Commentary: On the Song of Songs

Behold, you are fair, my love; [behold, you are fair]. (Song of Songs 1:15)

God knows best, but the reason why this phrase is repeated twice is probably to represent the two commandments [the people of] Israel observed in Egypt, for which they endangered themselves in loving obedience to the Lord: the blood of the Passover offering and the blood of circumcision.

Your eyes are doves. (Song of Songs 1:15)

[These are] the elders of Israel to whom Moses offered his leadership, as scripture says: And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (Exodus 4:29). Now, the elders are called thus [i.e., “eyes”] because scripture says [regarding an inadvertent sin committed on the instruction of the leaders]: If this was done in the eyes [of the community] (Numbers 15:24).

Behold, you are fair, my beloved, beautiful indeed! (Song of Songs 1:16)

[This refers to] when the Lord fulfilled His covenant with their forefathers, as it says: And God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob (Exodus 2:24). And scripture connects this with beautiful indeed! (Song of Songs 1:16), meaning that He will fulfill His promise to establish His house and build His temple, as David said: to behold the beauty of the Lord (Psalms 27:4).

The beams of our house are cedars, [and our rafters are of cypress.] (Song of Songs 1:17)

That is to say, Solomon will build His holy temple with cedars and cypresses.

I am a narcissus of Sharon; [the iris of the valleys]. (Song of Songs 2:1)

Just as the narcissus and the iris cannot be sustained without water, whether planted or plucked, so, too, the foundations of the nation and its forefathers [cannot be sustained without water]. For regarding our father Abraham, behold, the [arrival of] Isaac was heralded by water, as it says [that Abraham said to the three angels who announced Isaac’s birth]: Let a little water be brought (Genesis 18:4). Our father Isaac settled above five wells of water. And our father Jacob was heralded among the tribes on the day he first saw Rachel by the water, as it says: There was a well in the open (Genesis 29:2). And it says at the end of the story: Jacob went up and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well (Genesis 29:10).

Gazelles and hinds of the field (Song of Songs 2:7)

These are the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives, who are “in the field,” for they are at rest in the cave of Machpelah, of which it is said: Thus the field with its cave were deeded (Genesis 23:20). And gazelles comes before hinds, because gazelles is the masculine form [representing the patriarchs], as it says: Save yourself like a deer out of the hand (Proverbs 6:5). And hinds represents the feminine [matriarchs], as it says: a loving hind (Proverbs 5:19). And this is fitting for Song of Songs because it is written from a feminine perspective. [ . . . ]

[How much better is your love] than wine. (Song of Songs 4:10)

[They said this] because the Torah was with them, and the book of Deuteronomy (lit., “Second Torah”) was with the kings, and these are compared to wine, as it says: wine and milk (Isaiah 55:1). The one [wine] is hot [in nature], and the other [milk] is cold. Thus is the succession of the festivals. [The Israelites go] from one festival to the next, like changing one garment for another. Therefore, it says: And the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon (Song of Songs 4:11).

A garden locked (Song of Songs 4:12)

A description of the modesty of the women, who are seen only by their husbands.

The second A garden locked:

The modesty of the men, who are seen only by their wives.

A sealed-up spring (Song of Songs 4:12)

The modesty of their behavior.

Your limbs are an orchard [of pomegranates]. (Song of Songs 4:13)

[This refers to] the abundance of messengers and emissaries and prophets, as pomegranates are abundant [in seeds]. In this way, they are exalted in the Torah, which is itself compared to fruit, as it says: My fruit is better than gold, than fine gold (Proverbs 8:19).

Nard and saffron [calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes]. (Song of Songs 4:14)

[This verse] specifies six varieties [of spices], along with the other types of spices that it mentions. It is possible that it means the six orders of the Mishnah, along with what has been added to it from verses of scripture.

And it seems that a garden spring (Song of Songs 4:15) is the Torah of Moses, from which we drink all the waters of gardens, fountains, and wells.

Awake, O north wind, [and come, O south!] (Song of Songs 4:16)

He does not intend by this only these two directions, but all four directions, from which the Israelites come [to Jerusalem] to observe the festivals. They prepare for song, as it says: Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out (Song of Songs 4:16). They entreat the divine presence, that it should meet with them, as noble David has said: Show us, O Lord, Your faithfulness (Psalms 85:8). They cry out to the Lord, saying, “We are here. We are Your servants!”¹ as it says: Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say: Here I am (Isaiah 58:9). For this reason, he says: I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride (Song of Songs 5:1), meaning the Holy of Holies, where they offer the burnt incense before Him in the Temple and offer the animal sacrifices in the courtyard, as it says: And Aaron shall burn on it incense of sweet spices (Exodus 30:7). And it says, furthermore: It is a continual burnt- offering, which was offered at Mount Sinai (Numbers 28:6). The Lord accepts [their offerings] from them, as it says: [I have] eaten my honey and honeycomb (Song of Songs 5:1); [“eating”] is the language of accepting.

Eat, lovers. (Song of Songs 5:1)

This might mean that the priests will eat the rest of the sacrifices, because they [i.e., the priests] are the “lovers,” as it says: What is left of it shall be eaten (Leviticus 6:9).