Know! there is a very great tzaddik whose holiness the world is unable to bear. Therefore, he keeps himself very hidden, so that people do not detect in his behavior any special holiness or asceticism. This is due to the great extent of his holiness.
This is the aspect of “All the songs are holy, and Song of Songs is the holiest of the holy” (Yalkut Shimoni #960). Thus it is that Song of Songs is very holy, much more so than the rest of Scripture.
Now, we find that King Shlomo, of blessed memory, authored three books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. And in fact, both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are brimming with moral reproof and God-fearingness. We find in them the words “holiness” and “purity” any number of times. On the other hand, in Song of Songs no words of holiness and purity whatsoever are to be found. Go, see for yourself, that in the entire book of Song of Songs there are no holy or pure words.
This, that we do not detect any holiness there, is due to its awesomely great holiness. Therefore, there are no words of holiness and purity found in it at all.
דַּע, שֶׁיֵּשׁ צַדִּיק גָּדוֹל מְאֹד, שֶׁאֵין הָעוֹלָם יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ, עַל־כֵּן הוּא מִתְעַלֵּם מְאֹד, וְאֵין רוֹאִים מִמֶּנּוּ שׁוּם קְדֻשָּׁה וּפְרִישׁוּת יְתֵרָה, זֶה מֵחֲמַת גֹּדֶל קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ מְאֹד.
Know! there is a very great tzaddik whose holiness the world is unable to bear. Therefore, he keeps himself very hidden, so that people do not detect in his behavior any special holiness or asceticism. This is due to the great extent of his holiness.
וְזֶה בְּחִינוֹת: כָּל הַשִּׁירִים קֹדֶשׁ, וְשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים (ידים פ"ג), נִמְצָא, שִּׁיר הַשִּׁירִים הוּא קָדוֹשׁ מְאֹד, יוֹתֵר הַרְבֵּה מִכָּל הַסְּפָרִים,
This is the aspect of “All the songs are holy, and Song of Songs is the holiest of the holy” (Yalkut Shimoni #960). Thus it is that Song of Songs is very holy, much more so than the rest of Scripture.
וְהִנֵּה מָצִינוּ שֶׁשְּׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ, עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, חִבֵּר שְׁלשָׁה סְפָרִים: מִשְׁלֵי, קֹהֶלֶת וְשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים, וּבֶאֱמֶת מִשְׁלֵי וְקֹהֶלֶת הֵם כֻּלָּם מְלֵאִים מוּסָר וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם מְאֹד. וּמָצִינוּ בָּהֶם תֵּבוֹת קְדֻשָּׁה וְטָהֳרָה כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, אֲבָל בְּשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים אֵינוֹ נִמְצָא תֵּבוֹת קְדֻשָּׁה וְטָהֳרָה כְּלָל, פּוּק עַיֵּן וְתִשְׁכַּח, שֶׁבְּכָל סֵפֶר שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים אֵין נִמְצָא שָׁם בְּכָל הַסֵּפֶר שׁוּם תֵּבוֹת קֹדֶשׁ וְטָהוֹר,
Now, we find that King Shlomo, of blessed memory, authored three books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. And in fact, both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are brimming with moral reproof and God-fearingness. We find in them the words “holiness” and “purity” any number of times. On the other hand, in Song of Songs no words of holiness and purity whatsoever are to be found. Go, see for yourself, that in the entire book of Song of Songs there are no holy or pure words.
וְזֶה מֵחֲמַת גֹּדֶל עֹצֶם קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ אֵינָם רוֹאִים שָׁם שׁוּם קְדֻשָּׁה, עַל־כֵּן אֵינוֹ נִמְצָא שָׁם תֵּבוֹת קְדֻשָּׁה וְטָהֳרָה כְּלָל:
This, that we do not detect any holiness there, is due to its awesomely great holiness. Therefore, there are no words of holiness and purity found in it at all.