
TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Chapter 8
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1If only it could be as with a brother, As if you had nursed at my mother's breast: Then I could kiss you When I met you in the street, And no one would despise me.
אמִי יִתֶּנְךָ כְּאָח לִי יוֹנֵק שְׁדֵי אִמִּי אֶמְצָאֲךָ בַחוּץ אֶשָׁקְךָ גַּם לֹא־יָבוּזוּ לִי׃
2I would lead you, I would bring you To the house of my mother, Of her who taught me— I would let you drink of the spiced wine, Of my pomegranate juice.
באֶנְהָגֲךָ אֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל־בֵּית אִמִּי תְּלַמְּדֵנִי אַשְׁקְךָ מִיַּיִן הָרֶקַח מֵעֲסִיס רִמֹּנִי׃
3His left hand was under my head, His right hand caressed me.
גשְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת רֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי׃
4I adjure you, O maidens of Yerushalayim: Do not wake or rouse Love until it please!
דהִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם מַה־תָּעִירוּ וּמַה־תְּעֹרְרוּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ׃
5Who is she that comes up from the desert, Leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I roused you; It was there your mother conceived you, There she who bore you conceived you.
המִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן־הַמִּדְבָּר מִתְרַפֶּקֶת עַל־דּוֹדָהּ תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ שָׁמָּה חִבְּלַתְךָ אִמֶּךָ שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָה יְלָדַתְךָ׃
6Let me be a seal upon your heart, Like the seal upon your hand. For love is fierce as death, Passion is mighty as Sheol; Its darts are darts of fire, A blazing flame.
ושִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל־לִבֶּךָ כַּחוֹתָם עַל־זְרוֹעֶךָ כִּי־עַזָּה כַמָּוֶת אַהֲבָה קָשָׁה כִשְׁאוֹל קִנְאָה רְשָׁפֶיהָ רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ שַׁלְהֶבֶתְיָה׃
7Vast floods cannot quench love, Nor rivers drown it. If a man offered all his wealth for love, He would be laughed to scorn.
זמַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה וּנְהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּהָ אִם־יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶת־כָּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ בָּאַהֲבָה בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ׃
8“We have a little sister, Whose breasts are not yet formed. What shall we do for our sister When she is spoken for?
חאָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה וְשָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ מַה־נַּעֲשֶׂה לַאֲחֹתֵנוּ בַּיּוֹם שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־בָּהּ׃
9If she be a wall, We will build upon it a silver battlement; If she be a door, We will panel it in cedar.”
טאִם־חוֹמָה הִיא נִבְנֶה עָלֶיהָ טִירַת כָּסֶף וְאִם־דֶּלֶת הִיא נָצוּר עָלֶיהָ לוּחַ אָרֶז׃
10I am a wall, My breasts are like towers. So I became in his eyes As one who finds favor.
יאֲנִי חוֹמָה וְשָׁדַי כַּמִּגְדָּלוֹת אָז הָיִיתִי בְעֵינָיו כְּמוֹצְאֵת שָׁלוֹם׃
11Shlomo had a vineyard In Baal-hamon. He had to post guards in the vineyard: A man would give for its fruit A thousand pieces of silver.
יאכֶּרֶם הָיָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּבַעַל הָמוֹן נָתַן אֶת־הַכֶּרֶם לַנֹּטְרִים אִישׁ יָבִא בְּפִרְיוֹ אֶלֶף כָּסֶף׃
12I have my very own vineyard: You may have the thousand, O Shlomo, And the guards of the fruit two hundred!
יבכָּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי לְפָנָי הָאֶלֶף לְךָ שְׁלֹמֹה וּמָאתַיִם לְנֹטְרִים אֶת־פִּרְיוֹ׃
13O you who linger in the garden, A lover is listening; Let me hear your voice.
יגהַיוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵךְ הַשְׁמִיעִינִי׃
14“Hurry, my beloved, Swift as a gazelle or a young stag, To the hills of spices!”
b'-RAKH do-DEE ud-MAY l'-KHA litz-VEE O l'-O-fer ha-a-ya-LEEM AL ha-RAY v'-sa-MEEM
ידבְּרַח דּוֹדִי וּדְמֵה־לְךָ לִצְבִי אוֹ לְעֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים עַל הָרֵי בְשָׂמִים׃
8:14 To the hills of spices
Almost all commentators agree that the “hills of spices” mentioned in this verse are a reference to the Temple Mount in Yerushalayim. The spices refer to the incense offering that was offered in the Beit Hamikdash, which produced a sweet smell. The Talmud (Yoma 39b) relates that the scent of the incense was so strong that the women in Yerushalayim did not need to use perfume. In this verse, the people turn to Hashem, their beloved, and ask that he hurry like a gazelle “to the hills of spices.” They wish to be redeemed quickly from their bitter exile. They beg for God to return them to the Land of Israel, and for His presence to also return to the Holy Land and to the Beit Hamikdash in Yerushalayim.