שיר השירים רבה ח׳Shir HaShirim Rabbah 8

Verse 1 · 1א׳

מִי יִתֶּנְךָ כְּאָח לִי, בְּאֵי זֶה אָח, כְּקַיִן לְהֶבֶל, קַיִן הָרַג לְהֶבֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ד, ח): וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ. אֶלָּא כְּיִשְׁמָעֵאל לְיִצְחָק, יִשְׁמָעֵאל שׂוֹנֵא לְיִצְחָק. אֶלָּא כְּעֵשָׂו לְיַעֲקֹב, הֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר (בראשית כז, מא): וַיִּשְׂטֹם עֵשָׂו אֶת יַעֲקֹב. אֶלָּא כַּאֲחֵי יוֹסֵף לְיוֹסֵף, שׂוֹנְאִין הָיוּ אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית לז, יא): וַיְקַנְאוּ בוֹ אֶחָיו. בְּאֵי זֶה אָח, יוֹנֵק שְׁדֵי אִמִּי, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר כְּיוֹסֵף לְבִנְיָמִין שֶׁאֲהֵבוֹ בְּלִבּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מג, טז): וַיַּרְא יוֹסֵף אִתָּם אֶת בִּנְיָמִין. אֶמְצָאֲךָ בַחוּץ אֶשָּׁקְךָ, חוּץ, זֶה הַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁהוּא חוּץ לַיִּשּׁוּב. אֶשָּׁקְךָ, בִּשְׁנֵי אַחִים שֶׁנָּשְׁקוּ זֶה לָזֶה, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ד, כז): וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִפְגְּשֵׁהוּ בְּהַר הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּשַּׁק לוֹ. לֹא יָבֻזוּ לִי, אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס מַעֲשֶׂה בִּשְׁנֵי אַחִים שֶׁהָיָה אֶחָד בְּמִירוֹן וְאֶחָד בְּגוּשׁ חָלָב, נָפְלָה דְלֵיקָה בְּבֵית זֶה שֶׁהָיָה בְּמִירוֹן וּבָאת אֲחוֹתוֹ מִגּוּשׁ חָלָב הִתְחִילָה מְגַפַּפְתּוֹ מְחַבַּקְתּוֹ וּמְנַשַּׁקְתּוֹ וְאוֹמֶרֶת לֵית דָּא מְבַדֶּה לִי, דַּהֲוָה אָחִי בַּאֲנַנְּקִי וְנִתְפַּלֵּט מִמֶּנָּהּ.

“If only you were like a brother to me, who suckled the breasts of my mother. I would find you outside; I would kiss you, yet they would not despise me” (Song of Songs 8:1). “If only you were like a brother to me” – like what brother? Like Cain to Abel? Cain killed Abel, as it is stated: “Cain arose against Abel his brother, and killed him” (Genesis 4:8). Rather, like Ishmael to Isaac? Ishmael hated Isaac. Rather, like Esau to Jacob? But it is stated: “Esau hated Jacob” (Genesis 27:41). Rather, like Joseph’s brothers to Joseph? They hated him, as it is stated: “His brothers were jealous of him” (Genesis 37:11). Like what brother? “One who suckled the breasts of my mother” – that is to say like Joseph to Benjamin, who loved him wholeheartedly, as it is stated: “Joseph saw Benjamin with them” (Genesis 43:16). “I would find you outside; I would kiss you”; “outside” – this is the wilderness, which is outside the settled area. “I would kiss you” – regarding two brothers who kissed each other, and these are Moses and Aaron, as it is stated: “He went, and he met him at the mountain of God, and he kissed him” (Exodus 4:27). “They would not despise me” – Rabbi Pinḥas said: There was an incident involving two siblings, one of whom was in Meron and one in Gush Ḥalav. The house of the one who lived in Meron caught fire. His sister from Gush Ḥalav came and began hugging, embracing, and kissing him, and saying: This does not demean me, as my brother was in dire straits and was delivered from them.

Verse 2 · 1א׳

אֶנְהָגְךָ אֲבִיאֲךָ, אֶנְהָגְךָ מֵהָעֶלְיוֹנִים לַתַּחְתּוֹנִים. אֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל בֵּית אִמִּי, זֶה סִינַי. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה, לָמָּה קוֹרְאִין לְסִינַי בֵּית אִמִּי, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נַעֲשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּתִינוֹק בֶּן יוֹמוֹ. תְּלַמְּדֵנִי, מִצְווֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. אַשְׁקְךָ מִיַּיִן הָרֶקַח, אֵלּוּ מִשְׁנָיוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת, כְּגוֹן מִשְׁנָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה, וּמִשְׁנָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא וְשֶׁל בַּר קַפָּרָא וּמִשְׁנַת רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. מֵעֲסִיס רִמֹּנִי, אֵלּוּ הַהַגָּדוֹת שֶׁטַּעֲמָן כְּרִמּוֹן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַשְׁקְךָ מִיַּיִן הָרֶקַח, זֶה הַתַּלְמוּד שֶׁמְפֻטָּם בְּמִשְׁנָיוֹת כְּרֶקַח. מֵעֲסִיס רִמֹּנִי, אֵלּוּ בִּגְדֵי כְּהֻנָּה גְדוֹלָה, הֵיאַךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (שמות כח, לד): פַּעֲמֹן זָהָב וְרִמּוֹן.

“I would lead you, would bring you to my mother's house, that you would teach me; I would give you to drink from the spiced wine, from the juice of my pomegranate” (Song of Songs 8:2). “I would lead you, would bring you”; “I would lead you” – from the supernal to the earthly. “Would bring you to my mother’s house” – this is Sinai. Rabbi Berekhya said: Why is Sinai called “my mother’s house”? It is because Israel became like newborn babies there. “That you would teach me” mitzvot and good deeds. “I would give you to drink from the spiced wine” – these are the great compendia of baraitot, like the compendium of Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great, the compendium of Rabbi Hoshaya and of bar Kappara, and the teachings of Rabbi Akiva. “From the juice of my pomegranate” – these are the aggadot, which are tasty like a pomegranate. Alternatively, “I would give you to drink from the spiced wine” – this is the Talmud, in which mishnayot are blended like spiced wine. “From the juice of my pomegranate” – these are the vestments of the High Priest, just as it says: “A golden bell and a pomegranate” (Exodus 28:34).

Verse 5 · 1א׳

מִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, עִלּוּיָהּ מֵהַמִּדְבָּר, סִלּוּקָהּ מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, מִיתָתָהּ מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, הֲדָא מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (במדבר יד, לה): בַּמִּדְבָּר הַזֶּה יִתַּמּוּ וְשָׁם יָמֻתוּ. מִתְרַפֶּקֶת עַל דּוֹדָהּ, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן שֶׁהִיא מַנַּחַת פִּרְקֵי תּוֹרָה וּפִרְקֵי מַלְכוּת לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא. תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ, דָּרַשׁ פְּלַטְיוֹן אִישׁ רוֹמִי וְאָמַר, נִתְלַשׁ הַר סִינַי וְנִצַּב בִּשְׁמֵי מָרוֹם, וְהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נְתוּנִים תַּחְתָּיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד, יא): וַתִּקְרְבוּן וַתַּעַמְדוּן תַּחַת הָהָר. דָּבָר אַחֵר, תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ, זֶה סִינַי, וְלָמָּה נִמְשַׁל בְּתַפּוּחַ, אֶלָּא מַה תַּפּוּחַ זֶה עוֹשֶׂה פֵּרוֹת בְּחֹדֶשׁ סִיוָן, כָּךְ הַתּוֹרָה נִתְּנָה בְּסִיוָן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ, לָמָּה לֹא בֶּאֱגוֹז וְאִילָן אַחֵר, אֶלָּא כָּל אִילָן דַּרְכּוֹ מוֹצִיא עָלָיו תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ פֵּרוֹתָיו, וְתַפּוּחַ זֶה מוֹצִיא פֵּרוֹתָיו תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ מוֹצִיא עָלָיו, כָּךְ הִקְדִּימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כד, ז): נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִם אַתֶּם מְקַבְּלִים עֲלֵיכֶם תּוֹרָתִי מוּטָב וְאִם לָאו הֲרֵינִי כּוֹבֵשׁ עֲלֵיכֶם הָהָר הַזֶּה וְהוֹרֵג אֶתְכֶם. שָׁמָּה חִבְּלַתְךָ אִמֶּךָ, וְכִי שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָה, אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָלַךְ בִּמְקוֹם סַכָּנָה וְנִצַּל, פָּגַע בֵּיהּ חַבְרֵיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא אַתְרָא דְּסַכַּנְתָּא עֲבַרְתְּ, כַּמָּה סַכַּנְתָּא עֲבַרְתְּ, כַּדּוּן יְלָדְךָ אִמֶּךָ, כַּמָּה צַעֲרָה עָבְרָה עָלֶיךָ, וּכְדֵין אִתְבְּרֵית בְּרִיָּיה חַדְתָּא. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָה, וְשָׁמָּה חֻבְּלָה, חִבְּלָה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ (שמות כד, ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע. שָׁמָּה חֻבְּלָה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ לָעֵגֶל (שמות לב, ד): אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְחֻבְּלוּ, נִתְמַשְׁכְּנוּ. תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי זַיִן שֶׁנָּתַן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחוֹרֵב שֵׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ הָיָה חָקוּק עָלָיו, וּכְשֶׁחָטְאוּ נֻטַּל מֵהֶם. רַבִּי אַיְּבוּ וְרַבָּנָן, רַבִּי אַיְּבוּ אָמַר מֵאֵלָיו הָיָה נִקְלַף, וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי מַלְאָךְ הָיָה יוֹרֵד וּמְקַלְּפוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא עֲלוּבָה הִיא הַכַּלָּה שֶׁמְקַלְקֶלֶת בְּתוֹךְ חֻפָּתָהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אִבְּדוּ עֵצָה טוֹבָה שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לָהֶם בְּסִינַי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי א, כה): וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל עֲצָתִי, וְאֵין עֵצָה אֶלָּא תוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ח, יד): לִי עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי כְּתִיב (דברים ט, ח): וּבְחֹרֵב הִקְצַפְתֶּם אֶת ה', אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּאתִי לְבָרֵךְ אֶתְכֶם וּמָצָאתִי חִכְּכֶם נָקוּב שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַחֲזִיק בְּרָכָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לב, כה): וַיַּרְא משֶׁה אֶת הָעָם כִּי פָרֻעַ הוּא, וְאֵין פָּרוּעַ אֶלָּא נָקוּב, הַאֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר: וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל עֲצָתִי. רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר עֲשִׂיתֶם לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּאִלּוּ מִתְאַבֵּל עֲלֵיכֶם, אִית אַתְרִין צָוְוחִין לְבֵית אֲבֵלָה בֵּית קְצוֹפָה.

“Who is that ascending from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother was in travail with you; there she who bore you was in travail” (Song of Songs 8:5). “Who is that ascending from the wilderness” – [Israel’s] ascent was from the wilderness, its decline was from the wilderness, and its death was from the wilderness. That is what it says: “In this wilderness they will expire, and there they will die” (Numbers 14:35). “Leaning [mitrapeket] upon her beloved” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Because it will resolve sections of the Torah and issues of kingdom in the future. “Under the apple tree I roused you” – Pelatyon of Rome expounded and said: Mount Sinai was detached and positioned in the supernal heavens, and Israel was situated beneath it, as it is stated: “You approached and stood beneath the mountain” (Deuteronomy 4:11). Another matter: “Under the apple tree I roused you” – this is Sinai. Why is it likened to an apple tree? Just as the apple tree produces fruit in the month of Sivan, so too, the Torah was given in Sivan. Alternatively, “under the apple tree I roused you” – why not a nut tree or a different tree? Each tree typically grows its leaves first and then its fruit, but the apple tree grows its fruit first and then grows its leaves. Similarly, Israel put performing before hearing, as it is stated: “We will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you accept My Torah upon yourself, fine, but if not, I will lower this mountain upon you and kill you.’ “There your mother was in travail with you” – was it there that she was in travail? Rabbi Berekhya said: This is analogous to one who went to a dangerous place and was saved. His friend encountered him and said to him: ‘Did you pass through that dangerous place? How much danger you experienced! It is as though you were now borne by your mother. How much suffering you experienced! Now it is as though you were created as a new creation.’ Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: “There [your mother] was in travail [ḥibela]” and there she had collateral taken from her [ḥubela]; “was in travail” – at the moment that they said: “Everything that the Lord spoke we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). She had collateral taken from her – at the moment that they said to the calf: “This is your God, Israel” (Exodus 32:4), they had collateral taken. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The weapon that was given to Israel at Ḥorev had the ineffable name etched upon it. When they sinned it was taken from them. Rabbi Aivu and the Rabbis: Rabbi Aivu said: It was peeled on its own. The Rabbis say: An angel descended and peeled it. Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said: Wretched is the bride who sins under the wedding canopy. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They lost the good counsel that was given them at Sinai, as it is stated: “You hollowed all my counsel” (Proverbs 1:25), and counsel is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “Counsel and resourcefulness are mine” (Proverbs 8:14). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: It is written: “At Ḥorev you provoked [hiktzaftem] the Lord” (Deuteronomy 9:8). The Holy One blessed be He said: I came to bless you and found your palate pierced and unable to hold a blessing, as it is stated: “Moses saw the people that it was parua (Exodus 32:25), and parua means nothing other than hollowed, just as you say: “You hollowed [vatifre’u] all my counsel” (Proverbs 1:25). Rabbi Levi said: You made the Holy One blessed be He as though He was mourning over you. There are places that call the house of mourning the house of wrath [beit ketzofa].