Song of Songs · Chapter 7

Turn back, turn back [you] perfect one. They say to me, “Turn back, turn back” from following the Omnipresent. Perfect one. You who are perfect in your faith with Him, “turn back, turn back” to us. — Notes: (1) According to Rashi שולמית originates from the root שלם [=complete]. Alternatively, it refers to the residents of Yerushalayim, whose original name is שלם. See Targum in Bereishis 14:18. (Gra and Ibn Ezra) (2) “Turn back” is mentioned four times in this verse, alluding to the four exiles, i.e., the four powers that subjugated the Bnei Yisroel. (Tzror Hamor) That we may observe you. We will appoint [=וְנֶחֱזֶה from you governors and rulers, as in, “And you shall discern תֶּחֱזֶה from all the people.” So did Rabbi Tanchuma expound. Another explanation for “that we may observe וְנֶחֱזֶה you,” is that we will ponder what greatness to give you, but she says, “What can you offer the perfect one?” What greatness can you give me, that will equal my greatness, or even the greatness of the banners of the encircling מְחוֹלוֹת encampments in the wilderness? — Notes: (3) Shemos 18:21. (4) The Bnei Yisroel’s encampments [=מחנים] were in the form of circles [=מחולות] when they were in the wilderness. (Sforno)

The first interpretation: "ha-Shulammit" (the Shulammite) — for she is from the province of Shalem, and it is Jerusalem, as in "va-yehi ve-Shalem sukko" (and His tabernacle was in Salem) (Psalms 76:3). "Ki-mecholat ha-machanayim" (as it were a dance of two companies) — from "tof" (timbrel) and "chalil" (flute). The second interpretation: And I would hear all who saw me saying to me, "Return, return, O Shulammite," and I answered them, "What will you see in the Shulammite," that you have all gone out to see her, "as it were a dance of two companies," who go out in two ranks when the king comes — and this is the meaning of "the two companies." The third interpretation: The Shechinah said: "Even though you rebelled and are in exile, you shall return again, and the whole world shall marvel at you, and they shall go out to meet you with dances."

"Return, return," etc. Behold, we have written that the device of this argument found throughout all the words of this holy Song is as if the Master of the World, the Father of Israel, were arguing with His people — who are in this present harsh exile — before the eyes of the nations who are called "the daughters of Jerusalem," that is, He, blessed be He, speaks as a man speaks to the wife of his bosom whom he has distanced, yet loves with an everlasting love, and asks of her that she prepare herself with the ornaments of the fitting merit, and He will restore her to her former state; and she answers Him with her words, as is all written above. And at times she speaks to Him, blessed be He, and at times to the nations who are beside her, and they too answer her with words, and He too answers them, as is all written above. Now, in the sum total of His praise of her, blessed be He, He said that when she left Egypt her heart was moved with great merit, until she reached the point of being a chariot for the Shechinah — meaning, that therefore also now she should return to Him, blessed be He, and He will renew the good as of old, when she was in the garden of nuts (cf. Song of Songs 6:11), which is a parable for the four camps, as has been discussed. Therefore, when the nations of the world hear her replying, they say to her, "Return, return, O Shulammite," etc. — meaning: since this is so, why do you delay in returning to your God? He will raise you up through the ascents of the four camps of His chariot. And if the great attainment is too much for you, then gently, gradually — return to your first level within the four stages. For behold, the four camps of the Shechinah are not all one level; rather, each is higher than the other. Therefore, first return to the one, and afterward return to the second — and this is the meaning of "Return, return." And after you ascend two stages, there will be added to you the being of the Shulammite, possessor of completeness above all the nations, as is said in the verse, "One is she, My dove" (Song of Songs 6:9) — after which it is easy to ascend to the two other levels. And this is the meaning of "Return, return" — that is, until you attain being a chariot in all four aspects of the camps of the Shechinah, returning to being a chariot for it as at first, at Mount Sinai, and through this you shall behold the vision of the Almighty as of old — and not only you alone, but also those who accompany you, like myself. And this is the meaning of "that we may look upon you" — for we shall see, through the vision of the Shechinah that you shall see, I too, by your means. And this is the meaning of "that we may look upon you." He, blessed be He, answers them and says: "What will you see in the Shulammite?" Do you imagine that through her attainment you will have an attainment like hers in holiness? It is not so; rather, it is only like "the dance of the two camps" (Machanaim), which is like the dance of the two camps of Jacob, as it says, "And Jacob said, when he saw them, 'This is the camp of God,'" and he called the name of that place Mahanaim (Genesis 32:3), referring to two camps of angels, as we explained there. And He says: Behold, you nations are enemies of Israel, and you are no closer to Israel than Esau was to Jacob. And nevertheless, from Jacob's attainment of two camps of angels, what resulted for Esau from it? It was only great strikings and blows, as our Sages of blessed memory said, that on that night those camps encountered Esau and his men, and would say to him, "Whose are you?" and he would say, "The son of Isaac," and they would strike and wound them; then they would turn and say, "We are Abraham's," and strike again; when he said "of Jacob's brother," they became gentle. This is His statement, blessed be He, here: "What will you see" with the Shulammite — for the letter bet serves in place of "with" — it will be only like the dance and rejoicing of the camps, as Esau and his offspring rejoiced at the camps of Jacob when, on the contrary, they were being struck; and even when it was said, "of Jacob's brother," it was only the cessation of the blows, but not true completeness.

"Return, return, O Shulammite" — And behold, when the prophets called out with the word of Hashem, saying, "Return to Me, and I will return to you" (Malachi 3:7), "Ho, Zion, escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon" (Zechariah 2:11). "That we may look upon you" — and when you are in the land of Hashem, His Shechinah will rest among us, and thus we will see — for prophetic vision will be found from Hashem, and there will not be a sealing-up of vision. "What will you see" — behold, I said to the prophets, "What will you see?" "As it were a dance of two companies" — like what happened to Israel in the wilderness, when they were as though dancing, encamped around the two camps, namely the camp of the Shechinah and the camp of the Levites — but this will not happen at all, for no prophet is permitted to innovate anything from now on.

"Return, return, O Shulammite" — When it was heard by the beloved [the lover] that his beloved was lamenting that she had not been careful of his honor, he sent his words to say to her: You who are whole/complete (shleimah, a play on "Shulammite") in virtues and worthy character traits, return to me, to be with me as before. And the doubling of the words indicates strengthening and urgency. "That we may look upon you" — I and the men of my household will gaze and look upon you, to fulfill your desire in all that you request. "What will you see" — As if turning the speech to the men of his household, to say to them: Know what is the matter that you will see in her, so as to fulfill her desire, to gladden her heart with abundant joy, like the joy of the dancing of a dance of many camps. And the allegorical meaning is as if the Omnipresent, blessed be He, says to her: Return from galut (exile) to your land, and I, by means of the angels on high, will fulfill your desire with the restoration of the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple), and the division of the camps of the Shechinah (Divine Presence), and the Levites, and Israel, as it was of old.

"the Shulammite" (hashulamit) — from the language of shalem (whole, complete, peace). "that we may look upon" (venechezeh) — an expression of seeing and beholding. "as it were a dance" (kimcholat) — an expression of joyful dancing, as in "to dance in the dances" (lachul bimcholot) (Judges 21:21). "of two companies" (hamachanayim) — from the language of machaneh (camp).

How fair were your feet in sandals. They say to her, “We want you to cleave to us because of the beauty and prominence that we saw in you when you were still beautiful.” — Notes: (5) For Bnei Yisroel to be “beautiful” on Yom Kippur when there is a prohibition against wearing shoes, is not unusual. “How fair were your feet in sandals,” refers to the rest of the year, when people are faced with all sorts of temptations, and if their feet remain nonetheless “fair,” that is truly “beautiful” and praiseworthy. (Chasam Sofer) How fair were your feet. In the festive pilgrimages, O daughter of nobles! — Notes: (6) I.e., in your going up to Yerusholayim to celebrate the three festivals. “פעמיך” alluding to the “three times [פעמים] a year,” mentioned in Devarim 16:16, that pilgrimages were made. See Maseches Chagigah 3a. Alternatively, “פעמיך” refers to “feet” because at times [=פעמים] they are covered with shoes and at times they are bare. (Sefer Dudaim) The roundness of your flanks are like jewels. A collection of gold jewelry is called “חֲלִי כֶתֶם” [=jewels of gold], al chali in Arabic. Our Rabbis expounded that this term is referring to the drainage holes in the [altar’s] foundations for the libations, which existed since the six days of creation, and they are round like a thigh; “כְּמוֹ חֲלָאִים” is a term denoting digging, as in, “that which has been dug out חֻלְיַת of a pit.” — Notes: (7) Maseches Eiruvin 78a. The work of a craftsman. The hands of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, as explained in Maseches Sukkah. אָמָּן is the same as אוּמָן [craftsman]. The praise of the Holy One, Blessed Is He, that the [Bnei] Yisroel praise Him [is] from top to bottom. They begin with, “His head is [like] finest gold,” and continuously descend to, “His legs are like pillars of marble,” because they come to appease Him, to draw down His Divine Presence from the heavenly abodes to the earthly abodes. But, He enumerates their praise from bottom to top, starting with, “How fair were your feet פְּעָמַיִךְ,” these are the feet, and He continues and enumerates until, “that which is upon your head is like Mount Carmel,” until He comes to draw them to Him. — Notes: (8) I.e., He fashioned these drainage holes. (9) 49a. (10) Above 5:11. (11) Above 5:15. (12) Below 7:6.

The first interpretation: "chamukei" (the roundings) — the joint that is upon the thigh; and some say that it is like "chamak" [in] "he had turned away" (Song of Songs 5:6), and its meaning is "he went." "Chala'im" (links of a chain) — a round ornament, gathered [into a chain], as in "va-chali khatem" (and an ornament of fine gold) (Proverbs 25:12). "Amman" (a skilled workman) — a wise craftsman, and it has no cognate in the holy tongue. The second interpretation: He answered and said to her, "How beautiful are your steps," and he called her "a prince's daughter," as he had said, "[she is] the chariots of my princely people" (Song of Songs 6:12). The third interpretation: "mah yafu fe'amayikh" (how beautiful are your steps) — when you shall go to your land. "Chamukei yerekhayikh" (the roundings of your thighs) — like a leg upon a thigh — [meaning] footmen and horsemen.

"How beautiful are your steps," etc. He, blessed be He, says: See now your preparations to return to Me, and that I shall find merit in you — for this is why I called you "Shulammite," for you are complete (sheleimah); and help will come easily from the Almighty to reach you, to assist you. For behold, there are in you several kinds of completeness, should they be aroused to arouse the love, to bring you back to Me. For behold, first: "How beautiful are your steps" — for in every generation there is no lack of a class of righteous people who go out and come among the people, to teach them how to serve Hashem, like the deed of our first father Abraham, who went out and came from place to place to make many souls; and there are others who choose the weightier path and sit in the corner of the innermost part of their house — the scroll of the Torah does not depart from their hand, but they do not teach it to the children of Israel. Concerning the first class he said "your steps" — they are the righteous whose vocation is to go and set the people straight; therefore the steps and feet of the community are so called. And how beautiful are these in sandals! For it is said of them, "For He will charge His angels for you," etc., "They will bear you on their hands" (Psalms 91:11–12) — for one who goes in the way of a commandment suffers no harm; as at the time Israel left Egypt, since they went in the way of a commandment, our Sages of blessed memory said that from Ramesses the ministering angels bore them on their hands — and this is the meaning of "and I bore you on eagles' wings" (Exodus 19:4); the ministering angels were found to be sandals for them, and this is the meaning of "how beautiful are your steps in sandals." And by this you take hold of the vocation of Abraham your father, for you are My daughter — and this is the meaning of "a prince's daughter," for through this vocation one makes souls, as our Sages of blessed memory said in Genesis Rabbah. And this class is the more beloved before Me. For the second class are "the roundings of your thighs" — they are those who increase their sitting in their house of study, dedicated to sitting, like the roundness of the thighs. It is true that they are important before Me, like golden ornaments (cf. Proverbs 25:12), but only ornaments that are the work of a craftsman's hands alone. This is because, just as the purpose of such ornaments is to be hung on the ear, therefore, when they are made by a craftsman but are not placed on the ear, they lack the attainment of their purpose. So too, one who learns but does not teach and set the people straight, to place the words in their ears, is comparable to a golden ornament that is not placed on the ear, which lacks its purpose. And this is the meaning of "like ornaments" — for there is in it only the work of the craftsman's hands, and it is not placed on the ear; so too these lack, in the ears of the people, the setting-straight of the learning they learned, for the purpose of learning is to set straight and to teach, so to speak. And therefore the first division is the chosen one — for this is why they praised Samuel, since both these qualities were in him together, both good.

"How beautiful are your steps" — And behold, then the prophets answered: You will gain much when you come to the land of Hashem, for the benefit will increase through the pilgrimage [aliyah la-regel, the festival pilgrimage], and this is because "the roundings of your thighs" — which are the secrets of the Torah and the reasons for the commandments, which are like thighs that support the whole body and are not revealed — are in truth like ornaments, "the work of the hands of a skilled workman," for sometimes a person cannot adorn himself with them properly until the craftsman informs him of the manner of their making.

"How beautiful are your steps in sandals" — This again is from the words of the beloved [the lover], reassuring her, saying: O daughter of a noble, how greatly your feet will be beautified when they are within sandals that are fastened tightly upon them according to their measure, [so that] they are not too large and not too small. And the allegorical meaning is to say: O Knesset Yisrael, of the seed of Abraham, how greatly will you be beautified when you return to your land and come to the Beit HaMikdash on the [three] pilgrimage festivals, three times a year. "The roundings of your thighs" — The circumference of your thighs will be equal in roundness, like the roundness of ornaments, which are the work of the hands of a craftsman. And the allegorical meaning is to say: when you circle about in the Temple courtyard (azarah) on the pilgrimage festival to appear before Me, you will be as precious in My eyes as beautiful jewels.

"your steps" (pe'amayikh) — thus are the feet called, as in "the feet (pa'amei) of the poor" (Isaiah 26:6). "in sandals" (bane'alim) — from the language of manul (bolt, lock). "the roundings" (chamukei) — an expression of turning and encircling, as in "had turned away" (chamak avar) (above, 5:6). "your thighs" (yerekhayikh) — from the language of yarekh (thigh), which is one of the joints of the leg. "links" (chala'im) — an expression of ornament, as in "and an ornament of fine gold" (vacheli khatam) (Proverbs 25:12). "a skilled workman" (aman) — thus is called one who excels, is expert, in craftsmanship.

You navel is like a round bowl. Your navel is like a basin of clear water in which they bathe, and it is made of marble, which in Arabic it is called sahar. Because the navel is shaped like a round hole, [Scripture] compares it to a round basin. This praise is not in reference to a woman’s beauty as the above praise, because in the above, her beloved praises her, but here, her friends praise her about her deeds, saying, “you are worthy to join us.” And the allegory is: It refers to the Chamber of Hewn Stone, which is situated in the “navel” [i.e., center] of the world. — Notes: (13) Alternatively, Scripture compares its roundness to the shape of the moon. The Targum for ירח is סהרא, in Bereshis 37:9. (Metzudas Dovid and Metzudas Tzion) (14) I.e., the Beis Hamikdosh. Sanhedrin who convened in this chamber were seated in a semi-circle, like the crescent moon, so they should be able to look at each other and communicate properly; see Maseches Sanhedrin 36b-37a. Which lacks not for mixed wines. Drink will not cease from there; i.e., there will neither fail nor cease from there any words of instruction. — Notes: (15) From the Sanhedrin, for they are a never ending source of wisdom. Your stomach is a heap of wheat. Which everyone needs. Hedged about with roses. Fenced and hedged about with a fence of roses. A light fence suffices her [i.e., Yisroel], and no one breaches it to enter. For example, a bridegroom enters the wedding canopy, his heart longing for the wedding ceremony and for the love of his marriage. When he comes to have relations with her, she says to him, “I have seen a drop of blood like a mustard seed,” so he turns his face to the other side. [Now] no snake bit him, and no scorpion stung him. [Another example,] one is passing along the way and sees freshly ripened fruit at the top of the fig trees. As he stretches out his hand to take, they tell him, “These belong to owners,” and he too withdraws his hand because of theft. This is the meaning of “hedged about with roses.” — Notes: (16) Alternatively, סוגה is in reference to the “fences” [=סיג] enacted by the Rabbis, i.e., the Rabbinic establishment of cautionary rules as a safeguard against the transgression of the laws of the Torah itself. (Metzudas Tzion)

The first interpretation: "shorrekh" (your navel) — it is the navel [tabbur], [as in] "refu'ut tehi le-shorekha" (it shall be health to your navel) (Proverbs 3:8). "Aggan" (a goblet) — round, as in "ba-aggonot" (in basins) (Exodus 24:6). "Ha-sahar" (the moon) — [in the Targum] "moon" is "sihara," as in "ha-saharonim" (the crescent ornaments) (Judges 8:21), and likewise in the language of Ishmael [Arabic]. "Ha-mezeg" (the mingled wine) — known in the language of the Sages, may their memory be blessed, [as in] "maskhah yeinah" (she has mixed her wine) (Proverbs 9:2). "Sugah" (set about) — also in their language, "seyag" (a fence). The second interpretation: "shorrekh" (your navel) — a belt, and in the sash is a precious stone, round like the moon, that never wanes; and according to this interpretation, "the mingled wine" will be understood in a different sense. "Bitnekh" (your belly) appears like a heap of wheat, which is thick at the bottom [and thin above]; and the meaning of "set about with lilies" is the red garment [red like a date], for the heap itself was not visible, since lilies were around it. The third interpretation: "shorrekh" (your navel) — the Great Sanhedrin, which is likened to half of a round threshing floor. "Al yechsar ha-mezeg" (let the mingled wine not be lacking) — this is the Torah, which is likened to wine. "Bitnekh arumat chittim" (your belly is a heap of wheat) — the Lesser Sanhedrin. "Sugah ba-shoshanim" (set about with lilies) — the multitude of the righteous.

"Your navel (shorer)..." — You also have within you, to help you, the merit of those who give charity, for "in righteousness shall you be established" (Isaiah 54:14). And it is called "navel" (shorer) because it is not that Hashem lacks the desire that the poor's bread not be lacking, but rather it is for the sake of giving merit to the wealthy - as our Rabbis of blessed memory said regarding the verse "prepare mercy and truth, that they may preserve him" (Psalm 61:8), in Midrash Shocher Tov (Midrash Tehillim): according to their approach, their guilt is atoned through poverty, as we have written elsewhere regarding the verse "the poor among you" (Exodus 22:24). This is because all of Israel are like many limbs of one soul - and just as the heart apportions nourishment to the limbs and does not begrudge, since they are considered as one - so is the wealthy person in regard to the poor of his people, as is written by us regarding the verse "a tranquil heart is the life of the flesh" (Proverbs 14:30), etc. For the children of Israel possess one soul, as the verse states, "seventy souls" (Exodus 1:5); therefore their bodies are considered as the limbs of a single body. And therefore, one who gives to the poor - his wealth increases, for he is like a funnel that pours out, and according to how much he pours out, they pour out to him from Heaven, as is explained by us regarding the verse "a man's gift makes room for him" (Proverbs 18:16), etc. And therefore our Rabbis of blessed memory said: if a person sees that his sustenance is scanty, he should make of it charity, as it is stated, etc.; and even a poor person [should give], as it is stated, "I have afflicted you, I will not afflict you again" (Nahum 1:12), etc. And therefore he called them [the charity-givers] "navel" (shorer), for they are like a funnel and a conduit to pour out to the poor of the people, like the navel, which is a conduit through which all the limbs are nourished. For when a fetus is in the full belly, all its limbs eat from what its mother eats, via the navel (shorer); so too the poor eat from what the Shechinah receives to bestow, through the wealthy of the people, who are like a conduit resembling the navel. And let him not worry lest his wealth be diminished by giving charity from it, for behold, they are comparable to the round goblet (agan hasahar): for even when the moon is deficient, it is still made round like a goblet, since it is known that the mingled wine shall not be lacking - for the moon has never remained perpetually deficient, but will certainly soon be filled again. So too, the deficiency that occurs to the charity-giver in his wealth - his fullness will not remain lacking. Or, the meaning of the verse is: "your navel (shorrekh)" refers to the givers of charity who are within you - they are the round goblet (agan hasahar), whose wealth is deficient, whose sustenance is limited, or who are sustained from charity - for since they are like a navel that gives, the mingled wine shall not be lacking for them, for He, may He be blessed, will increase it for them. As our Rabbis of blessed memory said regarding "and so are they cut down, and he passes away" (Nahum 1:12) - this refers to one whose sustenance is limited, and to a poor person who is sustained by charity and nonetheless gives, for he is guaranteed that he will in the future support others from his own wealth. And this is the meaning of "I have afflicted you, I will not afflict you again" (Nahum 1:12). And you also have another merit, to benefit and to help, and that is your belly (bitnekh) - which is the fruit of your belly, the schoolchildren (tinokot shel beit rabban), who are the meaning of "a heap of wheat" - that is, the threshing-pile devoid of chaff and straw. So too they are entirely without sin, devoid of pride and arrogance, like the chaff that is on top of the stalk of grain; and devoid of being subjugated to the acquisitions of this world and its foods - unlike adults, of whom it is said, "for a piece of bread a man will transgress" (Proverbs 28:21) - like the straw, that is, the stalk of the ear of grain, which is subjugated to the wheat-kernel upon it, that being the food. But the schoolchildren do not turn toward material acquisitions - and this is the meaning of "a heap of wheat" devoid of chaff and straw, which are a parable for the two aspects just described. And therefore they are "set about with lilies" - for the angels formed from the breath of their mouths are not held back by any ulterior motive or sin, since they [the children] are not encompassed by such things as adults are. Rather, this heap, which is a parable for them, is fenced and surrounded, like lilies, which is a parable for the angels, as has been discussed.

"Your navel" — the Great Sanhedrin, who sit at the "navel of the cedar" [the center of authority] in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. "[Like] a round goblet" — like half of a round threshing floor, and it is in their power to remove all controversy. "In which no mingled wine is wanting" — May your capacity to decide between those who disagree not be lacking among you, O children of Babylon, for indeed now "your belly" — [meaning] those who hold fast to the Torah, who are like your belly, from which nourishment and the spirit of life go out to the rest of the body — is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies, for there is nothing there held back for others, but only heap upon heap.

"Your navel" — Your navel will be round like a round basin, in the shape of the moon. "in which no mingled wine is wanting" — Since the navel is the place of the abundant primal moisture that nourishes the body, it therefore says that the moisture in it will not be lacking, and behold it is like this basin in which the mingled wine will not be lacking. And the allegorical meaning concerns the [divine] influence that flows and comes without ever ceasing at any time. And the hint is conveyed by way of the navel (shorer), because it is through it that the nourishment of a child comes in its mother's womb. "Your belly is a heap of wheat" — Your belly will be beautiful and fragrant, like a bundle of stalks of wheat that is fenced about with lilies which give off a good scent. And the allegorical meaning is to say: the fruit of your body will multiply like the kernels of a heap of wheat, and all of them will be fenced in with pleasant and proper boundaries, so that they do not stumble into anything forbidden.

"your navel" (shorerekh) — this is the navel, as in "and his strength is in the muscles of his belly" (Job 40:16). "a goblet" (agan) — a basin, as in "and he put [it] in basins" (Exodus 24:6). "round" (hasahar) — the Aramaic translation of yare'ach (moon) is sihara. "mingled wine" (hamezeg) — its meaning is wine mixed with water; this term is known in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory. "a heap" (aremat) — a bundle of sheaves, as in "pile her up like heaps" (salcha kemo aremim) (Jeremiah 50:26). "set about" (sugah) — from the language of syag (fence) and gader (enclosure); and in the Mishnah: "tradition is a fence for the Torah" (Avot 1:3).

Your two breasts. The two Tablets. Another explanation, the king and the kohein gadol. — Notes: (17) Alternatively, the two redeemers, Moshiach Ben Dovid and Moshiach Ben Ephrayim. (Targum)

The third interpretation: "shnei shadayikh" (your two breasts) — the two Torahs [the Written and Oral Torah].

"Your two breasts (shadayikh)..." — You also have the merit of Torah, as the Ra'aya Mehemna (the Faithful Shepherd), peace be upon him, states, explaining "poor and riding on a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9) - that if there is a poverty of good deeds, the King Messiah will come by virtue of the merit of Torah, as it is said, "Issachar is a large-boned donkey" (Genesis 49:14). Now, the Torah encompasses two categories: the way of the plain sense (peshat) and the way of the hidden sense (sod). And regarding the two categories of teachers who teach us, from whom we suckle as an infant suckles from his mother's breasts, he said, "your two breasts" - they are the two categories of your teachers, from whom you, as an infant, nurse; they will hasten your end (the redemption), like two fawns swift of running. And let it not enter your mind that the way of the hidden sense (sod) alone is what will avail you, for behold, they are like twins of a gazelle, whose souls are bound one to the other, such that when one dies, the other also dies. So too these two aforementioned categories are bound together with one another, as is known, for the way of the plain sense (peshat) is also attached and bound to the hidden sense (sod), and through the plain sense, an impression is also made in the root of the hidden sense.

"Your two breasts" — the Nasi (Patriarch) and the Av Beit Din (Head of the Court). "Like two fawns" — who are constantly at odds, [as in the dispute of] Yose ben Yoezer, [who ruled] to lay hands [semikhah on festival offerings], and Yose ben Yochanan, [who ruled] not to lay hands, etc., in the Mishnah — the first ones [of each pair] were the Nesi'im, and the second ones to them were the Av Beit Din. And all of this could be rectified if you were all in the Land of Israel — the Shechinah of God, may He be blessed, would rest in it.

"Your two breasts" — Your breasts will be equal to one another, and they will be like two fawns of a gazelle born as twins, which are in complete equality. And the allegorical meaning concerns the king and the High Priest, who nurse and confer benefit — the goodness of the king in his warfare, and of the High Priest in his service [in the Temple]. And it says that they will be equal in greatness, and will be in agreement and heed one another like beloved companions.

"fawns" (ofarim) — thus are called the young of the gazelle and the deer.

Your neck. The Temple and the altar, which are erect and tall, and the Chamber of Hewn Stone, which is also there, made for strength and for a shield, “like an ivory tower.” — Notes: (18) The meeting place for the Sanhedrin. Your eyes. Are like pools in Cheshbon, through which water flows, so are your eyes by the gate of the multitudes. Your sages, when they sit at the gates of Yerusholayim, the city of multitudes, and are involved in the calculation חֶשְׁבּוֹן of the seasons and the signs of the constellations, their wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations flow like pools of water. Alternatively, “בְּרֵכוֹת בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן” can be explained as “doves,” and this is the language of the Mishnah, “One who buys the doves of a dovecote, he must let the first brood בְּרִיכָה fly away,” kovedes in O.F. — Notes: (19) See Maseches Beitzah 10a. Your face is like a tower of Levanon. I cannot explain this אַפֵּךְ to mean a nose, neither with respect to the simple meaning nor in reference to its allegorical meaning, for what praise of beauty is there in a nose that is large and erect as a tower? Therefore, I say that “אַפֵּךְ” means a face, and the reason it is used in the singular form and does not state [the plural form], “אַפַּיִךְ,” is that it speaks of the forehead, which is the main distinguishing feature of the face, as the matter is stated, “The features of their faces testifies against them.” And you could prove this, because he continuously praises them from bottom to top, [and] “Your eyes are like pools in Cheshbon,” [was already mentioned,] And so do the nations praise, “and your forehead is strong against” the forehead of all who come to harm you and to entice you. Like a tower of Levanon, — Notes: (20) Yeshayahu 3:9. (21) See Rashi in verse 2 above. (23) A reference to the nose would therefore be out of sequence. looking out as far as Damascus. I saw in the Midrash that this is the house of the Levanon forest, which [King] Shlomo made. Whoever stands on it can look and count how many houses there are in Damascus. Another explanation, your face looks towards Damascus, [i.e.,] looks forward to the coming of the gates of Yerusholayim until Damascus, for it is destined to expand as far as Damascus. — Notes: (24) Yechezkeil 3:8.

The first interpretation: "your nose" — the nostril. The second interpretation: "your neck is like the tower of ivory" — white. And since he had compared her eyes to the pools, which are wide, he compared the nose to [a tower], which is straight, without crookedness. The third interpretation: "your neck" — the heads of the army. "your eyes" — the prophets, who were at first "in a reckoning" [few, countable], will now become many. ("your nose" — this is the High Priest) as in the matter of "they shall put incense before You" (Deuteronomy 33:10).

"Your neck is like a tower..." — You also have the merit of the great righteous ones who bear afflictions in order to shield the generation, like Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon, and our holy Rabbi [Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi]. For when Rabbi Chiyya was informed of Rabbi's recovery, he said, "Woe to the pregnant women of the Land of Israel!" — for throughout all the days of Rabbi's afflictions no woman had miscarried, and there was no withholding of rain. Such righteous ones are alluded to by the word "neck," because they lift up the burden of the sin of the generation, like the neck, which is designated to bear the yoke. And it says that it [the neck] is "like a tower of ivory" (tooth) — this is by way of the Sages' saying, of blessed memory: "Happy is the man whom You afflict, O Yah — and if he comes to complain, You teach him from Your Torah" (cf. Psalms 94:12) — for if [by knocking out] the tooth of his slave [a master] causes him to go free (Exodus 21:27), then one whose whole body suffers afflictions — how much more so will he go free from Gehinnom! This is what is meant here: the one who is "your neck," bearing the yoke of afflictions, is "like a tower of ivory (tooth)" — for just as, by the strength represented by the tower and by the tooth, the master's knocking out his slave's tooth sends the slave out to freedom, so too, through the prayer and the self-abasement of a single righteous man among the men of Israel, all of Israel goes out to freedom from the subjugation of whatever trouble is destined to come — for all the individual members of Israel are joined as one, like the limbs of a single body — in the manner of the Sages' saying, of blessed memory, on the verse "Happy is the man whom You afflict, O Yah...": do not read it "You will teach me" (telamdeini) but "You will teach him" (telamdenu) — meaning that from the Torah one derives a kal va-chomer (a fortiori inference) from the case of the tooth and the eye, and so forth. You also have the merit of justice, for through justice the world endures, and the opposite is true of its perversion. This is because when justice is administered as it should be, whatever is decreed from Heaven concerning the one being judged is fulfilled — for whatever verdict issues from the court above is what issues from the court below, since the judgment follows law and truth, so that the world is found to conduct itself in accordance with the court of the Blessed One, "for God stands in the assembly of judges" (Psalms 82:1), and He rouses [the judges] to help, so that the truth may be clarified in a way that what is agreed upon below matches what the court above has agreed. Not so with those who take bribes and pervert judgment: they overturn the judgment of the Blessed One and corrupt the order of His judgment and law. For if He decreed life for a man, and they put him to death unlawfully, they destroy the world; and the same reasoning applies to monetary cases — one for whom the Blessed One decreed a profit of a hundred maneh, and [the first court] awards it to him, and then [another] court comes and takes it all or in part from him and gives it to his opponent unlawfully — they corrupt the world. Not so those who render judgment properly, for the Blessed One is with them, since their judgment below is directed in line with the judgment above. This is the meaning of "your eyes" — these are the eyes of the assembly, as in the phrase "and it be hidden from the eyes of the assembly"; and "if it was done in error, hidden from the eyes of the assembly" (Numbers 15:24) — these [eyes] are the great men of Israel, their Sanhedrins and their judges. And it says "your judges" are "like the pools, bechesbon [in Heshbon/by number]": just as with pools, all the water visible in them within is water that came from above, so too "your eyes" — their judgments and rulings are themselves what were [decreed] above, and the very judgment made in Heaven is the one carried out on earth. And do not let it enter your mind that this applies only to the Great or Small Sanhedrin and not to a court of three, on the grounds that what is in the Heavenly court would not correspond to what is decided by [a mere court of] three — therefore it says bechesbon, meaning: go and calculate the word berekhot ("pools"), and by that calculation set your heart to know whether my intent was for the Sanhedrin or also for three judges. For berekhot has the numerical value of 628, and the phrase dayanei Yisrael ("judges of Israel") has the value of 625, and the "three" who are the judges complete it to 628 — this is the meaning of bechesbon: that these are the three judges of Israel, corresponding in number to berekhot, as discussed — for I spoke of three judges as well. And lest you say in your heart: many times a dispute arises among the judges, some acquitting and some convicting — who knows which faction of them is the one upon whom God has caused an influx to shine, aligned with the judgment above; which faction of them is more fit before Him, blessed be He, to align with the judgment above? Do not worry over this — for what I said, that it is berekhot aligned with what is above, applies when it is "by the gate of bat rabbim" — that is, the gate of the elders, that is, the court. For "bat rabbim" — meaning "the daughter of the many" — refers to what follows the majority; and the word "bat" (daughter) is used as in "bat ami" ("daughter of my people"), "bat Bavel" ("daughter of Babylon"), "gedud bat Edom" ("the band of the daughter of Edom") — meaning, as it were, the congregation of my people, the congregation of Babylon, and so on. So too here it means: at the gate, that is, in the court, whatever is [decided by] the "daughter of the many" — that is, the congregation of the many, whether to acquit or to convict, whatever is the view of the majority — that is the matter that has gone forth from Hashem, and that was His judgment and law in the heavens above. And should you say: how can this be, when the law is that if all the members of the lower court together open [the deliberation] toward conviction — that is, if it is said of the accused, who is liable to death, that we nonetheless hold he is exempt, because we require "a congregation that judges and a congregation that saves" (cf. Numbers 35:24-25) — how then can it be that what we see before us, that he is liable according to the law (since therefore all the judges opened toward conviction), should not represent the true judgment above? And if so, in acquitting him, does this not produce a crooked judgment? — Know, then, that what you acquit for this very reason is, in truth, the judgment above. For behold, "your nose/anger" — [meaning] that the aforementioned eyes, that is, the court, become filled with anger and convict the accused — that "is like the tower of Lebanon" — that is, like a tower of whiteness [Levanon relating to lavan, "white"], of merit and mercy, like the true tower above — when the aforementioned "nose/anger" "looks toward the face of Damascus," meaning, when the whole court looks and gazes toward conviction, which corresponds to "the face of Damascus," that is, toward guilt, as in the phrase "unto Hobah [i.e., guilt], which is to the left of Damascus" (Genesis 14:15). And the meaning of the verse is: "your nose and your anger," in convicting the accused, become for him an occasion of mercy, like the heavenly tower of Lebanon, from which comes to him whiteness and merit — [this being so] when the court was entirely looking toward the face of Damascus, that is, toward guilt, meaning that they all opened [the verdict] toward conviction.

"Your neck" — the Kohen Gadol (High Priest), who was second in rank to the king, like the neck, which is beneath the head. "Like a tower of ivory" — which is important in appearance but without taste or smell; behold, it is covered with gold and silver, yet there is no spirit at all within it. "Your eyes" — the sages of the generation. "The pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim" — who go to water the flock of their pasture, [namely] their disciples, in Heshbon, which is on the other side of the Jordan, near the borders of the Canaanites, so that they could flee quickly from there to their own lands, [as happened] because of the decree of Yannai and his sages. "Your nose" — and the direction in which the faces of those who remained in the land were turned was: "Like the tower of Lebanon" — which is in the choicest part, in the center of the Land of Israel. Yet "it looks toward Damascus," which is outside the Land — so too they, while being in the Land, had hearts that turned to go out of the Land because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.

"Your neck is like the tower of ivory" — Your neck will be erect and straight, and utterly white, like a tower [made] of elephant ivory. And the allegorical meaning concerns the Beit HaMikdash (the Holy Temple), which is the strength and stronghold of Israel, like this neck which is the strength of a person — it will stand upon a high, steep mountain, and will be built of the finest of buildings; from there will come the forgiveness of sin and the cleansing of iniquity. "Your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon" — Your eyes will be clear and bright, like the pools that are in the city of Heshbon, by the gate whose name is Bath-rabbim. And the allegorical meaning concerns the sages, who are the eyes of the community, to instruct them in the way in which they should walk — they will be like pools of water that water the gardens. "Your nose" — Your nose will be exceedingly straight, without any crookedness, like the tower standing in the forest of Lebanon, which faces Damascus opposite it, and that tower was built with great straightness. And the allegorical meaning concerns the judge who will be in those days, who is the character of the generation, like this nose which is the feature of the face — he will be straight, without crookedness, like this tower.

"ivory" (hashen) — the tooth of the elephant. "the pools" (berekhot) — a place built with stones and plaster where the waters gather, as in "by the conduit of the pool" (habrekhah) (II Kings 18:17). "your nose" (apekh) — your nostril. "looks" (tzofeh) — an expression of gazing and seeing.

That which is upon your head is like Mount Carmel. These are the phylacteries of the head, about which it is stated, “And all the peoples of the world will see that the Name of Hashem is proclaimed over you, and they will fear you.” This is their strength and they are as awe inspiring as a cliff of the mountains, and Mount Carmel is the most prominent of the mountains. — Notes: (25) See Zecharyah 9:1. And the braid of your head. The braided hair of your Nazirites are as beautiful with commandments as braided purple wool. And the braid of your head. [It is called דַלַּת because the braid is lifted up [=מֻדְלֵת over the crown of the head. Your King is bound in its tresses. The name of the Omnipresent is bound in the [Nazir’s] locks, as it is stated, “The crown of his God is upon his head.” — Notes: (26) Devarim 28:10. Tresses. Koranz in O.F. This is what they call the girding laces with which they tie the girdles. Another explanation [of], “Your King is bound in its tresses,” the Holy One, Blessed Is He, is bound with love to you through [your fulfillment of His] commandments, and through the swiftness [=רְהָטִים with which you run before Him. — Notes: (27) Bamidbar 6:7.

The first interpretation: "like Carmel" — a hue [of color, and it says that it is the crimson hue]; and in Chronicles, "and crimson, and fine linen" (II Chronicles 3:14). "dalat" [the tresses of your head] — in the language of Kedar (Arabic), the hair that hangs down over the cheek [from the root dalal, to hang down]. "ravahtim" — like "ravahtim" used of the water troughs (Genesis 30:38). The second interpretation: "like Carmel" — resembling [the hue of] Carmel. "like purple (argaman)" — which is soft to the touch. ["The king is held captive in its tresses (ravahtim)."] Every king would desire to be held captive and bound by the cords of your hair [the princes of Kedar, who are passionate lovers, mentioned this matter, such as "how fair and how pleasant you are" — there is no pleasure in the world for the soul, nor anything beautiful and pleasant, like passionate love]. And some say that the meaning of "ravahtim" is that he compared the hair [layered one upon another, in the manner of water] in troughs (ravahtim); and some say that "melekh" (king) means the head. And after he had compared her to a palm tree, he desired to be with her. The third interpretation: "your head" — [this is the King Mashiach, who is of the sons of David; and "the tresses of your head"] — Mashiach son of Joseph. "the king is held captive" — a hint that this is Mashiach ben David, held captive until the appointed end (ha-ketz) arrives, for he was born on the day that Jerusalem was destroyed.

"Your head upon you," etc. — To come to the matter, let us mention the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, in the Gemara: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi found Elijah, who was sitting at the entrance of the cave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, of blessed memory. He said to him: When will the Messiah come? He said to him: Go ask him yourself. He said to him: And where is he sitting? He said to him: At the entrance of Rome, etc. He said to him: And when will the master come? He said to him: Today. The next day he [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi] found Elijah. He said to him: Did you see him? He said to him: Yes, etc. And further he said to him: When will the master come? And he said to him: Today. He said [that the Messiah had not come as promised] — he [Elijah] said to him: [He meant,] "Today, if you will hearken to His voice" (Psalms 95:7). So far [the passage]. Now, regarding the statement that he is "at the entrance of Rome," Rashi, of blessed memory, explained that this means he is in heaven, opposite the gate of Rome. But still, why should he be regarded as if a stranger — why did he not choose to dwell in heaven opposite the cities of the Land of Israel, rather than opposite Rome, which is outside the Land? And furthermore, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi was from the Land of Israel, for that was where his home was, and to travel to the city of Rome would require many days — so how can it say "the next day he found Elijah," etc., which indicates that in a single day he went there, and the next day told what had happened to him? But this can be understood by [another] saying of our Sages, that there was a single cave between Sepphoris, where Rebbi [Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi] lived, and Rome, where Antoninus dwelt, and he would go to study with Rebbi every single day and every night, as is explained in the Gemara. Now could it enter the mind that from the great city of Rome to Sepphoris there was a tunneling cave — a journey of several months, with the great sea in between — and that he would go back and forth every single night? Rather, we have seen with our own eyes, even to this day, that near Sepphoris there is a city named Rome, and there was the seat of Antoninus, and he renamed it Rome after the name of the city of his kingdom, and it is within the Land of Israel, the Holy Land. And of this [Rome] he said that the Messiah is opposite its gate — his glory in the heavens — and there he spoke with Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. We further learn from the aforementioned saying that our righteous Messiah is ready and prepared to come, like a ripened fruit ready to be picked, as it says: "Today, if you will hearken to His voice." For it is our own sins, on our own part, that are the hindrance, and upon them it depends, until the cord of our sins is removed and he comes to us — for on his own part, he is ready and prepared, as has been said. And with this we come to the matter of the verse, which is a pure statement of God, truly, as if to say: Behold, I have told you that you lack nothing in preparations to be helped, to return and hasten the end. Let it not enter your mind that there is any delay on the part of your king — that is, the King Messiah — [as if] he has not yet been born, or has not been made ready until the time of the end. For behold, your head — who is a head to you — is already upon you in heaven, and as per Rashi's comment, of blessed memory, on their saying in the Gemara that he sits "at the entrance of Rome" — that he is in heaven, opposite the gate of Rome. And this is [the meaning of] "upon you" — that he is upon you [i.e., above] in the Land of Israel, for it [Rome] is not the great city of Rome, but rather the Rome near Sepphoris, from which Antoninus would travel — from [this] Rome, which he named after the capital of the [Roman] kingdom — to Sepphoris, by way of a cave, to learn Torah from Rebbi, as has been said. And this is [the meaning of] "upon you" — meaning to say: he who is your head is [already] prepared, for he is already upon you, longing at every moment to come to you, and he is filled with every kind of supernal bounty, and there is no delay on his part, for he is like an ear of wheat that has already fully ripened, ready at any time to be harvested. And this is [the meaning of] "like Carmel" — as in the phrase "geresh karmel" (grits of fresh grain) (Leviticus 2:14) — [which our Sages read as] karmel meaning kar malei ("a full pillow," i.e., tender and full), as our Sages have said. "And the tresses (dalat) of your head" — these are the locks, the hair of your head, which is the hair of your King, called "your head" — this is a parable for the threads and cords of your sins, which turn into [something like] hairs, by which he becomes caught and held back from coming to us, for they are the threads of the channels of judgment, as is hinted at in Sha'ar HaLeviyim ("the Gate of the Levites") in the book of the Zohar. Indeed it is true that [these hairs] are "like purple, red as scarlet" — they are the cords of our sins, which draw him and hold him back from coming, and therefore it called it dalat, for by it he is drawn up (nidleh) above the earth, as in the phrase "one trains (hidleh) a vine over it" — meaning that he is, as it were, grasped and held up above by the locks of his hair, prevented from descending. Do not despair over this, for behold, he is "a king held captive in the rehatim (tresses/troughs)" — meaning to say: behold, from now on, he is already a king who has been made king over you, to come to you; only that, by means of the aforementioned hair, he is held captive in the rehatim. And this is because the parable likens it to a king who is bound with thin cords by his hair, at basins (ambatiot) of water, such that when the basins fill and their water overflows outward, the cords will soak through and rot away, and the king will be freed from his bonds and will come to his palace. So too the King Messiah is held and bound in the rehatim, the water-troughs, which are the merit of those who grasp the Torah and teach it to Israel — the Torah being likened to water, as stated by the Ra'aya Mehemna ("the Faithful Shepherd," a section of the Zohar). "Poor, and riding upon a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9) — that the merit for the coming of our Messiah rests and rides upon the merit of Torah, as in the phrase "Issachar is a large-boned donkey" (Genesis 49:14). And this is [the meaning of] "held captive in the rehatim" of the water-troughs, which are the merits of Torah — for when they overflow from above, the hindering hairs will be washed away, and he will be freed from his captivity, and he will indeed come with joyous song.

"Your head" — [refers to] Hyrcanus the High Priest. "Upon you is like Carmel" — like the head of a stalk of grain, bread ready for eating without much labor; so was he, ready to be enjoyed. "And the hair of your head" — [refers to] Herod, who exalted himself; he was like purple, which indicates the rank of the one who wears it. Thus "this your stature" [means]: your rank.

"Your head upon you is like Carmel" — Your head, which is upon you, will stand erect and be rounded like Mount Carmel; and the allegorical meaning is to say that the Shechinah, which is the head that is upon you, will appear like Mount Carmel. "And the hair of your head" — The locks of hair that hang down upon your head will be beautiful like threads of purple; and the allegorical meaning concerns the prophets who are infused by the Omnipresent, blessed be He, with the flow of prophecy — they will proclaim what will happen at the end [of days]. And so it will endure like the color purple, which is seen from afar and does not depart except with great difficulty. "The king is held captive in its tresses" — You will be so pleasing to the eye that even the king will desire to be bound within the structure that is in the upper story of the house, from chamber to chamber, built for one to walk about in it, thinking that there he will satisfy his eyes with the sight of your face when he sees you walking from chamber to chamber. And the allegorical meaning is to say that the Omnipresent, blessed be He, will then be as though He were bound within the structures of the Temple, for His Shechinah will no longer depart from there.

"dalet" (tresses) — thus is called something that hangs from something else and hangs down, and in the words of our Sages [Chazal]: "he trained the vine to hang over it" (Sukkah 11a), and likewise "and its branches (daliyotav) are broken" (Jeremiah 11:16). "ka'argaman" (like purple) — a kind of red dye. "asur" (bound/held captive) — an expression of tying/binding. "barehatim" (in the tresses) — the structures on the upper floors that run from room to room, and likewise "our rafters (raheiteinu) are of cypress" (above, 1:17).

How beautiful and pleasant are you. After having praised each limb in detail, Scripture includes everything [in one phrase], “How beautiful” in your entirety, “and [how] pleasant are you” to cleave to you with a love that is proper to delight in.

The third interpretation: "how fair you are" — then, in your deeds.

"How fair..." etc. — After He, may He be blessed, says that the day of our redemption and our righteous Messiah, which is fully prepared in His hand and hovering over our heads, is filled with abundant flow of blessing ready to come to us, and nothing is lacking except the cords of our guilt by which we are held fast until we sever our bonds so that they no longer have the strength to hold him (the Messiah) back, for we shall repent of them — He came and said: Do not say, O Israel, that because of these things you should, Heaven forbid, lose hope, for I make your redemption depend upon your repentance — and what am I to do, My daughter, should you perhaps persist forever in your backsliding, in the evil of your inclination, and never be redeemed again? That is not so, for even if you do not merit it, your redemption will not be withheld; it is only that it will come through many troubles and hardships. Whereas if you return to Me of your own accord, your King will come to you in joy and with songs, and I too will bind love to you through delicacies and delights; and it grieves Me when suffering comes upon you, and My whole desire is to bind our love in delights, not through hardships. This is [the meaning of] "How fair..." etc., and it is [what] our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: "If they merit it, I will hasten it; if not, it will come in its appointed time" (Sanhedrin 98a). That is: behold, if we were to arouse the love and cling to Him, may He be blessed, of our own accord in abundant love, and merit "I will hasten it," which applies to a generation that is entirely meritorious, there would be no need for the birth-pangs of the Messiah (chevlei Mashiach), for the birth-pangs of the Messiah exist only because the generation is guilty, and come in order to arouse our love for Him, may He be blessed, so as to bring us back to Him. And had we merited love before the appointed time of the end, the love bound to Him, may He be blessed, would not have come through hardships, but through happiness and an abundance of joy and delight. And He, may He be blessed, says, "How fair and how pleasant" is love through delights — how good and how pleasant it would be for love to come through delights and not through hardships and the birth-pangs of the Messiah. That is to say: this is why I have come so many times to arouse you toward Me, that you should repent, so as to bring upon you all the good through delights and not through hardships, and so that you should return to Me. For behold, I have praised you from the sole of the foot to the head as perfect in beauty, beginning from "How beautiful are your feet" (Song of Songs 7:2), and going up limb by limb in praise, saying, the whole measure of your stature, up to "your head is upon you" (Song of Songs 7:6) — all this in order to glorify and exalt the great glory found in every part of the faithful of Israel (Shlomei Emunei Yisrael), in every aspect of perfection, which together comprise your beauty. If so, will you not say: what more perfection do I need beyond all this? Let my Father in Heaven arise and act for their sake without delay! However, know and see that you still need to be corrected and adorned, for more than you desire to suckle the flow of goodness and redemption, I desire to nurse you, to bestow My abundance, and to do good, for I am the Redeemer — how much more so, seeing that you already possess the praise of the measure of your stature that I have praised! But what am I to do, for "this your stature" etc. That is: behold, I have described several perfections found in the various parts of the nation, divided among the parts of the measure of your stature — some hinted at in your feet, some in your thigh, some in your navel, some in your belly, some in your breasts, some in your neck, some in your eyes, your nose, and your head — and yet, despite all this, you do not merit "I will hasten it," so that the love should come through delights. And the reason is that "this your stature," which encompasses all the perfect parts within you, "is like a palm tree" — they are not so perfect as to merit becoming recipients of the flow of the fruit of the greatness of their good deeds in this world (olam hazeh), with the principal remaining intact for the World to Come (olam haba); rather, they must be chastised in this world in order to deduct for their deeds that are not good, until they depart from the world, and only there will they eat and be satisfied with the reward given them. This is [the meaning of] "is like a palm tree": for until seventy years the palm tree does not reveal or show the fruit of its flowering; so too, until seventy years — the full span of their years in this world — they do not merit the fruit of their deeds, and therefore there is no hope, and the love will not come through delights. And "your breasts," [meaning] those from whom you ought to learn and suckle Torah and good deeds, "are like clusters" — and it does not say "like clusters of the vine," but simply "clusters," referring back to the palm tree just mentioned — meaning that their inside is not, in essence, like their outside, for they are like the clusters of the palm tree, whose outside is sweet but whose inside is a hard pit, and one who sucks can draw only from the outer part; however hard he presses, he obtains nothing at all from within, for it is hard. So it is with teachers of Torah, commandments, and moral instruction: though their lips may drip honeycomb, their heart is not so in essence — only one whose heart is like the heart of David, or similar to him, will his teachings and moral instruction truly benefit those who suckle from the breast of his understanding, in essence. For indeed it is the nature of every thing to arrive at a place similar to the one from which it came; therefore wisdom and moral instruction that emerge from the walls of the heart of the one who speaks them will enter the walls of the heart of those who receive them, whereas that which comes from the outside and not from the heart will not pass into the heart of the listener, but only into his exterior. And this is what is meant: behold, your breasts are like the clusters of the palm tree just mentioned, sweet outside and hard inside — so how will you suckle and draw all the way to the inwardness of your heart, so as to love Hashem through it with all your heart and with all your soul? How much more so if it concerns baseless hatred, or envy and rivalry — the very things that exiled us into this galut (exile) of anguish, and whose hand is still stretched out, whether much or little — for where is one who can say, "I have purified my heart"? In such a way that even your breasts, when suckled, though sweeter than honey, cannot avoid having some hardness within, like the pit within the fruit of the clusters of the palm tree, which prevents receiving the merit in full completeness, as discussed. Or it may mean: "your breasts" are your teachers, whose breasts you suckle like the clusters of the palm tree, from which one benefits only from the outside and not the inside, for it is hard as wood; so too your teachers do not make themselves available to teach you from the inward part of their knowledge — even regarding the outward part, they find it difficult to teach you the inward truth. Now, "I said, I will climb the palm tree" etc. (Song of Songs 7:9) — He, may He be blessed, says: behold, I said in My heart, I will climb the palm tree — that is, all the parts of your stature mentioned, which was likened to a palm tree — for you shall be a merkavah (chariot) to Me, and not only with regard to the part of the souls above, after their departure [from the body], but I will also "take hold of its branches" — that is, the part of the bodies — as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: the righteous are, in this world, like a tree planted in a place of purity whose foliage inclines toward a place of impurity. Behold, they compared the soul to the tree and the body to the foliage, as explained by us elsewhere. So too here, what I said in My heart is that My grasp extends, as an outreach of My hold, even to the bodies as well, for it is upon body and soul together that I have caused My Shechinah (Divine Presence) to rest upon you. But would that your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, and not like the clusters of the palm tree, so that their inside not be hard, but rather like the clusters of the vine, in which the new wine is gathered within, so that one who comes to draw from it sucks out its entire interior — unlike now, in either of the ways [described]. Or it may mean: I said, I will climb up and become a merkavah to the parts of the palm tree, which are the perfected ones among you as mentioned, and along with them "I will take hold of its branches" — these are the rest of the people, the unprepared ones, who are like the branches of the perfected ones likened to the palm tree, for once the flow of abundance rests upon the perfected ones, it spreads also to those who are imperfect. But it is still necessary that "your breasts be" as before. And "the scent of your nose" refers to the forces of impurity produced by your sins, which are a stench arising from the nose and the wrath provoked by transgressions — these "shall be like apples," transformed into a good and holy scent, related to "the field of apples" (an epithet for the Garden of Eden) — and this will happen when their repentance is out of love, in such a way that your repentance will be so great that willful sins become merits, as Reish Lakish said concerning one who repents out of love, as we have explained well in Chavatzelet HaSharon, regarding the Gemara's statement of two teachings of Reish Lakish: the first, that repentance is so great that willful sins become like merits; and it raises the difficulty — is that really so, since did not Reish Lakish [also] say that repentance is so great that willful sins become for him like unwitting errors? And it answers: here it speaks of repentance out of love, there of repentance out of fear (Yoma 86b). For one who repents out of love, willful sins become like merits, as we have explained there: for every sin from which he repents, he thereby revives a positive commandment (mitzvat aseh), and an angel is created from it — since for every positive commandment a person performs, he acquires for himself one advocate. It follows that, in place of the force of impurity that he brought about through his wrongdoing, he transforms it into a force of holiness through his repentance out of love. This is [the meaning of] "and the scent of your nose" — the sin itself, which is your "nose" and your "wrath," meant to chastise you — its scent shall become like apples, transformed into a merit, to be smelled in the Garden of Eden, which is "the field of apples" — these are the lights of the merits of Israel. And also, as I said, "let your breasts" be, to nurse you, "like the clusters of the vine" etc., so that their inward part too will be fit to draw from — and also, "your palate," I desire, shall be "like the good wine," meaning that you should suck with intense longing. Behold, the perfected ones called "your breasts," being like the clusters of the vine — do not say, "enough," as though sucking something you would grow weary of by its abundance, but rather, like the good wine, which is pleasant to your palate out of great longing, so that you draw and are never sated. Or it may mean: let it not happen to you that your breasts, who are your teachers, being like the clusters of the vine, that you draw from the wine of their clusters as one drinking from clusters of intoxicating wine, which travels a crooked path — a person pours it down through his mouth, yet it takes a twisted course and rises to the head and confuses the mind — so too, be careful in your learning not to raise upon your head the rod of pride and other unworthy inclinations; rather, let "your palate" be "like the good wine," the non-intoxicating kind, that is, "the preserved [wine]" (the wine preserved from the six days of Creation). For when his palate tastes to enjoy from that wine — which is the happiness hoped for through engaging in Torah for its own sake (lishmah) — he, the Torah scholar (talmid chacham), will not "go to my Beloved" by a crooked path, like intoxicating wine that rises to the head to plant in his mind wicked inclinations that deviate from the truth, like a drunkard who staggers and reels from his wine; rather, he will go "uprightly" (lemeisharim), by a straight path, bestowing good abundance and completeness upon all his parts, soul and body, from his head to his feet. And not only in his lifetime, but also after his death, that good wine "causes the lips of the sleeping to speak" (Song of Songs 7:10) — for his lips move in the grave — unlike one who, in his Torah study, turned toward arrogance and toward those who stray after falsehood, as discussed. Or, His saying "goes to my Beloved" etc. is Israel's response to Him, may He be blessed, saying: You have said that our palate should be like the good wine, in each of the ways stated; therefore we respond and say, "goes to my Beloved" etc. — and "goes" (holech) would be an imperative, as in the words of our Rabbis, of blessed memory, "holech, deliver this bill of divorce to my wife" — meaning "convey," in the manner of "hored," "bring it down to you." And the point is: have You not said, "my Beloved is mine," that would that my palate be prepared to taste and draw from the inward and essential part of the Torah, like the sweetness of good wine, so that, on the contrary, I should increase and not turn from the point of truth toward unworthy inclinations like a drunkard — do this, act for the sake of Your Name; and let "it goes," the strength I draw from Your Torah, "to my Beloved," whom You place in my heart, be for the sake of my Beloved, uprightly, and not turning aside right or left toward any ulterior motive, and let it never be regarded as something foreign in relation to my Beloved. For indeed it is that which "causes the lips of the sleeping to speak" — that is, those who sleep in the dust, whose lips move in the grave, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said; and the point is to argue a kal vachomer (a fortiori inference): if that which causes the inanimate lips to move, through the divine power attached to the Torah that righteous dead man uttered at Sinai, [continues to have such effect] — then all the more so will it lead and draw our Torah, which we study while attached to Him, may He be blessed Himself, while we are yet alive — for the soul of God within us is hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory — to be our help in leading it "to my Beloved," uprightly. It is also possible, in the continuation of the verses, that "this your stature" etc. comes to find fault with those who forsake eternal life and, following the disciples of Aristotle, content themselves with wisdoms that Hashem hates, by making the fundamentals of the faith subject to the inferences of their intellect and the offspring of their falsehoods — for the roots of their fundamentals are from the vine of Sodom (cf. Deuteronomy 32:32), and those who instruct them are like them; like them, they send forth the branches of their harvest, and their fruits are clusters of bitterness (cf. Deuteronomy 32:32), and the fruit of their fruit; for whoever puts forth his hand into its depths will not be held guiltless if any part of the banned thing clings to his hand (cf. Deuteronomy 13:18) — which will ensnare them into stumbling, and they will become a disgrace; and only one in a thousand — a holy man — will be said of him that he "entered in peace and left in peace" (cf. the account of the four who entered the Pardes [orchard], of whom only Rabbi Akiva entered and left in peace; Chagigah 14b). And behold, the net that is spread to trap men of understanding, to draw them after that foreign wisdom, is that its arguments, its inferences, its offshoots, and the sharp ingenuities of human wisdom "drip honeycomb" to those who hear them at first, but their end is bitter as wormwood; for all their sweetness lies only in the outer part, while one who penetrates to the inward part becomes defiled. So it is with the outward appearance: its beginnings are pleasant to look at, but its inward part is more bitter than death, like a bitter herb (maror) whose beginning is soft and whose end is harsh. And it is like what happens to one who eats the fruit of the date palm — this too will befall him: if a man eats its flesh and discards its interior, it is pleasant to him; but if a man puts it into his mouth whole and chews it between his teeth in order to suck out its interior along with its exterior, his teeth and molars will be broken, and he will benefit from neither the one nor the other. So it is with this matter: the outward beginnings of foreign wisdom are pleasant to some degree, but its interior is not like its exterior, but rather hard as Sheol (the grave), like the pit of the date, which is hard and unlike all other fruit pits, which contain some edible matter within them, but is entirely dry wood; so too, that wisdom is of poor quality and full of confusion. And concerning this, Solomon, in his wisdom and holy spirit, opened his eyes in these holy verses, saying "this your stature" etc., meaning: behold, I have praised the entire measure of your stature from the sole of the foot to the head, from the verse "how beautiful are your feet" etc. (Song of Songs 7:2) until "your head upon you is like Carmel" etc. (Song of Songs 7:6) — but all your limbs are a metaphor, each limb standing for a category among the faithful of Israel (Shlomei Emunei Yisrael), according to the parts of their good deeds, such that together they all comprise your beauty. This is [the meaning of] "this your stature," the all-encompassing one, "is like a palm tree," for they are all righteous, as it is said, "the righteous flourish like a palm tree" (Psalms 92:13). But know, moreover, that when those likened to "your breasts," whom you suckle — who are the masters of that [secular] wisdom — resemble the clusters of the palm tree, which is the fruit, in that they occupy themselves with something whose outside is sweet and whose inside is hard, like the fruit of the clusters of the palm tree, I said in My heart, "I will climb the palm tree," applying to all the parts and categories of men of [good] deeds mentioned within your stature, which was likened to a palm tree; but "I will take hold of its branches" — for I will cast the wrath [caused by] that mistaken wisdom upon the great men of the generation, [likened to] the branches, who are the lofty ones — I will take hold of them, [removing them] from the world, for their failure to protest. And lest you say that it is for one of three reasons that they give a place to that foreign [wisdom]: First, that they [suppose] they will understand all of its matters, unlike the divine Torah, which, since it is from Him, may He be blessed, no man can fully grasp the truth of its words, for it is hidden from the eyes of all the living. Second, that a man might say, Heaven forbid that I make it a foundation of belief — I will merely choose its path in order to sample it, to see what good may be in it, so as to magnify the Torah and enhance its worth, for in my eyes the Torah is recognizable only against the darkness of the foreign [wisdom]; therefore I will go deep and range widely in it, until I expose its shame before the eyes of its admirers, and make it desolate, until all who pass over it will be appalled and hiss, recoiling from it. Third, to taste of its sharp points — an intellectual exercise in sharp reasoning and acuity. Beware, and do not do this evil thing, for on account of these three the earth trembles (cf. Proverbs 30:21). For as to the first reason you might choose to draw near — that there is concealment of things in the Torah of truth — pay it no heed, for the concealment lasts only until you labor over it and uncover the hidden treasures of its depths, for then a spirit will be poured upon you from on high, until you draw from the radiance of its glory. Indeed, it is comparable to grapes of the vine: just as the new wine is found within the cluster of grapes, with nothing separating or blocking it except the thin skin that covers it, and when the treader treads or the one drawing sucks it, its skin is removed and its interior is consumed to its very end, with nothing in the way — so it is with this matter: whatever is hidden in a matter of the Torah of Hashem, if a person sets his heart to labor and toil over it with the goodness of his intellect, God will shine upon him from the abundance of His Torah, and he will find the knowledge of the holy ones. And this is the meaning of the verse: why should you be like the one likened to the palm tree, whose outside is sweet and whose inside is hard, so that your breasts be like the clusters of the palm tree? Rather, let your breasts now be like the clusters of the vine — that is, the wisdoms of the Torah — for if you draw from the breasts of the Torah of truth, I promise you that you will surely attain it, and find wisdom, and find understanding, just as the new wine is found within the cluster; for the covering that conceals attainment of the matter will be no harder for you than the skin of the grapes is for the treader or the one who draws from them. And if you wish to sample the foreign [wisdom], it is better for you to get a sense of the Torah of Hashem, until you arrive at its true nature, for then the scent of your nose will be like apples, so that along with the good scent there will also be good taste in it, and also its eating will not be withheld from you — Torah being a pleasure to the soul, like the scent of an apple, a thing the soul delights in, and also to the body, a substantial good, like the eating of an apple — unlike when you smell the scent of the foreign [wisdom], which will consume you from soul to flesh, for you will lack the strength to escape its foul stench, as we have written elsewhere on the verse, "but her end...sharp as a two-edged sword" (Proverbs 5:4). And likewise, flee in spirit from the third [reason], which is to give your intellect's palate a taste of its sharp points, for its seeming clarity precedes its sharpness, and your intellect will fill with sharp points, and your soul and your flesh will be riddled through and through with piercings, for they will distance you from following Hashem and from all the paths of His Torah, and will bring you distress in this world and in the World to Come. Unlike this are the sharp insights of the perfect Torah of Hashem, for through it you subdue your inclination and it makes you upright, to conduct yourself in piety (chassidut) from soul to flesh, until even your body and your flesh, after your death, delight in the Torah you engaged in here, so that your lips move in the grave. This is [the meaning of] "and your palate," which tastes of the Torah that was like the clusters of the vine — it will be to you "like the good wine," the holy, non-intoxicating kind; unlike the wine of the foreign woman, which will intoxicate you and make your head and your intellect reel from the truth, Heaven forbid, so that you become confused in the fundamentals of the faith, like one lying in the heart of the sea, and like one lying at the top of a mast (Proverbs 23:34). And the holy Torah will do more for you still: when your palate tastes from it, your palate, tasting, will "go to my Beloved uprightly," for my Beloved will bring you what you taste from the Torah, uprightly, which is the attribute of piety (chassidut), as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said regarding "and you shall do the right and the good" (Deuteronomy 6:18) — this refers to going beyond the letter of the law (lifnim mishurat hadin). The opposite is true of the foreign [wisdom], for it will slacken your hands from the commandments of Hashem, until you become heretical and sell yourself to do evil in the eyes of Hashem. And not only that, but the good wine of the Torah will delight even your flesh like rich fat as you lie in the grave — this is [the meaning of] "causes the lips of the sleeping to speak," for his lips move in the grave — the opposite of those who content themselves with the wisdoms of Aristotle, for they will lie down in sorrow, since they will have turned away from following Hashem, Heaven forbid.

"How fair and how pleasant" — How very fair and pleasant you will be, and the love will be accompanied by delight; for while I am separated from you, the love is a cause of sorrow, on account of the abundance of longing, but when you dwell with me the love will be a cause of delight. And the allegorical meaning is to say that when you return from the exile there will be joy before the Omnipresent, blessed be He — which is not so while she is in exile.

"mah yafit" (how fair you are) — the word "mah" (how) indicates an intensification of the matter, and likewise "how great is Your goodness" (Psalms 31:20). "na'amt" (pleasant) — an expression of love, like "also pleasant" (na'im) (above, 1:16).

Such is your stature, likened to a [stately] palm tree. We saw the beauty of your stature in the days of Nevuchadnetzar, when all the nations were kneeling and falling before the image, but you stood as upright as this palm tree. — Notes: (28) See the last note in 1:17 above. And your breasts are like clusters. Daniyeil, Chananyah, Mishaeil, and Azaryah, who were for you like breasts to suck from. They were likened to clusters, which provide drink, so did they provide lavishly and teach everyone that there is no God like your God. Until this point, the nations praised him [i.e., Yisroel]. From here on, are the words of the Divine Presence addressing Yisroel’s exiles, who were among the nations.

The third interpretation: "this your stature" — [this is what is meant by "and your people, all of them righteous" (Isaiah 60:21)]; then the righteous will increase — "the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree" (Psalms 92:13). "and your breasts" — [these are] the masters of Torah, who will give forth the fruit [of its sayings].

"This is like a palm-tree" — which is tall, and its fruit is obtained with great effort, and nevertheless its fruit has little nourishment, lacks fragrance, and its nourishment is not pleasant; so too the leaders of your people ruled over the community, even though they gave forth fruit of not much benefit. "And your breasts" — [meaning] those who taught the people, who resembled clusters of a palm-tree, in which there are many dates but little benefit; so too they produced wisdoms of little benefit, similar to the "conversation of palm-trees" and "parables of launderers" and the like [trivial teachings]. Therefore I said, "I will climb up into the palm-tree, I will take hold of its branches" — to pluck them out and destroy them.

"This your stature" — This, the appearance of your stature, will resemble the palm tree, which is upright without any crookedness; and the allegorical meaning concerns the entire nation, that it will be, in its entirety, upright. "And your breasts" — Your breasts will hang downward like clusters from the tree; and the allegorical meaning concerns the king and the High Priest, who nurse you so as to bestow good upon you — behold, they will bestow abundant good, like the clusters of the vine that bestow abundant wine.

"qomatekh" (your stature) — from the language of "qomah" (height) and tallness. "damtah" (is like) — from the language of comparison (dimyon) and likening. "l'eshkolot" (to clusters) — thus is called the stem with its berries hanging upon it, and likewise "a cluster (eshkol) of henna" (above, 1:14).

I said, I will ascend the palm tree. I boast of you among the heavenly hosts, that I will be exalted and sanctified through your actions in the earthly abodes, when you will sanctify My Name among the nations. I will grasp its branches. And I will grasp and cleave to you; “סַנְסִנִּים” are branches. And now let your breasts.. And now, make true My words, that you will not be enticed to follow the nations, and may the good and wise among you be steadfast in their faith, to retort to those who entice them, so that the lesser ones among you will learn from them.

The first interpretation: "bis'nasinav" [its branches] — the upper boughs, where the fruit is; and it has no cognate [elsewhere in Scripture]. The second interpretation: "bis'nasinav" — these are the breasts. She said: I am my beloved's, and it is upon me to fulfill his desire. The third interpretation: the Shechinah (Divine Presence) said: then I will come into the company of the righteous. "and let your breasts be" — then they will fulfill all the commandments. "and the smell of your nose" — then the High Priest will serve me.

"And let your breasts be as clusters of the vine" — in which there is abundant and good nourishment; so let them give forth goodly fruit in matters of theoretical study. "And the smell of your countenance" — in practical matters. "Like apples" — which have fragrance along with some nourishment.

"I said: I will climb up into the palm-tree" — Meaning: I will dwell with the beloved, who resembled the palm tree, and I will take hold of the branches of the tree, that is to say, I will no longer part from her; and the allegorical meaning is to say that the Omnipresent, blessed be He, will cause His Shechinah to dwell within her and will not part from her. "And let your breasts be" — Meaning: now, in the near future, I will delight in your breasts, which will be like clusters hanging downward; and the allegorical meaning is to say that in the near future the king and the High Priest will bestow abundant good upon you, like the clusters that bestow wine. "And the smell of your countenance" — that it will be like the scent of apples; and the allegorical meaning is to say: I will accept your sacrifices with favor, and they will rise up as a pleasing aroma.

"b'sansinav" (its branches) — an expression of bough and branch, and it has no parallel. "na" (now) — [means] now.

And let your speech be like good wine. Be cautious with your answers that they should be like the best wine. — Notes: (29) See Daniyeil, chapter 3. It flows for my beloved in sincerity. I am careful to answer them that I will remain steadfast in my faith, and my speech will go before my Beloved with sincere love, which comes from the heart, and not with deceit and guile. Like good wine. Which makes the lips of the sleeping murmur. Even my ancestors in the grave will rejoice with me and give thanks for their lot. “דּוֹבֵב” [means] causing to move, fromier in O.F. and its root, is an expression of speech. And this is the answer, “I am my Beloved’s and He longs for me.” — Notes: (30) I.e., your answers should be clear and potent. (31) The comparison to wine is because the taste of wine remains in one’s mouth long after drinking it. The mere mention of the words of the departed sages, causes their lips to murmur in their graves. See Maseches Yevamos 97a and Rashi there.

The first interpretation: "dovev" [gliding] — stirring, from the same word as "dibbah" (a report). The third interpretation: "and your palate" — the singers.

"And your palate" — at the time of rebuke. "Let it be like the best wine" — like the good wine of the vine, in such a way that the palate "glides down for my beloved smoothly," aiming to find favor in the eyes of my beloved, in seeking the truth, not for victory [in argument]. "Moving gently the lips of those who are asleep" — and his words should be such that in recalling the words of the wisdom of the ancients, he adds to them, as is fitting for every later [scholar].

"And your palate" — Your words will gladden my heart, like good wine that flows gently to the beloved ones, from lover to lover, keeping the love between them upright so that it will not falter. "Moving gently the lips of those who are asleep" — Meaning: like wine that has such strength in it that it makes even the lips of the sleeping speak — and this is a manner of hyperbole, for it is the way of strong wine to accustom the lips of its drinkers to multiply words, even though their custom was to speak sparingly; and it means: just as wines, as it were, gladden the heart, so your words gladden my heart. And the allegorical meaning is to say: behold, the abundance of your prayer and the practice of your study is accepted with favor before Me.

"v'chikekh" (and your palate) — that which is above the tongue, and it is one of the instruments of speech. "l'dodi" (for my beloved) — like "lidodim," with the mem dropped, similar to "al divrei chozai" (2 Chronicles 33:19), whose grammatical form ought to be "chozim" [plural], and there are many similar cases. "l'meisharim" (smoothly) — from the language of "yashar" (straight/upright). "dovev" (murmuring/speaking) — an expression of talk and speech, like "v'dibbat am" (the talk of the people) (Ezekiel 36:3). "yesheinim" (those who are asleep) — from the language of "sheinah" (sleep).

The first interpretation: "his desire" — like "and his desire is toward you" (Genesis 4:7). The third interpretation: "I am my beloved's" — Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) said this when the end (ha-ketz) arrives.

"I am my beloved's," etc. — When Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) heard of all the tremendous longing that Hashem our God has for us to return to Him and cleave to Him, may He be blessed, as is written throughout all His words up to this point, she responded as though astonished at the matter, and said, "I am my beloved's," etc., meaning: Woe is me, for all the great longing that ought rightfully to have been mine — to cleave to Him, may He be blessed — is turned about; on the contrary, it is He, may He be blessed, who longs to cleave to me more than I long to cleave to Him. This is [the meaning of] "I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me" — that is to say: is it not a wonder that Your love for us is so wondrous? For surely it is the nature of a part to yearn for and cleave after the whole — throw a stick up into the air, and it falls back to rest upon its own root; and if a man throws a stone upward, it quickly returns to its foundation below, to the earth; and when a candle is extinguished, its flame rises to its higher foundation, which is the element of fire. Accordingly, since our souls are "a part of God from above," it would be fitting that they should draw toward, pant after, and yearn for the Whole — namely, His Shechinah (Divine Presence), may He be blessed — for they are the part and He, may He be blessed, is the Whole. Yet it is the reverse: for although "I am my beloved's" — meaning that I am a part of Him, since He is the Whole — nevertheless, in the very place where my longing should be toward Him, may He be blessed, it is reversed, for it is His longing that is toward me, since all of His longing, may He be blessed, is to cleave to me. As our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: from the time the world was created, the Holy One, blessed be He, longed that His dwelling be "among the lower beings." And how pleasant are their words, in that they did not say that He would have a dwelling "below," but only "among the lower beings" — meaning that He did not desire the earth itself, but rather mankind, for they are the Temple of Hashem. This is [the meaning of] "among the lower beings." And, "please, my God, do not blame me for the lack of my longing to cleave to You and to Your Torah always, for surely the burdens of the yoke of exile (galut) and the pursuit of sustenance hold us back from placing our whole reliance and every desire upon You, upon Your Torah, and upon Your commandments, and from casting all worldly matters behind our backs. Would that You would test [us], please, Hashem, and 'go, my beloved, before us' — as You went before us when we went out of Egypt, as it is written, 'And Hashem went before them by day,' etc. (Exodus 13:21). 'Let us go out'" from among the idol-worshipers — "into the field" — so that we may be free of the yoke of the exiles as before, and also free of the burden of seeking sustenance; "for let us lodge in the villages (kefarim)" — these are the kernels of the manna, upon which, each night they lodged, there lay a layer of dew, fine as frost, upon the ground. This is [the meaning of] "let us lodge," that our lodging shall be "in the kefarim," as it is written, "fine as frost" (Exodus 16:14) — for the gathering of the kernels is called kefarim. And then all Your desire shall be accomplished, for we shall occupy ourselves only with the concerns of Heaven. "From the morning watch, let us rise early to the vineyards (keramim)" — these are the synagogues, study halls (batei midrash), and yeshivot, which are called "vineyards," as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said concerning those who "entered the vineyard at Yavneh" — that these are the Torah scholars (talmidei chachamim), who sit row upon row, like a vineyard. And all our engagement shall be to set our hearts and to search "whether the vine has blossomed" — whether new insights of Torah have been renewed, or the performance of the commandments, to hear and to do. This is [the meaning of] "whether the vine has blossomed" — whether Israel, who are called a "vine" with regard to the holy things of Torah, have blossomed. And likewise, "whether the blossom (semadar) has opened" — these are the schoolchildren (tinokot shel beit rabban), who are still at the stage of semadar — whether it has opened and they have become enlightened, to grow in Torah, raising them from a lesser level of knowledge to a greater one. And likewise we shall attend, to examine "whether the pomegranates have budded" — these are the students, whose learned wisdom is gathered within them like [seeds] within pomegranates — and we shall attend and see whether something has budded forth from the words of their wisdom that is within them, through the spirit of their understanding. The sum of the matter is: "there I will give You my love" — that which is within me in potential, I will bring out into actuality and give to You, and not to any stranger besides You — as opposed to when the burdens of sustenance were upon me, as mentioned, in which case one must give a portion to something other than You, and then my love would be Yours only in potential, and not in actuality.

"I am my beloved's" — the congregation of Hashem answers in her heart: It is true that I stumbled in all these things; nevertheless, I am my beloved's, and I have not forsaken Him, as it says, "If we had forgotten the name of our God..." (Psalms 44:21). "And his desire is toward me" — as it says, "Hashem waits to be gracious to you, and He is exalted to have mercy on you..." (Isaiah 30:18). And thus I say:

"I am my beloved's" — When the betrothed heard these promises and assurances, she said: Behold, I have known from of old that I am set apart for my beloved, and all his desire is upon me, not upon another; and the allegorical meaning is as though Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) said: I have known from of old that I am His people, and He will not reject me so as to exchange me for another people.

"teshukato" (his desire) — an expression of longing and desire, like "and his desire (teshukato) is toward you" (Genesis 4:7).

Come, my beloved, let us go out to the field. Our Rabbis expounded in [Maseches] Eruvin, that the congregation of Yisroel said, “Master of the Universe, do not judge me like dwellers of cities, where there is robbery and immorality, but like the open village dwellers, who are craftsmen and are occupied in the study of Torah amidst hardship.” — Notes: (32) Below, verse 11. (33) Maseches Eruvin 21b. Let us lodge in the villages. Let us lodge among the disbelievers [=כּוֹפְרִים. Come and I will show You Eisav’s descendants, upon whom You have lavished prosperity, but who do not believe in You. — Notes: (34) Sifsei Chachomim amends Rashi’s text to read...“but let us go out to the field and I will show You Torah scholars who are occupied in the study of Torah amidst hardship.” (Sifsei Chachomim)

The third interpretation: "come, my beloved, let us go out to the field" — and the meaning is Jerusalem, [as in the matter of "we found it in the field of the forest" (Psalms 132:6). "let us lodge in the villages" — as in the matter of "Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls" (Zechariah 2:8).]

"Come, my beloved" — "let us go forth into the field" — to walk about in the field, [meaning] in the ingathering of the exiles. "Let us lodge in the villages" — as it says, "dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates" (Ezekiel 38:11).

"Come, my beloved" — She will send forth her words to entreat the beloved, saying to him: let us go out of the city into the field, and let us lodge in one of the villages that are near the vineyards; and the allegorical meaning is as though Knesset Yisrael said to the Omnipresent, blessed be He: go now, please, into the cities of the field and the villages, to attend to the deeds of their people, even though they are not as upright and wise as the people of walled cities and great towns, where there are those from whom to learn, for their sages are far greater — the like of which is not found in the cities of the field and the villages.

"lekhah" (come) — it is an expression of urging. "nalinah" (let us lodge) — from the language of "linah" (lodging). "bakfarim" (in the villages) — thus are called the small settlements, like "in the cities and in the villages" (1 Chronicles 27).

Let us rise early for the vineyards. These are the synagogues and the study halls. Let us see if the vine has blossomed. These are those who are versed in Scripture. If the tender grapes have appeared. When the blossom falls off and the grapes are discernible, that is the appearance of the tender grapes. And he compares those versed in the Mishnah to them, because they are nearer [than those versed in Scripture] to derive pleasure in the instruction of the Torah. — Notes: (35) Alternatively, let us eat manna. “בכפרים” is derived from כפר [=frost] which is the manna’s description, in Shemos 16:14. Free us from having to earn a living and we will dedicate ourselves to you. (Tzror Hamor) If the pomegranates are in bloom. When they are ripe, and the flower around them falls off; “הֵנֵצוּ” means “its flower falls off.” He compares those versed in the Talmud to them, for they are at the level of maturity in [Torah] wisdom that is worthy to teach. There I will give my love. There I will show You my honor and glory of my sons and daughters. — Notes: (36) Than those who are versed in Scripture.

The third interpretation: "let us rise early to the vineyards" — and before this you will see that Israel returned in repentance (teshuvah). And this is the meaning of "if the vine has flowered" — there, in Jerusalem, I will serve Hashem openly.

"Let us get up early to the vineyards" — let us occupy ourselves in the synagogues and the study halls. "Let us see whether the vine has budded, etc." — [to see] whether there emerges [talent] for Mishnah and Talmud, in theory and in practice. "There I will give you my love" — I will show you my love for Your holy name. For indeed, even the mandrakes — [meaning] even the common people (amei ha'aretz) — gave forth a good fragrance through their deeds.

"Let us get up early to the vineyards" — Since the vineyards are near her, let us come early in the morning to the vineyards, before the sun rises in the full strength of its heat. "Let us see" — There we will delight in seeing whether the vine has already blossomed, whether it has opened, etc. "There" — In the vineyards I will show you my love for you, after we have had an expansiveness of heart from the delight of seeing the blossoms of the vine, etc.; and the allegorical meaning is as though Knesset Yisrael says: go there to the synagogues and study halls, and see whether the students and the sages have caused the wisdom of Torah and good deeds to blossom, and there you will see the greatness of my praise and my love for you.

"nashkimah" (let us rise early) — from the language of "hashkamah" (rising early). "hasemadar" (the vine-blossom) — these are the tiny grapes that become visible after the blossom has fallen off, and this is "the opening of the semadar." "hentzu" (have blossomed) — it is the setting/budding of the fruit. "dodai" (my love) — an expression of love and affection.

The baskets emit fragrance. The baskets of the good and the bad figs, as the matter is stated, “Hashem showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs, etc. one basket of very good figs, etc., and the other basket of very bad figs, which were inedible.” These are the sinners of Yisroel. Now, both of them emit their fragrance; they all seek Your countenance. — Notes: (37) Maseches Eruvin 21b. And at our door are all luscious fruits. In our possession there is the reward for fulfilling many commandments. Both new and old. Those which the Sages innovated, as well as the old ones, which You wrote for me. I have kept them for you. For Your Name and for Your service I have kept them in my heart. Another explanation, I kept them to show You that I have fulfilled them.

The third interpretation: "the mandrakes give forth fragrance" — the good deeds of Knesset Yisrael will join together with the deeds of their ancient forefathers.

"The mandrakes give forth fragrance," etc. — Knesset Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) says: We know, Hashem, that the reason You withhold Yourself from cleaving to us is only that we ourselves have not opened an opening in the curtain of iniquities that separates between us and You. But why do You not set Your heart, Hashem our God, upon all the merits that we have acquired, as is known — for even the "empty" ones of Israel are as full of mitzvot as a pomegranate [is full of seeds], and how much more so the perfect ones, the righteous and the pious, and the ancient merits from our forebears of old — all of which are held back from standing in our favor until a gate is opened in the separating curtain, similar to the reward of the mitzvot, which the soul does not receive when it ascends on high until it is first cleansed of all its guilt, as is known. So too, all our merits and the merits of our fathers are, as it were, standing at the doorway, waiting to shine upon us once an opening is opened for them — waiting for You to look upon us with the eye of Your compassion, and that all these merits not be reckoned before You as lesser than the worth of Reuben's mandrakes. For behold, Leah's mandrakes gave forth fragrance, in that with a mere trifle of mandrakes she hired Jacob — with whom the Shechinah (Divine Presence) was constantly present — and drew the Shechinah to herself, as our Rabbis of blessed memory expounded on "and he lay with her that night" (Genesis 30:16), as in the phrase "and he was bound in fetters" — and from there came forth Issachar, who gives forth the fragrance of the abundance of his Torah in the world, since Hashem was with him. Now is it conceivable that mandrakes, so slight in worth, sufficed to give forth fragrance and availed to draw You after her, so that "they gave forth fragrance" and the nature of Issachar's Torah went out into the world — while we, at whose doorway (which will be opened in the aforementioned curtain) all the precious fruits are the merits of holy seraphim, wrought through the Torah and mitzvot that we have stored up above in heaven, "new" ones as well as "old" ones from our forebears, which stand ready the instant it is opened — shall those mandrakes really be reckoned as of little worth before You, that You would not act on their account to come forward to meet us, to open before us that gate — and instead wait until we ourselves open it, or wait to attach us to Your Torah until it is rooted in us, until that gate is opened before us? The matter of the aforementioned "doorways," [alluded to] in the words "and at our doorways," may be understood by means of the teaching of our Rabbis of blessed memory, that this world was created with the letter heh, which resembles an aksadra (a portico, an open colonnaded hall), etc.; and why is the "leg" of the heh suspended [detached, leaving a small gap]? It alludes to penitents (ba'alei teshuvah); but for those who would enter [back into sin] from below [through that gap], the matter does not succeed. Behold, there are thus two openings: one at the "leg" of the heh, and one from below; and since both exist in reality, [Scripture] included them both and said "and at our doorways" [in the plural], in the very manner we have explained. Indeed, the precious fruits and the merits are "new" ones from these generations of ours, as well as "old" ones from the previous generations. And she [Knesset Yisrael] concludes her words, saying "my beloved, I have stored up for you," meaning: if You answer us, our God, this would not even require a kal vachomer (a fortiori argument) — for it was not the hiring and finding of the mandrakes [alone] that gave forth that fragrance, from His, may He be blessed, attachment, and the Torah that was drawn from it; rather, it was the merit of Leah's attachment to that Jacob, and her wish to be built up with more children from him then, that accomplished this — and He, may He be blessed, saw the hidden things of her heart and confirmed it. This is in the manner of the story of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Midrash Chazit (Song of Songs Rabbah), on the verse "we will rejoice and be glad in you" (Song of Songs 1:4), about the woman who desired her husband so as not to be divorced from him, and [thereby] merited to be built up with children from him. And this is the wording of that passage: There was an incident in Sidon involving a man who lived with his wife for ten years and she did not bear children. They came before Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, wishing to separate from one another. He said to them: By your lives, just as you were joined to one another through food and drink, so too you shall not separate from one another except through food and drink. They went and did according to his words, and made for themselves a festive day and a great feast, and she gave him more wine to drink than was proper. Once his mind had settled contentedly upon him, he said to her: "My daughter, see — whatever precious object there is in my house, take it, and go to your father's house." What did she do? After he fell asleep, she signaled to his manservants and maidservants and said to them: "Carry him on the bed, and take him and bring him to my father's house." In the middle of the night he awoke from his sleep; once his wine had worn off, he said to her: "My daughter, where am I?" She said to him: "In my father's house." He said to her: "What business do I have in your father's house?" And she said to him: "Did you not say to me in the evening, 'Whatever precious object there is in my house, take it and go to your father's house'? I have no object more precious to me than you." They went to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and he stood and prayed for them, and they were remembered [with a child] — to teach you that just as the Holy One, blessed be He, remembers the barren, so too the righteous can cause the barren to be remembered. And behold, this is an a fortiori argument: if a mortal being, because he said to a fellow mortal, "I have no object in the world more precious than you," was thereby remembered with a child — then Israel, who wait daily for the salvation of the Holy One, blessed be He, and say, "We have no desire in the world but You" — how much more so! Behold, [our Rabbis] of blessed memory drew from this an a fortiori argument: if she merited this because her heart clung to her husband, then we, who cling to the Holy One, blessed be He — how much more so! Therefore it is fitting to say here that Knesset Yisrael declares: if Leah merited this because her heart clung to Jacob, since he was close to the Shechinah, then by a kal vachomer, all the more should You act for my sake. For behold, "my beloved, I have stored up for you" — if one who stored up precious things for her husband [merited children], then one who stores up precious things for You, just as I do, all the more so! And this is the very same a fortiori argument that they drew in the Midrash, as mentioned; and this is the meaning of "my beloved, I have stored up for you."

"and at our doors" — the houses of study (batei midrash). "all manner of precious fruits" — through theoretical study (iyun) and through practice (ma'aseh). "new" — matters that the sages of the generation understood anew. "and also old" — which the ancients taught. "my beloved, I have laid up for you" — in their books.

"The mandrakes" — She brought proof that it is likely that the vine has [already] blossomed, etc., for behold, the mandrake plants have already blossomed and give off a good scent, and at our doors there are already all kinds of choice fruits, new and old, from last year, which I bought and stored away to give to you. And it is as though she says: behold, I have seen these compared to those, and I have seen among them choice fruits of the new; and if so, it is likely that the vine has blossomed, etc., and when we go there we will find contentment of spirit and expansiveness of heart, and I will show you there the strength of my love for you. And the allegorical meaning is as though Knesset Yisrael says: behold, even the common people among them, who are only in the shape of a person, resembling the mandrake plants — nevertheless they too gave forth a scent through their engagement in the commandments, and so there are among them many merits from what they have done recently and what they have done long ago, and all of it is done for the sake of the honor of Your name, not for self-glorification; and if the common people did so, how much more so are the merits to be found among the sages and the students.

"haduda'im" (the mandrakes) — the name of a plant shaped like a person, male and female, and likewise "and he found mandrakes in the field" (Genesis 30:14). "megadim" (precious fruits) — thus are called choice fruits, and likewise "peri megadim" (precious fruit) (above, 4:13). "yeshanim" (old) — an expression of age. "tzafanti" (I have laid up) — an expression of storing away and concealment, like "yitzp'nu da'at" (they store up knowledge) (Proverbs 10:14).