On my bed at night, I sought him whom my soul loves;28During the long nights of exile, Israel seeks its former open, uninhibited relationship with God.—Alshich I sought him but did not find him.
I will rise now and roam through the city, in the market places and in the streets, I will seek him whom my soul loves;29Israel is determined not to sleep through the night of exile, but actively searches out every possible avenue of rapprochement with God.—Alshich I sought him but did not find him.
The watchmen found me those who circle about the city;30Rashi says that the ‘watchmen’ refers to Moshe and Aharon who guarded Israel from sin during the Egyptian exile. According to Alshich it also refers to Ezra and Nechemiah who were watchmen of Israel during the Babylonian exile. him whom my soul loves, have you seen him?31Have you any word from Him? Have you been assured of His deliverance?—Rashi
Scarcely had I departed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves;32Shortly after the departure (the death) of Moshe and Aharon, at the end of forty years in the wilderness, Israel saw that God was still with them as he helped them conquer the thirty one kings in the days of Yehoshua.—Rashi I grasped him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother's house and to the chamber of her who conceived me.33Israel declares that she did not rest until she built the Tabernacle at Shiloh.—Rashi According to Alshich the verse refers to the First Temple, the dwelling place of the Shechinah, and the Second Temple which was a mere chamber compared to the Divine grandeur of the First Temple.
I bind you under oath, daughters of Jerusalem by the gazelles and the does of the field; that you do not cause hatred nor disturb this love while it still pleases.34See note 18.
Who is this ascending from the desert, with palm-like pillars of smoke;35According to Rashi, Israel recalls when the Jews marched in the desert led by the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. (See Exodus 13:21.) in a cloud of myrrh and frankincense, of all the powders of the perfume seller?36This refers to the incense offering which was offered on the Inner Altar.—Rashi
Behold the bed of Shlomo,37A reference to the אהֶל מוֹעֵד , the Tabernacle, and אֲרוֹן הַקוֹדֶשׁ , the Holy Ark. This is in accordance with Rashi who interprets לִשְׁלוֹמוֹ as מֶלֶךְ שֶׁהַשָׁלוֹם שֶׁלוֹ , the King to whom peace belongs. Thus, the bed of Shlomo refers to the resting place of the Divine Presence. sixty mighty men are around it; of the mighty men of Israel.
All of them holding swords, skilled in battle;38This refers to those who are skilled in the מִלְחַמְתּוֹ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה , the “warfare” of Torah learning. each with his sword at his side for fear of the nights.39They are always on guard lest the Torah be forgotten and troubles befall them.—Rashi
Its pillars he made of silver, its covering of gold, its curtain of purple wool; its interior bedecked with love41The interior of the Tabernacle and the Temple were arranged with objects symbolizing the love between God and Israel, such as the Ark, its cover, the Cherubim and the Tablets of the Law that were in the Ark.—Rashi from the daughters of Jerusalem.
Go forth and gaze, daughters of Zion, upon King Shlomo; upon the crown with which his mother adorned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day his heart rejoiced.42This refers to the day of the giving of the Torah when Israel crowned Him as their King and accepted His yoke.
עַל־מִשְׁכָּבִי֙ בַּלֵּיל֔וֹת בִּקַּ֕שְׁתִּי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו:
On my bed at night, I sought him whom my soul loves;28During the long nights of exile, Israel seeks its former open, uninhibited relationship with God.—Alshich I sought him but did not find him.
אָק֨וּמָה נָּ֜א וַֽאֲסֽוֹבְבָ֣ה בָעִ֗יר בַּשְּׁוָקִים֙ וּבָ֣רְחֹב֔וֹת אֲבַקְשָׁ֕ה אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו:
I will rise now and roam through the city, in the market places and in the streets, I will seek him whom my soul loves;29Israel is determined not to sleep through the night of exile, but actively searches out every possible avenue of rapprochement with God.—Alshich I sought him but did not find him.
מְצָא֨וּנִי֙ הַשֹּׁ֣מְרִ֔ים הַסֹּֽבְבִ֖ים בָּעִ֑יר אֵ֛ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י רְאִיתֶֽם:
The watchmen found me those who circle about the city;30Rashi says that the ‘watchmen’ refers to Moshe and Aharon who guarded Israel from sin during the Egyptian exile. According to Alshich it also refers to Ezra and Nechemiah who were watchmen of Israel during the Babylonian exile. him whom my soul loves, have you seen him?31Have you any word from Him? Have you been assured of His deliverance?—Rashi
כִּמְעַט֙ שֶֽׁעָבַ֣רְתִּי מֵהֶ֔ם עַ֣ד שֶׁמָּצָ֔אתִי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י אֲחַזְתִּיו֙ וְלֹ֣א אַרְפֶּ֔נּוּ עַד־שֶׁ֤הֲבֵיאתִיו֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אִמִּ֔י וְאֶל־חֶ֖דֶר הֽוֹרָתִֽי:
Scarcely had I departed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves;32Shortly after the departure (the death) of Moshe and Aharon, at the end of forty years in the wilderness, Israel saw that God was still with them as he helped them conquer the thirty one kings in the days of Yehoshua.—Rashi I grasped him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother's house and to the chamber of her who conceived me.33Israel declares that she did not rest until she built the Tabernacle at Shiloh.—Rashi According to Alshich the verse refers to the First Temple, the dwelling place of the Shechinah, and the Second Temple which was a mere chamber compared to the Divine grandeur of the First Temple.
הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בְּנ֤וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלַ֨םִ֙ בִּצְבָא֔וֹת א֖וֹ בְּאַיְל֣וֹת הַשָדֶ֑ה אִם־תָּעִ֧ירוּ | וְֽאִם־תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַֽהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ:
I bind you under oath, daughters of Jerusalem by the gazelles and the does of the field; that you do not cause hatred nor disturb this love while it still pleases.34See note 18.
מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר כְּתִֽימְר֖וֹת עָשָׁ֑ן מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת מֹר֙ וּלְבוֹנָ֔ה מִכֹּ֖ל אַבְקַ֥ת רוֹכֵֽל:
Who is this ascending from the desert, with palm-like pillars of smoke;35According to Rashi, Israel recalls when the Jews marched in the desert led by the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. (See Exodus 13:21.) in a cloud of myrrh and frankincense, of all the powders of the perfume seller?36This refers to the incense offering which was offered on the Inner Altar.—Rashi
הִנֵּ֗ה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה שִׁשִּׁ֥ים גִּבֹּרִ֖ים סָבִ֣יב לָ֑הּ מִגִּבֹּרֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
Behold the bed of Shlomo,37A reference to the אהֶל מוֹעֵד , the Tabernacle, and אֲרוֹן הַקוֹדֶשׁ , the Holy Ark. This is in accordance with Rashi who interprets לִשְׁלוֹמוֹ as מֶלֶךְ שֶׁהַשָׁלוֹם שֶׁלוֹ , the King to whom peace belongs. Thus, the bed of Shlomo refers to the resting place of the Divine Presence. sixty mighty men are around it; of the mighty men of Israel.
כֻּלָּם֙ אֲחֻ֣זֵי חֶ֔רֶב מְלֻמְּדֵ֖י מִלְחָמָ֑ה אִ֤ישׁ חַרְבּוֹ עַל־יְרֵכ֔וֹ מִפַּ֖חַד בַּלֵּילֽוֹת:
All of them holding swords, skilled in battle;38This refers to those who are skilled in the מִלְחַמְתּוֹ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה , the “warfare” of Torah learning. each with his sword at his side for fear of the nights.39They are always on guard lest the Torah be forgotten and troubles befall them.—Rashi
אַפִּרְי֗וֹן עָ֤שָׂה לוֹ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מֵֽעֲצֵ֖י הַלְּבָנֽוֹן:
A canopy has King Shlomo made of the wood of Lebanon.40A reference to the Temple which was constructed from trees brought from Lebanon.
עַמּוּדָיו֙ עָ֣שָׂה כֶ֔סֶף רְפִֽידָת֣וֹ זָהָ֔ב מֶרְכָּב֖וֹ אַרְגָּמָ֑ן תּוֹכוֹ רָצ֣וּף אַֽהֲבָ֔ה מִבְּנ֖וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלָֽםִ:
Its pillars he made of silver, its covering of gold, its curtain of purple wool; its interior bedecked with love41The interior of the Tabernacle and the Temple were arranged with objects symbolizing the love between God and Israel, such as the Ark, its cover, the Cherubim and the Tablets of the Law that were in the Ark.—Rashi from the daughters of Jerusalem.
צְאֶ֧ינָה | וּֽרְאֶ֛ינָה בְּנ֥וֹת צִיּ֖וֹן בַּמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה בָּֽעֲטָרָ֗ה שֶֽׁעִטְּרָה־לּ֤וֹ אִמּוֹ בְּי֣וֹם חֲתֻנָּת֔וֹ וּבְי֖וֹם שִׂמְחַ֥ת לִבּֽוֹ:
Go forth and gaze, daughters of Zion, upon King Shlomo; upon the crown with which his mother adorned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day his heart rejoiced.42This refers to the day of the giving of the Torah when Israel crowned Him as their King and accepted His yoke.