והדוד אומר שבא לגנו ואכל מפריו ועושה סעודת מריעים לריעים וידידים:

Allegory: The Beloved says that He has come into His garden and eaten of its fruit. He then prepares a banquet for His companions, friends, and beloved ones, inviting them to partake in the feast.

The Beloved returned to His dwelling place, and the beloved fell asleep in Solomon's chambers and forgot her Beloved for many days.

And with this the third song is completed.

והדוד העליון משיב: הנה באתי לגני. שע"י התעוררות הנפש הנזכר הגיע עת דודים ונתיחדו הידידים, (ובמדרש באתי לגני לגנוני עקר שכינה מתחלה לא בתחנונים היתה) אריתי מורי, מצייר כי קבל ניחוח מן הגן הזה, שהיא עבודת הנפש ופעולותיה בכל מחלקותיה. א) מן כחות הרוחנים הנבררים מנפש החיונית, שעז"א אריתי מורי עם בשמי, שכבר בארנו (א' י"ג, ג' ו'. ד' ו') שמור הנזכר בספר הזה רומז להזך והרוחניות של הנפש החיונית, כי המור הוא המוסק שהוא דם הצרור המריח ריח טוב הנמצא בחיה שבהודו, יאמר כי לקט המור עם כל בשמיו ורוחניותו. ב) מן כחות הרוחנים הנבררים מנפש הצומחת שזה משל היער הצומח עצים יאמר שאכל היער עם דבשור"ל שקבל פעולת הנפש הזאת ועבודתו בקדש, למשל המצות התלויות באכילה ושתיה כמו אכילת הקרבנות אכילה בשבתות ויו"ט וכדומה, היא דבש היער הצומח מנפש הצומחת. המצות התלויות במדות ובכחות החי הוא מור של הדם החי. ג) פעולת הנפש השכליית שזה הנמשל ביין וחלב כמ"ש ולכן שברו בלוא כסף ובלוא מחיר יין וחלב (ישעיהו נ״ה:א׳) כמ"ש בפי' שמה, ועז"א שתיתי ייני עם חלבי, ועי"ז משפיע שפע ברכה ונדבה על כל המציאות, שכולם מתברכים באמצעות המע"ט העולים מטיב הנפשות ועבודתן, ועז"א אכלו רעים, והם העולמות הרוחנים, שתו ושכרו דודים, יתר העולמות, (עיין בזהר ויקרא דף ד' ודף ז'), כי באמצעות המקדש והקרבנות ועבודת הנפשות, אשר נפש שלמה היתה להם צפירת תפארה, התברכו עליונים ותחתונים:

Figurative Meaning: And the heavenly Beloved replies: “I have come into My garden”—Through the awakening of the soul described above, the time of love arrived and the beloved companions were united. (The Midrash says: “I have come into My garden”—to My bridal chamber; originally the Divine Presence dwelt below.) “I have gathered My myrrh”—He depicts Himself as receiving a pleasing fragrance from this garden, which symbolizes the service of the soul and the activities of all its faculties. First, from the spiritual powers refined out of the vital soul, as indicated by the words “I have gathered My myrrh with My spices.” We have already explained (1:13; 3:6; 4:6) that the myrrh mentioned throughout this book symbolizes the pure and spiritual essence of the vital soul, since myrrh is musk, the fragrant substance derived from the blood preserved within the musk-deer of India. Thus He says that He has gathered the myrrh together with all its fragrance and spirituality. Second, from the spiritual powers refined out of the vegetative soul, symbolized by the forest that produces trees. Therefore He says, “I have eaten My honeycomb with My honey,” meaning that He has accepted the service and activity of this faculty in holiness. For example, commandments connected with eating and drinking—such as eating sacrificial offerings, eating on Sabbaths and festivals, and similar practices—constitute the honey of the forest that grows from the vegetative soul. Commandments associated with character traits and the powers of life correspond to the myrrh derived from the blood of living creatures. Third, the activity of the rational soul, symbolized by wine and milk, as in the verse, “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1), as explained there. Therefore He says, “I have drunk My wine with My milk.” Through all this He bestows abundant blessing and generosity upon all existence, for all worlds receive blessing through the good deeds ascending from the excellence of souls and their service. Therefore He says, “Eat, O friends,” referring to the spiritual worlds; “Drink and be intoxicated, O beloved ones,” referring to the remaining worlds. (See the Zohar, Vayikra 4a and 7a.) Through the Temple, the sacrifices, and the service of souls—of which the soul of Solomon was the crown of beauty—both the upper and lower worlds received blessing.

The heavenly Beloved returned to His holy dwelling place, and the perfect bride returned to the body and fell asleep in its embrace, and for many days she did not remember her Beloved.

And with this the third song is completed.

השיר הרביעי: נמשך עד אנה הלך דודך [ו' א']. מספר כי הרעיה שכחה את דודה ימים רבים. עד שפעם אחת בא בלילה ודפק על פתחה. ולא רצתה לפתוח לו, ואח"כ יצאה לפתוח לו ודודה חמק עבר. ולא מצאה אותו עוד. ושומרי העיר הכוה. ואז נתפרסם הדבר וגלתה אהבתה לדודה לפני בנות ירושלים. וספרה להן מעלותיו ותאריו:

Allegory: The Fourth Song: This song continues until “Where has your beloved gone?” (6:1). It relates that the beloved forgot her beloved for many days. Then one night he came and knocked at her door, but she was unwilling to open it for him. Afterwards she went out to open the door, but her beloved had already withdrawn and passed on. She could no longer find him. The watchmen of the city struck her, and then the matter became widely known. She revealed her love for her beloved before the daughters of Jerusalem and described to them his virtues and his appearance.

Allegory: “I sleep”—For she slept upon her bed and did not awaken to her beloved as she had done before. Yet her heart remained awake, still retaining some remembrance of her betrothed, the shepherd. Then she heard the voice of her beloved knocking at the door and saying, “Open to me, my sister, my love...” for the dew had filled his head.

השיר הרביעי: הרעיה השמיימית נפש שלמה שכחה את דודה העליון ימים רבים, כמ"ש (מלכים א י״א:א׳) והמלך שלמה אהב נשים נכריות רבות וכו' ויטו נשיו את לבבו, ויהי לעת זקנת שלמה נשיו הטו את לבבו אחרי אלהים אחרים וכו', עד שפעם אחת בא הדוד העליון ודפק על פתחה ולא רצתה לפתוח לו. ודודה חמק עבר בחרי אף, וזה הוא המראה הרביעית שנאמר שם, ויתאנף ה' בשלמה כי נטה לבבו מעם ה' אלהי ישראל הנראה אליו פעמים, ויאמר ה' לשלמה יען היתה זאת עמך ולא שמרת בריתי וחקותי אשר צויתי עליך קרוע אקרע הממלכה מעליך וכו', ואז התעורר שלמה לשוב בתשובה, אבל לא זכה מאז למראות ה' ולא יכלה נפשו להתפשט מן החומר עד יום מותו שאז נתפרדה החבורה ויצאה מן החומר ותשב אל דודה, וגלתה אהבתה ותשוקתה אל ה' לפני בנות החומר כמשי"ת ענינו בפנים:

Figurative Meaning: The Fourth Song: The heavenly beloved, the soul of Solomon, forgot her heavenly Beloved for many days, as it is written: “King Solomon loved many foreign women...” and “his wives turned away his heart” (I Kings 11), and again: “When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods.” Then, at one point, the heavenly Beloved came and knocked at her door, but she was unwilling to open it for Him. The Beloved withdrew and departed in anger. This corresponds to the fourth Divine appearance described there: “And Hashem was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from Hashem God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.” And Hashem said to Solomon: “Since this has been your conduct, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes which I commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you...” At that point Solomon was stirred to repentance. Yet from then on he no longer merited Divine visions, nor could his soul free itself from materiality as before. This continued until the day of his death, when the bond was finally dissolved, the soul departed from the body, and returned to her Beloved. Then she revealed her love and longing for God before the daughters of materiality, as will be explained in the verses that follow.

Figurative Meaning: “I sleep”—He relates that the soul of Solomon had distanced itself from its heavenly Beloved for many days, as it is written: “And it came to pass when Solomon was old that his wives turned away his heart.” She was asleep in the embrace of the body, drowsing upon the bed of time and its pleasures, and no longer awakened as she had before to the harp hanging above David's bed. Yet her heart was awake, for she had not completely separated herself from her God. Her heart still yearned after Him, seeking union in love, but laziness had cast her into slumber. Then she heard the voice of the heavenly Beloved knocking at the door. This was the fourth vision in which Hashem appeared to Solomon and rebuked him with words of wrath. The heavenly Beloved says, “Open to Me, My sister,” for Solomon's chambers were then closed and shut, and a wall stood between them. That is, she had already become bound and attached to the love of material things, which formed a barrier between her and holiness. This wall separated her from the spiritual realm, as in the verse, “They set their threshold by My threshold... and the wall between Me and them” (Ezekiel 43), and as in, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God.” Therefore He knocked upon the doors of the body, urging her to prepare herself, open her gates, and free herself from materiality. He said to her, “Open to Me, My sister, My beloved, My dove, My perfect one.” He recounts all the levels to which she had risen in the previous three visions. In the first vision she was called “My beloved” (1:9, 1:15, 2:2). In the second she was again called “My beloved” (2:10, 2:13), and in addition “My dove” (2:14). In the third she was called “My beloved” (4:1, 4:7), “My dove” (“your eyes are doves,” 4:1), and “My perfect one” (“there is no blemish in you,” 4:7), and He further added the title “My sister, My bride” several times. The title “My sister” was hers before she descended into the body, when she was equal with Him and a portion of His very essence. Therefore He begins with that title now. The title “My beloved” refers to the rational and intellectual soul; “My dove” refers to the vital soul, like a dove whose life is bound up with its mate; and “My perfect one” refers to the vegetative soul, for it is through the growth of the body and its limbs that defect and blemish can arise. These are the levels she had acquired one after another: first she purified her rational soul, then the lower level, the vital soul, and finally the lowest level, the vegetative soul. He now says, “Open to Me,” because of these very attainments that you acquired through your former good deeds, as implied in the prophetic rebuke: “Since this has been your conduct and you have not kept My covenant...” That is, your punishment is greater because of the high level you once occupied. “For My head is filled with dew.” He portrays His head as filled with dew, an allegory for the prophetic influence He is now prepared to bestow, the dew of spiritual light, as in: “I will be as the dew unto Israel” and “My teaching shall drop as the dew.” But “My locks are filled with the drops of the night.” The head symbolizes the hidden and supreme thought, while the locks symbolize the emergence of what is hidden into outward manifestation, just as hair is the surplus of the brain—the seat of thought—which thickens and becomes visible outside. Thus He means: My supreme thought is filled with the dew of prophetic influence, but the outward revelation of this prophecy through speech is filled with the drops of the night. These drops symbolize judgment and punishment, the offspring of night and darkness, the darkness of sinful deeds and the punishment that shattered the house into fragments. This alludes to the division of the kingdom of the House of David.

משיבה הרעיה שכבר פשטה את הכתונת ורחצה את רגליה וא"א לה לקום להתלבש וללכת יחף:

Allegory: The beloved replies that she has already removed her robe and washed her feet, and therefore cannot rise, dress herself again, and go out barefoot.

פשטתי. משיבה נפש שלמה שכבר פשטה את כתנתה, ר"ל כי הנפש הזוכה לנבואה עת תתפשט מן הגשם תתלבש כתנות אור. שהיא לבוש דק שנעשה לה מתורה ומע"ט שעסקה בהם. ע"י השכלותיה ומעשיה בדברים שיש להם קשר עם דברים חומריים, ומצד הלבוש הזה לא תשאר ערומה לגמרי, ר"ל בעצמותה הרוחני, שא"א שתעמוד בעולם הזה החומרי בלא לבוש, (והוא הכתנות אור שלבש בו אדם קודם החטא, וגם מלאכי מעלה עת ירדו במלאכותיהם לעה"ז יתגלמו להתלבש בלבוש דק כנודע בדברי החכמים) והנה עתה בעונותיה כבר פשטה את הכתנות אור, (שנתערבה עם כתנות עור ובשר) וא"א עוד שתלבשנו בעת תתפשט מגויתה כי כבר הוסר ממנה. **רחצתי את רגלי,**הגוף אל הנפש הוא בדוגמת הנעל שעליו תעמוד ותתיצב, ובעת הנבואה תסיר הנעל, ר"ל תפשוט את המקום, כדרך השכליים המפשטים מגופות, כמ"ש של נעלך מעל רגלך, שהוא על הפשטת החומר, (וכידוע מ"ש האלהיים בסוד חלוץ הנעל), אבל עתה כבר רחצתי את רגלי, כדרך הענוג הבלתי הולך יחף, כי רחצתים בל אלך בלא נעל, ואיככה אטנפם, (תפס לשון זה כפי המשל) ר"ל שכבר א"א לי לעזוב את הגוף שהוא נעל רגלי, רגע:

Figurative Meaning: “I have taken off my garment”—The soul of Solomon replies that she has already removed her garment. For when a soul is worthy of prophecy and separates itself from corporeality, it clothes itself in garments of light. These are subtle garments fashioned from the Torah and good deeds in which it has occupied itself, through its understanding and actions in matters connected with the material world. Through this garment it does not remain completely naked—that is, in its pure spiritual essence—for it is impossible for it to exist in this material world without some form of covering. These are the garments of light with which Adam was clothed before the sin. Likewise, when heavenly angels descend to this world to perform their missions, they clothe themselves in a subtle garment, as is known from the teachings of the sages. But now, because of her sins, she has already removed these garments of light and become wrapped instead in garments of skin and flesh. Therefore she can no longer put them on when separating herself from the body, for they have already been taken away from her. “I have washed my feet.” The body stands in relation to the soul like a shoe upon which one stands and supports oneself. During prophecy, however, the soul removes the shoe—that is, it casts off materiality, following the way of spiritual beings that abstract themselves from bodily existence, as in the command, “Remove your shoes from your feet,” which alludes to the stripping away of matter. (This is related to the mystical teaching concerning the removal of the shoe.) But now, “I have washed my feet,” like a person of refinement who does not walk barefoot, for I have washed them precisely so that I need not go without shoes. “How shall I soil them?” (The language follows the literal allegory.) That is, I can no longer abandon the body, which serves as the shoe upon my feet, even for a moment.

ואז שלח הדוד את ידו מן החור לפתוח המנעול ואז המו מעיה עליו:

Allegory: Then the beloved stretched out his hand through the opening to unlock the door, and at that moment her innermost feelings were stirred because of him.

דודי ואז כראות הדוד העליון כי דלתות ביתה סגורה בפניו שלח ידו (שהוא הנבואה כמ"ש וישלח ידו ויגע על פי. והנה יד שלוחה אלי, כה אמר ה' אלי בחזקת היד) הגיע אליה דבר הנבואה דרך החור, ר"ל לא נכנס לתוך חדרה להתיחד עמה פנים אל פנים ולהוציאה אליו, כמו בדברות הקודמים, רק הודיע לה דבר נבואתו שהיה מלא תוכחות ועונשים, ואז מעי המו עליו, שהתחילה להתחרט על מעשיה, ולהתאוות אל ירחי קדם בסוד ה' עלי אהלה:

Figurative Meaning: “My Beloved”—Then, when the heavenly Beloved saw that the doors of her house were closed against Him, He stretched forth His hand (the hand being a symbol of prophecy, as in: “He stretched forth His hand and touched my mouth,” “Behold, a hand was sent unto me,” and “Thus said Hashem unto me with a strong hand”). The prophetic word reached her through the opening, that is, He did not enter her chamber to unite with her face to face and lead her out to Himself as in the earlier revelations. Instead, He conveyed to her His prophetic message, which was filled with rebuke and warnings of punishment. Then “my inward parts were moved for him,” meaning that she began to repent of her deeds and to long once more for the days of old, when the secret counsel of God rested upon her tent.

ואז קמה ממשכבה לפתוח לדודה, וידיה נטפו מור שעבר על כפות המנעול בנגעה בו:

Allegory: Then she arose from her bed to open the door for her beloved, and her hands dripped with myrrh that had passed over the handles of the lock when she touched it.

קמתי. ספר כי אחר הדבור הזה שב שלמה בתשובה, וקם משנתו שנת עולם לפתוח לדוד העליון, שרצה להכין א"ע אל הקדושה והטהרה ולעזוב את עניניו הבשריים וחמדת נשים. עד שיוכן שנית אל הדבוק האלהי, ושיפתחו המסגרות שסגר החומר בעדו, וידי נטפו מור, כבר בארנו (למעלה א' י"ג, ג' ו', ד' ו') שהמור ולבונה המוזכרים בספר הזה ימליצו את העלאת זכוך נפש החי ונפש הצומח אל הקדושה, כי המור הוא דם המריח בחיות שבהודו, והלבונה היא הריח מן הצומח. והנה בכל עת שעלתה נשמתו מן החומר אל האלהות והרוחניות, נשאה עמה מור ולבונה, ר"ל העלתה רוחניות כחותיה הנפשיות של נפש החי והצומח הטפלים לה אל הקדש, אבל עתה שכבר נשתקעה בחומריות לא יכלה עוד לעשות מלאכה זו הנפלאה. לעשות בגופה מלאכת האלכימיאה להעלות ממספר נפשותיה את המור והלבונה, כי את הלבונה לא יכלה להוציא כלל (ר"ל לבטל כחות הנפש הצומחת מאכילה ושתיה ולהעלותם אל הקדש), ואת המור העלתה קצת אבל רק ידיה נטפו מור, ר"ל שתעלה רוחניות נפש החיונית שהיא שורש להמדות וכח המתעורר לא יכלה רק בידיה, ר"ל בפעולותיה המעשיות, אבל לא לזכך את מדותיה ויצרי מעלליה בכלל, ורק אצבעותיה נטפו מור, אבל המור הזה היה עובר על כפות המנעול, שבכל עת שנגע במנעול לפתוח הדלת עבר המור בכל פעם, ר"ל בכל שרצה להתפשט מחומריותו ולפתוח לדודו, עבר המור וחלף לו, כי היצר והמתעורר התגברו כפעם בפעם ולא יכול לעמוד בקדש על מעלות הסולם:

Figurative Meaning: “I arose”—He relates that after this message Solomon repented and arose from his sleep, the sleep of worldly existence, to open to the heavenly Beloved. He desired to prepare himself once again for holiness and purity, to abandon his fleshly concerns and his desire for women, so that he might again become fit for Divine attachment and open the barriers that materiality had erected against him. “And my hands dripped with myrrh.” We have already explained (1:13; 3:6; 4:6) that the myrrh and frankincense mentioned throughout this book symbolize the elevation and refinement of the animal soul and the vegetative soul into holiness. Myrrh is the fragrant blood found in the musk-deer, while frankincense is the fragrance derived from the plant kingdom. Whenever his soul ascended from materiality to divinity and spirituality, it carried with it myrrh and frankincense—that is, it elevated the spiritual essence of the animal and vegetative faculties attached to it into holiness. But now, after having become immersed in materiality, he could no longer perform this wondrous work. He could no longer carry out within himself this spiritual alchemy by extracting the myrrh and frankincense from among the various levels of his soul. The frankincense he could no longer raise at all—that is, he could no longer suppress the powers of the vegetative soul connected with eating and drinking and elevate them into holiness. As for the myrrh, he was able to raise only a little. Therefore he says, “My hands dripped with myrrh.” He could elevate the spiritual aspect of the vital soul, the source of the emotions and the appetitive faculty, only through his hands—that is, through his outward actions and deeds. He could no longer completely refine his character traits and inner impulses. Thus, “my fingers dripped with myrrh,” but this myrrh was upon the handles of the lock. Whenever he touched the lock in order to open the door, the myrrh slipped away and passed off. That is, whenever he attempted to free himself from materiality and open himself to his Beloved, the myrrh would vanish, for the inclination and the appetitive powers repeatedly gained the upper hand. He was unable to remain firmly established in holiness or continue ascending the steps of the spiritual ladder.

ואז בעת שפתחה כבר חמק הדוד. כי נתקצף עליה ועבר ונפשה יצאה בדברו קשות בלכתו. ומאז לא מצאה אותו.

Allegory: Then, by the time she opened the door, the beloved had already withdrawn. For he had become angry with her and departed. Her soul almost left her when he spoke harshly and went away. From that time onward she could no longer find him.

Figurative Meaning: “I opened”—Therefore she merely opened to her Beloved; that is, she attempted to separate herself from her body and roll away the veil of materiality that stood between her and her Beloved. But her Beloved had already withdrawn and passed on. He no longer returned to cause His Presence to dwell upon her. “My soul failed when He spoke.” This refers to the harsh prophecy in which He informed Solomon of the division of the Davidic kingdom. (The Midrash explains: “He withdrew and passed on”—He became filled with wrath against me.) The meaning is that the highest level of Solomon's soul, the “soul of the soul,” through which he attained the Holy Spirit and prophecy, had already departed and become separated from him. (As the Zohar, Acharei Mot 67a, teaches, the Holy One, blessed be He, is the spirit and soul of all.) Therefore, “I sought Him” through repentance, but I did not find Him. “I called Him” through prayer and supplication, but He did not answer me.

ובבואה לפני שער העיר, מצאוה השומרים והכוה ונשאו את רדידה מעליה:

Allegory: And when she came before the gate of the city, the watchmen found her, struck her, and took her veil from her.

מצאוני ומדי צאתה לעזוב את חדרי שלמה, ר"ל בעת רצתה להפרד מן הגויה אל השפע הנבואיית. מצאוה שומרי העיר, ר"ל הכחות המעמידים חיי הגויה, שלא יכלה עוד לעבור מהם כמקדם ולגנוב דעתם, כי כבר היתה תחת רשותם, והם הכוה ופצעוה שהכריחו את הנפש שתשאר עם גויתה ומדותיה ותאותיה הגשמיות עד שהשיבוה למסגרה בכל פעם ע"י מכות ופצעים שהם חולי הנפש ומכאוביה, (כמ"ש הרמב"ם בח' פרקיו שיש לנפש בריאות וחולי כמו שיש לגוף בריאות וחולי), ושומרי החומות בכללם, שהוא מצד היותה קשורה בגויה ובחומה היא יושבת, נשאו את רדידי שהוא תכשיט ראשה, ר"ל שלא יכלה עוד להשכיל ולהשיג בדרך נבואיי שמשכיל בלא חומה ובלא מעצור, כי שבו השכלותיה מוגדרים ומצומצמים לפי ההשגה של שכל הנקשר בחומר. שמשיג השגה הדרגיית ע"י שהוא מוקף חומה דלתים ובריח, לא השגה פתאומית בלא גבול ותכלית:

Figurative Meaning: “The watchmen found me”—As soon as she attempted to leave Solomon's chambers—that is, when she sought to separate herself from the body and attain prophetic influence—the watchmen of the city found her. These are the powers that sustain the life of the body. She could no longer pass beyond them as she had done previously or escape their notice, for she had already come under their dominion. They struck me and wounded me, meaning that they compelled the soul to remain bound to the body, its character traits, and its physical desires. Again and again they forced her back into confinement through blows and wounds, which symbolize the illnesses and sufferings of the soul. (As Maimonides explains in his Eight Chapters, the soul has health and sickness just as the body has health and sickness.) The keepers of the walls—that is, those powers associated with her being enclosed within the body and dwelling behind its walls—took away my veil, the ornament of her head. This means that she could no longer attain understanding through the prophetic mode of perception, which grasps reality without walls or barriers. Instead, her intellectual attainments became once again restricted and limited to the understanding of a mind bound to matter. Such a mind acquires knowledge gradually, enclosed by walls, doors, and bolts, rather than through the immediate and boundless perception characteristic of prophecy.

ועי"כ נתפרסם הדבר. והיא משבעת את בנות ירושלים שבעת ימצאו את דודה יאמרו לו שהיא חולת אהבתו:

Allegory: As a result, the matter became known. She then adjures the daughters of Jerusalem that if they should find her beloved, they are to tell him that she is sick with love for him.

השבעתי. נפש שלמה ראתה אז כי א"א לה עוד למצוא את דודה, ר"ל להשיג השגה זו בחייו, רק בעת שיגיע זמן הגויעה והפרידה שאז השם מתגלה אל הצדיקים כמו שנפשם עודם בגופם ושניהם משיגים את ה' ובזה תאסף הנפש אל עמה, (כמ"ש בזוהר פ' מצורע דף נ"ג ופ' אמור דף פ"ח) ובזה היא משבעת את בנות ירושלים שהם כחות גופה, שבעת ימצאו את דודה בעת המות שאז ירגישו הם בו תחלה אז יגידו לו שהיא חולת אהבה, (ועיין במדרש הנעלם פ' חיי שרה דף קכ"ב פי' ג"כ פסוק זה על דברת הנפש לנפשות בעת המות):

Figurative Meaning: “I adjure you”—The soul of Solomon then realized that it was no longer possible for her to find her Beloved during this life; that is, she could no longer attain this level of perception while living. Such attainment would come only at the time of death and separation, when Hashem reveals Himself to the righteous while their souls are still joined to their bodies, and both together perceive Him. Through this, the soul is gathered unto its people. (See the Zohar, Metzora 53a and Emor 88a.) Therefore she adjures the daughters of Jerusalem, who represent the powers of her body, that when they find her Beloved at the time of death—for then they will perceive His presence before she does—they should tell Him that she is sick with love. That is, they should declare the intensity of her longing and yearning for Him. (The Midrash Ha-Ne'elam on Parashat Chayei Sarah, fol. 122, likewise interprets this verse as the soul speaking to other souls at the time of death.)

מה. ובנות ירושלים שאלו אותה מה דודך מדוד. הגידי לנו א] מה ההבדל בין אהבתך ליתר אהבות, ב] מה ההבדל בין דודך לדודים אחרים, עד שככה השבעתנו ברוב אהבתך אותו:

Allegory: “What”—And the daughters of Jerusalem asked her, “What is your beloved more than another beloved?” Tell us: (1) What distinguishes your love from all other loves? (2) What distinguishes your beloved from other beloveds, that you have adjured us so earnestly because of your great love for him?

מה. והנה בנות הגויה שואלים את הנפש, א) מה דודך מדוד. מבקשים שתצייר להם ההבדל בין האהבה ותשוקה זו הרוחניית שבה תכסוף הנפש אל האלהים, לבין יתר האהבות והכסופים הגשמיים (כי בנות הגויה לא ירגישו מהות האהבה הזאת ועוצם יקרה), ב) מה דודך מדוד. מה מהותו הנעלם ומה תאריו וסימניו ומה מעלותיו, עד שבעבורם ככה השבעתנו ותבקשהו עד מות:

Figurative Meaning: “What”—The daughters of the body ask the soul: “What is your Beloved more than another beloved?” They seek from her two explanations. First, they ask her to describe the difference between this spiritual love and longing, by which the soul yearns for God, and all other physical loves and desires. For the daughters of the body cannot perceive the nature of this love or the greatness of its worth. Second, they ask, “What is your Beloved more than another beloved?” What is His hidden essence? What are His attributes, His marks, and His excellencies, that because of them you have so adjured us and seek Him even unto death?

דודי. משיבה סימניו ומעלותיו על כל דוד, ומסיימת זה דודי ר"ל הנמצא כמוהו:

Allegory: “My beloved”—She answers by describing his distinguishing marks and virtues above every other beloved, and concludes: “This is my beloved,” meaning: where can one be found who is like him?

דודי. משיבה הנפש דודי צח ואדום, תחלה מגדת בכלל כי הדוד הנעלם ית' הוא צח ואדום, ר"ל שכלול מחסד ורחמים שהיא מליצת הצחות ומן מדת הדין שמורה אדום, פי' שהוא המקור לטוב ולרע, הדין והרחמים הטובות והרעות החיים והמות כולם משורש אחד יוצאים משורש השרשים שכולו טוב ואין דבר נפרד ממנו לא כהאומרים שהם משני שרשים (ובמד' צח לי בים וב"י הלכו ביבשה בתוך הים ואדום לי בים וינער ה' את מצרים בתוך הים) וכן הוא דגול מרבבה בו נקבצו רבבות כחות שהוא המקור לכולם שמצד זה נקרא בשם אלהים, ר"ל קבוצת כל הכחות אשר במציאות שאין דבר חוץ ממנו:

Figurative Meaning: “My Beloved”—The soul replies: “My Beloved is radiant and ruddy.” First she describes in general terms the hidden Beloved, blessed be He, as both radiant and ruddy. That is, He encompasses both lovingkindness and mercy, symbolized by radiance and brightness, and also justice, symbolized by redness. In other words, He is the source of both good and evil, judgment and mercy, prosperity and adversity, life and death. All proceed from a single root—the Root of roots—which is entirely good, and nothing exists independently of Him, unlike those who claim that good and evil derive from two separate principles. (The Midrash explains: “Radiant for me at the sea, when Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea; and ruddy for me at the sea, when Hashem shook the Egyptians into the midst of the sea.”) Likewise, He is “distinguished among ten thousand.” Within Him are gathered myriads of powers, for He is the source of them all. For this reason He is called Elohim, meaning the totality and gathering of all powers in existence, since nothing exists outside of Him.

ראשו. עתה תתחיל לתארו בפרטות:

Figurative Meaning: “His head”—She now begins to describe Him in detail.

Figurative Meaning: “His head”—That is, the essence of His hidden thought and supreme will as it exists in its source before being revealed. It is something concealed, the “Most Hidden of all hidden things,” from which nothing can be grasped. She describes this as “fine gold.” The word kethem denotes a solid mass cast as a single piece, indicating that its interior is sealed and closed, appearing as though nothing can be perceived within it. Yet the entire mass is fine gold (paz), the most precious substance in the lower world. Thus it symbolizes something of immeasurable value that remains utterly hidden and concealed.

Figurative Meaning: “His locks”—The hairs are the surplus that emerges from the brain. The inner substance of the brain breaks forth, comes outward, and becomes visible through the hairs. Thus they symbolize the hidden and concealed lights of Divine thought that burst forth and emerge externally through the channels represented by the hairs. This signifies the first stage in the revelation of His hidden thought. They are “wavy locks”—heaps upon heaps—for upon them depend worlds without end. Yet they are “black as a raven.” The color black absorbs light into itself. This is an allegory for the profound concealment of these emanations: their light is hidden and stored within them, and nothing of it is openly revealed. They are like a raven and like a mixture in which no distinction, feature, or trace can be discerned by us at all.

עיניו. עתה תתחיל לצייר ראשית השגחתו שהתחיל להביט על הבריאה והמציאות שזה משל העינים, ר"ל הסתכלות החכמה והבינה העליונה איך להיות להמציא ולבראות, כמ"ש וירא אלהים כי טוב.

Figurative Meaning: “His eyes”—She now begins to depict the first manifestation of His Providence, namely, His turning His gaze toward creation and existence. This is symbolized by the eyes. That is, it refers to the contemplation of the supreme Wisdom and Understanding concerning how to bring all things into being and create them, as it is written: “And God saw that it was good.”

Figurative Meaning: They are likened to “doves beside streams of water,” for water reflects face to face; it is like a polished mirror in which one standing before it sees the image and likeness of his own face. So too, the entire world and all existence are an image of the Divine Glory above, as it is written: “Like the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Hashem.” That is, just as the appearance of the rainbow is merely the collection of colors refracted in the cloud from the sunlight shining upon it, so all existence and its varieties are but sparks of the Great Sun, the light of God, revealed through them. His eyes that range over creation are therefore like “the eyes of doves beside streams of water,” for the image seen in the water is the likeness and form of the one gazing into it. Likewise, all the worlds are a reflection of His glory and sublime wisdom. Everything exists first in the Source of all sources, from which it is revealed outward. They are also like the eyes of doves watching over their young. Thus they stand beside streams of water. The waters symbolize created beings, as in: “And the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.” The streams of water signify the beginnings of existence and their hidden source. There stand the eyes of His Providence—the eyes of wisdom and understanding. They are “washed with milk,” for just as blood is transformed and purified into milk, so the world of chaos was transformed into the world of order and restoration through these eyes, as is known to those versed in understanding. And they are “set in fullness,” meaning that everything exists in its completeness and goodness, as it is written: “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”

לחיו. אחר שצייר איך ראה והסתכל להוציא את המציאות, יצייר את הדבור שהוא הצווי אשר הוא אמר ויהי הוא צוה ויעמוד. ובזה יש שתי מדרגות. א) הדבור הכללי הנכלל במלת בראשית, שבו נעשה הכל בכח, כמי שזורע זרעים בבת אחת טרם יצמחו, וזה נעשה ביום הראשון שהוציא הכל יש מאין, ב) הדבורים הפרטיים שבו הוציא תולדותיהם כ"א ביומו, כמ"ש במד' משל לזורע ששה זרעים בבת אחת, שהוא במשל שהזרעים הזרועים צמחו ויצאו לחוץ ויפרדו כ"א למינו, שזה היה בששת ימי המעשה. וממשיל הדבור הכללי אל הלחיים שהלחי הוא פנימי נגד השפה, ואמר שלחיו כערוגת הבשם. שהערוגה היא ששה טפחים והם מגדלות מרקחים שהמרוקח הוא המעורב וממוזג כמה תערובות, וכן הי' הכל מעורב בערוגה זו זרוע ובלתי ניכר, והדבורים הפרטים ממשיל אל השפה שהיא חיצונית, ועז"א שפתותיו, שהוא גמר הדבור אז היו שושנים שכבר גדלו הזרועים ויוציאו ציץ ופרח ושושנים, וגם נוטפות מור עובר, שהוא תולדות החיים, (שזה גדר המור שבספר זה כנ"ל כ"פ) ר"ל שאז יצאו מעשה ימי בראשית עד הצמחים והחיים למינם:

Figurative Meaning: “His cheeks”—After depicting how He saw and contemplated the bringing forth of existence, he now describes speech, the Divine command through which “He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” In this there are two levels: first, the general utterance contained within the word “In the beginning,” by which everything was brought into existence potentially, like one who sows many seeds at once before they sprout. This occurred on the first day, when all things were brought forth from nothing into being. Second, the particular utterances through which the various products of creation emerged, each on its appointed day, as expressed in the Midrash's parable of one who sows six kinds of seeds at once. In the allegory, the seeds that were sown later sprout, emerge, and separate, each according to its kind. This corresponds to the six days of creation. He likens the general utterance to the cheeks, for the cheek is inward in relation to the lips. Thus he says, “His cheeks are like beds of spices.” A garden bed is six handbreadths in size, and they are “mounds of fragrant herbs.” A compound perfume consists of many blended ingredients mixed together. Likewise, within this garden bed everything was sown together, mingled and not yet distinguished. The particular utterances, however, are compared to the lips, which are external. Therefore he says, “His lips.” These represent the completion of speech. At that stage there were “lilies,” for the seeds had already grown, producing buds, blossoms, and flowers. They were also “dripping flowing myrrh,” which symbolizes the emergence of living creatures (for this is the meaning of myrrh throughout this book, as explained many times above). In other words, the works of the six days of creation had now emerged, including plants and living beings according to their various kinds.

ידיו. אחר שצייר את הבריאה איך הסתכל ואיך דבר ויוציא המציאות מאין ליש ומיש ליש בששת ימי המעשה, יצייר את ההנהגה איך מנהיג ופועל בהמציאות כל ימי עולם, וז"ש ידיו שהוא הכח הפעוליי המכונה לידיו הפועלים ועוסקים ומנהיגים המציאות, הם גלילי זהב כי ינהיג ע"י אופנים וגלילים גלגל ומערכת הסובבים ומתגלגלים בתמידות והם טהורים וקיימים כזהב והם ממלאים בתרשיש. כי הגלגלים התחתונים מתנענעים ע"י המלאכים המניעים אותם שנאמר בהם וגויתו כתרשיש, וע"י יגמר מלאכתם וידי היוצר יניע את מניעיי המניעים בכח שאין לו סוף עד שלפעמים יניעם כפי חיוב המערכת ולפעמים ימלא גליליהם ע"י התרשישים שהם מלאכיו עושי רצונו. וכן גם עולמות העליונים שם סובבים גלילים העליונים שהם אופני המרכבה, והם ממולאים בתרשיש ע"י החיות כי רוח החיה באופנים, והם המצוירים בתרשיש, כמ"ש תכלת דומה לים וים דומה לרקיע וכו'.

Figurative Meaning: “His hands”—After depicting creation—how He contemplated and spoke, bringing existence forth from nothing into being, and from potential existence into actual existence during the six days of creation—he now portrays Providence, how He governs and acts within creation throughout all the days of the world. Thus he says, “His hands,” meaning the active power, symbolized by hands that work, act, and govern reality. They are “cylinders of gold,” for He governs through spheres and revolving wheels, the celestial systems and cycles that continually turn and revolve. They are pure and enduring like gold. They are “filled with beryl (tarshish),” because the lower spheres are moved by the angels appointed to move them, concerning whom it is said, “his body was like tarshish.” Through them their work is completed. The Creator moves the movers through a hierarchy of causes whose source is His power. Sometimes He directs them according to the necessity of the cosmic order, and sometimes He fills their revolving spheres through the tarshish-like beings, His angels who perform His will. Likewise, in the higher worlds the superior wheels revolve—the wheels of the Divine Chariot—and they too are filled with tarshish through the living creatures, for “the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.” These are represented by tarshish, as the sages said: “Tekhelet resembles the sea, the sea resembles the firmament...” and so upward through the heavenly realms.

Figurative Meaning: “His inward parts”—He now depicts His will as it is revealed through the Torah and through His governance. This is symbolized by His inward parts, which signify mercy and compassion, as in the verse, “Therefore My inward parts yearn for him.” Out of His compassion He gave us the Torah and commandments in order to bestow merit upon us, as it is written, “Hashem desired, for the sake of His righteousness...” The root of the Written Torah itself comes from beneath the everlasting arms, a planting of Hashem for His glory. It is compared to “a work of ivory,” for many separate pieces are joined together and become a single whole. So too, the letters, words, verses, and sections all constitute one Torah. It is also solid and compact within itself like an ivory carving, its inner content hidden and concealed, just as a solid piece appears as a single united mass. Yet despite this, it is “overlaid with sapphires.” Just as the nature of a sapphire is that its clarity allows vision to pass through it, so through the narratives of the Torah and its outward garments one may behold its hidden mysteries, treasures, and wonders shining through.

שוקיו. וסוף מעשהו ואחרית מסובביו הוא העולם המורגש שהם עמודי שש ר"ל שש קצות העולם, והם מיוסדים על אדני פז. ר"ל נסמכים על ה' המקיף אותם וממלא אותם בחבל כסף השגחתו, עד שראשו כתם פז מגיע עד השוקים הנסמכים ג"כ על אדני פז, (כמ"ש בכ"ח שער היכלות ענף ד').

Figurative Meaning: “His legs”—The final stage of His activity and the ultimate result of all His causes and effects is the perceptible world. These are “pillars of marble,” that is, the six directions of the world. They are “founded upon bases of fine gold,” meaning that they are supported by God, who surrounds and fills them with the silver cord of His Providence. Thus His head of fine gold extends all the way to the legs, which themselves are likewise founded upon bases of fine gold. (As explained in Koach HaShem, Sha'ar Heichalot, branch 4.)

Figurative Meaning: He now summarizes His excellencies in general. “His appearance” as a whole is “like Lebanon.” Just as Lebanon contains countless trees and plantings growing within it, so too He encompasses innumerable beings, both higher and lower. He is their root, the One who sustains them and gives them life. His appearance is therefore compared to Lebanon, abundant with diverse growth and beauty, for all varieties of existence derive from Him, are upheld by Him, and continue to exist through His sustaining power.

Figurative Meaning: He further explains the power, wisdom, and will that are found in Him in absolute perfection. Concerning His power, he says, “Choice as the cedars.” The cedar is the loftiest among the trees of Lebanon. Likewise, He is distinguished among all His hosts by virtue of His might and power. Just as the cedar towers above the other trees of Lebanon, so His strength and ability stand exalted above all powers in existence. He is supreme over all His armies, both in the higher and lower worlds, and nothing can oppose or limit His power.

הרעיה לא מצאה את דודה עוד:

Allegory: The beloved was no longer able to find her beloved.

And with this the fourth song is completed.

(נגד החכמה אומר) חכו ממתקים, החיך הוא ציון להטעמת החכמה והרגשתה, כמ"ש כי אזן מלין תבחן וחך יטעם לאכול, ר"ל החכמה המתגלית ממנו ממתקים.

Figurative Meaning: (Concerning wisdom he says:) “His mouth is sweetness itself.” The palate symbolizes the tasting and perception of wisdom, as in the verse, “For the ear tests words, as the palate tastes food.” That is, the wisdom revealed from Him is full of sweetness and delight. All understanding, knowledge, and truth that flow from Him are supremely pleasant, bringing spiritual enjoyment to those who perceive them. Therefore “His mouth is sweetnesses,” for the wisdom that proceeds from Him is entirely sweet and desirable.

Figurative Meaning: And concerning His will he says, “He is altogether desirable.” All things desire Him because His will is directed only toward goodness and lovingkindness. He is the ultimate object of longing and desire, for every good and perfect thing proceeds from Him. Therefore “He is altogether desirable,” meaning that every aspect of Him is worthy of love, yearning, and delight, since His entire will is devoted to beneficence, mercy, and the bestowal of good.

Figurative Meaning: “This is my Beloved”—That is, these are the attributes by which He is recognized. For He cannot be known in His essence; rather, He is known through His actions. Because I recognize His virtues, goodness, wisdom, and perfections through His works, I love Him with this great love. And “this is my Friend,” for I too am a spiritual essence emanated from Him and resembling Him in certain respects, like a part that bears some likeness to the whole. As the sages said: David uttered five “Bless Hashem, O my soul” psalms only in reference to the Holy One, blessed be He, and to the soul. Just as the Holy One fills the whole world, sustains the world, sees but is not seen, and possesses other such qualities, so too does the soul possess corresponding characteristics. Thus He is not only my Beloved, whom I love because of His perfection, but also my Friend, for there is a kinship between the soul and its Divine source.

The heavenly beloved, the soul of Solomon, never again found the Beloved or heard His holy words through prophecy during all the remaining days of Solomon's life, until he was gathered to his people.

And with this the fourth song is completed.