BEHOLD, I SEND AN ANGEL BEFORE THEE. R. Isaac quoted in this connection the words: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (S.S. 1, 2), and said: ‘It is the Community of Israel who says this (to God). Why does she say “Let Him kiss me” instead of “Let Him love me”? Because, as we have been taught, kissing expresses the cleaving of spirit to spirit; therefore the mouth is the medium of kissing, for it is the organ of the spirit (breath).
Hence he who dies by the kiss of God1According to the Haggadah, Moses and certain other saints died “by the kiss of God”. is so united with another Spirit, with a Spirit which never separates from him. Therefore the Community of Israel prays: “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth”, that His Spirit may be united with mine and never separate from it.
The verse continues: “For thy love is better than wine” (Ibid.). Why is the love of the Holy One compared with wine, which was the cause of Ephraim’s degradation (Isa. 18, 27), and was prohibited to the priests at the time of service (Lev. 10, 9)? Said R. Hiya: ‘It is better even than the “wine of the Torah”.’ R. Hezekiah said: ‘It is better than the wine of which the Psalmist said that it “maketh glad the heart of man” (Ps. 104, 15).’
R. Judah referred to the verse: “And Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept” (Gen. 29, 11). Why did he weep?.Because the intensity of his attachment to her overpowered him, and he found relief in tears. It is true, it also says of Esau that “he kissed him (Jacob) and they wept” (Gen. 34, 4); but as has been said, the word wa-yishakehu (and he kissed him) has (masoretic) dots on it, to indicate the insincerity of Esau’s kisses,1Cf. Aboth de r. Nathan, xxxiii. for there was no union of spirit with spirit there;.and concerning him it is written: “The kisses of an enemy are abundant” (Prov. 27, 6; i.e. superfluous, burdensome); they are windy and betoken no attachment of spirit.
As long as the Holy One was dwelling and moving in the midst of Israel there was a perfect union between Spirit and spirit; concerning which it is written: “And ye who cleave to the Lord your God, ye are all alive to-day” (Deut. 4, 4); they clave to one another in every possible manner, and were not separated. But when Moses heard the words, “Behold, I send an angel before thee”, he knew that it meant separation, therefore he said: “If thy presence go not, carry us not up hence” (Ex. XXXIII, I 5).
(שמות כ״ג:כ׳) הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שׁוֹלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ וְגוֹ'. רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, (שיר השירים א׳:ב׳) יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ וְגוֹ' אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ. מַאי טַעֲמָא יִשָּׁקֵנִי, יֶאֱהָבֵנִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, אֲמַאי יִשָּׁקֵנִי. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, מַאי נְשִׁיקוֹת אַדְבְּקוּתָא דְּרוּחָא בְּרוּחָא. דִּבְגִינִי כַּךְ נְשִׁיקָה בַּפֶּה, דְּהָא פּוּמָא אַפְקוּתָא וּמְקוֹרָא דְּרוּחָא הוּא, וְעַל דָּא נְשִׁיקִין בְּפוּמָא, בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא, וְדַבְקִין רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא, דְּלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁן דָּא מִן דָּא.
BEHOLD, I SEND AN ANGEL BEFORE THEE. R. Isaac quoted in this connection the words: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (S.S. 1, 2), and said: ‘It is the Community of Israel who says this (to God). Why does she say “Let Him kiss me” instead of “Let Him love me”? Because, as we have been taught, kissing expresses the cleaving of spirit to spirit; therefore the mouth is the medium of kissing, for it is the organ of the spirit (breath).
וְעַל דָּא מַאן דְּנָפִיק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ בִּנְשִׁיקָה, מִתְדְּבַּק בְּרוּחָא אַחֲרָא. בְּרוּחָא דְּלָא מִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ. וְהַיְינוּ אִקְרֵי נְשִׁיקָה. וְעַל דָּא אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ, לְאַדְבְּקָא רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא, דְּלָא יִתְפְּרִישׁ דָּא מִן דָּא.
Hence he who dies by the kiss of God1According to the Haggadah, Moses and certain other saints died “by the kiss of God”. is so united with another Spirit, with a Spirit which never separates from him. Therefore the Community of Israel prays: “Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth”, that His Spirit may be united with mine and never separate from it.
כִּי טוֹבִים דּוֹדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן, מַאי בָּעֵי הָכָא יַיִן, וְהָא כְּתִיב (ישעיהו כ״ח:ז׳) וְגַם אֵלֶּה בְּיַיִן שָׁגוּ וְגוֹ', וּכְתִיב (ויקרא י׳:ט׳) יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ, מַאי טַעֲמָא הָכָא יַיִן. רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, מִיֵּינָהּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר, דָּא דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ק״ד:ט״ו) וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, כִּי טוֹבִים דּוֹדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן, לְחֶדְוָותָא דְּלִבָּא. מִיָּיִן, דְּחַדֵּי לִי יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא.
The verse continues: “For thy love is better than wine” (Ibid.). Why is the love of the Holy One compared with wine, which was the cause of Ephraim’s degradation (Isa. 18, 27), and was prohibited to the priests at the time of service (Lev. 10, 9)? Said R. Hiya: ‘It is better even than the “wine of the Torah”.’ R. Hezekiah said: ‘It is better than the wine of which the Psalmist said that it “maketh glad the heart of man” (Ps. 104, 15).’
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ט:י״א) וַיִּשַּׁק יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל וְיִשָּׂא אֶת קוֹלוֹ וַיֵּבְךְ, אֲמַאי קָא בָּכָה. אֶלָּא בְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דְּרוּחָא בָּהּ, לָא יָכִיל לִבָּא לְמִסְבַּל, וּבָכָה. וְאִי תֵּימָא, הָא כְּתִיב, (בראשית ל״ג:ד׳) וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ וַיִּבְכּוּ. תָּנֵינָן, אֲמַאי נָקוּד וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ, אֶלָּא דְּלָא אִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ רוּחָא כְּלָל, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (משלי כ״ז:ו׳) וְנַעְתָּרוֹת נְשִׁיקוֹת שׂוֹנֵא. מַאי וְנַעְתָּרוֹת נְשִׁיקוֹת שׂוֹנֵא. אֶלָּא מַאן דְּנָשִׁיק בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא, מִתְדָּבַק רוּחֵיהּ בְּרוּחֵיהּ, בִּדְבֵיקוּתָא דַּחֲבִיבוּתָא וּמַאן דְּלָא נָשִׁיק בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא, לָאו בִּדְבֵיקוּתָא הוּא, אֶלָּא וְנַעְתָּרוֹת. מַאי נַעְתָּרוֹת. גַּסּוּתָא, דְּלָא דָּבִיק רוּחֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא נְשִׁיקָה. וְלָא אִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ כְּלָל. וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ כְּתִיב, יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ, דְּהוּא דְּבֵקוּתָא רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא.
R. Judah referred to the verse: “And Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept” (Gen. 29, 11). Why did he weep?.Because the intensity of his attachment to her overpowered him, and he found relief in tears. It is true, it also says of Esau that “he kissed him (Jacob) and they wept” (Gen. 34, 4); but as has been said, the word wa-yishakehu (and he kissed him) has (masoretic) dots on it, to indicate the insincerity of Esau’s kisses,1Cf. Aboth de r. Nathan, xxxiii. for there was no union of spirit with spirit there;.and concerning him it is written: “The kisses of an enemy are abundant” (Prov. 27, 6; i.e. superfluous, burdensome); they are windy and betoken no attachment of spirit.
תָּנָא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָזִיל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּבְיָכוֹל אִתְדָּבַּק רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (דברים ד׳:ד׳) וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ', בְּכָל אִינּוּן גַּוְונֵי דְּבֵיקוּתָא, וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא דָּא מִן דָּא. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְּמַר הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׂלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ, יָדַע מֹשֶׁה דִּפְרִישׁוּתָא הוּא. אָמַר (שמות ל״ג:ט״ו) אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים אַל תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּה.
As long as the Holy One was dwelling and moving in the midst of Israel there was a perfect union between Spirit and spirit; concerning which it is written: “And ye who cleave to the Lord your God, ye are all alive to-day” (Deut. 4, 4); they clave to one another in every possible manner, and were not separated. But when Moses heard the words, “Behold, I send an angel before thee”, he knew that it meant separation, therefore he said: “If thy presence go not, carry us not up hence” (Ex. XXXIII, I 5).