1. Welcome - Check-in
Chanukah Sameach - חנוכה שמח - Happy Chanukah - enjoying the light of Chanukah together.
Opening Question: How do we keep love alive?
2. Plan for this class: The Concluding Section of Song of Songs (7:12-8:14)
- In the ear of the composer (Ralph Vaughan Williams)
- 3 Things to consider as we read the concluding section of Song of Songs
- 4 Text of 7:12-8:14 (17 verses)
- 5 Responses, Reactions, Questions
- In the eyes of artists (Albert Joseph Moore, Egon Tschirch)
- 6 Commentaries and Connections
- 7 Summary and Future Learning
In the ear of the composer
"Flos Campi: suite for solo viola, small chorus and small orchestra is a composition by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, completed in 1925. Its title is Latin for "flower of the field". It is neither a concerto nor a choral piece, although it prominently features the viola and a wordless choir. The piece is divided into six movements, played without pause, each headed by a verse from the Song of Solomon."
--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flos_Campi
Movement 6 Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum. ("Set me as a seal upon thine heart” Song 8:6) This movement begins at 14m45s in the accompanying video on YouTube.
3 About 7:12-8:14
- Song of Songs ends with a series of short sections. Some seem like fragments tacked near the end of the book. They share the common theme of love.
- Who are the speakers in every portion of our text? Whom do they address?
- There are many links between this selection and the opening chapters of the book. What links do you notice?
- Our selection contains a reflection on Love (with a capital "L"). How do you understand this reflection?
- What situation does the last verse of the book describe?
4. Text of 7:12-8:14
- 7:12-8:4. In the old Hebrew Bible manuscripts, these verses are marked by {ס} (short for סתומה/setumah, meaning 'sealed' section break) at end
- 8:5-7 Marked by {ס} (section break) at end
- 8:8-10 Marked by {פ} (short for פתוחה/petuchah, meaning an 'open' or major section break) at end
- 8:11-14
(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׃
(א) מִ֤י יִתֶּנְךָ֙ כְּאָ֣ח לִ֔י יוֹנֵ֖ק שְׁדֵ֣י אִמִּ֑י אֶֽמְצָאֲךָ֤ בַחוּץ֙ אֶשָּׁ֣קְךָ֔ גַּ֖ם לֹא־יָבֻ֥זוּ לִֽי׃
(ב) אֶנְהָֽגְךָ֗ אֲבִֽיאֲךָ֛ אֶל־בֵּ֥ית אִמִּ֖י תְּלַמְּדֵ֑נִי אַשְׁקְךָ֙ מִיַּ֣יִן הָרֶ֔קַח מֵעֲסִ֖יס רִמֹּנִֽי׃
(ג) שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ תַּ֣חַת רֹאשִׁ֔י וִֽימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃
(ד) הִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּנ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם מַה־תָּעִ֧ירוּ ׀ וּֽמַה־תְּעֹ֥רְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃
{ס}
Chapter 7 (12) Come, my beloved [dodi],
Let us go into the open;
Let us lodge among the henna shrubs.
(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-stored
Have I kept, my beloved, for you.
Chapter 8 (1) If only it could be as with a brother,
As if you had nursed at my mother’s breast:
Then I could kiss you
When I met you in the street,
And no one would despise me.
(2) I would lead you, I would bring you
To the house of my mother,
Of her who taught me—
I would let you drink of the spiced wine,
Of my pomegranate juice.
(3) His left hand was under my head,
His right hand caressed me.
(4) I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem:
Do not wake or rouse
Love until it please!
(ה) מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר מִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶת עַל־דּוֹדָ֑הּ תַּ֤חַת הַתַּפּ֙וּחַ֙ עֽוֹרַרְתִּ֔יךָ שָׁ֚מָּה חִבְּלַ֣תְךָ אִמֶּ֔ךָ שָׁ֖מָּה חִבְּלָ֥ה יְלָדַֽתְךָ׃
(ו) שִׂימֵ֨נִי כַֽחוֹתָ֜ם עַל־לִבֶּ֗ךָ כַּֽחוֹתָם֙ עַל־זְרוֹעֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־עַזָּ֤ה כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ אַהֲבָ֔ה קָשָׁ֥ה כִשְׁא֖וֹל קִנְאָ֑ה רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְיָֽה׃
(ז) מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֗ים לֹ֤א יֽוּכְלוּ֙ לְכַבּ֣וֹת אֶת־הָֽאַהֲבָ֔ה וּנְהָר֖וֹת לֹ֣א יִשְׁטְפ֑וּהָ אִם־יִתֵּ֨ן אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־כׇּל־ה֤וֹן בֵּיתוֹ֙ בָּאַהֲבָ֔ה בּ֖וֹז יָב֥וּזוּ לֽוֹ׃
{ס}
(5) Who is she that comes up from the desert,
Leaning upon her beloved [dodah]?
Under the apple tree I roused you;
It was there your mother conceived you,
There she who bore you conceived you.
(6) Let me be a seal upon your heart,
Like the seal upon your hand [“arm” ].
For love is fierce as death,
Passion is mighty as Sheol;
Its darts are darts of fire,
A blazing flame.
(7) Vast floods cannot quench love,
Nor rivers drown it.
If a man offered all his wealth for love,
He would be laughed to scorn.
(ח) אָח֥וֹת לָ֙נוּ֙ קְטַנָּ֔ה וְשָׁדַ֖יִם אֵ֣ין לָ֑הּ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂה֙ לַאֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ בַּיּ֖וֹם שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־בָּֽהּ׃
(ט) אִם־חוֹמָ֣ה הִ֔יא נִבְנֶ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ טִ֣ירַת כָּ֑סֶף וְאִם־דֶּ֣לֶת הִ֔יא נָצ֥וּר עָלֶ֖יהָ ל֥וּחַ אָֽרֶז׃
(י) אֲנִ֣י חוֹמָ֔ה וְשָׁדַ֖י כַּמִּגְדָּל֑וֹת אָ֛ז הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כְּמוֹצְאֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃
{פ}
(8) “We have a little sister,
Whose breasts are not yet formed.
What shall we do for our sister
When she is spoken for?
(9) If she be a wall,
We will build upon it a silver battlement;
If she be a door,
We will panel it in cedar.”
(10) I am a wall,
My breasts are like towers.
So I became in his eyes
As one who finds favor.
(יא) כֶּ֣רֶם הָיָ֤ה לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ בְּבַ֣עַל הָמ֔וֹן נָתַ֥ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֖רֶם לַנֹּטְרִ֑ים אִ֛ישׁ יָבִ֥א בְּפִרְי֖וֹ אֶ֥לֶף כָּֽסֶף׃
(יב) כַּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לְפָנָ֑י הָאֶ֤לֶף לְךָ֙ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וּמָאתַ֖יִם לְנֹטְרִ֥ים אֶת־פִּרְיֽוֹ׃
(יג) הַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים חֲבֵרִ֛ים מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִֽנִי׃
(יד) בְּרַ֣ח ׀ דּוֹדִ֗י וּֽדְמֵה־לְךָ֤ לִצְבִי֙ א֚וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים׃
(11) Solomon had a vineyard
In Baal-hamon.
He had to post guards in the vineyard:
A man would give for its fruit
A thousand pieces of silver.
(12) I have my very own vineyard:
You may have the thousand, O Solomon,
And the guards of the fruit two hundred!
(13) O you who linger in the garden,
A lover is listening;
Let me hear your voice.
(14) “Hurry, my beloved,
Swift as a gazelle or a young stag,
To the hills of spices!”
5. Reactions, Responses, Questions
In the Eyes of Artists
“The Shulamite” 1864
By Albert Joseph Moore - https://www.wikiart.org/de/albert-joseph-moore/the-shulamite , Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8347803
Recall Song of Songs 7:1
"Turn back, turn back, O maid of Shulem! [=Shulammite]/ Turn back, turn back, that we may gaze upon you.
"Why will you gaze at the Shulammite / In the Mahanaim dance?"
Song of Songs (Cycle) No. 19
By Egon Tschirch, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81436910
The Song of Songs (German: Das Hohelied Salomos, is an expressionist painting cycle created by German painter Egon Tschirch in 1923.
Recall Song of Songs 8:14
“Hurry, my beloved, / Swift as a gazelle or a young stag, / To the hills of spices!”
6. Commentaries and Connections
(12) Come, my beloved,
Let us go into the open;
Let us lodge among the henna shrubs. (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-stored
Have I kept, my beloved, for you. (1) If only it could be as with a brother,
As if you had nursed at my mother’s breast:
Then I could kiss you
When I met you in the street,
And no one would despise me. (2) I would lead you, I would bring you
To the house of my mother,
Of her who taught me—
I would let you drink of the spiced wine,
Of my pomegranate juice.
(3) His left hand was under my head,
His right hand caressed me. (4) I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem:
Do not wake or rouse
Love until it please!
7:12. Come my beloved... / לכה דודי / Lecha Dodi
The liturgical poem Lecha Dodi (from the Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat liturgy) was
"...composed in the 16th century by Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz, who was born in Thessaloniki and later became a Safed Kabbalist." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lekha_Dodi)
(א) לְכָה דוֹדִי לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה
(ב) פְּנֵי שַׁבָּת נְקַבְּלָה
(א) שָׁמוֹר וְזָכוֹר בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד
(ב) הִשְׁמִיעָנוּ אֵל הַמְּיֻחָד
(ג) ה' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד
(ד) לְשֵׁם וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת וְלִתְהִלָּה
Opening lines of the poem:
(1) Come, my beloved/l'cha dodi, toward the bride
(2) Let us greet Shabbat
(1) "Keep" and "remember" in a single utterance
(2) The unitary God made us hear
(3) "Adonai is One", and His Name is One
(4) for fame, for glory and for praise!
Lecha Dodi; Morah Silvana
A traditional Ashkenazi melody
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSApZoJjVEk. Start at 1m32s
7:14 Mandrakes/Duda'im (compare dod beloved and dodim love)
(יד) וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֜ן בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּמְצָ֤א דֽוּדָאִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתָ֔ם אֶל־לֵאָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ אֶל־לֵאָ֔ה תְּנִי־נָ֣א לִ֔י מִדּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנֵֽךְ׃ (טו) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הַמְעַט֙ קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ אֶת־אִישִׁ֔י וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם אֶת־דּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל לָכֵן֙ יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה תַּ֖חַת דּוּדָאֵ֥י בְנֵֽךְ׃
(14) Once, at the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben came upon some mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” (15) But she said to her, “Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you would also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel replied, “I promise, he shall lie with you tonight, in return for your son’s mandrakes.”
8:1, 8:2 Mother - where else have we seen a reference to mother? - see also 8:5
(4) Scarcely had I passed them
When I found the one I love.
I held him fast, I would not let him go
Till I brought him to my mother’s house,
To the chamber of her who conceived me
(9) Only one is my dove,
My perfect one,
The only one of her mother,
The delight of her who bore her.
Maidens see and acclaim her;
Queens and concubines, and praise her.
(5) Who is she that comes up from the desert,
Leaning upon her beloved?
Under the apple tree I roused you;
It was there your mother conceived you,
There she who bore you conceived you. (6) Let me be a seal / חותם / ḥotam upon your heart,
Like the seal upon your hand. For love is fierce as death,
Passion is mighty as Sheol;
Its darts are darts of fire,
A blazing flame. (7) Vast floods cannot quench love,
Nor rivers drown it.
If a man offered all his wealth for love,
He would be laughed to scorn.
(8) “We have a little sister,
Whose breasts are not yet formed.
What shall we do for our sister
When she is spoken for? (9) If she be a wall,
We will build upon it a silver battlement;
If she be a door,
We will panel it in cedar.” (10) I am a wall,
My breasts are like towers.
So I became in his eyes
As one who finds favor.
8:6 Seal
(כג) בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֣וּא נְאֻם־ה' צְבָא֡וֹת אֶ֠קָּחֲךָ֠ זְרֻבָּבֶ֨ל בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵ֤ל עַבְדִּי֙ נְאֻם־ה' וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךָ כַּֽחוֹתָ֑ם כִּֽי־בְךָ֣ בָחַ֔רְתִּי נְאֻ֖ם ה' צְבָאֽוֹת׃
(23) On that day—declares GOD of Hosts—I will take you, O My servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel—declares GOD —and make you as a signet / חותם / ḥotam; for I have chosen you—declares GOD of Hosts.
8:6-7. Love - Death - Sheol - Fire - Floods - Wealth
Elsie Stern, Jewish Study Bible, Comment to 8:6-7
These verses are unique in the poem because they deal with love in the abstract. In addition, the cosmic, mythic language contrasts with the bucolic, pastoral, and artisanal images that dominate the rest of the poem.
Michael Fishbane
Peshat comment to 8:6. "Love is fierce as death...Its darts are darts of fire"
The power of this depiction derives from a cluster of old mythic figures. A similar argot occurs in Ugaritic mythology with dim reflexes in Scripture. Regarding mavet (death): In Ugaritic poetry, death is personified as the divine figure Mot... (...Mot is also called `z, "mighty" [DR: in our verse we have `azzah kha-mavet fierce as death]). As for reshef [DR: 'dart' in 8:6]: In Ugaritic texts, Reshef appears as a god or agent of plague... These various images with a mythic valence further convey the otherworldly and death-defying power of 'ahavah [love].
Peshat comment to 8:7 "Vast floods mayim rabbim"
In Ugarit, the river of the Canaanite god El was called rbm.
Beatles, Can't Buy Me Love, 1964
- "I'll give you all I got to give if you say you love me too
I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you.
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love"
from a Hard Day's Night, 1964 https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Beatles
8:8-9 Sister - Breasts - Wall - Door - Finding Favor
See below:
- a peshat commentary from Abraham ibn Ezra (1089-1167 Spain, elsewhere in Europe and Middle East) and
- a derash commentary from Rashi (1040-1105, France).
(א) הפעם הב'
איה דבר האחד מבני אמי שאמרו אחות לנו קטנה מה נעשה (לאחותינו) ביום שידובר בה להנשא אם שמרה עצמה והיא חומה נבנה עליה טירת כסף והענין קשורים ואם [היא] דלת נצור עליה [לוח ארז] (ותהיה סגורה:
Commentary Two
...My mother's sons...said "we have a little sister...what shall we do for our sister when she is spoken for" to be married. If she had kept herself and is a 'wall,' "we will build upon her a silver turret."... Whereas "If she be a door, we will bind her up in cedar" (so that she is closed away).
(11) Solomon had a vineyard
In Baal-hamon.
He had to post guards in the vineyard:
A man would give for its fruit
A thousand pieces of silver. (12) I have my very own vineyard:
You may have the thousand, O Solomon,
And the guards of the fruit two hundred!
(13) O you who linger in the garden,
A lover is listening;
Let me hear your voice. (14) “Hurry / ברח / beraḥ, my beloved,
Swift as a gazelle or a young stag,
To the hills of spices!”
8:11 I have my very own vineyard
Who is the "I" here? Commentators differ - he or she ?
(ו) אַל־תִּרְא֙וּנִי֙ שֶׁאֲנִ֣י שְׁחַרְחֹ֔רֶת שֶׁשְּׁזָפַ֖תְנִי הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ בְּנֵ֧י אִמִּ֣י נִֽחֲרוּ־בִ֗י שָׂמֻ֙נִי֙ נֹטֵרָ֣ה אֶת־הַכְּרָמִ֔ים כַּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לֹ֥א נָטָֽרְתִּי׃
(6) Don’t stare at me because I am swarthy [feminine],
Because the sun has gazed upon me.
My mother’s sons quarreled with me,
They made me guard the vineyards;
My own vineyard I did not guard.
8:14 Hurry, my beloved / beraḥ dodi
Michael Fishbane, Peshat comment to 8:14
beraḥ dodi, literally "Flee, my beloved." ... The aromas of spring evoke their blossoming love, but the pathos of separation hangs in the air.
Conclusion (p. 224) ... The Song began with the maiden's desire for presence and intimacy, but concludes with her wish for absence and separation.
J. Cheryl Exum, New Oxford Study Bible, Comment to 8:13-14
The poet does not bring the Song to a proper close, so that the love it celebrates can remain unending.
(2) Oh, give me of the kisses of your mouth,
For your love is more delightful than wine.
Berach Dodi, Shlomo HaBavli (mid-tenth century Italy).
Liturgical poem, recited in a few synagogues on the morning of the first day of Passover
בְּרַח דּוֹדִי וּדְמֵה לְךָ לִצְבִי
יִגַּל יִגַּשׁ קֵץ קִצְבִי
דַּלּוֹתִי מִשְּׁבִי לַעֲטֶרֶת צְבִי
תְּעוּבִים תְּאֵבִים הַר צְבִי
וְאֵין מֵבִיא וְנָבִיא וְלֹא תִשְׁבִּי
מְשַׁוִּי מְשִׁיבִי רִיבָה רִיבִי
הָסֵר חוֹבִי וּכְאֵבִי וְיֵרֶא וְיֵבוֹשׁ אוֹיְבִי
וְאָשִׁיבָה חוֹרְפִי בְּנִיבִי
זֶה דּוֹדִי גּוֹאֲלִי קְרוֹבִי
רֵעִי וַאֲהוּבִי אֵל אֱלֹקֵי אָבִי
Hasten, my Beloved, and be like a gazelle; / reveal and bring near my time of redemption; / draw me out of my captivity / ... there is...no [Elijah the] Tishbite to straighten my path or restore me; / so plead my cause... / ... "This is my Beloved, my closest Redeemer, / my Companion and Cherished One, God, the God of my father!"
(Hebrew: from National Library of Israel,
https://www.nli.org.il/he/piyut/Piyut1song_010047200000005171/NLI;
Translation: from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, The Koren Pesaḥ Maḥzor, 2013.)
7 Summary and Future Learning
Hadran - let us learn again!
- Expressing a range of emotions, from sadness and grief (Lamentations) to love (Song of Songs)
- Prospect: Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) and Jonah
Thank you!
Happy Chanukah - Chanukah Sameach
