Song of Songs, Chapter Three, verse six: Who [is] this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? A good question—who is this? I mean, yes, it’s…
There seemed to be sufficient interest to go on, and it’s just possible I’ll goad people into actually commenting… Song of Songs, Chapter Three, verse one: By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought…
Well, and at Temple Beth Bolshoy today we finished our discussion of the Song of Songs. We’re going through it rather faster than I am here, which is a Good Thing. Anyway, I’ve made it through two chapters, reading closely,…
Something that occurred to me during this morning’s discussion of Parshah Vay’etze (Gen 28:10 � 32:3) was that when Jacob has fled his house, running away from a home he has essentially demolished by deceit and extortion, leaving behind him…
Song of Songs, Chapter Two, verse eight: The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. We’re changing scenes again. If you remember, in verse seven we left the two of them sleeping…
Song of Songs, Chapter Two, verse one: I [am] the rose of Sharon, [and] the lily of the valleys. It’s probably worth noting that the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is named after the bible verse; the translation predates the…
This past weekend we discussed parshah Toldot, Genesis 25:19-28:9, which encompasses the birth of Jacob and Esau, up through the goatskin trick and all. Discussions at Temple Beth Bolshoi are more like participatory sermons, with Senior Rabbi determining in advance…
Song of Songs, Chapter One, verse 12: While the king [sitteth] at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. Ooh, nard. The question here is who she is referring to as the king. Is this the Shepherd, who…
The next three chapters are the Shepherd saying nice things to the Bride: Chapter 1, verse nine: I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots. The Hebrew is horses-female, although it isn’t likely…
If I remember correctly, the Bride was black and beautiful in Song of Songs, Chapter 1, verse 5, and that nobody else in the whole Scripture was black, and that beauty itself was a little suspect, at least in the…