SHIR HASHIRIM – THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM – PART 1

“The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I have put water in the desert and rivers in the wilderness, provide drink for My chosen people, this people that I fashioned for Myself that they might declare My praise.“ Isaiah 43:20-21

Well, it is finally time! I have been researching and compiling information on the Book of Shir HaShirim (Song of Solomon/Songs) for a long while now and thus it has reached the point where I can now post chapter one of this astounding and amazing Book!

I will be posting by chapter so expect this to be a VERY long and VERY in-depth study! We will be exploring not only chapter to chapter but also going verse by verse and in some important cases, word by word to explore all that is there! Each Op will have to be extremely long to encapsulate all that is there so please bear with me!

Also, you will notice I will be posting random pictures in each Op of HaShem’s creation because I hope it will inspire you to look out your window and see HaShem in His creation that He has blessed us with! Just remember, every gust of wind, every drop of rain, every grain of dust, every bolt of lightning, every snowflake, etc, is all utterly controlled and placed exactly where He wants them to be! He provides water and food for the animals and if He can do that, then how much more can He take care of us in these vile, wicked and exceedingly evil times we find ourselves living in right now?

In the midst of these wicked times we currently live in, there is great hope because HaShem tells us in Isaiah 2:1-5 concerning the end of days: “The prophecy that Isaiah son of Amoz saw, concerning Judah and Jerusalem – It WILL HAPPEN in the End of Days – The Mountain of the Temple of HaShem will be firmly established (Temple will be rebuilt!) as the head of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills, and ALL the nations will stream to it. Many peoples (Non-Jews) will go and say ‘Come, let us go up to the Mountain of HaShem, to the Temple of the Elohim of Jacob and He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths (meaning the non-Jews will stream to the Temple in Jerusalem to be taught the Torah of HaShem). For from Zion will the Torah come forth, and the Word of HaShem from Jerusalem. He will judge among the nations, and will settle the arguments of many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation and they will no longer study warfare. O House of Jacob, come, let us walk by the light of HaShem!” May it be so very soon in our days!

In order to begin our study into this amazing Book, we will need to lay the foundation, which again will take time, but it is very important so we can absorb all that HaShem has in His Word. First and foremost, always remember the following eternal characteristics of HaShem as once more they are vital as we proceed in this study:

• HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
• His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
• He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
• He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
• He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
• He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
• He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
• He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
• He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
• He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
• He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
• He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
• He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
• He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
• He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
• He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
• He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
• He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
• He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
• He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
• He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
• He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
• He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
• He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
• He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
• He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
• He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
• He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
• He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
• He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46

Why did HaShem create His people Israel (Comprised of everyone who wishes to serve and honor the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)? Isaiah 43 tells us: “That we might declare the praise of HaShem!” How do we praise HaShem? First we believe what He says, then we strive to put that faith into action and walk in His Torah and in doing so we bring honor and esteem to His Great Name, further, we declare our loyalty, devotion and love for HaShem because He is worthy of it and more importantly He is deserving of it!

Consider what He says in 2 Kings 7:23 which says “And who is like Your people, like Israel, a unique nation on earth, whom Elohim went forth to redeem unto Himself for a people, thus gaining Himself renown, and to perform great works for you (Israel) and wonders for Your Land, driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt.” HaShem loves His people, Israel and has gone to great lengths to redeem Israel! Keep this in mind as we proceed in what will be an extremely long Op!

Shir HaShirim is an extremely important Book in the Tanakh, one that is either ignored or sadly twisted and used to promote terrible abominations. I hope to show you shortly just how important this Book really is!

In Jewish thought, with regards to studying the Tanakh, there are FOUR levels of interpretation:

• Peshat: Literal interpretation of each scripture
• Remez: Alluding to other verses, such as cross referencing
• Derash: Midrash, allegory, we must be VERY careful with this level
• Sode: Mystical, again we must be VERY careful with this level as well

All four of these levels produces the Hebrew word ‘Pardes’ which means ‘Paradise!’ When we correctly study HaShem’s Word and apply it to our lives and in our hearts and minds, we walk in His paradise! Keep this in mind as we proceed because it will become very important shortly.

An excerpt from the Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim 1.20 Insights section says “Berachos 22a (Talmud Bavli) derives from Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:9-10) that we are commanded to study Torah in precisely the way we received it at Sinai: ‘In dread and awe, with trembling and with fear.’ This is because one who studies Torah drinks directly from the river that flows from Sinai. The words he absorbs were sent out into the world at that moment of the Revelation, and have now arrived at their destination after a journey of centuries. He hears in his mind the Great Voice of Sinai (HaShem), he relives in small measure the Receiving of the Torah, and so he must comport himself with the proper degree of reverence and awe.”

A very important aspect to grasp and take hold of is the proper understanding of ‘Kedusha’ or ‘Holiness’ and what it really means, not the Christian definition but what the Word of HaShem really says about it. The best definition I have read to describe what true Kedusha is, is the following statement “The time, space and objects that are limited to us through the agency of kedusha (Holiness) are signs that as HaShem’s covenantal partners, we must relinquish some control in every sphere of our existence and reserve those elements for His service!” Joseph Good of HaTikvah Ministries – Jerusalem Temple Study

The closer one draws to HaShem, the higher the level of Kedusha is required! Consider the following from Tractate Keilim 1.6-9 from the Mishnah when describing Kedusha: “There are TEN sanctities (Levels of Kedusha) – The progression ascends from the Land of Israel to the Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem:

• Eretz Israel (The Land of Israel) is more sanctified than any of the other lands (In the world). And what is its sanctity? That we may bring from it the omer and the first fruits and the two loaves of bread, which we may not bring from any of the other lands.
• Cities (In the Land) surrounded by a wall are more sanctified than this, for we send the metzoraim out of them, and they may carry a dead body around within them until they decide (To step out). Once out, they may not bring it back. Within the walls is more sanctified than these, for we may eat there kodashim kalim and ma’aser sheni.

• Har Habayit (Temple Mount) is more sanctified than this, for zavim and zavot, niddot and yoldot may not enter there.

• The Cheil (Inner Courtyard) is more sanctified than this, for Gentiles and one rendered impure by a corpse, may not enter there.

• Ezrat Nashim (Court of the Women) is more sanctified than this, for a tevul yom may not enter there, but they are not liable to a sin offering for it.

• Ezrat Yisrael (Court of Israel) is more sanctified than this for one lacking atonement may not enter there, and they are liable to a sin offering for it.

• Ezrat Kohanim (Court of the Kohanim/Priests) is more sanctified than this, for Israelites may enter there only at a time when they are needed such as laying hands, for slaughtering and for heaving.

• Between the Ulam (Porch into the Sanctuary) and the Altar is more sanctified than this, for those with a blemish and those with wild hair may not enter there.

• The Hekhal (Sanctuary) is more sanctified than this, for one may not enter there without washing hands and feet.

• The Holy of Holies is more sanctified than these, for only the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) may enter there, on Yom Kippur at the time of the service.”

Can you see the progression? The closer one draws to HaShem, the more restrictive the Kedusha requirements become! What does this teach us?

Now does it make a little more sense when HaShem command us in Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:2 “HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying ‘Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and say to them ‘You shall be holy (Kadosh), for holy (Kadosh) am I, HaShem, your Elohim.'” How do we set ourselves apart to Him? By walking in His Torah! He further says in Vayikra 20:7 “You shall sanctify (Kadosh) yourselves and you will be holy (Kadosh), for I am HaShem, your Elohim.'”

This is reiterated in 1 Peter 1:13-16 which says “Therefore, having girded up the loins of your mind, being sober, set your expectations perfectly upon the favor that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua Messiah, as OBEDIENT CHILDREN, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts in your ignorance, instead, as the One Who called you is set-apart (Holy/Kadosh) SO YOU ALSO SHOULD BECOME SET-APART (HOLY/KADOSH) IN ALL BEHAVIOR, because it has been written, ‘Be set-apart (Holy/Kadosh), for I am set-apart (Holy/Kadosh)'” quoting Vayikra 19:2. Just a quick observation, if the letter by Peter is advocating and quoting the Torah favorably and calling for the people who believe in Yeshua to obey the Torah, then how can Replacement Theology come along and toss it all out and still claim to be from HaShem? Obviously it can’t and has only succeeded in revealing its demonic, satanic origin once again. I digress. The point is, again we see in the Apostolic Writings where NOTHING has been changed, replaced, rendered obsolete and tossed out. The message from HaShem is still the same….be kadosh and we do that first by faith and then put that faith into action i.e. walk in His Torah out of love, devotion and loyalty to HaShem!

Remember, at Sinai HaShem offered Israel the Torah i.e. the Ketubah in Hebrew, which is the marriage contract which states all the responsibilities of the Groom to take care of His Bride, but also all the responsibilities of the Bride to the Groom. Israel joyously accepted the Ketubah and was betrothed to HaShem as His one and only Bride. The Bride agreed to the terms to be set-apart to her Groom and the Torah is the means to do so! Keep this in mind as we proceed!

Now with this stated as it pertains to being kadosh, HaShem has given us an incredible tool to use to really, truly and deeply understand the concept of kedusha and how to apply it to our lives! This tool is non other than the Temple of HaShem with all the offerings and all the services, even down to how it functions on a daily basis! In fact another name for the Temple of HaShem is ‘House of Kedusha’! Keep this in mind!!

In Ezekiel 43:10-11 HaShem says the following about His Temple: “You Ben Adam! Tell the family of Israel of the Temple and let them be ashamed of their sins, and MEASURE THE DESIGN. And if they are ashamed, the FORM OF THE HOUSE AND ITS DESIGN, ITS EXITS AND ENTRANCES, AND ALL ITS APPEARANCES, ITS LAWS AND DECORATION, AND ALL ITS REGULATIONS MAKE KNOWN TO THEM and write it down before their eyes, that they may remember its form and its decrees and perform them.” This is a command from HaShem to study and learn EVERYTHING about His Temple and why? So we would know how to apply these principles to our own lives because we, our bodies are the Temple of HaShem! We do NOT replace the Temple in Jerusalem, but our bodies being the Temple is NOT a Christian concept, it is very much a Jewish concept in that we are to see the Temple of HaShem and again apply its principles to our own lives! Unfortunately Christendom has twisted this concept up to mean our bodies have now replaced the Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem which has now become the habitation for devils and demons and the throne of Satan on earth…its abominable what Christendom has done to the Temple of HaShem, but that is an entirely different topic and not relevant to this Op. One day perhaps I will do an Op discussing just how much damage Christendom has done to the world, but for now the topic is on HaShem and His Temple! May it be so very soon in our days!

In studying and researching HaShem’s Temple, the Word of HaShem from Genesis to Revelation will suddenly explode into life! You will find studying His Temple is THE one and only key to unlock His Word and is the main focus! We find Temple Language all over the Apostolic Writings and especially Paul’s letters and is the focus of the Book of Revelation! When we understand Temple Language we will see Paul was in no way speaking against the Torah of HaShem or advocating Replacement Theology as Christendom teaches! The Temple is the key!

On a side note, there are 613 commandments in the Torah. Out of these 613 commandments, 271 of them pertain specifically to the Temple!

For example, there are 15 steps in the Temple of HaShem which lead up from the Court of the Women to the Court of Israel. These 15 steps are the basis for Psalms 120-134 i.e. the Psalms of Ascent because one is going UP to drawing closer to HaShem…each step corresponds to one Psalm i.e. the first step = Psalms 120 and the last step = Psalms 134! Next time you read these in your Bible’s consider this! Or when we read in the Apostolic Writings how the ‘Cock crowed’. Christendom has taught this was a literal rooster crowing in the morning. In reality, the ‘Cock that crowed’ was an idiom for a specific position in the Temple in which a Kohen, as the Temple Crier, would go to the highest point in the Temple and look for the sunrise to the east. When he saw it he would cry out indicating the beginning of the morning Temple Service and that it was time to offer the morning Tamid lamb! It has absolutely nothing, zilch, nadda to do with a chicken because chickens were not allowed within the walls of Jerusalem and especially not allowed in the Temple because their dung would contaminate everything.

One final example, when the woman caught in the act of adultery was brought to Yeshua and was asked to render a ruling on her guilt, He never answered. Why didn’t He answer and give a ruling? Christendom has taught it was because He was showing her mercy and grace. If we understand the Temple and the Sanhedrin, the answer becomes perfectly clear why not, which is because Yeshua didn’t have the authority to render a ruling! The Torah is clear that anyone woman accused of adultery is to be brought before the Sanhedrin to include all the credible witnesses for examination and only they can render a right ruling. If Yeshua had rendered a ruling He would have instantly been disqualified as the Messiah because He would have sinned! See how the narrative changes when we include the Temple into the Apostolic Writings? Keep this in mind as we proceed!

Remember, its the responsibility of the Kohanim (Priests) who officiate the Temple Services to teach Israel to know the differences between the holy and the profane, clean and unclean per Vayikra 10:10-11 and Ezekiel 44:23! A better description of the function of the Kohanim is derived from the Illuminated Shir HaShirim book page 19: “The Kohanim serve as HaShem’s emissaries on earth, conduits for a love that can be given only by HaShem. The love in the blessing is more than a description of the way it should be conveyed by the Kohen, with a heart overflowing with love and sincerity. The blessing itself is the act of love demonstrated by HaShem, as the Kohanim are commanded to bless the children of Israel with the gift of love from their Heavenly Father.”

With this foundation laid, we can now begin to tackle Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs)! As I have previously stated, Shir HaShirim is an utterly astounding Book of the Tanakh! It is a Book of love, the love HaShem has for His one and only eternal Bride i.e. Israel! It will utterly change your life when you read this Book and you see the lengths HaShem has gone to redeem His Bride and how He longs to dwell in the midst of her and how Israel longs to be with her Bridegroom once and for all, no longer separated by sin and our failures! Further, when you see Creation around you, I hope and pray you will see it with a new light of seeing it through the lens of Shir HaShirim and understand, HaShem reveals Himself and His character in the beauty of His Creation! He IS there, we just have to take the blinders off as well as take the time to actually look! I digress!

The Mishnah describes Shir HaShirim as the following: “If all the volumes written in the Tanakh are holy, then Shir HaShirim, this magnificent text that captures the intense relationship between HaShem and His children, is the Holy of Holies. Viewing the crescendo of kedushah, holiness, that was invested in that magnificent area, we can gain a greater appreciate for the gift that HaShem has given us through King Solomon in Shir HaShirim.”

The following is from Hilchot Teshuvah (Repentance) from the Mishnah Torah 10.3 which says “What is the proper degree of love (For HaShem)? That a person should love HaShem with a very great and exceeding love until his soul is bound up in the love of HaShem. Thus, he will always be obsessed with this love as if he is lovesick. A lovesick person’s thoughts are never diverted from the love of that woman. He is always obsessed with her; when he sits down, when he gets up, when he eats and drinks. With an even greater love, the love for HaShem should be implanted in the hearts of those who love Him and are obsessed with Him at all times as we are commanded in Deuteronomy 6:5 ‘Love HaShem with all your heart and with all soul.’ This concept was implied by Solomon in Song of Songs 2:5 when he stated as a metaphor, ‘I am lovesick.’ Indeed, the totality of the Song of Songs is a parable describing this love.”

An excerpt from ‘The Five Megillah’ discussing Shir HaShirim on page three says “All the commentaries agree that Shir HaShirim is NOT to be taken literally; it is an ALLEGORY of HaShem and Israel, their glorious beginning, their estrangement, their longing for each other, their eventual return to their original relationship!” What is an ‘Allegory’? It is a “story, a poem or a picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.” Keep this in mind as we will now begin to enter into the first chapter of this amazing Book!

LET’S BEGIN!!!

“One is only free if he delves into Torah!” Perkei Avos 6.2

Shir HaShirim 1:1 says “The song that excels all songs dedicated to HaShem, the King Whom peace belongs.” There are a total of TEN SONGS in HaShem’s Word:

• Adam recited the very first song recorded as Psalms 92 the Shabbat Psalm!
• Moshe uttered the second song in Shemot (Exodus) 15:1 and on
• The Children of Israel sung the third in Bamidbar (Numbers) 21:17 and on
• Moshe sung the fourth in Devarim (Deuternomy) 32:1 and on
• Yehoshua (Joshua) sung the fifth in Yehoshua (Joshua) 10:12 and on
• Barak and Deborah sung the sixth in Jude 5:1 and on
• Hannah sung the seventh in I Samuel 2:1 and on
• David sung the eighth in II Samuel 22:1 and on
• Solomon sang the ninth in Isaiah 30:29 and on
• Solomon sang the tenth in Shir HaShirim

Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Shir HaShirim!

• Ecclesiastes deals with matters of this world
• Proverbs expounds for the fear of HaShem
• Shir HaShirim deals with the love of HaShem

Shir HaShirim 1:2 says “Communicate Your innermost wisdom to me again in loving closeness, for Your friendship is dearer than all earthly delights.”

The commentary on this verse explains “Exiled Israel says in her widowhood (Remember HaShem divorced Israel) let Him be intimate with me again and communicate the innermost secrets of His Torah to me directly i.e. mouth to mouth as He did at Sinai when He revealed Himself to us Face to face per Devarim (Deuteronomy) 5:4.”

Per the Torah, in Devarim 24:1-4 “If a man takes a woman and lives with her, and it will be that she will not find favor in his eyes, for he found in her a matter of IMMORALITY/ADULTERY, and he wrote her a bill of divorce and gave it into her hand and send her from his house, and she shall leave his house and go and marry another man and the latter hated her and wrote her a bill of divorce and presented it into her hand and sent her from his house, or the latter man who married her to himself will die, her first husband who divorced her shall NOT AGAIN TAKE HER TO BECOME HIS WIFE, AFTER SHE HAD BEEN DEFILED…” When Israel worshipped the Golden Calf, she committed adultery and then later Israel embraced idolatry, again idolatry in His eyes is adultery!

HaShem says in Jeremiah 3:7-8 “I said, even after she (Israel) had done all these things, ‘Return to Me!’ but she did not return. And her unfaithful sister, Judah, saw what befell her, and I saw that despite the fact that I divorced wayward Israel because of her adultery and gave her a bill of divorce to her, unfaithful Judah, her sister, was not afraid; she too, went and committed adultery.”

This is SO important to understand, because Israel is exiled into the world but she is holding onto the hope that one day HaShem will restore her to Him as His Bride! This folks, explains what Yeshua did!! Remember, per the Torah of HaShem a man who divorced his wife for adultery is prohibited from re-marrying her! So, what does HaShem do to fix this issue? He sends His Agent!!!!!!!

There is a Biblical principle called ‘The Law of Agency’ in which the Principle, will send a representative on their behalf to conduct business or legal affairs IN THEIR NAME! The agent is bound to only say and do what the Principle has empowered them to do. In Tractate Kiddushin 41b from the Talmud Bavli it states “The general principle is enunciated as thus ‘A man’s agent IS AS HIMSELF!'” Then it expounds and says “It is a general principle that the agent who acts outside or beyond the power given to him does not effect anything, in other words his acts are void and neither bind or benefit his principle.” Why is this so important? Because Yeshua (Not the Torah rejecting Jesus of Christendom) came as the AGENT of HaShem and therefore He can only do and say precisely what HaShem, as the Principle, empowered Him to say!! Remember Yeshua Himself says this in John 5:19 “Therefore Yeshua responded and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do NONE AT ALL BY HIMSELF, BUT ONLY THAT WHICH HE SEES THE FATHER DOING, BECAUSE WHATEVER HE DOES, THE SON ALSO LIKEWISE DOES.” Then He says in John 12:49 “Because I spoke NOT FROM MYSELF, BUT THE FATHER WHO SENT ME HAS GIVEN ME A COMMAND WHAT I SHOULD SAY AND WHAT I SHOULD SPEAK.”

So we can see Yeshua only does and says what HaShem has empowered Him to say just as an Agent would do! He further says in John 14:9 “He who has seen Me has seen the Father…” Remember, a man’s agent is like himself?

Now remember HaShem says in Devarim 18:18 “I will raise up a Prophet (Messiah Yeshua) from among their brethren (Israel), like you, and I will PLACE MY WORDS IN HIS MOUTH; He shall speak to them everything that I will command him.” And what is the Word of HaShem? “I have given you a good Torah, do NOT forsake My Torah!” Proverbs 4:2. Also, refer back to the list of verses at the opening discussing the eternal characteristics of HaShem!!

Point is, can the Messiah/Agent of HaShem come speaking and doing what HaShem said not to do? No! That one fails the Devarim 18 test because HaShem has NOT put His Words in His mouth, which is why Christendom’s Replacement Theology Jesus who according to the doctrine teaches the Torah is tossed out, replaced, changed, etc, has just disqualified himself as being the Messiah/Agent of HaShem! This does not in any way invalidate the Apostolic Writings! It invalidates the Replacement Theology INTERPRETATION of the Apostolic Writings! Big difference!

Yeshua, on the other hand, does act and do as the Agent of HaShem, teaching only the Words HaShem has put in His Mouth and as HaShem’s Agent, He gives up His life, dies and releases HaShem from the prohibition of remarrying and when Yeshua is risen from the grave by the Power of HaShem, now HaShem can legally remarry Israel via Yeshua, His Agent!! Does this change the narrative we all grew up on? Remember Yeshua Himself says in Matthew 15:24 “I was sent ONLY for the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” Let’s move on.

Shir HaShirim 1:3 says “Like the scent of goodly oils is the spreading fame of Your great deeds; Your very Name is ‘Flowing Oil’ therefore have nations loved You.”

Oil is a metaphor for a good reputation. In Ecclesiastes 7:1 it says “A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death than the day of birth.” This verse refers to the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt, when news of HaShem’s miracles for the benefit of Israel spread like the fragrance of fine oil.

‘Your Name is Flowing Oil’ = Your reputation is widely revered like the fragrance of flowing oil.

‘The nations loved You’ = Solomon is referring to the nations as maidens who come to HaShem and convert such as Moshe’s father in law Jethro.

Further, ‘Your oils’ refers to HaShem’s duel gracious manifestations i.e. His Written Torah and His Oral Torah. The Torah was likened to oil to imply that just as oil in its original form as olives is bitter but afterwards it becomes sweet, so the study of Torah is at first bitter and laborious but later it becomes pleasant. Just as oil doesn’t mix with other fluids, so the Torah cannot mix with levity. As one becomes more frivolous, his Torah knowledge deserts him. However, just as oil, when mixed with other liquids always rises to the top, so Torah causes Israel to rise above, be set-apart, above the nations.

Shir HaShirim 1:4 says “Upon perceiving a mere hint that You wished to draw me, we rushed with perfect faith after You into the Wilderness. The King brought me into His cloud pillared chamber; whatever our travail we shall always be glad and rejoice in Your Torah. We recall Your love more than earthly delights, unrestrainedly do they love You.”

Again we see HaShem reaching out to His Bride i.e. Israel and Israel responds here, that even at the mere hint He wishes to draw Israel near to Him, Israel will rush, run with perfect faith after Him. A cross reference to this is very interesting and says in Jeremiah 2:2 “I (HaShem) recall for you (Israel) the kindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me into the Wilderness, into an unsown land.” What He is saying is He appreciates Israel’s unquestioning trust in Him at the time of the Exodus from Egypt and His longing for their repentance so that He can show them mercy. The reference to ‘kindness of your youth’ refers to the kind deeds of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the reference to ‘nuptials’ refers to the ‘Giving of the Torah’ at Mount Sinai, which was the marriage of HaShem and His nation!

Notice here Israel rejoices in HaShem’s Torah? Does this sound like an oppressing, burdensome, cruel Torah which is routinely described by Replacement Theology Christendom today? I digress.

Psalms 119:32 says “I will run on the way of Your commandments when You will broaden my understanding.” The commentary on this verse says “The final perfection of creation will be when Israel merits redemption and rises to such noble heights that ALL nations follow its example!” Again what is the purpose of Israel? To be a light to the nations and draw the world to HaShem and His Torah!

Verse four here is described in the commentary as the following: “In the plain sense of the allegory, the estranged wife i.e. Israel is cast into exile, pleads with her Husband to show her a sign of affection and she will run back to Him.” If you think about it logically, here would be the perfect time for HaShem to tell Israel ‘You blew it, I have divorced you, tossed you out and I will marry another i.e. the Church!” But, we see time and again He doesn’t say this, so again I have to point out Replacement Theology Christendom’s doctrine that they have replaced Israel as the Bride, the marriage contract i.e. the Torah is tossed out and replaced by grace, etc, is proven once more to be out of the pit of Hell! I hope you can see the contrast? I digress again.

Shir HaShirim 1:5 says “Though I (Israel) am black with sin, I am comely with virtue, O nations who are destined to ascend to Jerusalem; though sullied as the tents of Kedar, I will be immaculate as the draperies of Shlomo (Solomon).”

The commentary on this verse is very interesting. It says the following from the perspective of Israel speaking to the nations (Non-Jews): “Do not think lightly of me because my ‘Husband’ has left me due to my swarthiness, so declares Israel to the nations. I am blackened in consequence of my own deeds, but I am comely by virtue of the deeds of my forefathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). And, even among my own deeds, many are meritorious. Although I sinned regarding the Golden Calf in Exodus 32, in compensation I have the merit of having accepted the Torah.”

The nations of the world are destined to one day during the Day of HaShem i.e. erroneously referred to as the Millennium, come up to Jerusalem to worship HaShem and learn His Torah from the Temple! “All nations are destined to become ‘Daughters of Jerusalem’ at the End of Days. Then, all nations will acknowledge the holiness of Jerusalem and submit to HaShem and learn the Torah from Israel.” Remember what we discussed at the very top of this Op concerning the prophecy in Isaiah 2? Again, this completely destroys Replacement Theology Christendom!

The commentary continues: “Israel addresses the nations of the world: ‘Although I am black as the tents of Kedar which constantly lay exposed to the elements, nevertheless, with a little effort, I can be washed as clean as the curtains of Solomon’. Do not think that HaShem has rejected me utterly! He still loves me because of my merits. And, when I repent to Him, He will atone my sins as it is written in Isaiah 1:18 ‘Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow!'”

Another commentary source on this verse says “Israel addresses the nations that malign her, as the disgraced wife who has been expelled by her husband. It is true, she says, in the literal sense, that my complexion has been blackened by the sun, but my body is comely. Allegorically, it is true that the sin of the Golden Calf blackened me, in the spiritual sense, but I also have the virtue that I accepted the Torah, and I remain committed to it.” How many times to do I read online on the various articles and videos posted by Christian pastors mocking and ridiculing Israel that they blew it, HaShem has rejected Israel once and for all and now the ‘Church’ has replaced Israel once and for all? My point is, the nations (Non-Jews) are still to this day maligning and mocking Israel. Its shameful and so utterly wrong with absolutely zero truth to any of the Church claims.

In the Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim 50-1 it says “The nations of the world taunt the people of Israel and say, ‘This nation, Israel, exchanged their glory for the likeness of a grass eating ox, quoting Psalms 106:20, so HaShem does not care for them anymore, and He will exchange them for us!'” This is precisely what most of Christendom teaches today! And what is the response in the Midrash? “The people of Israel say to them: ‘Now, if we who worshiped idols only for a short time, have been found guilty before Elohim, you who have always worshiped idols, how much more so will Elohim NOT take you in place of us!'” Christendom is derived from enormous amounts of paganism and idolatry. I recently did a study on the origins of Christendom referencing biblical and historical texts and it is scary how much paganism is in Christendom. The founding fathers of Christendom were huge adherents and practitioners of Greek and Roman paganism and incorporated those ideologies and influences into Christendom almost from the very beginning, going back nearly 2,000 years when Christendom broke away from HaShem and His Torah and created its own version of the Messiah i.e. the Torah hating ‘Jesus Christ’, based upon the Greek god Zeus as well as other Greek and Roman deities. So, if HaShem punished His people for idolatry, then why would He replace Israel for Christendom which is wholly derived from paganism and idolatry? I could go on but will save that topic for another Op someday. Moving on.

With regards to the reference to ‘The Curtain of Solomon’ this is a direct reference to a specific curtain/veil in the Temple, which had embroidered on it the star constellations. This veil had a name, it was called ‘The Heavens!’ This is another area of correction which needs to be addressed. When Christendom teaches the veil that tore when Yeshua died, was the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place and that it signified everyone now has access to the Ark in the Most Holy Place! Further, many teach it signified the end of the Torah and the end of the Temple! Again this is very, very wrong teaching because it simply isn’t true! There were a total of 13 Parochet (Veils) in the Temple, with FOUR in the Sanctuary and TWO that separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. The Parochet (Veil) that tore when Yeshua died was ‘The Heavens’ and it was at the opening of the Sanctuary, the one everyone could see. It is also the same veil that tore once before when King Uzziah went in to burn incense illegally per 2 Chronicles 26. He was instantly struck with leprosy, there was a gigantic earthquake and ‘The Heavens’ tore. We know the Parochet tore because it says the sunlight shine through and exposed Uzziah’s leprosy, which can only mean the Parochet tore!

This earthquake is recorded in HaShem’s word: Amos 1:1 says “The words of Amos, who was one of the herders of Tekoa, who saw visions concerning Israel, in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel, TWO YEARS BEFORE THE EARTHQUAKE.”

Zechariah 15:5 says “And you will flee to the valley of the mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azal, and you will flee as you fled from THE EARTHQUAKE THAT WAS IN THE DAYS OF UZZIAH, king of Judah.”

Can you see why we MUST learn the Temple of HaShem and all the Temple Services? It puts everything on track and utterly destroys Replacement Theology once and for all, Baruch HaShem!! Moving on.

Shir HaShirim 1:6 says “Do not view me with contempt despite my swarthiness, for it is but the sun which has glared upon me. The alien children of my mother were incensed with me and made me a keeper of the vineyards of idols, but the vineyard of my own true Elohim I did not keep.”

This verse is very interesting, the reference here to the sun is in reference to when Israel picked up idolatry and began to worship the sun! Jeremiah 2:13 says “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the Source of living waters, to dig for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” In other words, they embraced ‘Sun Worship’ i.e. Replacement Theology, tossed out HaShem and adopted the doctrines of Replacement Theology i.e. dug for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water i.e. there is no truth or substance in them, only delusion and death.

Ezekiel 8:16 says “He brought me to the inner courtyard of the Temple of HaShem, and behold, at the entrance of the Sanctuary of HaShem, between the Entrance hall and the Altar, were some twenty five men, WITH THEIR BACKS TO THE SANCTUARY OF HASHEM, with their faces turned eastward; they were bowing eastward to the sun.” This is HUGE! Why? Because per the Temple protocols, it is utterly forbidden for anyone, anywhere in the Temple to turn their backs toward the Sanctuary because that is the Throne of HaShem on earth and you do NOT turn your back on your King, especially the Sovereign of the Universe!

The reference to not guarding my own vineyard is speaking of the Kohanim (Priests) and the Levites and their requirement to guard the Temple of HaShem as is commanded in the Torah per Bamidbar (Numbers) 3 and I Chronicles 23-26 and instead went watched other alien temples (Vineyards).

Idolatry is very dangerous and destructive and the price for doing so is enormous! This is why we have to constantly guard ourselves, which can be extremely difficult in our current culture and society we live in today!

Shir HaShirim 1:7 says “Tell me, You Whom my soul loves: Where will You graze Your flock? Where will You rest them under the fiercest sun of harshest exile? Why shall I be like one veiled in mourning among the flocks of Your fellow shepherds?”

This verse is Israel, allegorized here as sheep, beloved by their shepherd, addresses HaShem as a woman addresses her husband and states to Him the exile is too difficult for her. ‘Where will You graze Your flock?‘ The commentary on this says “Where, by what standard, with what Master Plan, will You pasture Your flock i.e. the Jews among the wolves in whose midst they dwell. Where will You rest them at noon during their long distressing Exile? Noon being a time of distress for cattle because the sun is then most intense and there is no relief from the suffering.”

The commentary then says regarding the word ‘rest’ as used in this verse “It is perhaps possible to homiletically link the word ‘rest’, to the dissemination of Torah. In other words, the question could be asked ‘By what method will You pasture Your flock in Exile? Under such affliction, how do You plan to disseminate Torah i.e. how do You expect Torah to flourish in the high noon of affliction.” So, we can see in this verse, Israel, while in Exile, still desires the Torah of HaShem! Keep this in mind!

Shir HaShirim 1:8 says “If you know not where to graze, o fairest of nations, follow the footsteps of the sheep, your forefathers who traced a straight, unswerving path after My Torah. Then you can graze your tender kids even among the dwellings of foreign shepherds.”

This verse is the beginning of HaShem response to Israel’s question we read in verse seven above! The commentary on this says “If the Assembly of Israel, compared to a beautiful child, desires to wipe out the captivity, and make HaShem’s soul compassionate towards her, let her walk in the ways of the righteous, and let her arrange her supplications by the mouth of the shepherds and leaders of the generation; let her instruct her children, compared to the kids of the goat, to assemble in synagogues and study houses; then, by that merit, they will be sustained in exile, until HaShem sends their King, Messiah, who will lead them gently to their Dwelling Place, the Temple which David and Solomon, the shepherds of Israel, shall build for them.”

What is the point here? HaShem is telling Israel if she wants to know where to graze, nothing has changed, repent and walk in righteousness i.e. walk in the Torah of HaShem. Our safety in this world is to walk in righteousness i.e. walk in His Torah out of love, devotion and loyalty to HaShem! The commentary backs this up when it says “Your tabernacles, o Israel, quoting Numbers 24:5, which the Talmud in Sanhedrin 105b interprets as ‘your synagogues and study houses’ and which, the Midrash notes, protect Israel ‘when the voice of Jacob i.e. Torah study is heard therein.’ He therefore renders thus: ‘If you ask where to graze, then heed My advice and graze your children in the spiritual pastures of the synagogues and study houses, and this will protect you.” Again, let me reiterate, salvation is obtained by faith in HaShem, but that faith is then put into action by studying and walking in the Torah of HaShem, the marriage contract between HaShem and Israel!

Shir HaShirim 1:9 says “To a steed in Pharaoh’s chariot I have likened you, My beloved.”

HaShem here is reminding Israel of how He miraculously delivered and saved Israel from Pharaoh at the Exodus from Egypt! The Midrash on this verse highlights in Hebrew the term ‘My beloved’ is missing the Hebrew letter ‘Vav’ which changes this phrase to ‘My rejoicing’! The Midrash goes on and says “The Holy One, blessed is He, said: ‘Just as I rejoiced to destroy the enemies of Israel.’ And what caused them to be saved? Scripture answers this question by stating in Shemot (Exodus) 14:29 ‘The Children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the Sea; the water was a wall for them, on their right and on their left.’ On their right intimates that they were saved in the merit of the Torah that they were destined to receive from the Right Hand of the Holy One, blessed is He, as it is stated, per Devarim (Deuteronomy) 33:2 ‘From His Right Hand He presented the fiery Torah to them.’ And on their left, these are an allusion to the tefillin worn on the left arm. Alternatively, on their right, this is an allusion to the recitation of the Shema and on their left this is an allusion to prayer.”

Shir HaShirim 1:10-11 says “Your (Israel’s) cheeks are lovely with rows of gems, your neck with necklaces, My gifts to you from the splitting sea, by inducing Pharaoh to engage in pursuit, to add circlets of gold to your spangles of silver.”

Again here we see HaShem speaking to Israel. The Midrash says “Just as the cheeks were created only for the purpose of speech, so were Moshe and Aaron created only for the purpose of speech i.e. teaching Torah to the people of Israel. Thus they are the cheeks of Israel.”

The commentary on these verses is very interesting because again HaShem is talking about His Torah! “These verses are a reference to Torah: ‘Your cheeks’ refers to men’s power of speech, ‘Just as the cheeks are made only for speech, so was Israel created only for the Torah!’ Homiletically these are interpreted as referring to students who eagerly strain their necks to hear the words of the Torah from their teachers mouth.”

The reference in these verses to ‘Rows of gems, your neck with necklaces’ is a reference to the Torah scholars when they would string together passages from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings (Tanakh/Old Testament) in their Torah study.

The Midrash further expounds and says “Circlets points to the two Torah’s that Moshe and Aaron taught the people of Israel i.e. the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.” For our proper understanding of Torah we must have both, Written and Oral Torah’s!

The Midrash has an interesting comment regarding the Torah of HaShem: “Fire is indicative of how one must relate to the Torah, as one relates to fire. Torah was given in fire and is compared to fire. One who comes too close to fire will be scorched, and one who stays too far away will remain cold; one must warm himself in its glow. Indeed, one must seek the warmth of fire, but he must always maintain a sense of fear and awe.”

On a side note, when the Torah says HaShem gave His fiery Torah, per the Hebrew wording indicates the following “The Torah that was given to Moshe was written with letters of black fire on a background of white fire. Likewise, the Tablets were chiseled from fire and given amid fire.” What exactly this means, we do not know! It points me however, to the verse in Hebrews 12:29 where it says “Our Elohim is a consuming fire!” Moving on.

Shir HaShirim 1:12 says “While the King was yet at His table, my nard gave forth its fragrance.”

This is now Israel speaking to HaShem. The incident of the Golden Calf is such a disastrous event in Israeli history! The commentary on this verse is very good and says “The allegorical translation follows Rashi who renders ‘my nard gave forth its fragrance’ as a euphemism for evil odor, a distasteful term which Scripture avoided in speaking of Israel. Further, while Moshe was in the heavens to receive the Torah, the wicked ones of that generation, the mixed multitude among them, arose and made the golden calf. They corrupted their actions, and their evil name went forth against them throughout the world, whereas previously their scent went forth in the world as fragrance. Now, however, they were malodorous as nard.”

The Midrash says “While the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed is He, was at His table in Heaven, the people of Israel gave forth a foul odor and they said of the Golden Calf, ‘This is your god, O Israel’ per Shemot (Exodus) 32:4.”

The commentary says “Nard is an aromatic plant used as perfume. The appears in Scripture only here and one other place where it is is listed with other spices. In the Talmud, Kerisos 6a, it is listed as an ingredient of the compound of incense used in the Temple.”

At this point, HaShem’s Presence was in the Heavens, the Mishkan (Tabernacle) had yet to be built, where His Presence would dwell among His people! What does this teach us? The Mishkan and the Mikdash (Temple) in Jerusalem are in essence Mount Sinai where HaShem’s Presence would come down to communicate and dwell among His people! This is again why He commands us to learn everything about His Temple in Ezekiel 43:10-11 and why we desperately need the Temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem today!! Keep this in mind!

Shir HaShirim 1:13 says “But my Beloved responded with a bundle of myrrh, the fragrant atonement of erecting a Tabernacle where His Presence would dwell amid the Holy Ark’s staves.”

Here Israel is acknowledging HaShem could have easily tossed Israel aside forever and replaced her with someone else i.e. the Church, for her sin of the Golden Calf, but HaShem doesn’t do that! What does He do? He responds with a bundle of myrrh!!!!!!! Baruch HaShem!!

The commentary on this verse says “The myrrh of this verse compensates for the nard of the previous verse. Nard, as explained above, is a euphemism for the offensive odor of sin; the bundle of myrrh figuratively refers to her expiation i.e. my Beloved has become to me as one who possesses a bag of fragrant myrrh, and offering it to me says ‘Here is a bag that will produce finer fragrance than the one you lost.’ Similarly, HaShem appeared after the incident of the Golden Calf, offering me an opportunity to acquire a new fragrance i.e. contribute to the construction of the Tabernacle! He said, ‘And the act of repentance represented by the contribution of gold for the holy task of building the Tabernacle will expiate the sin of having given gold to make the Calf.'”

Ketoret (Incense) is a critical key component of the Temple and its daily Service to HaShem! It is so critical that the Golden Altar, where the incense is burned each day, is right before the Parochet (Veils) which separate the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place! Further, a Kohen can only offer up and burn the incense one time in their entire life!! This is why when we read in the Apostolic Writings about Zechariah went to offer up the incense when the angel appeared to tell him about having a son is greatly enhanced when we understand the Temple Services and burning the incense!

There are eleven spices which comprise the Ketoret to be offered up in the Temple. Further, it was the responsibility of the Kohen family of Avtinas to prepare and mix the proper compounds together for the Ketoret. Tractate Karetot 6a from the Talmud Bavli gives us the list of spices:

• Balm
• Onycha
• Galbanum
• Frankincense
• Myrrh
• Cassia
• Spikenard
• Saffron
• Cinnamon
• Aromatic Bark
• Kersannah lye

Remember, none of what goes on in the Temple is manmade or added too by the Rabbis as I have heard so many times over the years by many in the Hebrew Roots circles along with Christendom. HaShem gave Moshe and David both the Tavnit (Blueprints) for its design and for all the Temple Services via His Ruach (Spirit) per Shemot (Exodus) 25 and I Chronicles 28!

Can you thus far see how important the Temple is to the relationship between HaShem and His people? Its vital and enhances why the destruction of the Second Temple by Rome was so devastating and why we can still feel those effects today!

Shir HaShirim 1:14 says “Like a cluster of henna in Ein Gedi vineyards has my Beloved multiplied His forgiveness to me.”

This is an amazing verse because this verse encapsulates HaShem’s mercy, grace and forgiveness of Israel!! Henna is a very fragrant plant. Ein Gedi is a specific location just west of the Dead Sea! Why did HaShem single this place out along with the Henna? The commentary explains: “Ein Gedi, was in the wilderness (I Samuel 24:2) thus it metaphorically alludes to a dwelling place away from other inhabitants, yet because of its abundant growth of Henna, its scent is perceived from afar. So, too, the Divine which, so to speak dwells from afar, yet He is like a cluster of Henna whose scent permeates the world!”

Further, the commentary says “The fragrance of the various spices mentioned in these verses are referring to HaShem’s favors to us, renders the verse thus: ‘The favors You bestowed upon us are so vast that they resemble a cluster of Henna which grows in abundance and which gives off an aroma that can be perceived from afar. So are the wondrous and miraculous deeds You performed for us known to the ends of the earth.'”

Shir HaShirim 1:15 says “You are beautiful in your deeds My beloved, and are beloved in your commitment to listen to them; your eyes turn to Me like the dove, ever faithful to its mate.”

This is HaShem speaking to Israel. In Hebrew the reference to ‘Your eyes turn to Me’ is pointing to the Sanhedrin of Israel i.e. the Court HaShem establishes in the Torah and anoints them to render right rulings on how to walk and keep the Commandments of HaShem! HaShem commands in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17 that we are to obey what the Sanhedrin rules upon and to defy them is to defy HaShem Himself for He is the One Who establishes the Sanhedrin in Bamidbar (Numbers) 15-24! This is the basis for why the Oral Torah does have merit and must be studied, especially the Mishnah, which is the recorded right rulings of the Sanhedrin on how to walk in the Torah! Even Yeshua reiterated this when He said ‘The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in the Seat of Moshe, therefore all they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds….’ per Matthew 23:2. In this particular case, Yeshua is telling us to obey the Sanhedrin, but the ones who controlled the Sanhedrin of His day were corrupt and were vehemently against allowing Non-Jews to learn the Torah and enter the covenant, something HaShem never once prohibited.

I have done a few Op’s discussing the history of Yeshua’s time with regards to Shammai and Hillel, the two main Pharisaical schools of thought that showed how Yeshua railed against the Pharisees of Shammai and agreed with the Pharisees of Hillel on their interpretation of the Torah! Paul was a Hillel Pharisee! I digress.

The reference in this verse to the dove is very interesting because the dove is the ONLY bird in creation which when it selects a mate, it remains faithful to the mate for its entire lifespan! In fact doves mourn when their mate dies! This is why HaShem compares Israel to a dove because Israel will remain forever devoted to HaShem! Another nail in the coffin of Replacement Theology Christendom!

Shir HaShirim 1:16 says “You are beautiful, my Beloved indeed pleasant, even our couch is full of vigor.”

The word ‘Couch’ here in this verse is specifically referencing the Temple of HaShem! It is an allegory for intimate closeness. The Temple is an allegory to the intimacy between HaShem and Israel!

No wonder the adversary has worked so hard to separate HaShem’s people from His Temple or how he has corrupted the Temple of HaShem and turned it into something reviled, demonic, the seat of Satan and the future seat of the Anti-Christ as most of Christendom teaches today! Consider the number 13 which is universally recognized as the most cursed number in existence, but in reality, the number 13 is the number associated with the Temple of HaShem! There are:

• 13 Gates
• 13 Prostrations before HaShem during the Services
• 13 Veils
• 13 Collection Chests, etc

Now consider Friday the 13th is a very cursed day, why? Because 13 is the number of the Temple and Friday begins Shabbat!! See how the Adversary works?

Shir HaShirim 1:17 says “The beams of OUR House are cedar, OUR panels are cypress.”

This is the final verse of chapter one and it speaks about the Temple of HaShem being OUR House because it is here where we meet with our Beloved King!! Baruch HaShem!!

The beams referenced here are an allegory for the Torah sages of each generation. Further, cedars is a reference to the righteous i.e. HaShem’s people who walk in His Torah per Psalms 92:13!

Additionally, Cypress trees are known for bending i.e. being pliable per Hosea 14:9 and Cedar trees are known for being strong per I Kings 6:15.

Finally, this verse alludes to the Temple which will be built in the days of King Messiah i.e. our day and time right now in 2021! It is the days of King Messiah because we eagerly await His arrival! May it be so very soon in our days!

I hope and pray this gigantic study helped in some ways and opened eyes, ears, hearts and minds to the wonders of HaShem and His eternal faithfulness to His one and only people, Israel, comprised of all who wish to serve the Elohim of Israel!

This is the just the opening chapter in this amazing Book! Stand by for chapter 2 for it gets more intense!!

Much to consider!

Shalom!

SOURCE MATERIALS

• The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research
• Shir HaShirim Artscroll Tanach Series
• Talmud Bavli Steinsaltz
• Kehati Mishnah
• Mishnah Torah
• The Illuminated Shir HaShirim by Artscroll