Levi ben Gershom (Ralbag) said: We have seen fit to explain this scroll, the Scroll of Shir HaShirim, according to what appears to us concerning it. For we have not found any explanation that could serve as a true interpretation of this scroll. Instead, we have observed that all the previous explanations we have encountered proceed along the lines of midrashic interpretations. Generally, what is said about this text through such methods diverges from the actual intent of the words. Although these interpretations may be valuable in their own right, they are not suitable as explanations for the words to which they are applied by way of midrash. Therefore, it is not appropriate for someone who wishes to explain these matters, and similar ones, to be drawn toward the midrashic interpretations that have been said about them. Rather, they should endeavor only to explain the text according to its intended meaning. It is also not advisable to mix midrashic interpretations with explanations of the text because doing so will confuse the reader, preventing them from understanding the true meaning of the words. This is especially true for such profound matters. Additionally, it might lead to the reader developing a distaste for the author's words for two reasons: either due to the length of the explanations or because of the mixture of essential matters with incidental ones. All of this can lead to disdain for the material. For this reason, we have made it our purpose to write what seems to us to be the correct explanation of this scroll, without mixing in unrelated matters that deviate from its intention. We have not made an effort in our commentary to mention what our sages said regarding certain parts of this book, because what was said by way of midrash has already been shown to be unsuitable for this explanation. While these are very good teachings on their own, they are not meant to be part of this commentary. Furthermore, what has been said in accordance with the actual intention of the scroll is so profound that it itself requires explanation, just like the words of the scroll itself. We already have enough of a challenge in explaining the words of this book, with its inherent depth, particularly when the matters are presented through such intricate parables and metaphors. It would only add to our burden if we were to include other interpretations, resulting in an overly lengthy explanation. Furthermore, once the intention of the book has been clarified, the explanations of the sages' statements will become clear on their own. Therefore, we will separate our commentary on the text from the explanations of the statements of our sages, whether by way of midrash or simple interpretation, if God grants us life. We believe this approach is more appropriate so that the explanations of those statements can be found in their entirety in their proper places. Now, we will begin with an introduction that encompasses all the main themes contained within this book. Here it is:

It is clearly evident from the Torah, the Prophets, and rational inquiry that the ultimate success for a person is in gaining understanding and knowledge of God to the extent that is possible for them. This is achieved when a person contemplates the nature of existences, their order, their correctness, and the wisdom of God in arranging them as they are. This is because these intelligible realities guide a person toward knowledge of God in some way, for the act points to the actor in a certain way. By this, I mean that a perfect act, which is complete in its purpose, indicates a perfect actor, who is perfect in his capacity as an actor. In this way alone, we can understand and know God—through His actions, which are the things that come after Him, for He has no prior causes at all. He is the First Cause for all existences. From this, it is clear that He does not have prior causes that are more knowable than He is, which could lead us to knowledge of Him. For if something has no causes at all, it certainly has no known causes. This has already been clarified, especially according to what the philosophers assert about God—that He is the order, arrangement, and harmony of the existences. According to this opinion, it would follow that someone who knows part of the order of existences will attain some understanding of the essence of God. However, the truth of the matter, as we have explained in our book Milchamot Hashem (Wars of the Lord), is that this type of inquiry is not within our scope at this time. In any case, the existence and perfection of God are clearly evident and strongly visible from the immense wisdom in the existence of all things as they are. For it is impossible to say about these things—being in their ultimate possible perfection and in their enduring order—that their existence is by chance, without an efficient cause, as Epicurus and his followers believed. This point has already been clarified by the philosopher in the book The Hearing (Aristotle's Metaphysics).

It has been explained in the Book of the Soul that the intellect within us, which is affected by external stimuli, is initially devoid of any knowledge or intellectual concepts at the beginning of its creation. This allows it to be capable of understanding all things, in the same way that a sapphire is capable of reflecting all colors because it is free from any inherent color. Given this, all the concepts that we acquire and comprehend are attained through learning. It is explained in the Book of Demonstration that for any acquired knowledge, a person must rely on prior knowledge. This prior knowledge is of two types: either first principles (innate concepts) or secondary concepts (acquired through reasoning based on the first principles). We acquire the first principles through sensory perception and experience, which is facilitated by our memory and imagination. The imagination retains sensory impressions after the senses themselves are no longer engaged, and memory allows for the repetition of these impressions, which is necessary for forming generalizations. Therefore, these faculties (imagination and memory) are a cause for our ability to acquire all intelligible concepts in some way. However, there is another, more exalted factor in the process of acquiring intelligible knowledge, which is the active intellect, as explained in the Book of the Soul. No intellectual concept can be acquired without it because it enables us to discern the repeated patterns obtained through the senses. This allows us to judge whether something is an essential property of the objects we observe, and we form conclusions that apply universally and eternally. For example, we can judge that certain qualities will apply to all individuals of a species and at all times, without end. It has also been explained in the Book of the Soul and in the Book of Sensation and Perception that the impressions received by the soul from external sensory objects possess varying degrees of spiritual refinement. The first level of spirituality is the impression received by the specific sensory organ from the external world. The second level is the impression received by the internal sense (the common sense) from the form that has been retained by the specific sensory organ. The third level is the impression passed from the common sense to the imaginative faculty. The fourth level is the impression passed from the imagination to the selective faculty (which chooses among the imaginative forms). The fifth level is the impression passed from the selective faculty to the memory and retention faculties. Thus, the impressions in the memory and retention faculties are the most spiritual of all because the other faculties have already abstracted them from many of the material characteristics that were associated with the external objects when they were first perceived. In this way, the impressions in the memory are in potential form, as are the imaginative impressions. This means that the imaginative forms exist in potentiality in the impressions of the common sense and not in actuality, because they are more abstract and spiritual than the impressions of the common sense.

It is important to understand that the intelligible form is potentially present in the forms retained within these faculties, although it exists there in a more distant potential state. By way of analogy, after the intellect strips away from the imaginative form the material characteristics that were initially associated with the particular object being perceived, that form becomes a universal concept. This means that the form is now understood as a general nature, shared by all individuals of that species, extending infinitely. In this way, the difficulty that led earlier thinkers to propose theories about forms and numbers, or to deny the possibility of knowledge, has been resolved, as explained in Metaphysics (Aristotle's work). It should not be overlooked that in achieving this great success, which we are naturally inclined toward, there is immense difficulty. It is so challenging that it is extremely rare for anyone to attain this goal in its fullest form, and even a significant portion of it is achieved by only a very small number of people. This is due to two main reasons: the difficulty of comprehending the nature of all existences perfectly, and the numerous obstacles that hinder us from dedicating ourselves to this pursuit of knowledge as we should.

The first of these obstacles is the intensity of our natural inclination at the beginning, which draws us toward physical desires. The second obstacle is the deception caused by imagination and thought, which lead us to confuse accidental things with essential ones, making us believe that what is truly non-existent exists, and vice versa.

The difficulty in fully grasping the nature of existence arises from many reasons. The first reason is the challenge of finding the correct path that will lead us to the proper understanding of what we are investigating. For example, we must approach the essential aspects related to the subject being investigated in the proper order. The second reason is the lack of clarity at the beginning of the process, as we do not know the correct path that will lead us to a complete understanding of reality. There is a particular, structured order in which this understanding can be achieved, and without following it, the goal cannot be reached. For instance, certain concepts must be studied first, but due to the desire for quick results, people often rush and begin their inquiries with topics that should come later in the process. This not only prevents them from gaining perfection but also worsens their deficiencies. The third reason is that many things we need to investigate remain hidden from us, and because of this, it is impossible to strive for truth regarding them. A person who does not know what they need to investigate will also not know the method to find the truth in that area. The fourth reason is the difficulty of acquiring from the senses the information necessary to understand many aspects of existence. The fifth reason is the subtlety and depth of the matters themselves, which makes them difficult to comprehend. The sixth reason is the numerous doubts and uncertainties that arise in every aspect of the inquiry. The seventh reason is the conflict between what is widely accepted as true and the actual truth of the matter. Many of the things we believe are based on what we have heard since childhood, but they may not align with reality. The eighth reason is the great divergence of opinions among scholars on these subjects, with each one bringing many arguments to support their position. In summary, attaining intellectual success is extremely difficult due to the reasons mentioned and others like them. For this reason, the prophets and sages did not cease to guide people toward the path that would lead them to success as much as possible.

The Torah, in its guidance, achieved perfect completeness for both individuals and the masses. If we were to explain this in detail based on the words of the Torah, it would require a lengthy discussion. However, we will condense the explanation and focus on what is sufficient for our purpose here. We will say that, because the first thing we should aim for is moral perfection, the Torah clearly directs us toward this perfection through many of its commandments. As for what pertains to the perfection of the intellect, this was kept hidden, as it is distant from the masses. Most of the Torah’s intellectual guidance concerns either difficult theoretical principles that are hard for the wise to fully grasp or major foundational ideas where error can greatly distance a person from human perfection. Since every action is directed toward a certain purpose, it is appropriate to focus on this goal from the outset so that all actions are aligned with achieving that purpose. However, this approach was not possible for the masses when it came to the commandments related to moral perfection. The masses do not understand what the ultimate human purpose is, and they are not naturally inclined to act unless they perceive some benefit. Therefore, the Torah cleverly combined the two approaches. It hinted at the ultimate goal — the attachment to God — and instructed this goal through some of the commandments. It also hinted at many wondrous intellectual ideas in certain stories, commandments, and the descriptions of the Tabernacle and its vessels, as if it was guiding the select few to understand that the rest of the Torah's commandments are for the sake of achieving this goal. Regarding the masses, the Torah stated that by fulfilling many of these commandments, they would gain longevity and various perceived successes, while neglecting them would result in the opposite. Even though the Torah’s commandments were not truly for this purpose, the masses, because they could not comprehend the ultimate goal of the commandments, needed to be motivated by the promise of these benefits. The Torah directed them to fulfill these commandments initially for this benefit, and through performing this service at first "not for its own sake," they would eventually be guided to do so "for its own sake." The Torah did not aim to teach intellectual matters completely, for that is not the role of a prophet as a prophet, but rather the role of a sage. Similarly, the prophets and those who spoke through divine inspiration did not cease guiding people toward perfection — whether it be moral perfection, intellectual perfection, or both. This was achieved by delivering teachings that would guide the masses toward moral perfection and at the same time provide insights that would guide the select few toward intellectual perfection. A large part of the Book of Proverbs is directed toward this latter group.

As for this book, Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs), it guides individuals exclusively on the path to success and, therefore, was not designed to be revealed to the masses. In this text, it first addresses, according to what appears to us, the removal of the obstacles that stem from moral deficiencies, as this is something that should be addressed first in proper order, as mentioned earlier. After that, it addresses the removal of the obstacles that arise from the inability to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Finally, it guides us in intellectual investigations according to the proper order, which are all of three kinds, as the philosopher mentioned in several places. The first type is that which pertains to physical matter, but the investigation is abstracted from the physical in words, not in reality, as is the case with mathematical subjects. The second type is that which pertains to physical matter and is not abstracted from it in words, such as natural science, where the investigation into the form is from the perspective of it being the perfection of the matter, and the investigation into the matter is from the perspective of it being the substrate for that form. The third type is that which does not pertain to physical matter either in words or in reality, as is the case with metaphysics (theology). The nature of these subjects themselves requires that intellectual investigation proceed in this order. This is because what is investigated in mathematics pertains to matter as matter in the abstract, not as specific matter — for example, light or heavy, not heavy or light. What is investigated in natural science pertains to matter as that specific matter — for example, matter that changes or is heavy or light or neither heavy nor light. Thus, the investigation into the abstract qualities of matter must precede the investigation into specific material properties, because general principles must be studied before particular ones, especially since general principles are also more known to us, as explained in the first part of De Anima. In general, what is shared by many things is more known to us than what is specific to a few things. Therefore, the study of mathematics precedes, in order, the study of natural science, along with the additional advantage that in mathematics, our knowledge is clearer due to the absence of entanglement with matter. Moreover, mathematics trains our intellect and brings it into actualization, developing good reasoning skills that will protect us from error in other sciences. Furthermore, mathematical sciences provide a certain preparation for natural science and metaphysics, as explained in the first book of Almagest.

From the beginning of the third chapter until the start of the fifth chapter, which begins with "The voice of my beloved," he alludes to the effort to remove the obstacles stemming from the deficiencies of character traits. From the beginning of the fifth chapter until the start of the eighth chapter, which begins with "On my bed," he hints at the effort to eliminate the obstacles arising from imagination and thought, until one knows how to escape from error and distinguish between truth and falsehood. From the beginning of the eighth chapter until the thirteenth chapter, which begins with "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride," he alludes to the attainment of learned wisdom. From the beginning of the thirteenth chapter until the statement "Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved," he alludes to the attainment of natural knowledge according to the proper order. The wisdom of natural science necessarily precedes metaphysics (the science of what comes after nature) in order. This is because metaphysics proceeds from natural science as its perfection and ultimate goal. Moreover, metaphysics assumes the existence of separate movers—entities that are neither bodies nor forces within bodies, something already established in natural science. However, the certainty attained in natural science is lower than that reached in mathematics because most of the proofs in natural science are demonstrative through observation. The causes we deduce through observation do not provide certainty of existence when that existence is hidden. Therefore, natural science requires more careful reflection and deliberation than the mathematical sciences. This is because someone who wishes to delve deeply into natural science, but refuses to accept anything unless it is absolutely impossible to contradict, will miss out on much of this field.

However, the science of metaphysics, despite its elevated status, provides us with a weaker degree of certainty. This is because its conclusions are derived from widely accepted premises that are somewhat distant from direct experience, especially when we investigate matters that are neither physical bodies nor forces within them. These are the primary subjects and ultimate purpose of that discipline.

However, the degree of certainty attained in the science of nature is primarily derived from specific and relevant premises. It is characteristic of these widely accepted premises that they can lead to the emergence of two opposing or contradictory conclusions. Therefore, this science is inaccessible to those who have not firmly settled on true beliefs derived from both the Torah and philosophical inquiry. Additionally, the tumult of natural instincts may drive a person to pursue their desires, thereby distorting their understanding of this science in a way that suits them, as was famously demonstrated in the case of Elisha upon entering the orchard. Furthermore, the minor errors that occur within this discipline are numerous due to the significance of the subject matter, as the ultimate goal of this science is human success. Since the objective of this book is to elucidate the path that leads to such successes, there are significant doubts as to whether this is even possible. Thus, it is necessary to first address the resolution of these doubts. This is reflected in what appears to us in his writings from the beginning of the book up to the start of the third chapter, particularly in his statement about the mare. Alongside this, he includes the title of the book, the name of the author, his rank, the manner of discourse, the subject he investigates, and its ultimate purpose. And his statement, "Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved," until the end of the book, alludes to the attainment of divine wisdom. This is what we have seen fit to present before our explanation of this book, and it serves as a great introduction to what we wish to convey. The difficulty in explaining the words of this book arises from two sides: the depth of the matters themselves and the depth of the concepts contained within this book. When we first direct ourselves towards understanding those matters, we are left with only understanding the depth of the concepts, which is not too difficult for us. However, if we were to load both tasks upon ourselves together, it would indeed be very burdensome. Therefore, the approach taken is akin to someone who finds it difficult to carry a heavy load all at once, but when it is divided into two parts, it becomes easier to bear each part individually. Additionally, this method makes it easier for the reader to understand our points and grasp their truth, without becoming confused by the length of the discussion or overwhelmed by trying to understand both matters at once.

From here, we will begin to explain the many metaphors and similes that appear in this book so that we will not need to explain them specifically in each instance where they arise in the concepts within it. In this way, we will be cautious against redundancy, and thus the approach will be more straightforward for understanding the words of this book easily. It is evident in itself that this wise one compares man to Jerusalem in this book because only man, being the complete being among all the creations in this lowly world, is distinct in his capacity to serve God, just as Jerusalem is distinct from all other cities and places. Furthermore, the name Jerusalem is derived from completeness, to the extent that it is referred to as "whole," as stated, "A king who is whole" and "And it was in Shalem, his dwelling." Since man is the most complete of all beings in this world, he is like a small world; therefore, he is compared to Jerusalem. Consequently, the powers of the soul are likened to the building of Jerusalem. The intellect is compared to Solomon because he is the king in Jerusalem, and the intellect rules over man, so the name Solomon denotes the completeness of this aspect, being derived from the idea of completeness. Since Zion was the most esteemed part of Jerusalem, where the Temple and the king's palace were located, the powers of the soul, which are more related to the functions of the intellect, are compared to the building of Zion. It is known that the Temple was built in the Forest of Lebanon; hence the Temple is referred to as "the Lebanon," as stated, "The forest of Lebanon is beautiful." Thus, you will find that in this book, the simile that is derived from this metaphor begins with the intellect, stating that it is "from the trees of Lebanon," or "from Lebanon," and thus, he states "from the trees of Lebanon." "And flowing from Lebanon. Coming from Lebanon." The metaphor is doubled here to alert the reader to understand his intent in this wonderful metaphor to the best of his ability and to accept the concealment from the masses regarding the concepts and similes he discusses. It is also clear that he compares the beginning of the time suitable for advancing towards perfection—from the conceptual completions to the beginning of yielding fruit or to the onset of the shadows of night. The manner of the metaphor here is clear: then the darkness of ignorance will be removed, and the light of wisdom will begin to shine. At that point, the soul will strive to produce fruit when this completeness is achieved, as the beginnings from which one will stand upon the matters of that wisdom have already been set in order. The metaphors in this manner have been repeated many times in this book. Since he compares perfection in wisdom to fruit, he likens what is the fruit in potential to flowers and roses, as flowers and roses are in the potential of the fruit or seed to which attention is initially directed, and they are also what the plant first brings forth when it strives to produce its fruit or seed. Thus, he will say concerning the intellect, regarding what it attains from the imagination, that it is a shepherd among the roses because in the forms of the imaginations, one finds the form of the intellectual in potential. Similarly, imagination is called the shepherd among the roses regarding what it perceives from the senses for this reason, as we have mentioned previously. To this metaphor, the matters of natural and divine intellects are compared to perfumes and oils, highlighting their virtue and their ability to inspire a person to grasp their truth through the pleasant scent they emit initially. These matters serve as a reminder of their completeness and the perfection of their actions, providing a wonderful instruction, just as a person is awakened to recognize a fragrance when he senses its pleasant aroma. This is because the pleasantness of his spirit will lead him to the place where the perfume is found and will bring him a desire to seek it until he attains it. This too has been repeated many times in this book. Since the perfection of intellect is attained through the active intellect by means of what the imagination imparts to it from the imaginative forms, this indeed completes the ability of the imagination to provide the intellect with what it requires from the senses through the wonderful desire to be receptive to the active intellect, so that all its actions may be in service to the intellect as much as possible. He compares this desire, which exists between the male and female who yearn for one another, to illustrate the intensity of this desire. He likens the intellect to the male because it occupies the rank of form in relation to the power of the imagination, and this idea is generally continued throughout this book. He compares the influence of the imagination on the active intellect to the nourishment from a woman, as this serves very well as a metaphor for the influence that will come from the female, and also because milk is the substance that nourishes in potential and is at the level of the potential itself. The same applies to the imaginative forms and the intellectual forms. It is appropriate that one should not overlook the descriptions through which the desired and the desiring praise one another, some of which are in accordance with the metaphor and some according to the lesson alone, as when he says, "Your hair is like a flock of goats," because this does not indicate, according to the metaphor, beauty of hair in the manner that would be fitting if it were according to the metaphor. Likewise, "Your belly is like a heap of wheat." "Your stature is like a palm tree." "We have a little sister..." And he subsequently says, "If she is a door..." and "If she is a wall..." because this would not be appropriate according to the metaphor at all. This, too, is found extensively throughout this book. His purpose in this was to illuminate the hidden aspect and to ensure that no one is misled to believe that the statements in this book pertain solely to the revealed. In some places, those descriptions seem to align with the metaphor alone, and this is for the completion and correction of the statement, as though it were intended to reconcile the hidden and the revealed. This adds concealment to our words until what is appropriate is fulfilled in these kinds of matters, concealing them from those who are unworthy of them and revealing them to those who are worthy. Among the things that should not be overlooked is the initial reference to the beloved as "Shulamit," and afterward she is called "the king's daughter." It is said, "Behold, his bed is of Solomon," and "The king made for himself a palanquin." In "the king's daughter," this is fitting for the matter, especially concerning such a wonderful metaphor in its composition. Another important aspect to consider is the change in the names by which this beloved is called according to her rank. Initially, she is called "my beloved." Then she is called "my beautiful beloved." Afterward, she is referred to as "the bride." Following this, she is called "my dove." Then she is again called "my beautiful beloved, my dove, my perfect one." Lastly, she is referred to as "Shulamit" and "daughter of a noble." This, too, is something that should be considered in the context. Additionally, it is important to notice how she swears by the daughters of Jerusalem the first and second time, "By the gazelles or the does of the field, do not stir up or awaken love," but in the third instance, she does not say, "By the gazelles or the does of the field" nor does she say, "Do not stir up," but rather asks, "What will you awaken?" We should also pay attention to the varying arrangements that appear in this book regarding the praise of this beloved and her beauty. The first time, she begins praising from her head and descends in order until her breasts. The second time, she starts praising from her head but does not descend in her praises below her head, meaning she does not go lower than her head. The third time, she begins her praise from her legs and does not cease to ascend until she reaches her head. This is something that cannot be without significance in such a finely crafted metaphor. Another point we should focus on is the manner of wisdom in the way it represents perfection, which first ascends to the heights of the mountains until the day breaks and so on. It likens perfection to ascending to Mount Mor and the hill of Lebanon, stating, "Until the day breaks, I will go to the mountain of Mor and to the hill of Lebanon." Lastly, it likens perfection to the ascent to the mountains of heaven. The contemplation here lies in the difference in the meanings of these mountains. Why are the first and last mentioned in the plural form—"the mountains of Betar" and "the mountains of heaven"—while the second is mentioned in the singular, "the mountain of Mor and the hill of Lebanon"? Furthermore, why does the second instance take the term "heavens" in a specific sense, while in the second and third instances it is taken in a general sense? This too is something that should hold significance in the discussion. Another noteworthy aspect we find is its specificity in the section "Coming from Lebanon," regarding the garden of this beloved. In that section, the beloved is likened to a garden, and the phrase "with" is repeated many times, as it states, "A garden of pomegranates with delicious fruits, with all manner of spices, with nard, and with all trees of frankincense, with all the chief spices, with the perfumes of the forest, with honey, wine, and milk." Notice how the word "with" is repeated here, and you will not find this repetition elsewhere in this book, except in this section, as if to awaken the slumbering to this wonderful repetition so they may understand its intent. This serves as an expression of its completeness and desire, so that its words may be understood, to the best ability, by those who are capable of comprehending them while keeping their meanings hidden from the masses, as is necessary. Thus, this is what we have seen fit to present concerning the metaphors and similes found in this book, regarding perfection.

And after we have completed this, we will begin to explain this revelation according to what we have intended.