“I am a rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved [ḥaviva]. It is I whom the Holy One blessed be He loved me more than seventy nations. “A rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon,” I made Him shelter [tzel] by means of Betzalel, as it is written: “Betzalel crafted the Ark” (Exodus 37:1). “Of Sharon,” as I recited song [shira] before Him by means of Moses, as it is written: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang” (Exodus 15:1).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of Egypt, but the Holy One blessed be He brought me quickly to Rameses. I sprouted good deeds like a lily, and I recited a song before Him, as it is stated: “The song will be for you like the night of the consecration of the festival” (Isaiah 30:29).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of the sea, but I quickly sprouted good deeds like a lily, and I pointed to Him with my finger [and pronounced that He is] my Master, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of Sinai. I quickly blossomed good deeds with my hand and my heart, and I said before Him: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded and trampled in the shadow of kingdoms. Tomorrow, when the Holy One blessed be He redeems me from the shadow of the kingdoms, I will blossom like a lily, and I will recite a new song before Him, as it is stated: “A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him” (Psalms 98:1).
In the name of the Rabbis they said: The earth said it. It said: ‘I am as I am, yet I am beloved, as all the dead of the world are shrouded in me, as it is stated: “Your dead will live, my corpses shall arise” (Isaiah 26:19). When the Holy One blessed be He asks me for them, I will return them to Him. I will generate good deeds like a lily and recite song before Him,’ as it is stated: “From the edge of the earth we heard songs” (Isaiah 24:16).
So is my darling among the maidens.
(ד) הֱבִיאַ֙נִי֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַיָּ֔יִן וְדִגְל֥וֹ עָלַ֖י אַהֲבָֽה׃
bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.And his banner of love was over me.-b
(ד) מׇשְׁכֵ֖נִי אַחֲרֶ֣יךָ נָּר֑וּצָה הֱבִיאַ֨נִי הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ חֲדָרָ֗יו נָגִ֤ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ נַזְכִּ֤ירָה דֹדֶ֙יךָ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן מֵישָׁרִ֖ים אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃ {פ}
dEmendation yields “Bring me, O king, to your chambers.”The king has brought me to his chambers.-d
Let us delight and rejoice in your love,
Savoring it more than wine—
eUnderstanding mesharim as related to tirosh; cf. Aramaic merath.Like new wine-e they love you!
וַיְהִ֗י בְּהִשָּׁמַ֤ע דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְדָת֔וֹ וּֽבְהִקָּבֵ֞ץ נְעָר֥וֹת רַבּ֛וֹת אֶל־שׁוּשַׁ֥ן הַבִּירָ֖ה אֶל־יַ֣ד הֵגָ֑י וַתִּלָּקַ֤ח אֶסְתֵּר֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֶל־יַ֥ד הֵגַ֖י שֹׁמֵ֥ר הַנָּשִֽׁים׃
הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיָּיִן, רַבִּי מֵאִיר וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הֻשְׁלַט בִּי יֵצֶר הָרָע כַּיַּיִן, וְאָמַרְתִּי לָעֵגֶל (שמות לב, ד): אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הָדֵין חַמְרָא כַּד עָלֵל בְּבַר נָשׁ הֲוָה מְעַרְבֵּב לֵיהּ. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה דַּיֶּךָ מֵאִיר אֵין דּוֹרְשִׁין שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים לִגְנַאי אֶלָּא לְשֶׁבַח, שֶׁלֹא נִתַּן שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים אֶלָּא לְשִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמַהוּ, הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיָּיִן, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֱבִיאַנִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַרְתֵּף גָּדוֹל שֶׁל יַיִן, זֶה סִינַי, וְנָתַן לִי שָׁם דִּגְלֵי תּוֹרָה וּמִצְווֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, וּבְאַהֲבָה גְדוֹלָה קִבַּלְתִּי אוֹתָם. רַבִּי אַבָּא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֱבִיאַנִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַרְתֵּף גָּדוֹל שֶׁל יַיִן, זֶה סִינַי, וְנָתַן לִי מִשָּׁם הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּדְרֶשֶׁת מ"ט פָּנִים טָהוֹר וּמ"ט פָּנִים טָמֵא, מִנְיַן וְדִגְלוֹ, וּמֵאַהֲבָה גְדוֹלָה קִבַּלְתִּיהָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְדִגְלוֹ עָלַי אַהֲבָה. רַבִּי יוֹנָה אָמַר, שְׁנֵי חֲבֵרִים שֶׁעוֹסְקִין בִּדְבַר הֲלָכָה זֶה אוֹמֵר בֵּית אָב שֶׁל הֲלָכָה, וְזֶה אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר בֵּית אָב שֶׁל הֲלָכָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְדִגְלוֹ עָלַי אַהֲבָה.
“He brought me to the wine house, and his banner over me is love” (Song of Songs 2:4).
“He brought me to the wine house,” Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Meir says: The congregation of Israel said: ‘The evil inclination gained control over me like wine, and I said of the calf: “This is your god, Israel”’ (Exodus 32:4). When wine enters a person, it confuses him. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: Enough, Meir, one does not expound Song of Songs disparagingly, but rather, favorably, as Song of Songs was given only in praise of Israel. What, then, is “he brought me to the wine house”? The congregation of Israel said: The Holy One blessed be He brought me to a large wine cellar, this is Sinai. He gave me there banners of Torah, mitzvot, and good deeds, and I accepted them with great love.
Rabbi Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: The congregation of Israel said: The Holy One blessed be He brought me to a large wine cellar, this is Sinai. He gave me there the Torah, which is expounded with forty-nine approaches for purity and with forty-nine approaches for impurity, the numerical value of “his banner [vediglo]. I accepted it with great love, as it is stated: “And his banner over me is love.”
Rabbi Yona said: Two colleagues who engage in a matter of halakha, this one says the source of the halakha, and that one does not say the source of the halakha, the Holy One blessed be He says: “His banner [vediglo] over me is love.”
(ה) סַמְּכ֙וּנִי֙ בָּֽאֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת רַפְּד֖וּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִ֑ים כִּי־חוֹלַ֥ת אַהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי׃
Refresh me with apples,
For I am faint with love.”
הִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּנ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם אִֽם־תִּמְצְאוּ֙ אֶת־דּוֹדִ֔י מַה־תַּגִּ֣ידוּ ל֔וֹ שֶׁחוֹלַ֥ת אַהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי׃
If you meet my beloved, tell him this:
That I am faint with love.
מרחבים, מרחבים, מרחבי אל אותה נפשי. אל תסגרוני בשום כלוב, לא גשמי ולא רוחני. שטה היא נשמתי ברחבי שמים, לא יכילוה קירות לב ולא קירות מעשה, מוסר, הגיון ונימוס. ממעל לכל אלה שטה היא ועפה, ממעל לכל אשר יקרא בכל שם, ממרום מכל עונג, מכל נועם ויופי, ממרום לכל נשגב ונאצל. חולת אהבה אני.
הָדוּר נָאֶה זִיו הָעוֹלָם. נַפְשִׁי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָתֶֽךָ. אָֽנָּא אֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ. בְּהַרְאוֹת לָהּ נֹֽעַם זִיוֶֽךָ. אָז תִּתְחַזֵּק וְתִתְרַפֵּא. וְהָיְ֒תָה לָהּ שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם:
(ז) הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בְּנ֤וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ בִּצְבָא֔וֹת א֖וֹ בְּאַיְל֣וֹת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה אִם־תָּעִ֧ירוּ ׀ וְֽאִם־תְּע֥וֹרְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ {ס}
By gazelles or by hinds of the field:
Do not wake or rouse
Love until it please!
(ד) הִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּנ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם מַה־תָּעִ֧ירוּ ׀ וּֽמַה־תְּעֹ֥רְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ {ס}
Do not wake or rouse
Love until it please!
Arise, O Jerusalem,
You who from GOD’s hand
Have drunk God’s wrath-filled cup,
You who have drained to the dregs
The bowl, the cup of reeling!
Of all the children she bore;
None takes her by the hand,
Of all the children she reared.
Wrack and ruin—who can console you?
Famine and sword—how shall I comfort you?
Or like a young stag.
There he stands behind our wall,
Gazing through the window,
Peering through the lattice.
Human beings are so confused in their minds. They do not see the way of truth in Torah. She calls out to them every day, in love, but they do not want to turn their heads. She removes a word from her sheath, is seen for a moment, then quickly hides away, but she does so only for those who know her intimately. “A parable. To what can this be compared? To a beloved, ravishing maiden, hidden deep within her palace. She has one lover, unknown to anyone, hidden too. Out of love for her, this lover passes by her gate constantly, lifting his eyes to every side. Knowing that her lover hovers about her gate constantly, what does she do? She opens a little window in her hidden palace, revealing her face to her lover, then swiftly withdraws, concealing herself. No one near him sees or reflects, only the lover, and his heart and his soul and everything within him flow out to her. He knows that out of love for him she revealed herself for that one moment to awaken love in him. “So it is with a word of Torah: she reveals herself to no one but her lover. Torah knows that one who is wise of heart hovers about her gate every day. What does she do? She reveals her face to him from the palace and beckons him with a hint, then swiftly withdraws to her hiding place. No one there knows or reflects— he alone does, and his heart and his soul and everything within him flows out to her. This is why Torah reveals and conceals herself. With love she approaches her lover to arouse love with him. “Come and see the way of Torah. At first, when she begins to reveal herself to a human, she beckons him with a hint. If he perceives, good; if not, she sends him a message, calling him simple. Torah says to her messenger: ‘Tell that simple one to come closer, so I can talk with him.’ He approaches. She begins to speak with him from behind a curtain she has drawn, words he can follow, until he reflects a little at a time. This is derasha. Then she converses with him through a veil, words riddled with allegory. This is haggadah. “Once he has grown accustomed to her, she reveals herself face to face and tells him all her hidden secrets, all the hidden ways, since primordial days secreted in her heart. “Now he is a complete human being, husband of Torah, master of the house. All her secrets she has revealed to him, withholding nothing, concealing nothing. “She says to him, ‘Do you see that word, that hint with which I beckoned you at first? So many secrets there! This one and that one!’ “Now he sees that nothing should be added to those words and nothing taken away. Now the peshat of the verse, just like it is. Not even a single letter should be added or deleted. “Human beings should become aware, pursuing Torah to become her lovers.” The old man was silent for a moment. The companions were amazed; they did not know if it was day or night, if they were really there or not. “Enough, companions! From now on, you know that evil has no power over you. I, Yeiva Sava, have stood before you to awaken your awareness of these words.” They rose as if awakened from sleep and threw themselves down in front of him, unable to utter a word. After a while they began to cry. Rabbi Hiyya opened and said, “‘Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm.’ (SOS 8:6) Love and sparks from the flame of our heart will escort you. May it be the Will that our image be engraved in your heart as your image is engraved in ours.” He kissed them and blessed them, and they left. When they rejoined Rabbi Shim’on and told him everything that happened, he was delighted and amazed. He said, “You are fortunate to have attained all this. Here you were with a heavenly lion, a fierce warrior for whom many warriors are nothing, and you could not recognize him! I am amazed that you escaped his punishment. The Blessed Holy One must have wanted to save you.” He called out these verses for them: “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, growing brighter and brighter until the day is full. When you walk, your stride will be free; if you run, you will not stumble. Your people, all of them righteous, will inherit the land forever— a sprout of my planting, the work of my hands, making me glorious.”
פסקא יא אות יג (יג) ר' יוחנן הוה יתיב דרש כיצד היו המים עשויין לישר' כחומה דרש ר' יוחנן כאילין קנקילייא אדיקת שרח בת אשר ואמרת תמן הוינא ולא הוון אלא כאילין אמפומטא
(11:13) Rabbi Johanan sat [in the teacher's seat] and expounded how the waters [of the Red Sea] became like a wall for Israel. Even as Rabbi Johanan was explaining that the wall of water looked like latticework, Serach bat Asher looked down [so Mandelbaum and Braude; Jastrow: "grew angry"] and said, "I was there, and the waters were, rather, like shining windows." [So Mandelbaum; Jastrow emends to istrophomata "like doors turning in sockets" and Braude emends to phasmata "something resembling [water]".]
(12) The blossoms have appeared in the land,
The time of pruningcOr “singing.” has come;
The song of the turtledove
Is heard in our land. (see pritzker II:116)
Hidden by the cliff,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet
And your face is comely.”