There he comes,
Leaping over mountains,
Bounding over hills.
קוֹל דּוֹדִי הִנֵּה זֶה בָּא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה וְרַבָּנָן. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: קוֹל דּוֹדִי הִנֵּה זֶה בָּא, זֶה משֶׁה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּא וְאָמַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּחֹדֶשׁ זֶה אַתֶּם נִגְאָלִין, אָמְרוּ לוֹ משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, הֵיאַךְ אָנוּ נִגְאָלִין, וַהֲלֹא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית טו, יג): וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וַעֲדַיִן אֵין בְּיָדֵנוּ אֶלָּא מָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר שָׁנָה, אָמַר לָהֶם הוֹאִיל וְהוּא חָפֵץ בִּגְאֻלַּתְכֶם אֵינוֹ מַבִּיט בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם אֶלָּא מְדַלֵּג עַל הֶהָרִים, אֵין הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת הָאֲמוּרִין כָּאן אֶלָּא קִצִּים וְעִבּוּרִין, מְדַלֵּג עַל הַחֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹת וְעַל הַקִּצִּים וְעִבּוּרִין, וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה אַתֶּם נִגְאָלִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יב, ב): הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר: קוֹל דּוֹדִי הִנֵּה זֶה בָּא, זֶה משֶׁה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה אַתֶּם נִגְאָלִין, אָמְרוּ לוֹ משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ הֵיאַךְ אָנוּ נִגְאָלִין וַהֲלֹא אֵין בְּיָדֵינוּ מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, אָמַר לָהֶם הוֹאִיל וְחָפֵץ בִּגְאֻלַּתְכֶם אֵינוֹ מַבִּיט בְּמַעֲשֵׂיכֶם הָרָעִים, וּבְמִי הוּא מַבִּיט בַּצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁבָּכֶם וּבְמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, כְּגוֹן עַמְרָם וּבֵית דִּינוֹ.
“The sound of my beloved! Behold, he approaches, he leaps over the mountains and bounds over the hills” (Song of Songs 2:8).
“The sound of my beloved! Behold, he approaches,” Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis. Rabbi Yehuda says: “The sound of my beloved! Behold, he approaches,” this is Moses at the moment when he came and said to Israel: ‘During this month you will be redeemed.’ They said to him: ‘Moses our master, how will we be redeemed? Did the Holy Blessed One blessed not say to Abraham: “They will enslave them and afflict them four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13)? But we have only two hundred and ten years.’ He said to them: ‘Since God desires your redemption, God does not look at your calculations, but rather “he leaps over the mountains.”
The mountains and hills mentioned here are nothing other than terminuses and intercalations. God leaps over calculations and over terminuses and intercalations, and during this month you will be redeemed, as it is stated: “This month is for you the beginning of the months” (Exodus 12:2).’
Rabbi Neḥemya said: “The sound of my beloved! Behold he approaches,” this is Moses at the moment that he came and said to Israel: ‘During this month you will be redeemed.’ They said to him: ‘Moses our master, how will we be redeemed? We do not have to our credit any good deeds.’ He said to them: ‘Since God desires your redemption, God does not look at your evil deeds. At whom does God look? At the righteous in your midst, and their actions, such as Amram and his court.’
Hidden by the cliff,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet
And your face is comely.”
קוֹל דּוֹדִי דוֹפֵק, עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר (שמות יא, ד): וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה כֹּה אָמַר ה' כַּחֲצֹת הַלַּיְלָה אֲנִי יוֹצֵא בְּתוֹךְ מִצְרָיִם. פִּתְחִי לִי, רַבִּי יַסָּא אָמַר, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּנַי, פִּתְחוּ לִי פֶּתַח אֶחָד שֶׁל תְּשׁוּבָה כְּחֻדָּהּ שֶׁל מַחַט, וַאֲנִי פּוֹתֵחַ לָכֶם פְּתָחִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עֲגָלוֹת וּקְרוֹנִיּוֹת נִכְנָסוֹת בּוֹ....רַעְיָתִי, שֶׁרִעוּ אוֹתִי בַּיָּם וְאָמְרוּ (שמות טו, ב): זֶה אֵלִי. וְאַנְוֵהוּ, (שמות טו, יח): ה' יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד, יוֹנָתִי, בְּמָרָה, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִצְטַוּוּ וְנִצְטַיְּנוּ בְּכָל הַמִּצְווֹת וּצְדָקוֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים כְּיוֹנָה זוֹ שֶׁמְצֻיֶּנֶת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמות טו, כה): שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט. תַמָּתִי, תַּמּוּתִי שֶׁנִּתַּמְּמוּ עִמִּי בְּסִינַי, וְאָמְרוּ (שמות כד, ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע.
“It is the sound of my beloved knocking” – by means of Moses when he said: “Moses said: So said the Lord: At about midnight, I will emerge in the midst of Egypt” (Exodus 11:4). “Open for me” – Rabbi Yasa said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: My children, open for Me one opening of repentance like the eye of the needle, and I will open for you openings that wagons and carriages enter through it.
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“My love [rayati]” – as they fell in love [sheriu] with Me at the sea and said: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2), “the Lord will reign for ever and ever” (Exodus 15:18). “My dove” – at Mara, as from there they were commanded and became distinctive through all the mitzvot, acts of charity, and good deeds, like the dove that is distinctive. That is what is written: “There He instituted for it statutes and ordinances” (Exodus 15:25). “My faultless [tamati]” – My wholehearted ones [tamuti], as they were wholehearted with Me at Sinai, and said: “Everything that the Lord said, we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).
O fairest of women?
Whither has your beloved turned?
Let us seek him with you.”
“Where did your beloved go, fairest of women? Where did your beloved turn, that we may seek him with you?” (Song of Songs 6:1).
“Where did your beloved go, fairest of women?” The nations of the world say to Israel: ‘Where did your beloved go? From Egypt, to the sea, to Sinai. Where did your beloved turn?’ What does the congregation of Israel respond to the nations of the world? ‘Why are you asking about God, while you have no share in God? Now that I have cleaved to God, am I able to separate from God? Now that God has cleaved to me, can God separate from me? Wherever God is, God comes to me.’
My desire set me
Mid the chariots of Ammi-nadib.-a
לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי, תָּנֵי רַבִּי חִיָּא מָשָׁל לְבַת מְלָכִים שֶׁהָיְתָה מְלַקֶּטֶת בַּשְּׁלָפִים, נִמְצָא הַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹבֵר וְהִכִּיר שֶׁהִיא בִּתּוֹ, שָׁלַח אוֹהֲבוֹ נְטָלָהּ וְהוֹשִׁיבָהּ עִמּוֹ בַּקְּרוֹנִין, וְהָיוּ חַבְרוֹתֶיהָ תְּמֵהוֹת עָלֶיהָ וְאוֹמְרוֹת, אֶתְמוֹל הָיְתָה מְלַקֶּטֶת בַּשְּׁלָפִים וְהַיּוֹם יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּקְּרוֹנִין עִם הַמֶּלֶךְ, אָמְרָה לָהֶם כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאַתֶּם תְּמֵהוֹת עָלַי כָּךְ אֲנִי תְּמֵהָה עַל עַצְמִי, וְקָרָאת עַל עַצְמָהּ; לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי. כָּךְ כְּשֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם מְשֻׁעְבָּדִין בְּטִיט וּלְבֵנִים וְהָיוּ מְאוּסִין וּבְזוּיִין בְּעֵינֵי הַמִּצְרִיִּים, וּכְשֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי חוֹרִין וְנִגְאֲלוּ וְנַעֲשׂוּ סְגָנִים עַל כָּל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם, וְהָיוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם תְּמֵהוֹת וְאוֹמְרוֹת אֶתְמוֹל הֱיִיתֶם עוֹבְדִים בְּטִיט וּלְבֵנִים וְהַיּוֹם נַעֲשֵׂיתֶם בְּנֵי חוֹרִין וּסְגָנִים עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם, וְהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאַתֶּם תְּמֵהִים עָלֵינוּ כָּךְ אָנוּ תְּמֵהִים עַל עַצְמֵנוּ, וְקָרְאוּ עַל עַצְמָן: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי.
“I did not know; my soul placed me upon chariots of my noble people” (Song of Songs 6:12).
“I did not know; my soul placed me,” Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: This is comparable to the daughter of kings, who was gathering residual sheaves. The king passed and recognized that she was his daughter. He sent his friend and he took her and seated her with him in his carriage. Her friends were astonished in her regard and saying: ‘Yesterday she was gathering residual sheaves and today she is in the carriage with the king?’ She said to them: ‘Just as you are astonished about me, so I am astonished about myself.’ She declared about herself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
So too, when Israel was in Egypt, they were enslaved with mortar and bricks and were despicable and contemptible in the eyes of the Egyptians. When they became free men and were redeemed, they became elevated over all mankind. The nations of the world were astonished and saying, ‘Yesterday you were working with mortar and bricks, and now you have become free men, elevated over the entire world?’ Israel said to them: ‘Just as you are astonished about us, so are we astonished about ourselves.’ They declared about themselves: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”