaken them — therefore the prophet Ezekiel informed them, in Babylon, that there God was revealed to him amid all the holy creatures (chayot ha-kodesh) and the four camps of the Shechinah; and then all of Israel knew that although they were exiled to Babylon, the Shechinah was with them. And this is the meaning of 'and his banner over me' — and this is nothing other than love; for even though on account of our sins we were exiled from our land, His love for us has not moved from its place. Therefore I plead with you, daughters of Jerusalem: do not make me drink from the wine of the intoxication of your servitude before my eyes — even though He, blessed be He, has brought me near to you, who are associated with the 'house of wine' — but rather, 'sustain me with flagons,' meaning, let the wrath and the trouble be clothed like wine placed within a flagon; and after you give me to drink from the wine of trouble, give me a spacious understanding for what comes after it, and do some good for me to dispel the wine of the trouble that has passed." And this is the meaning of "refresh me with apples" — as is known from the Zohar, that apples dispel the effect of wine — and the reason is: "for behold, I am lovesick" — for the One who caused my sickness, He, blessed be He, and who gave me into your hands, did not do so out of hatred for us; rather, on the contrary, out of love, so that we would not inherit Gehinnom (Hell), as is known. And even now He has not withdrawn His hand from me, only His left hand pushes away and His right hand draws near. And this is the meaning of: "his left hand is under my head" — that is the left hand pushing away — "and nevertheless, his right hand embraces me" — for in many things He, blessed be He, does good for us in the midst of our troubles. And "taste and see" (Psalms 34:9) how it is "sweeter than honey" that it says "to my head" and does not say simply "my head" — and this is because even the trouble, at the time of the pushing away of the left hand, is itself a benefit, like the bloodletting of a physician upon his patient, who draws his blood for his benefit and his good — so does suffering purge the impurity of the evil inclination. And this is the matter of the verse "For He wounds, and He binds up, etc." (Job 5:18) — for at the time He wounds, He binds up. And this is what it means by "under my head" — that is to say, His left hand is to me like the placement of a left hand which is under the head, meaning, for the benefit of the head and to support it, as in the matter of 'Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me' (Psalms 23:4), for the rod of suffering is a support for the head; and aside from this, "and his right hand, etc." — for the right hand draws near, as mentioned. And along these lines, I think, is also the intent of our Sages, of blessed memory, even though it concerns a different matter. For behold, they said in the Midrash: "'His left hand is under my head' — these are the first tablets; 'and his right hand embraces me' — these are the second tablets." Now, is this not difficult and seemingly reversed — that he calls the first tablets "left" and the second tablets "right," when it should be the opposite, since the sanctity of the first is greater than that of the second? But it may be explained thus: that He, blessed be He — even though we caused the loss of the first tablets, and He, blessed be He, cast them away from us by making the letters fly off, as they, of blessed memory, said, that Moses saw the letters flying off and therefore broke them, and He, blessed be He, said to him, "May your strength be firm, for having broken them" — nevertheless, His, blessed be He, casting us away was not a complete rejection, for behold, afterward He commanded Moses concerning the second tablets. But this means only that the left hand was pushing away with regard to the removal of the first tablets, while the right hand was drawing near with regard to the second tablets. And this is the meaning of "his left hand, etc." — these are the first tablets, for with them the left hand was pushing away; "and his right hand, etc." — for through them the right hand was drawing near.

"Under its shadow I delighted to sit" — [refers to] the giving of the Torah, as it is said, "and they sat down at Your feet." "And its fruit was sweet to my taste" — as it is said, "we will hear and we will do." And so

"As an apple-tree among the trees of the forest" — Now she sends forth words to praise the beloved, and says: you appear to me, among the other young men, like an apple tree among the barren trees of the forest — for although the shade of the apple tree is the smallest of the shade of all the barren trees, nevertheless it is better than all of them because it produces fruit; therefore I desired its shade and sat beneath it, even though it is the smallest of them all, for its fruit was sweet to my palate, something not found on the barren trees. It is as if she said: although, compared to the other young men, I found in you little wealth, nevertheless I desired to sit in your shade, for the fruit of your wisdom is sweet to my palate; and it is better to take shelter in the shade of wisdom than in the shade of money. And the allegorical meaning is to say that Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) said: although the pleasure of transgression and of the idol-worshippers comes quickly in this world — like the shade of a tree, whose pleasure comes at once as soon as a man sits beneath it — nevertheless I withdrew my hand from transgression and from the idol-worshippers and clung to You, for the fruit of the reward in the World to Come is far sweeter to me, even though it is delayed in coming.

"To my palate [le-chiki]" — the palate (cheikh) is that which is above the tongue.

To the banqueting-house. The Tent of Meeting, where the details and the explanations of the Torah were given. — Notes: (7) Alternatively, “the banqueting-house” refers to Mount Sinai. (Targum); or to Eretz Yisroel. (Sforno) And his banner is raised over me in love. And his gathering, that he gathered me to him, that was love to me, I still remember his love. “וְדִגְלוֹ” is atreit in O.F.

The first interpretation: "and his banner" (ve-diglo) — from "degel" (banner). The second interpretation: "He brought me to the house of wine, and I became intoxicated with him; and had this been openly, like a banner, then I would have said to the young maidens..." The third interpretation: "and his banner is over me" — and I hearkened to Your words.

"He has brought me to the banqueting-house" — to the Land of Israel, which was a place of all delight and sustenance without hardship, as it is said, "flowing with milk and honey." "And his banner" — to wage war. "Over me is love" — to fight while still in love, as it is said, "For not by their sword did they take possession of the land, etc.; rather, Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, for You favored them."

"He has brought me to the house of wine" — It is as though she speaks directly to him, saying: I desire that you bring me to the house of wine, to delight in me in a place where onlookers are present, so as to publicize your affection for me. "And his banner over me is love" — His raising his banner over me, to show everyone that I am his and submit to his authority — this I consider to be a display of love and abundant affection. And the allegorical meaning is to say: I desire that You cause Your Shechinah (Divine Presence) to rest upon me before the eyes of all the idol-worshippers, to publicize the fact that I am His people; this is very dear to me.

"He has brought me [heviani]" — past tense in place of future. "And his banner [ve-diglo]" — from the language of "degel" (banner), which is raised in an army.

Sustain me. Now, as is the manner of [treating] the sick, with flagons of grape wine or with cakes of pure flour. Refresh my bed. Spread my bed around me with apples for a good fragrance, in the manner of [treating] the sick, for I am sick for His love, for I thirst for Him here in my exile. “רְפִידָה” is an expression of a couch, as in, “where he lies יִרְפַּד on jagged rocks as if upon mud.” — Notes: (8) Iyov 41:22.

The first interpretation: "sustain me" (samchuni) — from the heavy [i.e., intensive] verbal pattern (binyan). "With cakes" (ba-ashishot) — wine. ["Spread out for me" (rafduni)] — place my bedding [around me with] apples; and in the Arabic language it is like "sa'aduni" [support me] [or "chazkuni" — strengthen me]. The second interpretation: "sustain me with cakes of wine, spread out for me with apples" — that I may smell them and eat them together with the wine, like the custom of a sick person before whom are set wine-cakes and an apple. The third interpretation: (and) this is [the meaning of] "sustain me with cakes," like the matter of "Come, buy without money and without price, wine and milk" (Isaiah 55:1). "With apples" — miracles that You will show me, and wonders whose report will be heard throughout the whole land. ("His left hand") — the morning burnt-offering and the evening burnt-offering.

"With apples" — when I am engaged in Torah, [tasting] its flavor and fragrance. "For I am love-sick" — for indeed, all the punishments are for the sake of my love for God, may He be blessed. And so will be

"Sustain me with flagons [of wine]" — Out of the great longing that came upon her, she said to the members of her household: bring me jugs of wine to restore my soul, and spread my bed with apples that give off a good fragrance, to revive me, for I am sick, since my soul pines for the love of that beloved. And the allegorical meaning is that Knesset Yisrael says to the sages and elders: strengthen my failing knees and support my weak hands, to comfort me by restoring the Shechinah to its place, for my soul pines for it.

"With flagons [ba-ashishot]" — these are the flasks in which they put the wine, similarly "flagons of grapes [ashishei anavim]" (Hosea 3:2). "Stay me / spread out for me [rafduni]" — an expression of spreading out a bed, similarly "I have spread out my couch [rifadeti yetzu'ai]" (Job 17:13).

His left hand was under my head. In the wilderness. And his right hand would embrace me. He traveled a three-days’ journey to search out a resting place for them, and in that resting place, He brought down manna and quails for them. All this I remember now in my exile, and I am sick for His love. — Notes: (9) See Bamidbar 10:33. (10) Alternatively, this verse can be viewed as a prayer by the Bnei Yisroel, for God to once again demonstrate His love and “embrace me.” (Metzudas Dovid)

The second interpretation: and in the end, my beloved's left hand will be under my head.

"Let his left hand be under my head" — the left hand of my beloved mentioned [above] will be under my head, to raise me up. "And his right hand" — the right hand of His righteousness, to save. "Embrace me" — for everlasting salvation.

"His left hand is under my head" — For I desire to be attached to him as before, that he place his left hand under my head and that his right hand embrace me, in a manner of love and affection. And the allegorical meaning is that Knesset Yisrael says: indeed, I greatly desire that His Shechinah rest upon me as before.

"Embraces me [techabekeni]" — an expression of the arm encircling the body.

I bind you under oath. You, the nations. By the gazelles and the does. That you will be abandoned and preyed upon like gazelles and does. That you do not cause hatred nor disturb this love. That is between my beloved and I, to change it or to exchange it and seek that I be lured after you. While it still pleases. As long as it is ingrained in my heart, and He desires me. While it still pleases. As in, “While עַד the king was at his table,” [i.e.,] while the king was still at his table. — Notes: (11) Above 1:12. That you do not cause hatred. If you cause hatred [=עֵר, as in, “and has become your adversary עָרֶךָ,” [and as in,] “And its interpretation upon Your enemies לְעָרָיךְ.” — Notes: (12) I Shmuel 28:16. (13) Daniyeil 4:16. Nor disturb. As in, “one who contests הָעוֹרֵר the ownership of a field,” chaloner in O.F. There are many Aggadic Midrashim, but they do not match the sequence of the topics, for I see that Shlomo prophesied and spoke about the exodus from Egypt and about the giving of the Torah, and the Tabernacle, the entry into the land [i.e., Eretz Yisroel], and the Beis Hamikdosh, the exile in Bavel, and the coming of the second Beis Hamikdosh and its destruction. — Notes: (14) Mishnayos Kesubos 13:6.

The first interpretation: "by the gazelles" (tzeva'ot) — like "ayal" (stag) and "tzvi" (gazelle), and the masculine plural is [as in the phrase] "and [swift] as gazelles upon the mountains," [while for the females it is "tzeva'ot"]. "Awaken" (te'iru) — from "va-ya'ireni" (and he awakened me). "Leaping" (mekapetz) — the Targum's rendering for "lenater" (to skip). The second interpretation: "and I was adjuring the young maidens that they should not wake me from sleep, [until the time love desires should arrive]." And the meaning of "by the gazelles" is that the women are being compared to them; do you not see that "a loving hind" (ayelet ahavim) and "a graceful mountain-goat" (ya'alat chen) are likened to the hind and the mountain-goat? And this is the sense of "I adjure you by [creatures] like you" — as if he said, "I adjure you by yourselves." The third interpretation: the prophets said to Knesset Yisrael, "I have adjured [you] by the gazelles" — which are permitted for [ordinary, non-sacrificial] slaughter — "that you should not arouse yourselves until the appointed end (ketz) arrives," as our Sages of blessed memory transmitted, that the sons of Ephraim went out before the appointed time [and this is the sense of "until it please"], and they were killed; and concerning them it is said in Chronicles, "and Ephraim their father mourned for them" (1 Chronicles 7:22).

"I adjure you..." — When He, may He be blessed, heard the words of Knesset Yisrael [the assembly of Israel] to the Babylonians — who are the "daughters of Jerusalem" — pleading that they not make the yoke of the troubles of exile heavy [upon them], He too, may He be blessed, came and adjured them concerning this matter. And so too did our Rabbis, of blessed memory, say, that Hashem adjured the Babylonians not to make their yoke heavy upon Israel. And by what did He adjure them? "By the hosts [tzeva'ot]" — they are the hosts on high. Now this seems strange according to its plain sense, that it should speak of the host of heaven — and all the more so, since it is juxtaposed with "the hinds of the field." Therefore I think that "hosts" and "hinds of the field" are a metaphor for the [messianic] end-times. As the Zohar states in many places, there are many [possible] end-times, and this one is, without doubt, [the end-time] of "achishenah" [I will hasten it]; but if they [Israel] do not merit it, then [it comes] "be'itah" [in its due time], which is one single end-time only. Now among the hastened end-times, some hasten more than others: the first kind is likened to "hosts," and the second kind to "hinds of the field." Now if we merit to be redeemed by these [hastened end-times] before the time appointed for "be'itah," it will be for one of two reasons without fail: either because of our great desire to love Hashem and to return to Him — as they, of blessed memory, said: "If they merit it, [I will hasten it]; if they do not merit it, [it will be] in its due time" — or because the troubles weigh upon us so heavily within a short span of days, that from the abundance of troubles, like the birth-pangs of a woman in labor, we will be aroused, and we will return, and we will be redeemed. With this we come to explain the doubling of "that you awaken not" and "nor stir up" — namely, that He, may He be blessed, says: "I adjure you" — the nations, [called] "daughters of Jerusalem." Concerning what did I adjure [you]? "By the hosts," or "by the hinds of the field" — these are two kinds of hastened end-times, one more [hastened] than the other. The [less hastened] one He compared to "hosts," and the more hastened one He compared to "hinds of the field." And what is the oath? If you "awaken" [them] by afflicting My children excessively, so that through this you awaken them to love Me and to return — this refers to the first of the two kinds mentioned, that of "hosts." Or if you "stir up" [them] by making [the burden] heavier still, so that thereby you stir up and bring about the second kind, that of the "hinds" — that is, with the swiftest arousal of love, [stirring them] to love Hashem and to return to Him immediately. And should you say: is it not better for them that we arouse their love for You quickly and swiftly? To this He answers: "until it please" — for as to the end-times of "achishenah," I do not choose that they come about through an abundance of trouble, but only through a desire arising of their own accord. And this is [the meaning of] "until it please" — until Knesset Yisrael desires of itself to be aroused; for it is not fitting to make the troubles heavy on account of a lack of repentance, until the time of the final end, which is "be'itah," for then they are the birth-pangs of Mashiach. For if not then, when [would it be]? It would be prolonged for them, until the [appointed] end-time comes.

"I adjure" — She turns her face toward the young women, and says to them: you, daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you to become like the gazelles or the hinds of the field — to be as ownerless and as fit for consumption as they are — if you rouse up toward yourselves the love of that beloved, before the love itself desires to return to me on its own. That is to say: as long as the love has not returned on its own, do not make me repugnant in his eyes in order to arouse the love toward yourselves. It is as if she said: but once the love returns, it will no longer be in your power to make me repugnant in his eyes and arouse the love toward yourselves, and then there will be no need for the oath. And the allegorical meaning is to say that it is as if Knesset Yisrael adjured the worshippers of stars and constellations, saying: as long as the love of the Omnipresent, blessed be He, has not returned to me on its own, do not force me to transgress the [divine] law so as to make me repugnant in His eyes and arouse His love toward yourselves, to rule over me forever so that I would not go out from under your hand — as if to say: but afterward, etc., just as in the literal sense.

"I have adjured [hishba'ti]" — from the language of "shevu'ah" (oath). "By the gazelles [ba-tzva'ot]" — the females of the gazelles (tzva'im). "And by the hinds [ba-ayalot]" — the females of the harts (ayalim). "That you awaken not, nor stir up [ta'iru te'oreru]" — from the language of arousal (hit'orerut), and the doubling of the word is to intensify the matter.

The voice of my beloved. The poet returns to the earlier topics, like a person who was brief with his words and later says, “I did not tell you the beginning of these events.” He started by saying, “The king has brought me into his chambers,” but did not tell how He had remembered them in Egypt with an expression of affection. And now he returns and says, “this attraction that I told you about, that my Beloved drew me and I ran after Him, happened as follows: I had despaired any redemption until the completion of the four hundred years that were [fore]told [in the Covenant] Between the Parts,” and— — Notes: (15) Above 1:4. (16) See Bereishis 15:13. The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes. Before the end of the appointed time, as one skipping over the mountains and jumping over the hills. — Notes: (17) God, as it were, skipped and jumped over the barriers of time and redeemed the Bnei Yisroel one hundred and ninety years before completion of the prophecy of the four hundred years of bondage.

The second interpretation: when the days of the vineyards had passed, she returned to her house, and when the trees began to blossom, she said, "the voice of my beloved" — and he is like a gazelle in his running, peering through the lattices, [hoping] perhaps he will see me. The third interpretation: and when the appointed end (ketz) arrived, "the voice of my beloved." "Behind our wall" — [in a place where] we could not see him. "Looks in" (mashgiach) — from the windows of the firmament, similar to the matter of "I have surely seen [the affliction of My people]" (Exodus 3:7).

"The voice of my beloved..." — Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) answers yet again and says, "The voice...," etc., meaning: have you not heard the voice of Hashem saying two things? One, that you should not hasten the End before it wills [to come]; and second, that the swiftness of the [redemptive] Ends is comparable to gazelles or hinds of the field. Regarding the first, he said: let it not enter your mind that, absent that, He has no desire to hasten our redemption. He says this because behold, "the voice of my beloved" — that is, his statement, always, in his Torah and by the hand of his prophets, in that he commands us to hasten our repentance — behold, this is [what is meant by] "behold, he comes," as if he is already prepared and ready to redeem us, for his salvation is near to come and his righteousness is near to be revealed, as in the matter of "Today, if you will hearken to His voice" (Psalms 95:7). And this is [true] even though, in our returning [to Him], we are not by ourselves worthy of all that good, for behold we have delayed greatly; but here he "leaps" upon the merit of "the mountains" — these are the Patriarchs — [and] "skips" upon "the hills" — these are the Matriarchs. And regarding the second [point] — that he compared the earlier/hurried Ends to gazelles and hinds, females, whose running is not as swift as that of males — know, then, that He, may He be blessed, says little and does much. And this is [the meaning of] "the voice of my beloved," that is, his speech, which is a comparison to the females; but behold, in truth, "my beloved is like" the male gazelle, or "a young hart," which is a young male that hastens all the more. And should you say: if so, then why has he delayed until now? — do not marvel at the matter, for the reason that "behold, he stands" at his post and does not leap or step forth to come and redeem us is that "he is behind our wall"; for behold, our iniquities separate [us from Him] like a wall and partition of iron, and He, may He be blessed, waits until we destroy and demolish this wall of ours through repentance, and then he will draw near to us and redeem us. And the proof is that even now, before that wall is destroyed, he does not abandon us, but constantly "peers through the windows" made in it by some of Israel who repent and return to Hashem, [and] "gazes through the lattices" made by those commandments that are performed in Israel; for from there the [divine] flow is poured out and cascades down to do us good from time to time. But the abundant happiness that is hoped for will not come until a spirit of holiness — a complete repentance — is poured upon us, to uproot and demolish the wall of our iniquities; then wide-open openings will be opened in it, for until now it has had only small, translucent windows, or [he] "peers," etc., upon the righteous, who are like a chariot [merkavah], inasmuch as their soul is close to its root that clings to the Shechinah — and all these are like an open window in the wall that encompasses the whole nation, whereas those whose righteousness is not great enough [to open] the frame of windows have [only] the frame of lattices. Or the meaning of the matter is: if "he is behind our wall," by what way does the [divine] flow come from Him, may He be blessed, to do us good with all the good that is not lacking, even now, day after day? — for were it not so, what would a lamb do among wolves? Therefore he says: do not marvel at the matter, for behold, he "peers," etc., [and] "gazes," etc., as is all written. Or the meaning of the two verses is: "the voice of my beloved" who speaks by [comparison to] gazelles or hinds of the field, which are female — indicating that His will, may He be blessed, is not for urgent speed, and therefore he compares the hastening Ends to the running of females and not males — that is, [as] when "behold, he comes, leaping" by the merit of "the mountains," these are the Patriarchs, or "skipping" by the merit of the Matriarchs; for the bed of our merit is too short, since it is not by our own will that we return, but rather through the excessive heaviness of exile, and therefore a joining of their merit is needed. But in truth, if we merit it, "my beloved is like a gazelle," etc., as discussed above. Or he might say: "my beloved is like a gazelle," as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said — for the hart is pious and merciful, as we shall mention their teaching, of blessed memory, shortly. And let us come to the matter: he said "my beloved is like a gazelle" for its swiftness, or "a young hart" for its mercifulness — as is known from the words of our Rabbis, that it is the most pious of the animals, and through it all [creatures] are shown mercy from heaven. And the proof that He has not forsaken us is that behold, "he stands behind our wall," for the Shechinah has not moved from the Western Wall, as they, of blessed memory, said. And not only that, but even in the lands of our enemies, which are assigned to the ministering princes [of the nations] above, even there He caused [His] flow to reach us in particular through them, as in the matter, "Pray for the peace of this city, for in its peace shall you have peace" (Jeremiah 29:7); for in the lands of our enemies, from the bread of abundance poured out by the hand of the prince of [that nation's] image, we too eat, incidentally, along with them. And this is [the meaning of] "gazing through the windows." And this, I believe, is what our Rabbis, of blessed memory, intended in Bereishit Rabbah, in saying that He, may He be blessed, said to Abraham, "Go forth from your land" (Genesis 12:1): as long as you shine before Me [only] from the window, come and shine before Me in the Land of Israel, which is close to Me — meaning: until now, [outside the land,] you, through your merit, brought down [divine] flow by way of a window, that is, through the hand of the prince who governs your land; [but now,] come and shine before Me in the Land of Israel, through the gate of heaven, which is wide open. Thus they attributed the [heavenly] princes to windows, and this is [the meaning of] "gazing through his windows," "peering through the lattices" — these are the lesser princes, of smaller frame than the former. Or he might say: our God has not forsaken us, so let us hope in Him, for behold, even in this harsh exile, "my beloved is like a gazelle," etc. — meaning that even in our wrongdoing, He, may He be blessed, does not remove His eye from being upon us. And this is what our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said in Midrash Chazit (the Midrash on Song of Songs), in answer to the verse, "The eyes of Hashem are toward the righteous" (Psalms 34:16), to distinguish it from what he says elsewhere, "The eye of Hashem is toward those who fear Him" (Psalms 33:18): that when Israel does the will of the Omnipresent, [the verse uses] "eyes," plural, but when they do not do [His will], [it uses] "eye" — only one — "toward those who fear Him." And its explanation, to my mind, is that when they do the will of the Omnipresent, He watches over us both with the eye of the attribute of mercy and with the eye of the attribute of judgment; but when they do not do the will of the Omnipresent, it is not withheld from Him to do good to those who fear Him with the eye of the attribute of mercy, but not also with the attribute of judgment, because of the guilt of the people, since the generation is not worthy [of it], as they do not do the will of the Omnipresent. Further, we know from our Rabbis, of blessed memory, that aside from His eye, may He be blessed, being upon us and not forsaking us, He also, at times, has mercy on His world — on human beings — for the sake of animals, as they related in Bereishit Rabbah the story of Alexander in Africa, and they said that this is the meaning of the verse, "Man and beast You save, Hashem" (Psalms 36:7) — man, for the sake of beast, as we mentioned their teaching above. This may well be the point of the verse, in mentioning their teaching, of blessed memory, on the verse "As the hart pants..." (Psalms 42:2): that when He, may He be blessed, holds back the heavens so that there is no rain, all the animals go to the hart, which is the most pious of the animals, and plead before it that it should seek water; and then it digs with its foot in the ground, thrusts in its horns, and cries out in the bitterness of its spirit, and He, may He be blessed, brings forth abundant water and quenches their thirst. Now there is no doubt that even though it is for the sake of the beast that seeks water that He, may He be blessed, gives water, it is certain that many of the common people [amei ha'aretz] will also benefit and drink from that water — so it turns out that man is saved for the sake of beast, and this is the meaning of that verse. And this is also connected to what we know of the trait of the gazelle, that it sleeps with one eye open, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, related: and this is the meaning of, "my beloved," may He be blessed, "is like a gazelle" — for even when it sleeps, one of its eyes remains open; so it is with Him, may He be blessed: even at a time when we do not do the will of the Omnipresent, when it is as if He, may He be blessed, is deemed to be "asleep," as it is said, "Awake, why do You sleep, O Hashem?" (Psalms 44:24), it is not withheld from His eye of mercy remaining open — as we wrote from our Rabbis, of blessed memory, concerning "the eye of Hashem is toward those who fear Him" — and not merely so as not to cause us distress, but even to do good at times, even when we are not worthy, He does so for the sake of an animal. And this is [the meaning of] "or a young hart": for just as the young hart cries out for the sake of an animal, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said, that it seeks mercy only for the distress of the animals that gather to it, so too, at times, He, may He be blessed, does likewise, having mercy for the sake of an animal. And this is [true] while he "stands behind our wall" — that is, the wall of our iniquities — but when there are righteous people, so that the wall is not whole, for breaches have been opened in it, behold, He will act for their sake, for He "gazes through the windows" that the righteous open, and "peers through" the small "lattices" — these are the schoolchildren (lit. "the infants of the study house").

"Hark! My beloved! Behold, he comes" — the assembly of Hashem (Knesset Yisrael, the assembly of Israel) says, as one lamenting over the destruction of the Temple: Behold, this voice of my beloved, which has not changed, came [even] while I was in the bondage of Egypt. "Leaping upon the mountains" — in His showing Himself to Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) at the mountain of God.

"The voice of my beloved" — And behold, the love quickly returns to its place, and it is as though the sound of my beloved's footsteps is heard, and behold, it is as if he comes with great speed, as if leaping upon the mountains to hasten his coming. And the allegorical meaning is to say: is not the redemption already prepared? Swiftly the love of the Omnipresent, blessed be He, will return to me.

"Behold, this [hinei zeh]" — this expression indicates the swiftness of the matter, similarly "and behold, an angel touched him [ve-hinei zeh mal'ach]" (I Kings 19:5). "Leaping [medaleg]" — "skipping [mekapetz]" — both are an expression of bounding and swift going, and the doubling in different words indicates an abundance of speed.

My beloved resembles a gazelle. In the swiftness of His running, for He hastened to come like a gazelle and like a young hart. “עֹפֶר” is a young male hart. Behold, he stands, etc. I had expected to remain detained for many more days, and behold, he informed [me] that He was standing and peering through the windows of heaven at what was being done to me, as it is stated, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people, etc.” — Notes: (18) Shemos 3:7.

The first interpretation: "our wall" (kotlenu) — a wall (kir) [in the language of the Targum]. "Looks in" (mashgiach) — gazes, like "from the place of His dwelling He looks forth (hishgiach)" (Psalms 33:14). "Peers" (metzitz) — sees (in this sense); and some say it is from "tzitzit roshi" (the lock of my head) (Ezekiel 8:3). "The lattices" (ha-charakim) — the Targum's term for "window" (chalon) [is "charakha"].

"My beloved is like a gazelle" — like one who hastens to stand far off, so that I might not sit in his shade. "Behold, he stands behind our wall" — for even though he is not truly far, but is near to all who call upon him, he conceals himself so that we do not sense him, until we are aroused to seek him, as it is said, "and you shall seek Hashem your God from there, and you shall find [Him]." "He looks in through the windows" — so that the punishments do not consume us. "He peers through the lattice" — and even so, from His dwelling place He watches, as it were, from the windows of heaven, to see whether there is anyone wise who seeks God; and of all of us there is no one, and there is none to intervene and atone for us.

"My beloved resembles" — In the swiftness of his running he resembles a gazelle or a young hart, which are swift of pace; and it is as though he already stands behind the wall of our house, watching me through the windows, and revealing himself to me through the lattices. And the allegorical meaning is to say: He is prepared to restore His Shechinah to me and to hasten the end, and it is as though He has already come and watches over me with His eye of compassion.

"Is like [domeh]" — from the language of comparison. "To a young hart [le-ofer]" — thus is called the offspring of the hart (ayil), and thus is also called the offspring of the gazelle (tzvi), as it says "like two young harts [ofarim] that are twins of a gazelle" (below 4:5). "Peers/gazes [mashgi'ach]" — an expression of looking with great attentiveness. "Peers through [metzitz]" — from the language of "notzetz" (sparkling/blossoming), and it refers to the opening of a flower, meaning here that he reveals himself so as to be seen and glimpsed. "The lattice [ha-charakim]" — the Aramaic translation (Targum) of "chalon" (window) is "charka."

Spoke. עָנָה is] an expression of answering and an expression of a loud cry, The following is the precedent for them all, “And the Levi’im are to respond [...in a loud voice].” — Notes: (19) Devarim 27:14. And said to me. Through Moshe. Rise up. “I will bring you up from the affliction of Egypt.” — Notes: (20) Shemos 3:17.

The second interpretation: "my beloved answered and said to me" — you are like a dove in a high and hidden place; show me your countenance, let me hear your voice.

"My beloved spoke..." etc. — After it was said that God hastens the end, and "he is like a gazelle," etc., and that also concerning the nations He likened the appointed ends only to "hosts" (tzeva'ot) and "hinds" (ayalot) — female creatures — she [Knesset Yisrael, the assembly of Israel] came and said: Will you not then say, "If so, why, in speaking to us, did He not say 'by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field'?" Know, then: behold, "my beloved spoke and said to me" — the delay is not on My side, for behold, I am coming; rather, it is you who delay, by lying upon the bed of backsliding (meshuvah). For: "rise up, go forth," and return to Me, and go to the place that Hashem has chosen, and do not fear at all those who rule over you. And therefore I did not mention to them [the daughters of Jerusalem, whom I had adjured] an emphatic haste, for I was not confident of your wholehearted resolve to hasten your return to Me — lest I be found, God forbid, a liar. Or the sense of the matter — and this is a more fitting connection [to what precedes] — is that after Knesset Yisrael made her request of Hashem, "let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth," and recounted to others His, blessed be He, love for her, [His eagerness] to hasten to redeem her, she saw that they would indeed say to her: "If so, why then did He not grant your request, and did not respond to your plea when you asked Him to kiss you with the kisses of His mouth?" Behold, what "my beloved answered and said to me" means is: "rise up, go forth" — that is, all My salvation and all [My] desire is to redeem you, but the arousal must come first from you, that you come to be purified. This is the meaning of "rise up, go forth" — of your own accord, etc.; and afterward I will assist you, for [as our Sages said], one who comes to purify himself is aided [from Above], etc. And pay no heed to the appointed end (ketz hayamin) even if it seems long, for behold, "the winter has passed," etc. For, just as winter comprises six months, yet it does not rain throughout all of them but only at intervals, so too has He, blessed be He, set an end and a limit to this exile of travail, in which the troubles do not press upon [Israel] throughout the whole span of time, but only occasionally and at intervals; therefore the duration of the exile is likened to winter, and its times of trouble to a flooding rain. And He says: behold, if you repent and arise, take it to heart as though the rain has already passed and the winter is over; and even though it has not literally passed, it has nonetheless passed as far as you are concerned — that is, though its existence still stands [in absolute terms], it has passed for you — for when you return to Hashem, He, blessed be He, will not look to the fixed term, but will remove everything from before you as though it had already passed and gone by; and the matter of the redemption should not seem strange in your eyes, for behold, there is nothing new — in the manner of the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory, in Midrash Kohelet, that He, blessed be He, so that the matter of the resurrection of the dead should not seem strange, demonstrated it in advance through Elijah, Elisha, and Ezekiel. In the same way, it says here: behold, "the blossoms" are the two Messiahs, who have already appeared in the land — Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. And this is the statement of Tanna Devei Eliyahu: "That youth whom I revived — he is Mashiach ben Ephraim, and I hinted to the world that I would come first, and afterward he would come." And by this, in my view, is understood the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory, that Jonah said to the Leviathan, "I am destined to divide you among the righteous in the time to come" — for it is fitting to know why this should be divided specifically by his hand rather than by the hand of another, so that he might say of this, "that which I have vowed, I will pay." But the reason is that Jonah is the youth whom Elijah revived, and he is Mashiach ben Ephraim, who has already appeared in the land; and likewise Mashiach ben David appeared at the time of the destruction [of the Temple], as they, of blessed memory, say in Eichah Rabbah, that he was born at the time of the destruction, and after some days, once he had appeared, he was hidden away. And this is the meaning of "they have appeared in the land" — behold, there is nothing new. And there is also no need to wait until their measure [of sin] is filled, for "the time of pruning (zamir)" has arrived — a term meaning cutting off and pruning, as Rashi explains — and nothing holds Me back but your own sins. And also "the voice of the turtledove (tor)" — this is Elijah, called "tayar," from the same root as those who scouted (taru) the land in the days of Joshua — has indeed been heard in our land, by the hand of the prophet, as it is said: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet." Or the sense of the matter is: see how God hastens to accomplish the matter, for behold, long before the appointed end had even arrived, He had already caused the redemption to sprout forth in advance, for "the blossoms" have already appeared in the land, in the manner written above.

"My beloved spoke" — behold, during the bondage of Egypt he aroused my spirit and said to me, "Rise up, my love, and come away." And he said to them [Israel], "Let each man cast away the detestable things of his eyes."

"My beloved spoke" — That is to say: is it not so that at the very beginning of the sprouting of the love, when he first came to me, he raised his voice and said to me: arise from your place, for your own benefit, my love, my fair one, and for your own good, go after me. And the allegorical meaning is to say: is it not so that on the day He chose me, while I was still in Egypt, He sent His messengers to bring me out of the harshness of the servitude?

"Spoke [anah]" — an expression of raising the voice, similarly "and the Levites shall answer... with a loud voice [kol ram]" (Deuteronomy 27:14).

For behold, the winter is past. There is no difficulty in traveling now. “סְתָיו” is winter. The Targum of חֹרֶף [=winter] is סִתְוָא. — Notes: (21) Bereishis 8:22.

The first interpretation: "for behold, the winter (ha-setav)" — the Targum's rendering for "choref" (winter) — "sitva." "Has passed" (chalaf) — is gone, cut off, as in the phrase "kalil yachalof" (it wholly passes away). The third interpretation: "the winter [has passed]" — the era (ketz) of Abraham. "The rain" — the days of the servitude and the early rain (ha-moreh).

"For, lo, the winter" — the decree of Egypt against the children. "The rain is over and gone" — for the labor was annulled from our forefathers on Rosh Hashanah, before the redemption.

"For behold, the winter has passed" — For the winter has already passed and the season of rain has gone by, and there is no hardship for travelers on the road. And the allegorical meaning is that He said: behold, the days of servitude and the time of the harsh labor have already come to an end.

"The winter [ha-setav]" — the season of "choref" (winter/cold), for "and summer and winter [va-choref]" (Genesis 8:22) — Onkelos translates it as "kaita va-sitva." "Is past [chalaf]" — meaning has passed, similarly "and it shall sweep through Judah [ve-chalaf bi-Yehudah]" (Isaiah 8:8).

The blossoms have appeared on the land. The days of summer are near, when the trees blossom and the travelers enjoy seeing them. The time of singing has come. When the birds emit song, and pleasant sounds for travelers. And the voice of the turtledove. According to its apparent meaning, turtledoves and young pigeons. It is the nature for birds to sing and chirp in the days of Nissan.

The first interpretation: "the singing" (ha-zamir) — [like "zemir aritzim," the song of the ruthless, and its meaning here is literal] the songs of the bird. "The turtledove" (ha-tor) — from "two turtledoves" (shtei torim). The third interpretation: "the blossoms" (ha-nitzanim) — Moses and Aaron. "And the time of singing" — that they sang at the Sea. "And the voice of the turtledove" — that they entered the land of Israel.

"The flowers" — Moshe and Aharon, who were ready to bear fruit. "Appear on the earth" — to help and to save. "The time of singing" — the Song of the Sea. "And the voice of the turtle" — which is like the voice of one lamenting. "Is heard in our land" — for indeed all the inhabitants of Canaan melted [with fear].

"The blossoms," etc. — Already the blossoms of the tree are seen and the time of spring has arrived; the birds chirp and sing in a sweet voice, and in our land the voice of the turtledove is heard; and it is the way of travelers to take delight in these things. And the allegorical meaning is that she went through the wilderness by a pillar of fire and cloud, and they recited song at the Sea over the drowning of the Egyptians.

"The blossoms [ha-nitzanim]" — an expression of flowering, similarly "its blossom shot forth [alta nitzah]" (Genesis 40:10). "Singing [ha-zamir]" — from the language of "zemer" (melody) and song. "The turtle(dove) [ha-tor]" — this is the name of a bird.

The fig tree has produced its green figs. [To be understood] according to its apparent meaning. And the grapevines with tender grapes. When the blossom falls, and the grapes become separated from one another, and each grape is discernible by itself, it is called “סְמָדַר.” This entire section, according to its simple meaning, is an expression of a loving seduction, by which a young man appeals to his betrothed to follow him; so did my beloved do to me. My beloved spoke. Through Moshe. And said to me. Through Aharon. Rise up. Hurry yourself, “and let each man borrow from his neighbor.” — Notes: (22) Shemos 11:2. For behold, the winter is past. These are the four hundred years of [exile]. I skipped them by counting them from Yitzchok’s birth. — Notes: (23) See Rashi in Bereishis 15:13. The rain. Which is the hardship of winter, is over and gone, i.e., eighty-six years of harsh slavery were decreed upon you, and they have passed. From the time that Miryam was born, the Egyptians intensified the bondage upon Yisroel; and therefore, she was called Miryam [= מִרְיָם, because they made it bitter [=מַר for them. — Notes: (24) See Shemos 1:14. The blossoms have appeared on the land. Behold Moshe and Aharon are available for you to fulfill all your needs. The time of singing has come. For you are destined to recite a song by the [Reed] Sea. — Notes: (25) See Shemos 15:1-19. And the voice of the turtledove. The voice of the great guide [=תַּיָּר. Another explanation: “קוֹל הַתּוֹר” means the tiding [=קול that the time [=תּוֹר has arrived for your exodus from Egypt. — Notes: (26) Moshe Rabbeinu. (27) See Esther 2:12, where Rashi explains that תור means time [= זמן]. The fig tree has produced its green figs. The time to bring the first fruits has arrived, for you will enter the land [of Yisroel]. And the grapevines with tender grapes. The time of the wine libations has drawn near. Another explanation: The worthy among you ripened and produced good deeds before Me and emitted a pleasant fragrance. Arise [my beloved] go forth. A superfluous yud לָכְי is written, meaning, “rise up to receive the Ten is ten. Commandments.” — Notes: (28) The numerical value of yud Another explanation—The fig tree has produced its green figs. These are the sinners of Yisroel, who perished during the three days of darkness. And the grapevines with tender grapes — Notes: (29) See Rashi in Shemos 10:22. “פגים” are unripened figs, and refer to the wicked among the Bnei Yisroel who spurned redemption, i.e., those who perished during the three days of darkness. have emitted fragrance. These are the ones who remained of them; they repented and were accepted. So it is interpreted in Pesikta. — Notes: (30) Shemos 14:10.

The first interpretation: "the fig-tree" — the name of the tree. "Puts forth" (chantah) — from "va-yachantu ha-rofim" (and the physicians embalmed) [Genesis 50:2], a term meaning preparation/setting. "Its green figs" (pageha) — the fruit that is not yet ripened; and likewise from the Arabic language [pag]. "Blossom" (semadar) — when the flower falls off and the branches separate and the grapes become visible, it is called semadar. The third interpretation: "the fig-tree" — to take from it the first-fruits (bikkurim). (And) "the vines" — to pour the wine libation.

"The fig tree has put forth its green figs," etc. — Have I not said to you, "arise, [my love]," etc.? And will you not be sluggish [to respond], saying that since you are bereft of all help except for repentance, as stated — for indeed an extraordinary repentance is required, and who has the strength to accomplish it? For behold, you have with you two great supports which serve to arouse for you abundant help. One: thirty righteous men — the number matching the numerical value of "yihyeh" in the phrase "so shall your seed be" (Genesis 15:5) — who are never lacking from any generation, as our Sages of blessed memory said. Second: the tinokot shel beit rabban (schoolchildren), who likewise are never lacking from any generation. And concerning the first he said, "the fig tree has put forth its green figs [pagehah]" — meaning that the righteous who spring up within Israel are likened to figs that bud and emerge on the fig tree, as our Sages of blessed memory said in Bereishit Rabbah 48, on the verse, "like the first-ripe fig on the fig tree in its first season" (Hosea 9:10). And this is [the meaning of] "the fig tree" — that is, the stock of Israel — "has put forth its green figs": without doubt, there is no generation from which this budding is withheld. "And the vines are in blossom [semadar]" — for likewise they are never lacking from the vines of the vineyard of Hashem of Hosts, the house of Israel, the blossoms being the schoolchildren, who give forth the fragrance of Torah in the schoolhouse [beit rabban]. Therefore, by virtue of these two supports, "arise" — [turn] to repentance — "my love [ra'yati]," through the aforementioned righteous ones, who are called "My brothers and My companions [re'ai]," because He, blessed be He, created the world, and they sustain it, so that they are like partners and companions; and this is [the meaning of] "ra'yati." And also "my fair one [yafati]," through the schoolchildren. "And go forth" — from the exile. And if you do not bring your repentance before the distress itself arrives, and you suffer in the birth-pangs of the Messiah [chevlei mashiach], having to come into the clefts of the rocks to hide from the wrath of those who oppress you — know, then, that only then will you be, "My dove," standing firm through the trial, that you will not exchange Me for another god because of the wrath of the oppressor, when you are in distress amid the birth-pangs of the Messiah, "in the crevice of the cliff": do not despair of [My] mercies, for behold, My salvation is near to come, to raise you up from that distress to an exceedingly great height — as though you might picture yourself in a place where you are hidden: a ladder set upon the ground, [reaching] to the top, awesome, and you are hidden beneath the rung, so that in just a little while, once the oppressor turns his gaze away from you, your feet will stand firm upon a rung that ascends upward, degree by degree. So listen to My voice — let me counsel you — hurry quickly and go up, and do not delay in that distress. And My counsel is this: do not cry out over your calamity without repentance and a broken heart, first, over all that you have sinned against the soul; rather, do this: since the impurity of the sheretz (creeping, impure creature) of your iniquities is still in your hand, your outcry will not be pleasing before Me. But first, "show Me your appearance [mar'ayikh]" — and this means: every man of Israel has the image of God [tzelem Elohim] upon his face, except that through his sinning he alters his face. And therefore, should a bear meet a man, or a lion, or a leopard, it puts him to death, and there is not fulfilled in him [the verse], "and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast," etc. (Genesis 9:2) — for "his visage was marred more than any man" (Isaiah 52:14), because he does not walk in [that divine] image; therefore his image is debased, for "he is like the beasts that perish" (Psalms 49:13) — he appears so in [the beast's] eyes, and he becomes food for it. Not so, however, with the righteous, such as Daniel in the lions' den [gova de-aryavata] and Joseph in the pit of snakes, for they did not corrupt their image. Indeed, when a wicked man turns back from his wickedness, his goodly appearance returns, and the image of God upon his face is restored, as it was before he sinned. And this is what is meant: "show Me first your true appearance" belonging to a man of Israel, through repentance, "and afterward let Me hear your voice" — and request salvation from Me — for indeed "your voice is sweet" to Me once "your countenance is comely," but not before your appearance has been rectified. Or, the sense of the verse may be understood [differently]: lest you say, after I repent and my appearance — the image of God upon my face — is rectified, what benefit is there in prayer, since You say to me, "show Me your appearance," and only afterward, "let Me hear your voice" — but does not salvation belong to Hashem, [given] to those worthy of it, even before they call? Therefore He said: what I said — that after you show Me your appearance you should let Me hear your voice — does not mean that without the voice I will not deliver you on account of repentance; rather, it means that I desire [it], and the prayer of the righteous is pleasing to Me, as our Sages of blessed memory said: why were the Matriarchs barren? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, desires the prayer of the righteous. And this is [the meaning of] "for your voice is sweet," once "your countenance is already comely" — that is, once you have become righteous — for He, may He be blessed, desires their prayer; and it is not that without their outcry He would not save them from their distresses after complete repentance.

"The fig-tree puts forth her green figs" — in the land of Canaan, in such a way that you would eat of its fruits immediately; for the intention was that they would enter the land right after the giving of the Torah, had they not sinned with the [golden] calf and with the [affair of the] spies. But now there is no prophet, and no one to arouse [us], and there is no one among us who knows how long.

"The fig tree," etc. — The fig trees have budded their (unripe) fruit, and it is the way of a person to delight in seeing them; and the blossoms of the vines have given off a good fragrance to the nostrils of travelers. And all of this is a matter of enticement, the sort of thing by which one is customarily enticed to set out on the road. "Arise, go" — That is to say: since you will take such delight along the way, therefore arise, go, etc. And the allegorical meaning is that in eating the manna she delighted in tasting within it every flavor, and He brought down the quail for her, and she lacked nothing.

"Chanatah" — the emergence of the fruits and their appearing before their ripening is complete is called "chanatah" (budding); and in the words of our Sages: "a tree whose fruits have budded (chantu)" (Rosh Hashanah 15a). "Pagehah" — these are figs that have not fully ripened; and in the words of our Sages: "an unripe fig (pagah) that she buried" (Shabbat 123a). "Semadar" — these are the small grapes that become visible after the blossom has fallen off; likewise "the semadar has opened" (below, 7:13). "Lach" (to you) — meaning, for your benefit.

My dove, in the clefts of the rock. This is said regarding the time when Pharaoh pursued them and overtook them camping by the sea. With no place to escape in front of them because of the sea, and they could not turn to the side because of wild beasts. What did they resemble at that time? A dove that was fleeing from a hawk and entered the clefts of the rocks, where a snake was hissing at her. Should she enter inside, there was the snake; should she go outside, there was the hawk. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, said to her [Yisroel], “Show Me your countenance,” [i.e.,] the quality of your deeds, to whom you turn in time of distress. Let me hear your voice. “And the Bnei Yisroel cried out to Hashem.” — Notes: (31) Tehillim 107:27. In the clefts of. In the crannies; this is a term referring to a breach, and similar to this is, “They were frightened יָחוֹגּוּ and they staggered,” [and,] “And the land of Yehudah will be for Egypt a dread לְחָגָּא,” and in the plural form [Scripture] calls them חַגְוֵי [=cracks]. Similarly, [the plural form of] קָצָה [=end] is קַצְוֵי[=ends], and similarly, “and he cut their garments מַדְוֵיהֶם.” — Notes: (32) Yeshayahu 19:17. (33) II Shmuel 10:4. (34) These are the terraces that are dug into hills around fortifications. Cliff. Eschelons, in O.F. When they make a ditch around the towers and pour the earth above it to raise the mound around it, they make it in many levels, one above the other. In the concealment of the cliff. There are sometimes holes in them, and reptiles and birds enter therein.

The first interpretation: "in the clefts" (be-chagvei) — from "chug ha-aretz" (the circle of the earth) [Isaiah 40:22] [and it is a transposed form, or the two are separate roots; and] the meaning is a high place, and it is like "you who dwell in the clefts of the rock." "The cliff" (ha-madregah) — in the likeness of a ladder of stones, one upon another, like "and the stairways shall fall." "Sweet" (arev) — pleasant and restful, [as in] "and my sleep was sweet to me" (Jeremiah 31:25). ["Comely" (na'veh) — like "a delight (ta'avah) to the eyes" (Genesis 3:6).] The third interpretation: "my dove" — the Shechinah replied, after Israel had gone out of Egypt: "I have likened you, in your walking after Me in the wilderness, to a dove in the hiding-place of the cliff" — which are the clouds [of glory]. "Let me see your countenance" — this is [the verse] "and they believed in Hashem" (Exodus 14:31). "Let me hear your voice" — "then Moses sang" (Exodus 15:1).

"O my dove, that are in the clefts of the rock" — God, may He be blessed, replies: Behold, during the bondage of Egypt, the righteous of the generations were teaching the people knowledge and praying, as it is said, "and we cried out to Hashem, and He sent an angel" — not so now. "Let me see your countenance" — is there a wise, insightful one who shows and teaches the way of the Tree of Life? "Let me hear your voice" — is there one who intercedes and prays truly for the redemption? "For sweet is your voice, and your countenance is comely" — for indeed, then, in the bondage of Egypt, your voice was sweet to Me in prayer, and your countenance, which taught righteousness, was comely and fitting — that is, Aharon and Moshe and their like. But now

"My dove, in the clefts of the rock" — She still recounts the affection that the beloved showed her back then, and she says: behold, when I went after him he said to me: you, in whom I am confident that you will not exchange me for another, just as the dove does not exchange its mate — I ask of you, when we are on the road, in a hidden place among the clefts of the rock or in a concealed place among the terraces, there show me your countenance, and there let me hear your voice speaking to me words of desire and love, for your voice is sweet and your countenance is comely. And for this I desire to listen to your voice and to satisfy my eyes with your countenance. And the allegorical meaning is that He, blessed be He, said to Israel: behold, in the wilderness before Mount Sinai, there you will show yourself before Me, and there I will listen to your word, when you answer saying, "All that Hashem has spoken we will do and we will hear" (Exodus 24:7).

"Bechagvei" — a matter of cleft and crevice, as in "who dwell in the clefts (chagvei) of the rock" (Obadiah 1:3). "Hamadregah" (the stairway) — a matter of steps, as in "and the terraces (hamadregot) shall fall" (Ezekiel 38:20). "Arev" — a matter of sweetness and pleasantness, as in "and the offering... shall be pleasing (ve'arvah) to Hashem" (Malachi 3:4). "Naveh" — comely and beautiful.

Seize for us the foxes. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, heard their voice; He commanded the sea, and it washed them away. That is [the meaning of], “Seize for us the foxes,” [i.e.,] the little one with the big ones, for even the [Egyptian] little ones were destroying the vineyards, when our vineyards were still “with tender grapes,” when the grapes were tiny. When a Jewish woman would give birth to a male and hide him, the Egyptians would enter their homes and search for the males, but the baby was hidden, and he was a year or two old. They would bring a baby from an Egyptian home; the Egyptian baby would speak, and the Jewish baby would answer him from the place where he was hidden, and they would seize him and cast him into the river. Now why does [Scripture] call them foxes? Just as the fox looks to turn back and flee, so too did the Egyptians look behind them, as it is stated, “I shall flee from before Yisroel.” — Notes: (35) I.e., the Bnei Yisroel. (36) I.e., the children were young. (37) Shemos 14:25. Little foxes. It is written without a vav שֻׁעָלִים, because He punished them through water, which was measured with the stride [=שַׁעַל of the Omnipresent. — Notes: (38) See Yeshayahu 40:12.

The first interpretation: 'echezu' [take hold of them] — this is an imperative form (leshon tzivui), and in its pattern (mishkal) is like 'shichdu va'adi' [bribe on my behalf] (Job 6:22); and they have a third instance in Scripture, which is: 'ehevu et Hashem' [love Hashem] (Psalms 31:24). 'Mechabelim' [that spoil] — meaning destroyers, like 've-chibel et ma'aseh yadecha' [and ruin the work of your hands] (Ecclesiastes 5:5). The second interpretation: [She answered and] said to her maidens: 'Go to the vineyard and guard it from the foxes, for my beloved is mine and I am his — he who is like a fawn that grazes among the lilies, whose scent wafts.' The third interpretation: 'Take us the foxes' — these are the worshippers of the [golden] calf.

"Take us..." (Song 2:15) — When he [the Beloved] finishes speaking to her, she replies to him with her own words, saying: "Have you not said, my beloved, that we have two great merits to help us through the arousal of repentance — namely, the thirty righteous men who are among us in every generation, and the merit of the schoolchildren (tinokot shel beit rabban)?" But you, my beloved, how shall we act, for the two pillars — the schoolchildren and the righteous — are going to be lacking to us? For behold, "take us the little foxes" — are these not the class of minor sins that a person tramples underfoot and does not think it necessary to repent of? And it is these that work against us, to nullify the merit of the schoolchildren, for it is they who "spoil the vineyards" through the destruction of children, Heaven forfend. And "our vineyards are in blossom (semadar)" — meaning, while the children are still small, for then they are dear, and yet they are taken away through the sin of their fathers. In this way, one of the merits we thought would arise to help us — the merit of the schoolchildren — is itself consumed by our sins and is no more. And also the first merit, the merit of the thirty righteous men, is likewise swept away — some of them are consumed by the terrors of our guilt. For if indeed "my beloved is mine and I am his," and He does not abhor us, is this not because He, blessed be He, "grazes among the lilies" — meaning, when we sin, in order to turn back His anger He looks for whatever good remains among the righteous of the generation, and "smells" it, and takes him away. This is the meaning of "who grazes among the lilies," as our Sages, of blessed memory, said regarding the verse "My beloved has gone down to his garden" (Song of Songs 6:2): this refers to this world, "to graze in the gardens" — the synagogues and study houses — "and to gather lilies" — the righteous, whom He smells and gathers in order to atone for Israel. It follows that both merits are now gone. If so, on what do we have left to rely? Therefore: "our merciful Father, act for the sake of Your name." "Until the day breathes" (Song 2:17) — that is, the time of the final end. "And before the shadows flee" — these are the shadows in which we live, namely the shadow of the schoolchildren and the shadow of the thirty righteous men — [we ask that this be] before the sins cause them to disappear. "Turn" (sov), and go from this way to a different way — that You should not go back to pursuing the path and manner of our merits, running after them like a gazelle or a hart in order to repay us through them — but rather, "be, for Your own sake, my beloved" — meaning, for Your own sake. This is the meaning of "be like a gazelle" — hurrying on account of what pertains to You — "or be like a young hart" — hurrying even more. And let the greater haste be on a different consideration: "upon the mountains of Bether" — these are the ones of whom it is said, "and he divided them in the midst" (Genesis 15:10) — namely, the three-year-old heifer, the three-year-old ram, and the three-year-old goat, and the turtledove, which are the four that were divided; for "the bird he did not divide" — that is the young pigeon. And this follows the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, that the four that were divided are those powers destined to rule over Israel, as is explained in their words, relating each one of them to what it symbolizes; and they announced the good tidings that the bird — which is Israel — would not be destroyed. Therefore he says that He should be like a young hart, to run upon the "mountains of Bether" — meaning: if we have no merits to rely upon for You to hasten to redeem us, do not act for the sake of doing good to us, for we are not worthy of it, but rather act for the sake of the guilt of the "mountains of Bether" — for they were like mountains upon us — so be, for Yourself, like a young hart upon those mountains, to cut them down, for they deserved to be brought to an end, and through this it will be good for us. And the construction of the verse is: if we have no merits for You to act on our behalf, turn away from this way, and act instead on the basis of one of two considerations — either for the sake of the Shechinah, and this is the meaning of "be, for Yourself, my beloved, like a gazelle" — or on the second consideration, which is on account of the guilt of the exiling powers, and this is the meaning of "or like a young hart," etc. — meaning: or be like a young hart, hurrying even more, and that is over the "mountains of Bether," the high mountains that were upon Your people; for on this consideration, hasten like a young hart, which is a greater haste than the consideration pertaining to the Shechinah — hastening instead for the guilt done to the people, as is known.

"Take us the foxes" — those who pride themselves in the garb of Torah scholars (talmidei chachamim), yet there is no spirit at all within them. "The little foxes" — those who have not attained [the qualification] to render halachic rulings. "That spoil the vineyards" — by ruling not according to the halacha. "For our vineyards are in blossom" — for one will not find a clear halacha or a clear ruling.

"Take us the foxes" — meaning: since at that time the fellowship was broken apart, for cunning men, like foxes, seized us through their concealment and enticements, causing us to be separated one from another so that we would not draw near. "The little foxes that spoil the vineyards" — with this she explains how it was possible for a separation to occur between the beloved ones, saying: behold, even little foxes are able to destroy vineyards while our vineyards are still in blossom (semadar), for then it is easy to destroy them — as if to say, since the love had not yet become firmly established, being still in its beginning, therefore those men, cunning as foxes, found a way to bring about the separation. And the allegorical meaning is to say: behold, the mixed multitude and the rabble who went up with me, they enticed me to worship the calf and prevailed over me, for at that time the faith in the Omnipresent, blessed be He, had not yet taken root in my heart, and they found a way to cause a separation between me and the Omnipresent, blessed be He, during the forty years that I remained in the wilderness.

"Shu'alim" (foxes) — the name of a certain animal. "Mechabelim" — destroying, as in "and the yoke shall be destroyed (chuval)" (Isaiah 10:27).

My beloved is mine, and I am his. He demanded all His needs from me. He commanded only me, to make the Pesach sacrifice, sanctify the firstborn, make a Tabernacle, sacrifice burnt offerings; and He did not demand [these things] of any other nation. And I am his. All my needs I requested of Him, and not of other gods. Who pastures. His sheep. Among the roses. In a good, pleasant, and beautiful pasture.

The third interpretation: I returned in repentance (teshuvah) by means of the lilies, who are the righteous ones (tzaddikim).

"My beloved is mine, and I am his" — the assembly of Hashem (Knesset Yisrael) replies: Nevertheless, we have not forgotten the name of our God. "That feeds among the lilies" — who shepherds among the righteous of the generations.

"My beloved is mine" — despite all this, the love was not severed entirely; rather, my beloved remained devoted exclusively to me and I did not spurn him to desire another, and likewise I remained devoted exclusively to him and he did not spurn me to desire another. "That feeds among the lilies" — meaning, he did not go to embrace the bosom of a strange woman, but went to graze by himself and stroll among the lilies until the wrath should pass, and then to return to me. And the allegorical meaning is to say that despite all this I did not choose a foreign god, and the Omnipresent, blessed be He, did not choose another nation; rather He rested His Shechinah (Divine Presence) upon Moses and Aaron and upon the seventy elders of the people, who are likened to lilies for the fragrance of their deeds and the beauty and excellence of their actions.

Until the sun spreads. This refers to the preceding verse, “My beloved is mine, and I am his,” until the time that the iniquity caused the sun to darken me in the heat of the day, and the heat intensified. — Notes: (39) Above Verse 16. (40) See Above 1:5-7. And the shadows flee. We sinned with the [golden] calf; we sinned with the spies, “and the shadows flee,” [i.e.,] the merits that protected us [disappeared because] we broke off His yoke. You turned away my beloved. I caused him to leave me on mountains which were far away from me. Distant. An expression of separation and distance. — Notes: (41) Alternatively, הרי בתר means split mountain and is referring to the Mount of Olives which will be split as per the prophecy of Zecharyah [14:4]. Thus, the meaning of בתר is similar to “he split [ויבתר] them up in the center,” in Bereishis 15:10.

The first interpretation: 'yafuach' [breathe] — the wind of the day. 'Harei vater' [mountains of separation] — [these are] 'harei hagedor' (mountains of division), meaning separation, like 'vayvater otam' [and he divided them] (Genesis 15:10). The second interpretation: 'And you, my beloved, until the day-wind blows' — this will be after the shadows lengthen, which is midday: 'Return to your place.' The beloved went on his way. The third interpretation: 'Until the day breathes, upon the mountains of division' — for it is written, 'for I will not go up in your midst' (Exodus 33:3), and 'Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp' (Exodus 33:7).

"Until the day breathe" — with heat from every side, due to the abundance of sparks of light striking from every side; and this will be at noon, when it will become an everlasting light. "And the shadows flee away" — through contemplation and through deed. "Turn" — turn toward us. "Be like a gazelle, my beloved" — let Your mercies hasten to reach us. "Upon the mountains of spices" — even though You are far from my salvation.

"Until the day breathe" — and then I immediately returned and appeased him, and I asked of him, saying: until the time when the sun will be "blown" away from the earth to go down and set, and "the shadows flee" — that is the time of evening, when the shadows of things flee, becoming lengthened and stretched into the distance. And before that time arrives, "turn, my beloved," and liken yourself, in the swiftness of your going, to be like a gazelle or a young hart running upon the mountains of Beter — mountains that are cleft and separated from one another, for there such creatures were commonly found. And it may be that the region where they stood is named for "and they went through all Bithron" (2 Samuel 2:29) — meaning: behold, I asked him to return to me before evening, to delight in love. And the allegorical meaning is to say: immediately Moses went to appease the Omnipresent, blessed be He, so that He would return and be reconciled to me swiftly, readily, and quickly.

"Sheyafu'ach" — from the language of blowing and breathing. "Hayom" (the day) — the sun, too, is called by this term, as in "to the breeze of the day" (Genesis 3:8); and this is because as long as the sun is upon the earth, it is called day. "Venasu" — from the language of fleeing and escaping. "Hatzelalim" (the shadows) — from the language of "tzel" (shadow). "Sov" — from the language of "saviv" (around). "Demeh" — from the language of "dimyon" (resemblance). "La'ofer" — this is the young of the hart. "Vatar" — a matter of dividing and separating, as in "vayvater otam batavech" (and he divided them in the midst) (Genesis 15:10).