Page:The Song of Songs (1857).djvu/42

 Subsequent Rabbins quote and explain different passages. Thus, Ch. i. 2 is discussed in Abodah Sarah (Sect. 2, p. 35). It is asked, "How are the words, 'Thy love is better than wine' understood?" Answer: When Rabbi Dimi came to Babylon, he said, "This verse is thus understood: the Congregation of Israel said to God, 'Lord of the Universe, the words of thy friends (namely, the sages) are more excellent than even the wine of the Law.'" Here we see that the beloved is taken to be God, and the loved one the Congregation of Israel. Ch. i. 3, is quoted and expounded, a little further on, in the same tract of the Talmud, in the following manner. "R. Nachman ben R. Chasdah once said, in his discourse, the words 'Delicious is the odour of thy perfumes,' denote a learned man; for such an one is like a box of perfumes; if it is covered up, no one can smell the perfumes, but when it is opened the odour becomes widely diffused. It is so with a learned man without disciples, no one knows of his learning; but if he gets a circle of disciples his name and his learning become widely diffused. And not only this, but he himself will increase learning by teaching, so that things which he formerly did not understand will now become plain to him; for it is written in the same verse [HE:`lmvt 'hbvk/] ; read [HE:`lvmvt] will love thee, i. e., will become plain to thee; and not only this, but even the angel of death will love him; read then [HE:`l_mvt]  will love thee; and still more, he will inherit both worlds, this world and the world to come; read also [HE:`vlmvt]  love thee."

Ch. i. 13, 14, and v. 13, are quoted and explained in Sabbath, p. 88, b., "Rabbi Joshuah ben Levi saith, What is meant by [HE:xrvr hmvr dvdy ly byn/ Sdy ylyn/] is the congregation of Israel, who is saying before the Holy One thus: O Lord, though my beloved (i. e. God) oppresses me, and is embittered against me, yet he still lodges with me. By [HE:'Skvl hkvpr dvdy ly bkrmy `yn/ gdy] is meant, He who is the owner of all things, will forgive me the