Torah Reading of Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26
12 - 23
Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Lead this people forward,’ but You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. Further, You have said, ‘I have singled you out by name, and you have, indeed, gained My favor.’ Now, if I have truly gained Your favor, pray let me know Your ways, that I may know You and continue in Your favor. Consider, too, that this nation is Your people.”
And He said, “I will go in the lead and will lighten your burden.”
And he said to Him, “Unless You go in the lead, do not make us leave this place.
For how shall it be known that Your people have gained Your favor unless You go with us, so that we may be distinguished, Your people and I, from every people on the face of the earth?”
And the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have truly gained My favor and I have singled you out by name.”
He said, “Oh, let me behold Your Presence!”
And He answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name LORD, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show.
But,” He said, “you cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live.”
And the LORD said, “See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock
and, as My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.”
34:5-9
The LORD came down in a cloud; He stood with him there, and proclaimed the name LORD.
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed: “The LORD! the LORD! a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He does not remit all punishment, but visits the iniquity of parents upon children and children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.”
Moses hastened to bow low to the ground in homage, and said, “If I have gained Your favor, O Lord, pray, let the Lord go in our midst, even though this is a stiffnecked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own!”
12 - 23
Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Lead this people forward,’ but You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. Further, You have said, ‘I have singled you out by name, and you have, indeed, gained My favor.’ Now, if I have truly gained Your favor, pray let me know Your ways, that I may know You and continue in Your favor. Consider, too, that this nation is Your people.”
And He said, “I will go in the lead and will lighten your burden.”
And he said to Him, “Unless You go in the lead, do not make us leave this place.
For how shall it be known that Your people have gained Your favor unless You go with us, so that we may be distinguished, Your people and I, from every people on the face of the earth?”
And the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have truly gained My favor and I have singled you out by name.”
He said, “Oh, let me behold Your Presence!”
And He answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name LORD, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show.
But,” He said, “you cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live.”
And the LORD said, “See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock
and, as My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.”
34:5-9
The LORD came down in a cloud; He stood with him there, and proclaimed the name LORD.
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed: “The LORD! the LORD! a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He does not remit all punishment, but visits the iniquity of parents upon children and children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.”
Moses hastened to bow low to the ground in homage, and said, “If I have gained Your favor, O Lord, pray, let the Lord go in our midst, even though this is a stiffnecked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own!”
Why Do We Read Song of Songs on Passover?
Rabbi Moses Isserles
“And it is the custom to read Shir HaShirim on Shabbat of Chol HaMoed Pesach because it speaks of the redemption of our people from Egypt, as is written (Shir HaShirim 1:9), "With My mighty steeds who battled Pharaoh’s riders I revealed that you are My beloved.”"
Rabbi Moses Isserles
“And it is the custom to read Shir HaShirim on Shabbat of Chol HaMoed Pesach because it speaks of the redemption of our people from Egypt, as is written (Shir HaShirim 1:9), "With My mighty steeds who battled Pharaoh’s riders I revealed that you are My beloved.”"
Shir 2: 1-14
I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.
Like a lily among thorns, So is my darling among the maidens.
Like an apple tree among trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the youths. I delight to sit in his shade, And his fruit is sweet to my mouth. He brought me to the banquet room And his banner of love was over me.
“Sustain me with raisin cakes, Refresh me with apples, For I am faint with love.”
His left hand was under my head, His right arm embraced me. I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem, By gazelles or by hinds of the field: Do not wake or rouse Love until it please!
Hark! My beloved! There he comes, Leaping over mountains, Bounding over hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle Or like a young stag. There he stands behind our wall, Gazing through the window, Peering through the lattice.
My beloved spoke thus to me, “Arise, my darling; My fair one, come away!
For now the winter is past, The rains are over and gone. The blossoms have appeared in the land, The time of pruning has come; The song of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The green figs form on the fig tree, The vines in blossom give off fragrance. Arise, my darling; My fair one, come away!
“O my dove, in the cranny of the rocks, Hidden by the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet And your face is comely.”
I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.
Like a lily among thorns, So is my darling among the maidens.
Like an apple tree among trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the youths. I delight to sit in his shade, And his fruit is sweet to my mouth. He brought me to the banquet room And his banner of love was over me.
“Sustain me with raisin cakes, Refresh me with apples, For I am faint with love.”
His left hand was under my head, His right arm embraced me. I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem, By gazelles or by hinds of the field: Do not wake or rouse Love until it please!
Hark! My beloved! There he comes, Leaping over mountains, Bounding over hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle Or like a young stag. There he stands behind our wall, Gazing through the window, Peering through the lattice.
My beloved spoke thus to me, “Arise, my darling; My fair one, come away!
For now the winter is past, The rains are over and gone. The blossoms have appeared in the land, The time of pruning has come; The song of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The green figs form on the fig tree, The vines in blossom give off fragrance. Arise, my darling; My fair one, come away!
“O my dove, in the cranny of the rocks, Hidden by the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet And your face is comely.”
Shir HaShirim Rabbah 2:14:3
R. Eliezer decoded the verse in the hour that Israel stood at the sea. My dove in the cleft of the rock in the hiding place of the cliff [Song 2:14], that they were hidden in the hiding place of the sea—Show me your face; this is what is written, “Stand forth and see the salvation of the Lord” [Exod. 14:13]—Let me hear your voice; this is the singing, as it says, “Then Moses sang” [Ex. 15:1]—For your voice is lovely; this is the Song—And your face is beautiful; for Israel were pointing with their fingers and saying “This is my God and I will beautify Him” [Ex. 15:2].
R. Eliezer decoded the verse in the hour that Israel stood at the sea. My dove in the cleft of the rock in the hiding place of the cliff [Song 2:14], that they were hidden in the hiding place of the sea—Show me your face; this is what is written, “Stand forth and see the salvation of the Lord” [Exod. 14:13]—Let me hear your voice; this is the singing, as it says, “Then Moses sang” [Ex. 15:1]—For your voice is lovely; this is the Song—And your face is beautiful; for Israel were pointing with their fingers and saying “This is my God and I will beautify Him” [Ex. 15:2].
Song of Songs 2:14
(14) O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, Show me your visage, let me hear your voice; For your voice is lovely and your visage is beautiful.
__ = Hidden in the sea
__ = "Stand forth and see the salvation of the Lord" (Exodus 14:13)
__ = "Then Moses sang" (Exodus 15:1) and then the song
__ = "This is my God and I will beautify Him." (Exodus 15:2) - as if Israel was pointing out God.
(14) O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, Show me your visage, let me hear your voice; For your voice is lovely and your visage is beautiful.
__ = Hidden in the sea
__ = "Stand forth and see the salvation of the Lord" (Exodus 14:13)
__ = "Then Moses sang" (Exodus 15:1) and then the song
__ = "This is my God and I will beautify Him." (Exodus 15:2) - as if Israel was pointing out God.
Song of Songs Rabbah: 1.1.11
The Song of Songs — the most praiseworthy of songs, the most exalted of songs, the most elegant of songs… All [Biblical] poems contain either God’s praise of Israel, or Israel’s praise of God; in Moses’ [first] poem they praise God and say, “This is my God, whom I will glorify,”[9] and in Moses’ [second] poem God praises them, “God made him ride on the high places of the land.”[10] Here, however, they praise God and God praises them: God praises them, “Behold, you are beautiful, my love,”[11] and they praise God, “Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.”[12]
The Song of Songs — the most praiseworthy of songs, the most exalted of songs, the most elegant of songs… All [Biblical] poems contain either God’s praise of Israel, or Israel’s praise of God; in Moses’ [first] poem they praise God and say, “This is my God, whom I will glorify,”[9] and in Moses’ [second] poem God praises them, “God made him ride on the high places of the land.”[10] Here, however, they praise God and God praises them: God praises them, “Behold, you are beautiful, my love,”[11] and they praise God, “Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.”[12]
Song of Songs 1:4
(4) Draw me, we will run after thee; The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee, We will find thy love more fragrant than wine! Sincerely do they love thee.
Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:4:4
R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Judah b. R. Ilai: “It is written, ‘And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea’” (Ex. 15:22): “He led them on from the . . . sea. “They said to them, ‘Moses, our lord, where are you leading us?’ “He said to them, ‘To Elim, from Elim to Alush, from Alush to Marah, from Marah to Rephidim, from Rephidim to Sinai.’ “They said to him, ‘Indeed, wherever you go and lead us, we are with you.’ “The matter is comparable to the case of one who went and married a woman from a village. He said to her, ‘Arise and come with me.’ “She said to him, ‘From here to where?’ “He said to her, ‘From here to Tiberias, from Tiberias to the Tannery to the Upper Market, from the Upper Market to the Lower Market.’ “She said to him, ‘Wherever you go and take me, I shall go with you...” Said R. Yose b. R. Iqa, “And lo, a verse of Scripture itself proclaims the same point: ‘Draw me, after you let us make haste.’”
(4) Draw me, we will run after thee; The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee, We will find thy love more fragrant than wine! Sincerely do they love thee.
Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:4:4
R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Judah b. R. Ilai: “It is written, ‘And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea’” (Ex. 15:22): “He led them on from the . . . sea. “They said to them, ‘Moses, our lord, where are you leading us?’ “He said to them, ‘To Elim, from Elim to Alush, from Alush to Marah, from Marah to Rephidim, from Rephidim to Sinai.’ “They said to him, ‘Indeed, wherever you go and lead us, we are with you.’ “The matter is comparable to the case of one who went and married a woman from a village. He said to her, ‘Arise and come with me.’ “She said to him, ‘From here to where?’ “He said to her, ‘From here to Tiberias, from Tiberias to the Tannery to the Upper Market, from the Upper Market to the Lower Market.’ “She said to him, ‘Wherever you go and take me, I shall go with you...” Said R. Yose b. R. Iqa, “And lo, a verse of Scripture itself proclaims the same point: ‘Draw me, after you let us make haste.’”
Daniel Boyarin "De/re/constructing Midrash" in Current Trends in the Study of Midrash
For rabbinic Judaism, the Song of Songs is the record of an actual, concrete, visible occurrence in the historical life of the people Israel. When the rabbis read the Song of Songs they do not translate its "carnal" meaning into one or more "spiritual" senses they rather establish a concrete historical moment in which to contextualize it. It is a love-song, a love-dialogue to be specific, that was actually (or fictionally according to some views) uttered by a lover and a beloved at a moment of great intimacy, at an actual historical moment of erotic communion, when God allowed himself to be seen by Israel, either the crossing of the Red Sea or the revelation at Mount Sinai.
For rabbinic Judaism, the Song of Songs is the record of an actual, concrete, visible occurrence in the historical life of the people Israel. When the rabbis read the Song of Songs they do not translate its "carnal" meaning into one or more "spiritual" senses they rather establish a concrete historical moment in which to contextualize it. It is a love-song, a love-dialogue to be specific, that was actually (or fictionally according to some views) uttered by a lover and a beloved at a moment of great intimacy, at an actual historical moment of erotic communion, when God allowed himself to be seen by Israel, either the crossing of the Red Sea or the revelation at Mount Sinai.
Mishnah Yadayim 3:5
Rabbi Akiva said, "Nothing in the entire world is worthy but for that day on which The Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the Scriptures are holy, but The Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies!"
Rabbi Akiva said, "Nothing in the entire world is worthy but for that day on which The Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the Scriptures are holy, but The Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies!"