I am a rose of Sharon: Our sages said: “Sharon designates song [shirah]. She sang to the One who created the world.”⁶⁸

footnotes: ⁶⁸ Midrash Shir ha-Shirim Zuta 2:1.

As a lily among the thorns: The lily is that plant known as the lida which possesses six leaves. Thus the shekhinah has six boundaries.

The Glory is likened to an apple which possesses multiple colors: green, red, and white. Among the trees of the forest: This passage is a figure referring to the Central Column, standing in the medial position. None of the trees can produce their own fruit by their own devices since all draw their nourishment [yenikatam] from there.

In his shade is my delight: My existence is through His power and causal agency and for His very sake.

And his fruit is sweet to my mouth: The fruit of the Holy One, blessed be He, are the souls, as it is written: “From me comes your fruit” [Hosea 4:9]. Also “Light is sown for the righteous” [Ps. 97:11] and “Sweet is the light” [Eccles. 11:7].

He brought me to the banquet room: A figure of the ascent of the Glory and the greatness of its joy and pleasure within the supernal light.

And his banner of love was over me: He arrayed the four tribal banners and the shekhinah’s camp in the middle, just as He surrounded His throne with the four camps of angels. Michael stands to His right, for he is the angel of love and compassion, corresponding to Reuben, whose banner is situated in the south, who began his career with an act of compassion and rescue, as it says: “Reuben heard and saved him from their hands” [Gen. 37:21]. Uriel is positioned on the left, for he is appointed over justice and vengeance. He corresponds to the tribe of Dan, who produced Micah’s statue and received Jeroboam’s calf.⁷⁰, or the left side, with the demonic is strongly enunciated here. Gabriel stands before Him, corresponding to the kingdom of the house of Judah, whose banner was situated in the east. As it says: “For Judah triumphed over his brothers” [I Chron. 5:2]. Raphael is behind him, corresponding to Ephraim situated in the west, fulfilling the need for healing caused by the sin of Jeroboam. This order corresponds to the world’s four directions: the east, whence light enters the world; the west, in which lie the treasuries of snow and hail and whence come coldness and warmth; the south, whence dews and rains of blessing come; and the north, from which darkness enters the world. Thus is the structure ordered: by day it faces to the east, ruling over command of the day. But at night it faces west to pray; that is opposed to what we have said.⁷¹ Just as the tribal banners are arrayed to symbolize the world to come and this world as we have explained, so too has the tabernacle been constructed according to the order of the upper world, the building of the holy of holies, where the shekhinah rests between the two cherubim. Corresponding to the intermediate angelic world, in which serve those angels whose authority is over the earth, is the tent of meeting, in which are situated the showbread table, the candelabrum and the golden altar, these being inner and spiritual vessels. The golden altar was not designated for wholly burnt offerings or sacrifices, but rather for the incense, which was a matter subtle and spiritual. Facing it was the candelabrum and the light from its six branches issuing as hammered work from its central branch, radiating light at the front of the lamp stand. Corresponding to the terrestrial world is the sacrificial altar, situated in the tabernacle court, upon which all of the sacrifices might be offered. Similarly, three worlds exist within a human being: the world of speech corresponding to the head; that of the life-force from the navel and above; and the natural world from the navel and below, in which are situated multitudinous obstacles.

footnotes: ⁷⁰ The association of din ⁷¹ Perhaps implying that darkness should come from the west (opposite to the east) rather than from the north.

Thus Scripture states, His banner of love was over me, alluding to the camp of the shekhinah located in the midst of the four tribal ensigns, as it is written: “Then, midway between the divisions, the Tent of Meeting, the division of the Levites, shall move” [Num. 2:17]. And we have similarly found that the figures of the Tabernacle constitute a symbol of the Holy One, blessed be He, and of the world. So our sages have said: “R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi: ‘When the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses “Make Me a sanctuary that I might dwell among you,” he was to erect four poles and stretch out the tabernacle upon them. This teaches that the Holy One showed him red fire, green fire, black fire, and white fire. He said to him: “follow the patterns … that are being shown to you on the mountain” [Exod. 25:40].’ “R. Berechyah said: ‘This can be likened in a parable to a king who had a wonderful garment made of pearls. He said to his retainer: “Make me another like this one.” The retainer said to him: “My lord king, can I really make one like it?” The king said: “I in accord with my glory, you in accord with your own material.” Similarly, our teacher Moses said to God: “Can I construct something like these?” God said: “In accord with their patterns, using blue, purple, and crimson yarns and fine linen.’” “Thus is the entire world included within the construction of the sanctuary. Concerning the world it is written: ‘God created the heavens and the earth’ [Gen. 1:1] and ‘He stretches the heavens out like a curtain’ [Ps. 104:2]. The Tabernacle contained goat skins for its tent. On the second day it is written: ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, separating water from water’ [Gen. 1:6]. Concerning the tabernacle it states: ‘the curtain shall serve as a partition between the Holy and the Holy of Holies’ [Exod. 26:33]. On the third day of creation, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one area …’ [Gen. 1:9]. Concerning the sanctuary: ‘You shall make a brass basin’ [Exod. 30:18]. On the fourth day: ‘Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the sky’ [Gen. 1:14] while in the tabernacle there was the candelabrum of pure gold. On the fifth day of creation: ‘… and birds that fly above the earth’ [Gen. 1:20] while in the Sanctuary: ‘Let there be cherubim with outstretched wings’ [Exod. 25:20]. Humanity was created on the sixth day. Concerning the sanctuary it states: ‘Bring forward Aaron your brother’ [Exod. 28:1]. On the seventh day: ‘The heaven and the earth were completed’ [Gen. 2:1]. Concerning the tabernacle: ‘Thus was completed all of the work of the Tabernacle …’ [Exod. 39:32]. Concerning the work of Creation, it is written: ‘God blessed them’ [Gen. 1:33] and concerning the construction of the tabernacle: ‘Moses blessed them …’ [Exod. 39:43]. On the seventh day it states: ‘On the seventh day God finished the work that He had been doing’ [Gen. 2:2], concerning the tabernacle: ‘On the day which Moses completed …’ [Num. 7:1]. On the seventh day: ‘God sanctified it’ [Gen. 2:3]; concerning the tabernacle: ‘Moses consecrated it …’ [Num. 7:1].”⁷² All of the above alludes to the fact that this world draws its life and is connected and adheres to the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. So too the ark and its utensils are symbolic allusions. Above “seraphim stand” [Isa. 6:2]; below “acacia wood stands” [Exod. 26:16]. Above “He sits upon the cherubim” [Ps. 80:2]; below “cherubim of outstretched wing” [Exod. 37:9]. Above are the holy wheels (of Ezekiel’s vision); below “the structure of the wheels was like the structure of the wheel of the heavenly chariot-throne” [I Kings 7:33].

footnotes: ⁷² Midrash Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 1.

Sustain me with raisin cakes: A figure of great pleasure. Raisin cakes [ashishot] are those entities which are the foundations [ashyot] of the worlds above and below.

Refresh me with apples: With the two cherubim between whom I am situated, and from whom I receive blessing.

For I am faint with love: Faint with love from all of the joy of the heart and the weakness of the soul.

I adjure you: She speaks to Israel: beware lest sin causes the shekhinah to depart.

By the hosts: Hosts [tsevaot]: by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, for the Holy One’s name is His hosts.

By the hinds of the field: The Presence of His might, as it says: “the voice of God causes hinds to calve” [Ps. 29:9].

Hark! My beloved!: The words of the shekhinah. This was on the twentieth of Iyyar when the cloud arose from the tabernacle of the covenant.⁷³

footnotes: ⁷³ See Numbers 10:11: “In the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle of the Covenant and the Israelites set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai.”

Leaping over the mountains: That is to say that the Glory lept from mountain to hill, God’s ark being in the midst of the tent cloth.

Thus it says: My beloved is like a gazelle … : I found no rest from all of the places to which he journeyed: the burning bush, Sinai, the tent of meeting, until he dwelt in the Temple in Jerusalem, by the western wall. As our sages say: “The Shechinah has never departed the western wall. As it says: ‘There he stands behind our wall, gazing …’ [Cant. 2:9] from there watching over and observing humanity.”⁷⁴

footnotes: ⁷⁴ Exodus Rabbah 2:2.

Arise, my darling: To move from her place and go before the congregation of Israel. And such is the meaning of “Let me see your face” [Cant. 2:14]. These verses are a parable concerning this, as our sages said: “‘The Lord God has returned with you from captivity and taken you back in love’ [Deut. 30:3]. The verse does not state ‘God will restore you from captivity’ but rather ‘God has returned.’“⁷⁵ 29a. This teaches that the shekhinah returned with Israel from exile. And so too: “I set my heart by the highway, the road by which you traveled” [Jer. 31:21]. The received text⁷⁶ is “the road by which I traveled.” So too where Micah [4:10] is read as “So now you must leave the city and dwell in the country,” the received text is “I will dwell in the country.”⁷⁷’s participation in Israel’s exile.

footnotes: ⁷⁵ b. Megillah ⁷⁶ The Masoretic text as written, without the note for proper reading preserved in the margin. ⁷⁷ All these readings hint at shekhinah

For now the winter is past: A parable referring to the final fulfillment and the end of exile.

The blossoms have appeared in the land: This refers to the nearness of the days of ease and the coming of the time of inheritance and rest.

O my dove, in the cranny of the rocks: Until now the shekhinah has dwelt with Israel in exile, as our sages said: “‘He sets the childless woman among her household as a happy mother of children’ [Ps. 113:9]. The community of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘My children have made me to dwell, like a weasel, in ruined houses.’”⁷⁸ 118b.

footnotes: ⁷⁸ b. Pesahim

Catch us the little foxes: The parable refers to the spies, who were weak like foxes. They said: “However, the people who dwell in the land are powerful … the Amalekites dwell in the south country” [Num. 13:28].

That ruin the vineyards: The parable refers to the nations that profited through Israel’s arrival in the land and the construction of the Temple, as our Sages said: ‘“All of the earth’s families shall be blessed through you’ [Gen. 12:3]—even the foreign families in the land are blessed only on account of Israel.”⁷⁹ 63a. When Israel dwelled in their land, the Temple altar atoned for them [the nations]. Thus our sages said: “Abbaye said: ‘The seventy bullocks offered during the holiday corresponded to the world’s seventy nations.’ What was the purpose of the single bullock? It corresponded to that singular nation. A parable concerning a king who said: ‘Prepare a banquet for me.’ At the end, he said to his favorite: ‘Make me a small meal so that I might take pleasure with you.’ R. Yohanan said: ‘Woe to the world’s nations! For they have suffered a loss yet do not realize what they have lost! For throughout the existence of the Temple, the altar atoned for them. Now, who can atone for them?!’”⁸⁰ 55b. All of the above is readily explainable. When the central column is nourished, so are all of its branches.⁸¹ and thence to the right and left branches. This is comparable to the [manifestation] of vitality from the brain to the spine, whence it passes throughout all of the sinews.

footnotes: ⁷⁹ b. Yebamot ⁸⁰ b. Sukkah ⁸¹ The energy flows through the central column of the sefirot

For our vineyard is in blossom: The parable refers to Israel, who at the time of their origins, their entrance into the land, were in blossom. When their redemption was revealed, it was like the appearance of fruit upon a blossoming vine. Judgment was decreed and an oath sworn that Israel would not enter the land. The Glory and prophecy removed themselves and the shekhinah said in the Glory’s departure:

My beloved is mine … : who directs His world through six manifestations which are the ultimate source of all things generated below.

Until the day blows gently: When the sin of the Amorites will attain its consummation and their power and might be removed.

And the shadows flee: Our Sages said in the Midrash to the Song of Songs: “These are the celestial princes of the nations and their angels.”⁸² This is the true interpretation of the verse: “their protection has departed from them” [Num. 14:9] as I have interpreted the verse “I delight to sit in his shade” [Cant. 2:3].

footnotes: ⁸² The source of this quotation is unknown. Compare Nahmanides’ commentary to Numbers 14:9.

As a young gazelle: That is to say, “stand” as you stood when you went from mount to hill and tent to tabernacle.

For the hills of spices: An allusion to the departure of the Glory.