The Song of Songs: The most pleasant of canticles, the choicest of songs; words of might recited by the Throne of Glory,³⁵, the tenth sefirah, the feminine-receptive aspect of the Godhead. day to day expressing utterance, standing in prayer in good order arrayed, its speech lucid, in all things well ordered and sure.

footnotes: ³⁵ Usually understood by Kabbalists as referring to malkhut

Which is Solomon’s: This is a name designating the Holy One, blessed be He. As it is written: “Gideon built there an altar to the Lord and called it ‘the Lord of peace’” [Judges 6:24]. This is the meaning of the statement of our Sages of blessed memory: “The song which the Holy One blessed be He recites daily.”³⁶ and malkhut, bridegroom and bride within the Godhead.

footnotes: ³⁶ Canticles Rabbah 6:12. The Song is thus sung by tiferet

Oh let him kiss me: These are the Glory’s³⁷, the masculine pole of creative energy in the realm of divine emanation. words, full of longing, desiring to make its ascent, to adhere to the light of the supernal luminescence to which nothing else is like. It ascends in thought and idea and thus speaks in third person. The kiss symbolizes the joy attained by the soul in its adhesion to the source of life and the additional infusion of the holy spirit.³⁸) and holy spirit (ruaḥ ha-kodesh) generally symbolize ḥokhmah in Geronan sources. Thus the verse specifies “kisses.” For each and every sefirotic power³⁹ or cause. receives consciousness and a superabundance from that sweet light and pure refulgence. When it speaks to the Glory, gateway to the entities [i.e., the sefirot], it speaks in third person.

footnotes: ³⁷ The Glory is tiferet ³⁸ Source of life (mekor ha-ḥayyim ³⁹ Literally sibah

For your love is better [tovim] than wine: This emanated light expands over me because it comes from You, that is to say, it is derived from “wine,” from divine Wisdom called “I,” the rung of supernal luminescence. All desire and will is to ascend and adhere to Wisdom.

For your love is better [tovim] than wine: The phrase “is better” [tovim] refers to the outpouring and amplification of that clear light, which divides and shines in all directions.⁴⁰ is plural: your love is an improvement upon the wine of ḥokhmah, as it flows in multiple directions. As it says: “when Aaron lights [behetivo] the lamps” [Exod. 30:8]—which the Aramaic translation renders as “kindles.” Such also is the meaning of “God saw that the light was good” [Gen. 1:4].⁴¹ and into the world.

footnotes: ⁴⁰ The word tovim ⁴¹ “Goodness” is the ongoing flow of light from lamp to lamp, the ceaseless flow of divine life, through the sefirot

Your oils are of fine aroma: He calls the effulgent flow from the Glory, the gateway to the entities, “aroma.” From there it increases and flows down into the seventy branches that surround the central column. Counting it, there are seventy-one. Because of this, the text says: “from the kisses of his mouth”: from that very light.⁴² or the central column.

footnotes: ⁴² Each of the branches is “kissed” or nourished directly from His mouth, from tiferet

Your name is like oil poured forth: Your name is like fine oil, poured from one vessel into another. The seventy names are emanated from the seven sefirot. tiferet and the Crown⁴³, the last of the ten sefirot. are for Israel, the singular people, for Israel nurse from the trunk of the tree, tiferet and Crown, all joined as one. But its aroma travels a great distance. So too Your name increases and is poured forth as pure light to shekhinah, which is contained and sealed into all.⁴⁴, which is the indwelling presence of God in the world, as in the older rabbinic sources. The passage is however difficult. Counting her they are seventy-two. This is the meaning of “therefore the maidens love you.”

footnotes: ⁴³ The term here is ‘atarah, referring to malkhut ⁴⁴ It would seem that a distinction is made here between ‘atarah, the tenth sefirah, and shekhinah

Draw me after you: The Glory says: “May it be your will that I might ascend towards you.” Let us run: When the middle column [the Glory] ascends, all of the branches ascend with it. When it receives a superabundance of blessing, all of them are blessed, as I will explain further on.

He calls forth, saying: The king has brought me to his chambers. His desire is that I should ascend and enter his chambers by means of his paths whose number is thirty-two. And upon my entrance: We will delight and rejoice. This joy consists of the additional infusion of the holy spirit into the seventy-two names of the Holy One, blessed be He.

We will savor it [nazkirah]: Nazkirah is derived from azkarah,⁴⁵, a “pleasing odor to the Lord.” for the soul’s delight is derived from the pleasure of scent.

footnotes: ⁴⁵ The memorial offering of flour and frankincense providing a reaḥ niḥ oaḥ

The upright [meisharim] love you: By the upright Solomon refers to the simple infants and sucklings lacking complexity [harkavah], as it says: “it is You who have established the upright” [Ps. 99:4]. Love you: The goal of their desire and intention is to ascend and adhere to the place from which they draw nourishment.⁴⁶: literally “the place from which they nurse.” Our sages have accordingly instituted liturgical blessings, the recitation of the Sanctus, and the affirmation of divine unity so as to draw forth and emanate the energies of the Fathers [ḥesed, gevurah, tiferet] to the other sefirot, their children. With respect to this matter and in accord with the interpretation which I have provided here, our Sages have stated in the Midrash to Canticles: ‘“The King has brought me to his chambers’: These are the chambers of the Garden of Eden.”

footnotes: ⁴⁶ Mekom yenikatam

These are the shekhinah’s words, who descended with our father Jacob to Egypt, as it is written: “I will descend with you to Egypt” [Gen. 46:4]. She participated in Israel’s exile, as our sages state: “When they were exiled to Egypt, the Presence was with them, as it states: ‘Was I not exiled with you with the house of your fathers when you were in Egypt?’ [I Sam. 2:27].”⁴⁷ She complains and thunders forth about her being in exile, traveling darkened with the angelic forces apportioned to the world’s nations. She says, I am dark: Swarthy from exile. If I am not lovely like the pavilions of Solomon: The name of the Holy One, blessed be He,⁴⁸. like the essence of the heavens in its purity. And so it says: “He stretches the heavens like a tent” [Ps. 104:2].⁴⁹ is “darkened” because of her involvement with the lower world.

footnotes: ⁴⁷ In Tractate Megillah 29a. ⁴⁸ “Solomon” here refers to God, specifically to tiferet ⁴⁹ The rest of the sefirotic world is pure and lovely; only shekhinah

Do not stare at me: Do not despise me because I am swarthy, because the sun has gazed upon me, because I am situated amongst my children who are enslaved, at hard labor, performing all of their work in the field. My mother’s sons: The similitude refers to the holy spirit, from which all things are emanated; that is to say the remaining angelic princes appointed as custodians over each and every nation.

Quarreled with me: They raged against me and banished me from my place, as our sages say: “No nation falls until his angelic prince is first cast down. As it says: ‘On that day, the Lord will punish the host of heaven in heaven and the kings of the earth on the earth’ [Isa. 24:21]; and: ‘How are you fallen from heaven, O Shining One, son of Dawn! How are you felled to earth, O vanquisher of nations!’ [Isa. 14:12]; and says further: ‘For My sword shall be seen in the sky; Lo, it shall come down upon Edom’ [Isa. 34:5].”⁵⁰ 2.

footnotes: ⁵⁰ Cf. Mekhilta Shirta

They made me guard the vineyards: I am belabored in fulfilling the needs of the nations and ensuring their preservation. I have no leisure to watch over My people, for they are not in their land and I accompany them in their exile. The nation is designated a vineyard, for just as a vineyard requires labor, pruning, and watering, so too does a people. Everything existing within the world is in need of the primary forces for their growth and blossoming.

Tell me: Show me your place so that I might go there; so that you might dwell with me as before; so that my children might return as in ancient days.

Where do you pasture your sheep?: Pasturing refers to the satisfaction derived from the joy of emanation and its superabundance. Our sages designated this as “eating.” As they stated in *Midrash Shemot Rabbah: “*They saw God” [Exod. 24:11], their eyes drew their nourishment from the shekhinah. R. Yohanan states that this was true eating. As it says: “In the King’s countenance resides life” [Prov. 16:15].⁵¹ 20:10.

footnotes: ⁵¹ Compare Vayikra Rabbah

Where do you rest them at noon?: The parable refers to the removal of the Glory and its ascension to highest heights of heaven.

Let me not be as one who strays beside the flocks of your fellows!: For how long will you desire that I be intermingled among the other nations, who are the flocks of your fellows? The text states “beside” [‘al—literally “over”] because the Central Pillar is exalted over all.

The Glory replies: If you do not know, O fairest of women the cause of my removal and the delay of the End and desire to return with your children to your cities and to your place, go follow the tracks of the sheep—direct your children with goodly instruction—in rectitude, fear of heaven, and propriety, so that they might hold fast to My service and faith and follow the practice of the patriarchs and shepherds rather than the nations’ laws, which are vain and deceitful. So Ezekiel expounds: “Cast away, every one of you, the detestable things that you are drawn to, and do not defile yourselves with the fetishes of Egypt. I am the Lord your God …” [20:7]. “Walk in My statutes …” [20:19]. Daniel promised that throughout this lengthy period of exile, Israel would observe Torah and hold fast to their faith, as it is written: “The enlightened will shine like the radiance of the firmament and those who lead the multitudes to righteousness will be like the stars forever” [Dan. 12:3].

To a mare: These are the words of the Glory. The figure refers to Pharaoh’s pursuit of Israel, the Glory and the Presence of Its might accompanying them, with his chariots and cavalry.

I have likened you, my darling: Israel gazed at the shekhinah just like an individual sees the image of [ha-medammeh le-]⁵² his companion and says: “It’s so and so!” So did Israel gaze upon the shekhinah, point towards her and say: “This is my God and I will glorify Him!” [Isa. 15:2].

footnotes: ⁵² The phrase would alternatively be rendered: “imagines.”

Your cheeks are comely with plaited wreaths…. The figure is that of the shekhinah leaving exile and entering the bridal chamber. Wreaths and strings of pearls are women’s jewelry, the ornaments of a bride.

We will add wreaths of gold to your points⁵³). The term is used as well to designate the vowel signs that are placed above and below the consonants of the Hebrew alphabet and look very much like points (nekudot). R. Ezra will construct an elaborate exegetic pun upon the multiple meanings of the term in which the studs (nekudot) of silver—the teachings of written Torah—will serve as the animating force of the wreaths of gold—oral Torah—just as the vowels (nekudot) transform inert consonants into pliable words and living discourse. of silver. The parable conveys that both written and oral Torah are conveyed by the shekhinah. The two are compared to gold and silver: “I prefer the teaching You proclaimed to thousands of gold and silver pieces” [Ps. 119:72]. Similarly, they are compared to wine and milk, and honey and milk, as in “All who are thirsty, come for water … buy … wine and milk without cost” [Isa. 55:1]. And “Sweetness drops from your lips O bride; honey and milk are under your tongue” [Song of Songs 4:11]. That is to say that they are all the image and appearance: water from wind and fire from water. Because redness is closer to us, the verse gives precedence to the red. But the Holy One gives precedence to the white, as it says: “Mine is silver and mine is gold” [Hag. 2:8].⁵⁴) to gold (din).

footnotes: ⁵³ Points or studs (nekudot ⁵⁴ “Wine,” “red,” and “gold” are symbols of the left side, while “white,” “milk,” and “silver” symbolize the right. Isa. 55:1, referring to human access, mentions wine before milk. The Haggai verse, referring to God, reverses the symbolic order: God prefers silver (ḥesed

To your points of silver: Oral Torah is emanated from the written and it sustains her, just as the spirit upholds the body. Thus written Torah has been compared to points [nekudot], since the vowels [nekudot] function among the consonants like the spirit in the body, as our sages say.⁵⁵] humanity’s spirit within it” as meaning that the spirit has been tied or bound up within the body in order to animate. See Chavel (cited on page 10 of the editor’s note above), note 39 ad locum. Both Torahs, oral and written, were given through the shekhinah as they state in the Midrash to Psalms, “The Lord gives a command; the women who bring the news are a great host” [Ps. 68:12].⁵⁶ to the shekhinah. However, it only becomes audible, giving rise to the differentiated cosmos and producing prophetic discourse through the aegis of the shekhinah, the final rung in the chain of divine being. From here it is clear that the innermost voice was not differentiated and rendered audible until it reached the end of the chain of emanation, the tenth sefirah. Of this Scripture says: “They dance about, dance about; the beautiful one of the house divides the spoils” [Ps. 86:13]. Now you have to know that which is taught in the Tractate Berakhot⁵⁷ 6b.: “Whoever partakes of a wedding-feast and does not make the bridegroom rejoice transgresses five ‘voices,’ as Scripture says: ‘The voice of gladness, the voice of joy, the voice of bridegroom and the voice of bride, a voice saying “Praise to the Lord”’ [Jer. 33:11], and so forth. And if one does give joy to the bridegroom, what is his reward? He attains Torah, which was given with five ‘voices,’ as its says: ‘It was morning on the third day and there were thunderings⁵⁸, the same as “voice” in the Jeremiah passage. The thunderbolts are the “voice” of God as Torah is given. From the reading of the Jeremiah passage it appears that the five “voices” are the five lower sefirot from tiferet to malkhut, or from bridegroom to bride. … and the sound of the shofar …’ [Exod. 19:16]. ‘There was the sound of the shofar … and God responded in thunder’ [Exod. 19:19].” Is it true that there are five? Does it not also say: “And all the people saw the thunderbolts?” [Exod. 20:18].⁵⁹ Those had already occurred previously. Here they spoke of five voices. But we have also noted seven voices, those mentioned by King David in the Psalm [29]: “Render unto the Lord, O sons of gods!” Our sages have said that the divine Word was divided into seven voices.⁶⁰ 28, end. In the Mekhilta [to Exod. 15:26] it says: “If you surely listen to the voice of the Lord your God.” These are the ten commandments, given from mouth to mouth by ten voices. Now you attune your ear and listen to my words, so that the words of the sages be fulfilled. That which Moses and all Israel attained on that occasion, when they saw eye to eye, was only five voices, no more. That is why they forced Rabbi Helbo to admit that “And all the people saw the thunderbolts” referred to previously heard voices. These five are the totality. Moses asked to attain more, but was not answered. These five voices contain all seven extensions of space.⁶¹. From them are derived the seventy divine names that are appointed over the seventy nations. Together with the innermost voice they comprise seventy-one. That innermost voice split [into seventy] as it addressed the seventy nations. Every nation heard the Word, and that is the “great voice that did not cease” [Deut. 5:19]. All this is compared to a hammer, whose power is one but which fragments the rock into multiple pieces. So the totality of all is five voices, their specification is seven, except for the innermost voice, parallel to the singular nation. Of this it says: “A great voice that did not cease.” But the one who refers to ten voices holds fast to the highest total, that of the ten sefirot. All these lead in the same direction, having been “given by a single shepherd” [Eccles. 12:11].

footnotes: ⁵⁵ See Ecclesiastes Rabbah 8:11, where R. Haninah interprets Zach. 12:1 “God created [yatzar ⁵⁶ Concerning this verse, the Midrash states: “As for the Holy One, blessed be He, His name and might, when He declaims in enunciated speech, the sound is divided into seven voices.” Divine speech creates the cosmogenerative septet ranging from ḥesed ⁵⁷ b. Berakhot ⁵⁸ The term for “thunder” and “sound” throughout this passage is kol ⁵⁹ This might mean there were six or seven, thus breaking the parallel of five (wedding shouts) to five (Torah-sounds). Sinai is frequently depicted in the Midrash as the marriage of God and Israel. ⁶⁰ Shemot Rabbah ⁶¹ North, east, south, west, up, down, and inward. These will be associated below with the seven lower sefirot

When the Glory resided upon its throne, this being the revelation at Sinai, the shekhinah said: My nard gave forth its fragrance. Israel desired to view God eye to eye, stating: “It is our desire to see our King!” They received a positive answer, as it is written: “He said to Moses: ‘Ascend to God’” [Exod. 24:1]. And it says: “they gazed upon God” [Exod. 24:11].

A bag of myrrh: The forms existing occulted within the Glory are likened to a bag of myrrh. A spray of henna blooms: The forms which are revealed and rendered accessible. The Glory is similarly called the bundle of life, because souls are bound and connected there. Thus they say in the Midrash to Canticles⁶²: “‘Within it was decked with love’—these are the souls of the righteous which are present with God on high.” Three penetrated [the divine realms], each deeper than the other. “Moses approached the deep darkness” [Exod. 20:9]. The Targum⁶³. interprets this as: “towards the dense cloud.” That is, he perceived divine Will, Wisdom and Understanding, but not through the Speculum. Thus Righteousness and Justice are further inward,⁶⁴ and yesod. See R. Azriel: Perush ha-Aggadot, ed. Tishby (Jerusalem: Mekize Nirdamim, 1945), index of symbols. as it is written: “Righteousness and justice are the base of Your throne” [Ps. 89:16]. Further beyond are the souls of the righteous, as it says: “In his hands is the soul of every living thing” [Job 12:10] and “May the soul of my lord be bound up in the bond of life” [I Sam. 25:29].⁶⁵

footnotes: ⁶² Midrash Shir ha-Shirim Zuta 3:10. ⁶³ Targum Onkelos ad locum ⁶⁴ Probably malkhut ⁶⁵ The “hand” is higher than the “throne.”

And it says: My beloved to me because he exists near to her and for her sake.

From the vineyards of Ein Gedi: in that place the henna is of the finest quality.

Ah, you are fair: This bespeaks the construction of the tabernacle and the entrance into the bridal chamber, as it is written: “It was the day on which Moses completed [k ‘lot] the tabernacle” [Num. 7:1]. Concerning this our sages said: “The text spells ‘completed’ [k ‘lot] as though comparable to the day upon which the bride [kalah] enters the bridal chamber.”⁶⁶ The parable’s meaning points to the holy of holies, that is the shekhinah.

footnotes: ⁶⁶ Midrash Be-Midbar Rabbah 12:10.

Cedars are the beams of our house: The beams of the tabernacle were of acacia wood, cedar being a type of acacia. So it is written: “I will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias and myrtles and oleasters” [Isa. 41:19].

Cypresses the rafters: So too were the tabernacle poles which ran from one extremity [of the sanctuary] to the other.⁶⁷, the divine construct holding them all together. All this is a parable referring to union and intimate closeness: the time of love.

footnotes: ⁶⁷ The poles and rafters of the tabernacle are depicted as the lines that flow between the various sefirot