3:1 On my bed at night, I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him but I did not find him.
Returning to the concept of 4-stages of decline, The concealment is because of her (Israel) sin.
RASHI: On my bed at night: when I was troubled; when I sat in the dark for the entire thirty-eight years that the Israelites were under reproach. … I sought him but I did not find him: (Exod. 33:3): “For I shall not go up in your midst” ; (Deut. 1:42): “for I am not in your midst.”
There is a Dual Side of the Exile (Torah can be guide or accuser, depending on keeping from the world or assimilating)
This text relates to the situation in Shir Hashirim:
Deut 31:17-21 – And My fury will rage against them on that day, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will befall them, and they will say on that day, ‘Is it not because our God is no longer in my midst, that these evils have befallen me?’ And I will hide My face on that day, because of all the evil they have committed, when they turned to other deities. And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel. When I bring them to the land which I have sworn to their forefathers [to give them], a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat and be satisfied, and live on the fat [of the land]. Then, they will turn to other deities and serve them, provoking Me and violating My covenant. And it will be, when they will encounter many evils and troubles, this song will bear witness against them, for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their offspring. For I know their inclination what they [are planning] to do today, [even] before I bring them in to the land which I have sworn [to give them].”
The second dream is not as utopian as the first. In 2:4-7, she declares her obsession with her beloved and imagines that “His left hand was under my head, His right arm embraced me.” Here, however, she initially cannot find her beloved. Ultimately she finds him, and the section ends on a high note.
3:2 will arise now and go about the city, in the market places and in the city squares. I will seek him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but I did not find him.
Dispatch the Troops (see verses 6-10)
Daughter of Zion
Once precious princess
Left her father’s house
To walk streets that never rest
Jerusalem of Gold …
How the cisterns have dried
The market-place is empty
And no one frequents the Temple Mount
In the Old City.
3:3 The watchmen who patrol the city found me: “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
3:4 I had just passed them by, when I found him whom my soul loves; I held him and would not let him go, until I brought him into my mother’s house and into the chamber of her who had conceived me.
Referencing back to Sinai and what could have been. RASHI: I had just passed them: shortly before their separation from me, at the end of the forty years. … when I found: that He was with me in the days of Joshua to vanquish the thirty-one kings. … I held him and would not let him go: I did not loosen my grasp from Him until I brought Him to the Tabernacle at Shiloh because of all that He had done for me.
3:5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, that you neither awaken nor arouse the love while it is desirous.
Go back to ramchal on protecting the paths from the klippot/sitra achra. You cannot attempt to open the faucet (shefa) with damaged channels. The results will be negative.
3:6 Who is this (she) coming up from the desert, like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, of all the powder of the peddler?
Shekinah = the people …
When the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they were enveloped with clouds of glory and a pillar of fire. The nations of the world exclaimed in shock; “Who are these people whose every move Is accompanied by fire? Who is this rising up from the wilderness like a column of smoke?” The Holy One Blessed Be He replied: “They are perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all the compounds of the perfume merchant. They have firm posts on which to support themselves – they have the merit of their forefathers.
Midrash Yalkut Shimoni 1:890
Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant (S. S. III, 6). “When Israel”, he said, “were journeying in the wilderness, the Shekinah went in front of them, as it is written: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light’ (Ex. XIII, 22). They on their side followed its guidance; wherefore it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord: I remember thee the affection of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after me in the wilderness, etc.’ (Jer. II, 2). The Shekinah was accompanied by all the clouds of glory, and when it journeyed the Israelites took up their march, as it says: ‘And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tent, then after that the children of Israel journeyed, etc.’ (Num. IX, 17). And when the Shekinah ascended, the cloud also ascended on high, so that all men looked up and asked: ‘Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke?’ For the cloud of the Shekinah looked like smoke because the fire which Abraham and his son Isaac kindled clung to it and never left it, and by reason of that fire it ascended both as cloud and smoke; but for all that it was ‘perfumed’, or, as we may also translate, ‘bound up with myrrh and frankincense’, that is, with the cloud of Abraham on the right and with the cloud of Isaac on the left. The words ‘with all powders of the merchant’ allude to Jacob, or, according to another explanation, to Joseph, whose bier accompanied the Israelites in the wilderness, and the designation rokhel (merchant or tale-bearer) is given to him because he brought evil reports of his brethren to their father; or, again, because just as the seller of spices keeps his herbs and spices in bundles, so Joseph through one action kept the whole of the Torah, since all the precepts of the Torah are bound up with the preservation of the holy covenant in its integrity. The Shekinah was thus leagued with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob together with Joseph, inasmuch as the two latter are one in essence, each one being the image of the other, as indicated in the words: ‘These are the offspring of Jacob: Joseph (Gen. XXXVII, 2).
Zohar 1:176b
3:7 Behold the litter of Solomon; sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.
And at times the attribute (Shekinah) is called Elohim, for it is filled and draws from the attributes of power and fear, thus bringing judgment into the world, irrespective of whether it is for the sword or for peace, for abundance or famine, for life or death, or for sickness or health. It is from this attribute that all judgments are continually made, and they are drawn from the attribute of power and fear. This is the attribute that wages YHVH’s wars “with sixty warriors surrounding her, all of them trained in warfare and skilled in battle. (Shir Hashirim 3:7,8) ready to destroy, kill, pillage and devastate lands, and to uproot kingdoms and avenge dishonor.
Sha’are Orah (Gates of Light) Chapter 1.
Against whom to they come? Israel’s sinners, the nations, spiritual entities of sitra achra
Zohar 2:5a – When Jacob went down to Egypt, sixty myriads of celestial angels accompanied him. R. Judah illustrated from the verse: Behold, it is the couch of Solomon, threescore mighty men are about it, of the mighty men of Israel (S.S. III, 7), which he expounded thus: Six luminosities form a circle surrounding a seventh luminosity in the centre. The six on the circumference sustain the sixty valiant angels surrounding the couch of Solomon. The couch is an allusion to the Shekinah, and Solomon refers to the King to whom peace (shalom) belongs: threescore mighty men are about it-these are the sixty myriads of exalted angels, part of the army of the Shekinah which accompanied Jacob into Egypt.
Zohar 2:14b – R. Simeon here discoursed as follows: ‘In his going down into Egypt Jacob was accompanied by six angelic grades, each consisting of ten thousand myriads. Correspondingly Israel was made up of six grades, in correspondence to which again there are six steps to the supernal celestial Throne, and corresponding to them six steps to the lower celestial Throne. [Tr. note: Malkuth.] Observe that each grade was an epitome of ten grades, so that altogether there were sixty, indentical with the “threescore mighty men” that are round about the Shekinah. And these sixty, again, are the sixty myriads that accompanied Israel in their departure from exile and accompanied Jacob into exile.’ R. Hiya asked him: ‘But are there not seven grades, each an epitome of the ten grades, thus amounting to seventy?’ R. Simeon said in reply: ‘That number has no bearing on this matter, as we learn from the description of the candlestick, of which it says: “And there shall be six branches going out of the sides thereof: three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof… And thou shalt make the lamps thereof seven” (Ex. xxv, 32). The central branch is not counted with the rest, as it says, “and they shall light the lamps thereof over against it” (Ibid.).’
Zohar 2:50b,51a – Said R. Abba: How many thousands, how many myriads, of celestial cohorts surround the Holy One and follow in His train! Princes of supernal countenances are there, and beings full of eyes; lords of the sharp weapons, lords of the piercing cry, lords of the heralding trumpet, lords of mercy, lords of judgement; and above them the Lord has appointed the Matrona to minister before Him in the Palace. She for her own bodyguard has armed hosts of sixty different degrees. Holding their swords, they stand around Her. They come and go, entering and departing again on the errands of their Master. Each with his six wings outspread they circle the world in swift and silent flight. Before each of them coals of fire burn. Their garments are woven of flames from a bright and burning fire. A sharp flaming sword also is at the shoulder of each to guard Her. Concerning these swords it is written: The flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life (Gen. III, 23). Now, what is the way of the Tree of Life? This is the great Matrona who is the way to the great and mighty Tree of Life. Concerning this it is written: Behold the bed which is Solomon’s; the three score valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel (S.S. III, 7), namely, the Supernal Israel. They all hold swords (Ibid. 8), and when the Matrona moves they all move with her, as it is written: and the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them (Ex. XIV, 19). Is, then, the Shekinah called the angel of the Lord? Assuredly! For thus said R. Simeon: The Holy One prepared for Himself a holy Palace, a supernal Palace, a holy City, a supernal City, which is called Jerusalem, the holy city. He who wishes to see the King, must enter through this holy City and thence take his way to the King: this is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter (Ps. CXVIII, 20). Every message which the King wishes to send out is sent through the Matrona, and, conversely, every message sent from the lower spheres to the King must first reach the Matrona, and from her it goes to the King. Thus the Matrona is the messenger between the upper regions and the lower. For this reason she is called the angel (messenger) of God.
3:8 They all hold the sword, skilled in warfare; each one with his sword on his thigh because of fear at night.
LETTER SAMECH (60) Spiritual warfare. Psalm 91:5 You will not be afraid of the fear of night, the arrow that flies by day; SAME WORD … Fear = pachad = פַחַד
the samech, which means “to support,” is the Divine power to support and lift up “the fallen one.” One verse reads: “she has fallen and shall not rise, the virgin of Israel.” A second verse reads: “as I have fallen, so surely shall I rise.” The first verse can be understood as referring to the service of the outer, static circle, the attribute of true equanimity in relation to all worldly phenomena. One can fall to the very “lowest energy level” of physical reality, unable to raise himself, and be totally reliant on the lovingkindness of Divine Providence to sustain him. The second verse, implying inner, active, motivation to rise, though surely dependent upon Divine support and aid, can be understood as referring to the service of the inner, dynamic circle of spiritual aspiration. (Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh)
By performing good deeds, man creates defending angels; by performing icked deeds, he creates avenging angels (Avot 4:11). When the klippot gain strength, they are authorized to do nearly anything in their power in order to exact punishment from the evildoer. This is manifest in the difficulties and confusions people face every day (Likutey Moharan 1:115) Worse certain sins actually create demons and spirits that do real harm to a person.
“Mashiach: Who, What, Why, How, Where, When,” Chaim Kramer
SHABBAT 88a – R. Simla lectured: When the Israelites gave precedence to we will do over we will hearken,23 six hundred thousand ministering angels came and set two crowns upon each man of Israel, one as a reward for24 we will do, and the other as a reward for we will hearken. But as soon as Israel sinned,25 one million two hundred thousand destroying angels descended and removed them, as it is said, And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from mount Horeb.26 R. Hama son of R. Hanina said: At Horeb they put them on and at Horeb they put them off. At Horeb the put them on, as we have stated. At Horeb they put them off, for it is written, And [the children of Israel] stripped themselves, etc. R. Johanan observed: And Moses was privileged and received them all, for in proximity thereto it is stated, And Moses took the tent.27 Resh Lakish said: [Yet] the Holy One, blessed be He, will return them to us in the future, for it is said, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;28 the joy from of old29 shall be upon their heads.
3:9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the trees of Lebanon.
Zohar 1:29a – We have been taught that wherever the name Solomon occurs in the Song of Songs, it refers to the King to whom peace belongs, while the term king, simply, refers to the Female. The lower is contained in the upper, and the mnemonic is that the lower is heir to the upper, so that both are as one, together constituting beth (=bayith, house), as it is written, With wisdom a house (bayith) is builded (Prov. XXIV, 3). Now it is written: The king Solomon made him a palanquin of the trees of Lebanon (S. S. III, 9). The palanquin is the maintenance of the lower world through the agency of the upper world. Before God created the world, His name was enclosed within Him, and therefore He and His name enclosed within Him were not one. Nor could this unity be effected until He created the world.
Zohar 2:127a – Yea, for in this Foundation is the fabrication of the.whole, of all the world, of souls and spirits; this is the hidden force behind the creation of the (lower).heaven and earth, and this is also the hidden force behind the building of the Tabernacle, which was erected.in the likeness both of the world above and of the world below. This is the significance of the words: that.they take me a heave offering: two grades [Tr. Note: Yesod and Malkuth.] become united as one.in the Tabernacle which is the emblem of that union. R. Simeon, R. Eleazar, R. Abba, and R. Jose sat one.day under a tree in a valley by the Lake of Genessareth. Said R. Simeon: How pleasant is the shade of these.trees! Surely the beauty and peace of this place is worthy of being crowned with some exposition of the.Torah? He then began to discourse, saying: It is written: King Solomon made him a palanquin (apiryon).of the trees of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it.of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love by the daughters of Jerusalem (S.S. III, 9, 10). This verse.we interpret as follows. Apiryon symbolizes the Palace below which is formed in the likeness of the.Palace above. This the Holy One, blessed be He, calls The Garden of Eden, for He created it in order to.satisfy His own ardent desire for joyous and continual communion with the souls of the righteous who have.their abode there-these being those souls which have no bodies in this world. These all ascend and are.crowned in that place of perfect delight, and have each their appointed places from whence they can.perceive the loveliness of the Lord, and partake of all the delicious streams of pure balsam (aparsamon)..This aparsamon symbolizes the hidden Supernal Palace, whereas apiryon is the Palace below, which.has no stay[Tr. Note: A play on the word semekh, which means both support,, and the letter S.,.(Aparsamon =apiryon+the letter samekh).] until it obtains it from the upper Palace..
3:10 Its pillars he made of silver, its couch of gold, its curtain of purple, its interior inlaid with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.
3:11 Go out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon, upon the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his nuptials and on the day of the joy of his heart.
The elements are simple earthly ones, not heavenly. But the interior is love as the people were involved with its construction.
… Who is the mother?
“In the day of his espousals” (Song of Songs 3:11) – this refers to the days of the Messiah, for (then) the Holy One blessed be He, will be like a bridegroom.”
From Yalqut Shim’oni, Songs, no. 988. Cited in The Messiah Texts, Raphael Patai, Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 1979, p. 238.