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The Song of Songs


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Shir HaShirim: The Song of Songs

What makes this poem the "Song of Songs"?

There are many levels of song. Some sing the Song of the Soul. Within their own soul, they discover everything, their complete spiritual fulfillment.

Others sing the Song of the Nation. They leave the restricted circle of the individual soul — it is not expansive enough, not idealistic enough. They aspire to greater heights. With sublime love, they cleave to Ecclesia Israel ("Knesset Yisrael"). They sing her songs, feel her pains, delight in her hopes, and contemplate her past and her future. With love and wisdom, they investigate the content of her inner spirit.

Others allow their souls to expand beyond the people of Israel. They sing the Song of Humanity, reveling in the grandeur of the humankind, the illustriousness of his divine image. They aspire towards humanity's ultimate goal, and yearn for its sublime fulfillment. From this source of life they draw inspiration for their universal thoughts and analyses, aspirations and visions.

And some reach even higher in the expanse, until they unite with all of existence, with all creatures and all worlds. With all of them, they sing the Song of the Universe. Regarding this sublime song, the Sages pronounced, "One who delves in Perek Shira each day is promised a portion in the World to Come." 

And some succeed in encompassing all of these songs together. All of the songs give their voice; together they harmonize their melodies, giving life and sustenance to each other. They combine at each hour and moment, ringing out with the sound of happiness and joy, the sound of laughter and gladness, the sound of exultation and holiness.

Their culmination ascends to a song of holiness. This is the Song of God, the Song of Israel (the letters Yisrael form "Shir E-l", "Song of God"), in the essence of its power and beauty, truth and greatness. The Song of Songs encompasses together all of these songs: the Song of the Soul, the Song of the Nation, the Song of Humanity, and the Song of the Universe.

"'The Song of Songs, that is Solomon's (Shlomo)'. The song of the King, the Master of shalom (completeness)." (Rashi, quoting the Midrash on Shir Hashirim 1:1)

(adapted from Orot HaKodesh vol. II, pp. 444-445)

Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison