(ט) לְסֻסָתִי֙ בְּרִכְבֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה דִּמִּיתִ֖יךְ רַעְיָתִֽי׃ (י) נָאו֤וּ לְחָיַ֙יִךְ֙ בַּתֹּרִ֔ים צַוָּארֵ֖ךְ בַּחֲרוּזִֽים׃ (יא) תּוֹרֵ֤י זָהָב֙ נַעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֔ךְ עִ֖ם נְקֻדּ֥וֹת הַכָּֽסֶף׃ (יב) עַד־שֶׁ֤הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ בִּמְסִבּ֔וֹ נִרְדִּ֖י נָתַ֥ן רֵיחֽוֹ׃ (יג) צְר֨וֹר הַמֹּ֤ר ׀ דּוֹדִי֙ לִ֔י בֵּ֥ין שָׁדַ֖י יָלִֽין׃ (יד) אֶשְׁכֹּ֨ל הַכֹּ֤פֶר ׀ דּוֹדִי֙ לִ֔י בְּכַרְמֵ֖י עֵ֥ין גֶּֽדִי׃ (ס) (טו) הִנָּ֤ךְ יָפָה֙ רַעְיָתִ֔י הִנָּ֥ךְ יָפָ֖ה עֵינַ֥יִךְ יוֹנִֽים׃
(9) I have likened you, my darling, To a mare in Pharaoh’s chariots: (10) Your cheeks are comely with plaited wreaths, Your neck with strings of jewels. (11) We will add wreaths of gold To your spangles of silver. (12) While the king was on his couch, My nard gave forth its fragrance. (13) My beloved to me is a bag of myrrh Lodged between my breasts. (14) My beloved to me is a spray of henna blooms From the vineyards of En-gedi. (15) Ah, you are fair, my darling, Ah, you are fair, With your dove-like eyes!
- This is just a taste of the salacious and steamy love poetry in the Song of Songs. What do you notice about the text?
- What might you predict be the reason for 1) including it in the Holy Tanach (Hebrew Bible) and 2) reading it on Passover?
Perhaps Song of Songs is an Allegory
My beloved is like a gazelle. (Song of Songs 2:9) Just as a gazelle leaps from mountain to mountain, from hill to hill, tree to tree, thicket to thicket, fence to fence, so the Holy One, blessed be He, leaps from one synagogue to another synagogue....
Whither has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? (Song of Songs 6:1) The nations of the world [here] speak to Israel: “Whither has your beloved gone? From Egypt to the Sea, to Sinai. Whither has your beloved turned?” And Israel answers the nations of the world.... “Once I had cleaved to Him, can I be apart from Him? Once He had cleaved to me, can He depart from me? Wherever He may be, he comes to me.”
Rashi writes in his introduction to his commentary on Song of Songs (1075-1105):
I say that Solomon saw in a vision that Israel would endure exile after exile, destruction after destruction, and that they would mourn in their current exile their earlier exalted position and recall their first love affair [with God] in which they were treasured above all other nations … and they will recall God’s kindnesses and their misdeeds and the benefits he promised to grant them at the end of days.
And he established this book through divine inspiration in the figure of a woman living a living widowhood, longing for her husband, clinging to her lover, recalling her love for him in her youth. Her lover suffers along with her, recalling the kindnesses of her youth, the splendor of her beauty, and the fittingness of her deeds, through which he became attached to her with a powerful love, to let her know that he did not willfully bring grief [see Lam 3:33] and her divorce is not final, that she is still his wife and he still her husband.
(א) שִׁ֥יר הַשִּׁירִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִשְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ (ב) יִשָּׁקֵ֙נִי֙ מִנְּשִׁיק֣וֹת פִּ֔יהוּ כִּֽי־טוֹבִ֥ים דֹּדֶ֖יךָ מִיָּֽיִן׃ (ג) לְרֵ֙יחַ֙ שְׁמָנֶ֣יךָ טוֹבִ֔ים שֶׁ֖מֶן תּוּרַ֣ק שְׁמֶ֑ךָ עַל־כֵּ֖ן עֲלָמ֥וֹת אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃ (ד) מׇשְׁכֵ֖נִי אַחֲרֶ֣יךָ נָּר֑וּצָה הֱבִיאַ֨נִי הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ חֲדָרָ֗יו נָגִ֤ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ נַזְכִּ֤ירָה דֹדֶ֙יךָ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן מֵישָׁרִ֖ים אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃ {פ} (ה) שְׁחוֹרָ֤ה אֲנִי֙ וְֽנָאוָ֔ה בְּנ֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כְּאׇהֳלֵ֣י קֵדָ֔ר כִּירִיע֖וֹת שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃
(1) The Song of Songs, by Solomon. (2) Oh, give me of the kisses of your mouth,-bFor your love is more delightful than wine. (3) Your ointments yield a sweet fragrance,Your name is like finest oil—Therefore do maidens love you. (4) Draw me after you, let us run!The king has brought me to his chambers.-dLet us delight and rejoice in your love,Savoring it more than wine—Like new wine-e they love you!
Rashi's Commentary on these verses:
2. For it is dearer. It was said in reference to when He gave them His Torah and spoke to them face to face. And that love is still more pleasant to them than any pleasure, and they are assured by Him that He will appear to them again to explain to them the secret of its reasons and its hidden mysteries, and they beseech Him to fulfill His word. This is [the meaning of], “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth.”Israel addresses God, saying:]
3. Like the fragrance of good oils. That those dwelling at the ends of the earth smelled, [i.e.,] those who heard of Your good reputation when You performed awesome deeds in Egypt.
4. They loved you sincerely. They mention before Him the loving kindness of [their] youth, the love of [their] nuptials, their following Him in the wilderness, a land of drought and darkness, and they did not even prepare provisions for themselves, but they believed in Him and in His messenger. And they did not say, “How can we go out into the wilderness, which is neither a land of seed nor food?” But they followed Him, and He brought them into the midst of the chambers of the envelopment of His clouds. With this, they are still joyful today and happy with Him despite their afflictions and distress; and they delight in the Torah, and there they recall His love more than wine, and the sincerity of their love for Him.
- How is Rashi understanding the Song of Songs?
For the whole world is not as worthy as the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the writings are holy but the Song of Songs is the holy of holies.
- Why might Rabbi Akiva have thought that Song of Songs is "the holy of holies?"
- How does that understanding sit with you? What are the implications for reading this as love poetry between God and the People of Israel?
- The Zohar tells us that Song of Songs embodies the entire Torah, the story of the exile in Egypt, and the redemption of Israel from there, as well as from the other oppressors, so that by reading it we are enhancing the mitzvah of recounting the story of the Exodus. How does the Zohar connect Shir HaShirim to Passover?
(י) עָנָה דוֹדִי וְאָמַר לִי קוּמִי לָךְ רַעְיָתִי יָפָתִי וּלְכִי לָךְ. (יא) כִּי הִנֵּה הסתו [הַסְּתָיו] עָבָר הַגֶּשֶׁם חָלַף הָלַךְ לוֹ. (יב) הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ. (יג) הַתְּאֵנָה חָנְטָה פַגֶּיהָ וְהַגְּפָנִים סְמָדַר נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ קוּמִי לכי [לָךְ] רַעְיָתִי יָפָתִי וּלְכִי לָךְ.
(10) My beloved spoke, and said unto me: ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. (11) For, lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone; (12) The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing is come, And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; (13) The fig-tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines in blossom give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
- What themes do we see in this primary text that might connect it to Passover?
- Are there any other holidays that match well with this kind of nature-themed poetry?
- How does this connection sit with you? Is it strong enough?
(יד) יוֹנָתִ֞י בְּחַגְוֵ֣י הַסֶּ֗לַע בְּסֵ֙תֶר֙ הַמַּדְרֵגָ֔ה הַרְאִ֙ינִי֙ אֶת־מַרְאַ֔יִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִ֖נִי אֶת־קוֹלֵ֑ךְ כִּי־קוֹלֵ֥ךְ עָרֵ֖ב וּמַרְאֵ֥יךְ נָאוֶֽה׃ {ס}
(14) “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 sweetAnd your face is comely.”
R. Eliezer decoded the verse in the hour that Israel stood at the sea.
- My dove in the cranny of the rock in the hiding place of the steep [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 (of the Sea)
- 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].
Rabbi Eliezer uses proof texts to find the connection between the Exodus story and Shir haShirim. How does he do this?
The Implications
(א) עַל־מִשְׁכָּבִי֙ בַּלֵּיל֔וֹת בִּקַּ֕שְׁתִּי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו׃ (ב) אָק֨וּמָה נָּ֜א וַאֲסוֹבְבָ֣ה בָעִ֗יר בַּשְּׁוָקִים֙ וּבָ֣רְחֹב֔וֹת אֲבַקְשָׁ֕ה אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו׃ (ג) מְצָא֙וּנִי֙ הַשֹּׁ֣מְרִ֔ים הַסֹּבְבִ֖ים בָּעִ֑יר אֵ֛ת שֶׁאָהֲבָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י רְאִיתֶֽם׃ (ד) כִּמְעַט֙ שֶׁעָבַ֣רְתִּי מֵהֶ֔ם עַ֣ד שֶֽׁמָּצָ֔אתִי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י אֲחַזְתִּיו֙ וְלֹ֣א אַרְפֶּ֔נּוּ עַד־שֶׁ֤הֲבֵיאתִיו֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אִמִּ֔י ...
(1) By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but I found him not. (2) ’I will rise now, and go about the city, In the streets and in the broad ways, I will seek him whom my soul loves.’ I sought him, but I found him not. (3) The watchmen that go about the city found me: ‘Have you seen the one I love?’ (4) Scarce had I passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother’s house.
(א) עַל־מִשְׁכָּבִי֙ בַּלֵּיל֔וֹת בִּקַּ֕שְׁתִּי אֵ֥ת שֶֽׁאָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו׃ (ב) אָק֨וּמָה נָּ֜א וַאֲסוֹבְבָ֣ה בָעִ֗יר בַּשְּׁוָקִים֙ וּבָ֣רְחֹב֔וֹת אֲבַקְשָׁ֕ה אֵ֥ת שֶֽׁאָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו׃ (ג) מְצָא֙וּנִי֙ הַשֹּׁ֣מְרִ֔ים הַסֹּבְבִ֖ים בָּעִ֑יר אֵ֛ת שֶֽׁאָהֲבָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י רְאִיתֶֽם׃ (ד) כִּמְעַט֙ שֶׁעָבַ֣רְתִּי מֵהֶ֔ם עַ֣ד שֶׁמָּצָ֔אתִי אֵ֥ת שֶֽׁאָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י אֲחַזְתִּיו֙ וְלֹ֣א אַרְפֶּ֔נּוּ עַד־שֶׁ֤הֲבֵיאתִיו֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אִמִּ֔י וְאֶל־חֶ֖דֶר הוֹרָתִֽי׃
(1) Upon my couch at nightI sought the one I love—I sought, but found him not. (2) “I must rise and roam the town,Through the streets and through the squares;I must seek the one I love.”I sought but found him not. (3) I met the watchmen-bWho patrol the town.“Have you seen the one I love?” (4) Scarcely had I passed themWhen I found the one I love.I held him fast, I would not let him goTill I brought him to my mother’s house,To the chamber of her who conceived me
- If we read the text as a metaphor for the love that exists between the People and God, what are the implications? Does this seem like a healthy and mature relationship?
- Even when young love doesn't evolve into a deeper partnership, some look back fondly at the "chase." Is there worth in "chasing a relationship with God? How do we hold tight so it blossoms into a more mature love?
(יא) אֲנִ֣י לְדוֹדִ֔י וְעָלַ֖י תְּשׁוּקָתֽוֹ׃ (ס) (יב) לְכָ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ נֵצֵ֣א הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה נָלִ֖ינָה בַּכְּפָרִֽים׃ (יג) נַשְׁכִּ֙ימָה֙ לַכְּרָמִ֔ים נִרְאֶ֞ה אִם פָּֽרְחָ֤ה הַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ פִּתַּ֣ח הַסְּמָדַ֔ר הֵנֵ֖צוּ הָרִמּוֹנִ֑ים שָׁ֛ם אֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת־דֹּדַ֖י לָֽךְ׃ (יד) הַֽדּוּדָאִ֣ים נָֽתְנוּ־רֵ֗יחַ וְעַל־פְּתָחֵ֙ינוּ֙ כָּל־מְגָדִ֔ים חֲדָשִׁ֖ים גַּם־יְשָׁנִ֑ים דּוֹדִ֖י צָפַ֥נְתִּי לָֽךְ׃
(11) I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me. (12) Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. (13) Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see whether the vine hath budded, whether the vine-blossom be opened, and the pomegranates be in flower; there will I give thee my love. (14) The mandrakes give forth fragrance, and at our doors are all manner of precious fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
(יא) אֲנִ֣י לְדוֹדִ֔י וְעָלַ֖י תְּשׁוּקָתֽוֹ׃ {ס} (יב) לְכָ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ נֵצֵ֣א הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה נָלִ֖ינָה בַּכְּפָרִֽים׃ (יג) נַשְׁכִּ֙ימָה֙ לַכְּרָמִ֔ים נִרְאֶ֞ה אִם־פָּֽרְחָ֤ה הַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ פִּתַּ֣ח הַסְּמָדַ֔ר הֵנֵ֖צוּ הָרִמּוֹנִ֑ים שָׁ֛ם אֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת־דֹּדַ֖י לָֽךְ׃ (יד) הַֽדּוּדָאִ֣ים נָֽתְנוּ־רֵ֗יחַ וְעַל־פְּתָחֵ֙ינוּ֙ כׇּל־מְגָדִ֔ים חֲדָשִׁ֖ים גַּם־יְשָׁנִ֑ים דּוֹדִ֖י צָפַ֥נְתִּי לָֽךְ׃
(11) I am my beloved’s,And his desire is for me. (12) Come, my beloved,Let us go into the open;Let us lodge among the henna shrubs.-e (13) Let us go early to the vineyards;Let us see if the vine has flowered,If its blossoms have opened,If the pomegranates are in bloom.There I will give my love to you. (14) The mandrakes yield their fragrance,At our doors are all choice fruits;Both freshly picked and long-storedHave I kept, my beloved, for you.
Final Thoughts
- In your opinion, is Song of Songs steamy love poetry about two young lovers? Or, is it an allegory for the relationship between God and the People Israel?
- Do you think Passover is the best time of year to read this text? Why or why not?