Read the text of Shir Hashirim 6
Transcription
Welcome back to NachDaily with Shir HaShirim, perek 6.
In the previous chapter the woman recounted, to the “daughters of
Jerusalem,” the story of losing her husband. After hearing the tragic
account, this perek opens with their reaction.
“Where has your beloved gone?” they ask her. “Let us help you
search for him!” The Metsudos explains that this represents the
nations of the world who will one day repent for all their misdeeds
and help Am Yisrael seek out the Shechina.
In pessukim beis and gimmel she replies, “Dodi yarad l’gano
la’arugos habosem, lir’os baganim v’lilkot shoshanim – my beloved
has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in his
garden and to gather roses.”
There’s an amazing Vilna Gaon on this that I want to share with you.
He explains that “Dodi yarad l’gano, my beloved goes into his
garden,” means Hashem at times decides that this world isn’t
suitable for Him right now. He therefore enters His garden in the
Upper Worlds and delights in the Tzaddkim who are called “arugos
besamim, the beds of spices,” because they sit in rows as plants in
spice fields.
“Lir’os baganim, to browse his fields”: Hashem looks at and delights
in His Tzaddkim and picks each one of them. “Lilkot shoshanim – He
gathers roses,” Hashem picks the divrei Torah of the Tzaddkim in Gan
Eden and then agrees to them, both in the Yeshiva shel ma’alah
and Yeshiva shel ma’atah.
It seems that Hashem uses them to cheer Himself up, so to speak, by
collecting and delighting in the beautiful perfumes and roses of the
Torah. B’H we’ve had our fair share of Tzaddikim in our history and
have merited receiving Toras Moshe. Praiseworthy is the person who
is able to connect to the true Tzaddkim.
In verses 4 through 7, the husband praises his wife’s beauty. “You are
as lovely as the cities of Tirtzah and Yerushalayim.” He praises her
eyes, hair, teeth, and face. The Metsudos explains that Hashem is
praising Am Yisrael’s beauty over all the other nations of the world.
Pessukim 8 and 9 say that, “There are sixty queens, eighty
concubines, and an untold number of maidens. But only one is my
dove, my faultless one. Her mother’s only child, she is pure from
birth.”
Metsudos explains metaphorically that this is referring to the offspring
of Noach’s 3 sons. Shem had 60 descendants, who are called
“queens” because they were the most beloved to Noach. Yefes had
80 descendants, referred to as concubines. “An untold number of
maidens” is a negative appellation regarding Cham, who was
cursed by his father. Among all the nations of the world, Am Yisrael’s
beauty is unmatched.
In verse 11, the husband says, “El ginas egoz yarad’ti l’ros b’ebay
hanachal lir’os hafarcha hagefen, heineitzu harimonim – I went
down to the nut grove to see the budding of the valley, to see if the
vines had blossomed, if the pomegranates were in bloom.”
The Metsudos explains that even in the depths of galus, Hashem
goes down to the garden of the Jewish people, the shuls and
yeshivos, inhaling the pleasant fragrance of their Mitzvos and Torah
learning.
The Ramad Walli explains that Hashem’s Shechina goes down to the
“ginas egoz, nut garden,” to lift us up. The egoz represents the
negative forces and kelipos, husks, that surround things. You have to
get past the shell to reach the nut. So too in this world, you have to
be able to look past, go beyond, and make your way through the
difficulties, through all the ups and downs, to persevere in order to
attain kedusha, holiness, have a pure mind and come close to
Hashem. Thankfully, as the Ramad Walli explains, Hashem actually
comes down to us as well, sees our actions, and raises us.
Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily, when Hashem calls to
His nation to return to Him!
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day
In the previous chapter the woman recounted, to the “daughters of
Jerusalem,” the story of losing her husband. After hearing the tragic
account, this perek opens with their reaction.
“Where has your beloved gone?” they ask her. “Let us help you
search for him!” The Metsudos explains that this represents the
nations of the world who will one day repent for all their misdeeds
and help Am Yisrael seek out the Shechina.
In pessukim beis and gimmel she replies, “Dodi yarad l’gano
la’arugos habosem, lir’os baganim v’lilkot shoshanim – my beloved
has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in his
garden and to gather roses.”
There’s an amazing Vilna Gaon on this that I want to share with you.
He explains that “Dodi yarad l’gano, my beloved goes into his
garden,” means Hashem at times decides that this world isn’t
suitable for Him right now. He therefore enters His garden in the
Upper Worlds and delights in the Tzaddkim who are called “arugos
besamim, the beds of spices,” because they sit in rows as plants in
spice fields.
“Lir’os baganim, to browse his fields”: Hashem looks at and delights
in His Tzaddkim and picks each one of them. “Lilkot shoshanim – He
gathers roses,” Hashem picks the divrei Torah of the Tzaddkim in Gan
Eden and then agrees to them, both in the Yeshiva shel ma’alah
and Yeshiva shel ma’atah.
It seems that Hashem uses them to cheer Himself up, so to speak, by
collecting and delighting in the beautiful perfumes and roses of the
Torah. B’H we’ve had our fair share of Tzaddikim in our history and
have merited receiving Toras Moshe. Praiseworthy is the person who
is able to connect to the true Tzaddkim.
In verses 4 through 7, the husband praises his wife’s beauty. “You are
as lovely as the cities of Tirtzah and Yerushalayim.” He praises her
eyes, hair, teeth, and face. The Metsudos explains that Hashem is
praising Am Yisrael’s beauty over all the other nations of the world.
Pessukim 8 and 9 say that, “There are sixty queens, eighty
concubines, and an untold number of maidens. But only one is my
dove, my faultless one. Her mother’s only child, she is pure from
birth.”
Metsudos explains metaphorically that this is referring to the offspring
of Noach’s 3 sons. Shem had 60 descendants, who are called
“queens” because they were the most beloved to Noach. Yefes had
80 descendants, referred to as concubines. “An untold number of
maidens” is a negative appellation regarding Cham, who was
cursed by his father. Among all the nations of the world, Am Yisrael’s
beauty is unmatched.
In verse 11, the husband says, “El ginas egoz yarad’ti l’ros b’ebay
hanachal lir’os hafarcha hagefen, heineitzu harimonim – I went
down to the nut grove to see the budding of the valley, to see if the
vines had blossomed, if the pomegranates were in bloom.”
The Metsudos explains that even in the depths of galus, Hashem
goes down to the garden of the Jewish people, the shuls and
yeshivos, inhaling the pleasant fragrance of their Mitzvos and Torah
learning.
The Ramad Walli explains that Hashem’s Shechina goes down to the
“ginas egoz, nut garden,” to lift us up. The egoz represents the
negative forces and kelipos, husks, that surround things. You have to
get past the shell to reach the nut. So too in this world, you have to
be able to look past, go beyond, and make your way through the
difficulties, through all the ups and downs, to persevere in order to
attain kedusha, holiness, have a pure mind and come close to
Hashem. Thankfully, as the Ramad Walli explains, Hashem actually
comes down to us as well, sees our actions, and raises us.
Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily, when Hashem calls to
His nation to return to Him!
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day