Where has your beloved gone O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned that we may seek him with you?79The nations taunt and harrass Israel, “Why has Your God forsaken you?”—Rashi
My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices;80According to Rashi, garden refers to the Temple, and beds of spices to the incense—altar. When the Temple is built, God’s Divine Presence will return to us. to graze in the gardens and to gather roses.81In the meantime, He rests His Divine Presence in the synagogue and at the houses of study where He listens to those who converse in Torah, gathering their merits [roses] and recording them in a Book of Remembrance before Him.—Rashi
You are beautiful, my beloved, as Tirzah,82 Rashi, quoting the Sifri, interprets תִרְצָה not as a place but as a form of the word רְצוּיָה pleasing, desirable. Accordingly, God praises Israel saying; “You are fair my beloved, when you are desirable to Me.” When Israel performs the mitzvos which God desires, she is beautiful in His eyes. comely as Jerusalem, awesome as the hosts [of angels].
Turn your eyes away from me, for they made me haughty;83God declares that it will be impossible to return the Ark, the Ark Cover and the Cherubim to the Second Temple because they inspired Him to manifest a special love for Israel which caused them to take Him for granted and led them to betray Him. your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead.84See note 45.
There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and young maidens without number.87According to Rashi, the sixty queens refers to the heads of family who were the descendants of Avrohom: sixteen of Keturah, Yitzchok and his two sons, Yishmael and his twelve family heads, the twelve sons of Yaakov and the sixteen family heads of Eisav. The eighty concubines refers to Noach and his offspring until Avrohom. [The count of all the offspring of those who were saved in the Ark totaled eighty.] And just as queens are superior to concubines, so are Avrohom and his descendants more esteemed than all others.
But she is unique, my dove, my perfect one, she is unique to her mother, she is pure to her who begot her;88This refers to the perfect integrity of Yaakov’s children who were without blemish [ מִטָתוֹ שְׁלֵמָה ]. daughters saw her and acclaimed her, queens and concubines, and they praised her.
Who is this that gazes down like the [breaking] dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as the hosts [of angels]?89When Israel marched forth from Egypt surrounded by the Pillar of Cloud and Fire, they were awesome in the eyes of the nations.
I went down to the garden of nuts,90When one looks at a nut, he sees only a shell but its contents are not visible. Similarly, Israel is modest, her scholars are unpretentious; but when they are examined they are found to be full of wisdom.—Rashi to see the moist plants of the valley; to see whether the vine had blossomed, if the pomegranates had sprouted.
I did not know,91Israel exclaims that she did not know how to guard herself from sin. my soul set me like chariots of a noble people.92I brought these evils upon myself through groundless hatred and controversy, and thus became like a chariot ridden upon by the nobles of other nations.
֚אָנָה הָלַ֣ךְ דּוֹדֵ֔ךְ הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים ֚אָנָה פָּנָ֣ה דוֹדֵ֔ךְ וּנְבַקְשֶׁ֖נּוּ עִמָּֽךְ:
Where has your beloved gone O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned that we may seek him with you?79The nations taunt and harrass Israel, “Why has Your God forsaken you?”—Rashi
דּוֹדִי֙ יָרַ֣ד לְגַנּ֔וֹ לַֽעֲרֻג֖וֹת הַבֹּ֑שֶׂם לִרְעוֹת֙ בַּגַּנִּ֔ים וְלִלְקֹ֖ט שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים:
My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices;80According to Rashi, garden refers to the Temple, and beds of spices to the incense—altar. When the Temple is built, God’s Divine Presence will return to us. to graze in the gardens and to gather roses.81In the meantime, He rests His Divine Presence in the synagogue and at the houses of study where He listens to those who converse in Torah, gathering their merits [roses] and recording them in a Book of Remembrance before Him.—Rashi
אֲנִ֤י לְדוֹדִי֙ וְדוֹדִ֣י לִ֔י הָֽרוֹעֶ֖ה בַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים:
I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine, who grazes among the roses.
יָפָ֨ה אַ֤תְּ רַעְיָתִי֙ כְּתִרְצָ֔ה נָאוָ֖ה כִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם אֲיֻמָּ֖ה כַּנִּדְגָּלֽוֹת:
You are beautiful, my beloved, as Tirzah,82 Rashi, quoting the Sifri, interprets תִרְצָה not as a place but as a form of the word רְצוּיָה pleasing, desirable. Accordingly, God praises Israel saying; “You are fair my beloved, when you are desirable to Me.” When Israel performs the mitzvos which God desires, she is beautiful in His eyes. comely as Jerusalem, awesome as the hosts [of angels].
הָסֵ֤בִּי עֵינַ֨יִךְ֙ מִנֶּגְדִּ֔י שֶׁ֥הֵ֖ם הִרְהִיבֻ֑נִי שַׂעְרֵךְ֙ כְּעֵ֣דֶר הָֽעִזִּ֔ים שֶׁגָּֽלְשׁ֖וּ מִן־הַגִּלְעָֽד:
Turn your eyes away from me, for they made me haughty;83God declares that it will be impossible to return the Ark, the Ark Cover and the Cherubim to the Second Temple because they inspired Him to manifest a special love for Israel which caused them to take Him for granted and led them to betray Him. your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead.84See note 45.
שִׁנַּ֨יִךְ֙ כְּעֵ֣דֶר הָֽרְחֵלִ֔ים שֶֽׁעָל֖וּ מִן־הָֽרַחְצָ֑ה שֶׁכֻּלָּם֙ מַתְאִימ֔וֹת וְשַׁכֻּלָ֖ה אֵ֥ין בָּהֶֽם:
Your teeth are like a counted flock which have come up from the washing; all of which are perfect and none are blemished among them.85See note 46.
כְּפֶ֤לַח הָֽרִמּוֹן֙ רַקָּתֵ֔ךְ מִבַּ֖עַד לְצַמָּתֵֽךְ:
Like a slice of pomegranate86See note 47. are your cheeks from within your kerchief.
שִׁשִּׁ֥ים הֵ֨מָּה֙ מְלָכ֔וֹת וּשְׁמֹנִ֖ים פִּֽילַגְשִׁ֑ים וַֽעֲלָמ֖וֹת אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר:
There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and young maidens without number.87According to Rashi, the sixty queens refers to the heads of family who were the descendants of Avrohom: sixteen of Keturah, Yitzchok and his two sons, Yishmael and his twelve family heads, the twelve sons of Yaakov and the sixteen family heads of Eisav. The eighty concubines refers to Noach and his offspring until Avrohom. [The count of all the offspring of those who were saved in the Ark totaled eighty.] And just as queens are superior to concubines, so are Avrohom and his descendants more esteemed than all others.
אַחַ֥ת הִיא֙ יֽוֹנָתִ֣י תַמָּתִ֔י אַחַ֥ת הִיא֙ לְאִמָּ֔הּ בָּרָ֥ה הִ֖יא לְיֽוֹלַדְתָּ֑הּ רָא֤וּהָ בָנוֹת֙ וַֽיְאַשְּׁר֔וּהָ מְלָכ֥וֹת וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים וַֽיְהַֽלְלֽוּהָ:
But she is unique, my dove, my perfect one, she is unique to her mother, she is pure to her who begot her;88This refers to the perfect integrity of Yaakov’s children who were without blemish [ מִטָתוֹ שְׁלֵמָה ]. daughters saw her and acclaimed her, queens and concubines, and they praised her.
מִי־זֹ֥את הַנִּשְׁקָפָ֖ה כְּמוֹ־שָׁ֑חַר יָפָ֣ה כַלְּבָנָ֗ה בָּרָה֙ כַּֽחַמָּ֔ה אֲיֻמָּ֖ה כַּנִּדְגָּלֽוֹת:
Who is this that gazes down like the [breaking] dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as the hosts [of angels]?89When Israel marched forth from Egypt surrounded by the Pillar of Cloud and Fire, they were awesome in the eyes of the nations.
אֶל־גִּנַּ֤ת אֱגוֹז֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי לִרְא֖וֹת בְּאִבֵּ֣י הַנָּ֑חַל לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲפָֽרְחָ֣ה הַגֶּ֔פֶן הֵנֵ֖צוּ הָֽרִמֹּנִֽים:
I went down to the garden of nuts,90When one looks at a nut, he sees only a shell but its contents are not visible. Similarly, Israel is modest, her scholars are unpretentious; but when they are examined they are found to be full of wisdom.—Rashi to see the moist plants of the valley; to see whether the vine had blossomed, if the pomegranates had sprouted.
לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי נַפְשִׁ֣י שָׂמַ֔תְנִי מַרְכְּב֖וֹת עַמִּ֥י נָדִֽיב:
I did not know,91Israel exclaims that she did not know how to guard herself from sin. my soul set me like chariots of a noble people.92I brought these evils upon myself through groundless hatred and controversy, and thus became like a chariot ridden upon by the nobles of other nations.