A rose. This is a rose שׁוֹשַׁנָּה=חֲבַצֶּלֶת.¹

footnotes: ¹ Alternatively, a young rose is called חבצלת and requires the abundant sunshine of the mountains. A mature rose is called שושנה, and the climate of the valley is best suited for it. (Sefer Duda’im)

A rose of the valleys. This [rose] is prettier than the rose of the mountains because it is always moist,² since the sun’s intensity is not strong there.

footnotes: ² Also, the mountain rose wilts sooner.

As a rose among the thorns. Which prick it, but it constantly retains its beauty and its redness, “so is my beloved among the daughters.” They³ entice her [i.e., Bnei Yisroel] to pursue them, to stray, as they do, after other gods, but she remains steadfast in her faith.⁴

footnotes: ³ The nations torment the Bnei Yisroel. ⁴ Alternatively, just as it is difficult to pick a rose from among the thorns, so too it is difficult to redeem the Bnei Yisroel from among the nations.

As an apple tree. When an apple tree is among trees that do not bear fruit, it is more precious than all of them, for its fruit is good both in taste and in fragrance.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Alternatively, Targum renders תפוח as an Esrog tree.

So is my beloved among the sons. Among the young men. The allegory is: So is the Holy One, Blessed Is He, superior to all the gods. Therefore, “in His shade I delighted and sat.” The Midrash Aggadah [explains], this apple tree, all flee from it because it provides no shade; so did all the nations flee from the Holy One, Blessed Is He, at the giving of the Torah, but I,⁶ “in His shade I delighted and sat.”

footnotes: ⁶ Although the other nations fled, Bnei Yisroel perceived the eternal benefit of sitting in His shadow, by accepting the Torah.

To the banqueting-house. The Tent of Meeting, where the details and the explanations of the Torah were given.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Alternatively, “the banqueting-house” refers to Mount Sinai. (Targum); or to Eretz Yisroel. (Sforno)

And his banner is raised over me in love. And his gathering, that he gathered me to him, that was love to me, I still remember his love. “וְדִגְלוֹ” is atreit in O.F.

Sustain me. Now, as is the manner of [treating] the sick, with flagons of grape wine or with cakes of pure flour.

Refresh my bed. Spread my bed around me with apples for a good fragrance, in the manner of [treating] the sick, for I am sick for His love, for I thirst for Him here in my exile. “רְפִידָה” is an expression of a couch, as in, “where he lies יִרְפַּד on jagged rocks as if upon mud.”⁸

footnotes: ⁸ Iyov 41:22.

His left hand was under my head. In the wilderness.

And his right hand would embrace me. He traveled a three-days’ journey to search out a resting place for them,⁹ and in that resting place, He brought down manna and quails for them. All this I remember now in my exile, and I am sick for His love.¹⁰

footnotes: ⁹ See Bamidbar 10:33. ¹⁰ Alternatively, this verse can be viewed as a prayer by the Bnei Yisroel, for God to once again demonstrate His love and “embrace me.” (Metzudas Dovid)

I bind you under oath. You, the nations.

By the gazelles and the does. That you will be abandoned and preyed upon like gazelles and does.

That you do not cause hatred nor disturb this love. That is between my beloved and I, to change it or to exchange it and seek that I be lured after you.

While it still pleases. As long as it is ingrained in my heart, and He desires me.

While it still pleases. As in, “While עַד the king was at his table,”¹¹ [i.e.,] while the king was still at his table.

footnotes: ¹¹ Above 1:12.

That you do not cause hatred. If you cause hatred [=עֵר, as in, “and has become your adversary עָרֶךָ,”¹² [and as in,] “And its interpretation upon Your enemies לְעָרָיךְ.”¹³

footnotes: ¹² I Shmuel 28:16. ¹³ Daniyeil 4:16.

Nor disturb. As in, “one who contests הָעוֹרֵר the ownership of a field,”¹⁴ chaloner in O.F. There are many Aggadic Midrashim, but they do not match the sequence of the topics, for I see that Shlomo prophesied and spoke about the exodus from Egypt and about the giving of the Torah, and the Tabernacle, the entry into the land [i.e., Eretz Yisroel], and the Beis Hamikdosh, the exile in Bavel, and the coming of the second Beis Hamikdosh and its destruction.

footnotes: ¹⁴ Mishnayos Kesubos 13:6.

The voice of my beloved. The poet returns to the earlier topics, like a person who was brief with his words and later says, “I did not tell you the beginning of these events.” He started by saying, “The king has brought me into his chambers,”¹⁵ but did not tell how He had remembered them in Egypt with an expression of affection. And now he returns and says, “this attraction that I told you about, that my Beloved drew me and I ran after Him, happened as follows: I had despaired any redemption until the completion of the four hundred years that were [fore]told [in the Covenant] Between the Parts,”¹⁶ and—

footnotes: ¹⁵ Above 1:4. ¹⁶ See Bereishis 15:13.

The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes. Before the end of the appointed time, as one skipping over the mountains and jumping over the hills.¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ God, as it were, skipped and jumped over the barriers of time and redeemed the Bnei Yisroel one hundred and ninety years before completion of the prophecy of the four hundred years of bondage.

My beloved resembles a gazelle. In the swiftness of His running, for He hastened to come like a gazelle and like a young hart. “עֹפֶר” is a young male hart.

Behold, he stands, etc. I had expected to remain detained for many more days, and behold, he informed [me] that He was standing and peering through the windows of heaven at what was being done to me, as it is stated, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people, etc.”¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ Shemos 3:7.

Spoke. עָנָה is] an expression of answering and an expression of a loud cry, The following is the precedent for them all, “And the Levi’im are to respond [...in a loud voice].”¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ Devarim 27:14.

And said to me. Through Moshe.

Rise up. “I will bring you up from the affliction of Egypt.”²⁰

footnotes: ²⁰ Shemos 3:17.

For behold, the winter is past. There is no difficulty in traveling now. “סְתָיו” is winter. The Targum of חֹרֶף [=winter] is סִתְוָא.²¹

footnotes: ²¹ Bereishis 8:22.

The blossoms have appeared on the land. The days of summer are near, when the trees blossom and the travelers enjoy seeing them.

The time of singing has come. When the birds emit song, and pleasant sounds for travelers.

And the voice of the turtledove. According to its apparent meaning, turtledoves and young pigeons. It is the nature for birds to sing and chirp in the days of Nissan.

The fig tree has produced its green figs. [To be understood] according to its apparent meaning.

And the grapevines with tender grapes. When the blossom falls, and the grapes become separated from one another, and each grape is discernible by itself, it is called “סְמָדַר.” This entire section, according to its simple meaning, is an expression of a loving seduction, by which a young man appeals to his betrothed to follow him; so did my beloved do to me.

My beloved spoke. Through Moshe.

And said to me. Through Aharon.

Rise up. Hurry yourself, “and let each man borrow from his neighbor.”²²

footnotes: ²² Shemos 11:2.

For behold, the winter is past. These are the four hundred years of [exile]. I skipped them by counting them from Yitzchok’s birth.²³

footnotes: ²³ See Rashi in Bereishis 15:13.

The rain. Which is the hardship of winter, is over and gone, i.e., eighty-six years of harsh slavery were decreed upon you, and they have passed. From the time that Miryam was born, the Egyptians intensified the bondage upon Yisroel; and therefore, she was called Miryam [= מִרְיָם, because they made it bitter [=מַר for them.²⁴

footnotes: ²⁴ See Shemos 1:14.

The blossoms have appeared on the land. Behold Moshe and Aharon are available for you to fulfill all your needs.

The time of singing has come. For you are destined to recite a song by the [Reed] Sea.²⁵

footnotes: ²⁵ See Shemos 15:1-19.

And the voice of the turtledove. The voice of the great guide [=תַּיָּר.²⁶ Another explanation: “קוֹל הַתּוֹר” means the tiding [=קול that the time [=תּוֹר²⁷ has arrived for your exodus from Egypt.

footnotes: ²⁶ Moshe Rabbeinu. ²⁷ See Esther 2:12, where Rashi explains that תור means time [= זמן].

The fig tree has produced its green figs. The time to bring the first fruits has arrived, for you will enter the land [of Yisroel].

And the grapevines with tender grapes. The time of the wine libations has drawn near. Another explanation: The worthy among you ripened and produced good deeds before Me and emitted a pleasant fragrance.

Arise [my beloved] go forth. A superfluous yud לָכְי is written, meaning, “rise up to receive the Ten²⁸ is ten. Commandments.”

footnotes: ²⁸ The numerical value of yud

Another explanation—The fig tree has produced its green figs. These are the sinners of Yisroel, who perished during the three days of darkness.²⁹ And the grapevines with tender grapes

footnotes: ²⁹ See Rashi in Shemos 10:22. “פגים” are unripened figs, and refer to the wicked among the Bnei Yisroel who spurned redemption, i.e., those who perished during the three days of darkness.

have emitted fragrance. These are the ones who remained of them;³⁰ they repented and were accepted. So it is interpreted in Pesikta.

footnotes: ³⁰ Shemos 14:10.

My dove, in the clefts of the rock. This is said regarding the time when Pharaoh pursued them and overtook them camping by the sea. With no place to escape in front of them because of the sea, and they could not turn to the side because of wild beasts. What did they resemble at that time? A dove that was fleeing from a hawk and entered the clefts of the rocks, where a snake was hissing at her. Should she enter inside, there was the snake; should she go outside, there was the hawk. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, said to her [Yisroel], “Show Me your countenance,” [i.e.,] the quality of your deeds, to whom you turn in time of distress.

Let me hear your voice. “And the Bnei Yisroel cried out to Adonoy.”³¹

footnotes: ³¹ Tehillim 107:27.

In the clefts of. In the crannies; this is a term referring to a breach, and similar to this is, “They were frightened יָחוֹגּוּ and they staggered,”³² [and,] “And the land of Yehudah will be for Egypt a dread לְחָגָּא,”³³ and in the plural form [Scripture] calls them חַגְוֵי [=cracks]. Similarly, [the plural form of] קָצָה [=end] is קַצְוֵי[=ends], and similarly, “and he cut their garments מַדְוֵיהֶם.”³⁴

footnotes: ³² Yeshayahu 19:17. ³³ II Shmuel 10:4. ³⁴ These are the terraces that are dug into hills around fortifications.

Cliff. Eschelons, in O.F. When they make a ditch around the towers and pour the earth above it to raise the mound around it, they make it in many levels, one above the other.

In the concealment of the cliff. There are sometimes holes in them, and reptiles and birds enter therein.

Seize for us the foxes. The Holy One, Blessed Is He, heard their voice; He commanded the sea, and it washed them away. That is [the meaning of], “Seize for us the foxes,” [i.e.,] the little one with the big ones, for even the [Egyptian] little ones were destroying the vineyards,³⁵ when our vineyards were still “with tender grapes,” when the grapes were tiny.³⁶ When a Jewish woman would give birth to a male and hide him, the Egyptians would enter their homes and search for the males, but the baby was hidden, and he was a year or two old. They would bring a baby from an Egyptian home; the Egyptian baby would speak, and the Jewish baby would answer him from the place where he was hidden, and they would seize him and cast him into the river. Now why does [Scripture] call them foxes? Just as the fox looks to turn back and flee, so too did the Egyptians look behind them, as it is stated, “I shall flee from before Yisroel.”³⁷

footnotes: ³⁵ I.e., the Bnei Yisroel. ³⁶ I.e., the children were young. ³⁷ Shemos 14:25.

Little foxes. It is written without a vav שֻׁעָלִים, because He punished them through water, which was measured with the stride [=שַׁעַל of the Omnipresent.³⁸

footnotes: ³⁸ See Yeshayahu 40:12.

My beloved is mine, and I am his. He demanded all His needs from me. He commanded only me, to make the Pesach sacrifice, sanctify the firstborn, make a Tabernacle, sacrifice burnt offerings; and He did not demand [these things] of any other nation.

And I am his. All my needs I requested of Him, and not of other gods.

Who pastures. His sheep.

Among the roses. In a good, pleasant, and beautiful pasture.

Until the sun spreads. This refers to the preceding verse, “My beloved is mine, and I am his,”³⁹ until the time that the iniquity caused the sun to darken me in the heat of the day, and the heat intensified.⁴⁰

footnotes: ³⁹ Above Verse 16. ⁴⁰ See Above 1:5-7.

And the shadows flee. We sinned with the [golden] calf; we sinned with the spies, “and the shadows flee,” [i.e.,] the merits that protected us [disappeared because] we broke off His yoke.

You turned away my beloved. I caused him to leave me on mountains which were far away from me.

Distant. An expression of separation and distance.⁴¹

footnotes: ⁴¹ Alternatively, הרי בתר means split mountain and is referring to the Mount of Olives which will be split as per the prophecy of Zecharyah [14:4]. Thus, the meaning of בתר is similar to “he split [ויבתר] them up in the center,” in Bereishis 15:10.