SHIR HASHIRIM – THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM PART 4

“How precious is Your kindness, O Elohim! The sons of man, in the shadow of Your wings take refuge. They will be sated from the abundance of Your House; and from the stream of Your delights give them to drink. For with You is the source of life, by Your light shall we see light.” Psalms 36:8-10

As I begin to put this Op together it is Preparation Day, the Sixth Day of the Week, preparing for Shabbat, 15 July 2022! How many would agree now more than ever we each need encouragement from HaShem, to strengthen ourselves so we do not become overcome or overwhelmed by the madness, cruelty and depravity engulfing the world around us?

I firmly believe HaShem is revealing Himself to us, for those who will take the time to notice, that is. Just this week, NASA revealed images from the newly deployed James Webb Space Telescope which is in orbit around the sun. These images, which I will be using in this Op, are beyond stunning!! They reveal a universe, beyond wonder, utterly proving, in my opinion, a Master and Creator Who fashioned them all, and placed them all in their locations, to reveal His glory and wonder! Is it a coincidence HaShem allowed these pictures to be revealed this week? Nothing is a coincidence with HaShem!

I know for myself, when looking at these pictures, it does help me get grounded again in the promises of HaShem, that He truly is in absolute control despite the utter insanity going on around me in the world! The same One Who fashioned the entire universe, Who reveals Himself in His creation, Who places every rain drop, every grain of sand, every lightning bolt, every wind gust, every blade of grass, etc, is the same One Who is governing His creation to include the insanity and depravity going on all around us today!

Further than this, this is the same One Who is captivated with His Bride, Israel, and has promised to gather her home into the Land and to spend eternity with her as He reveals in His Word, specifically the first three chapters of Shir HaShirim! Chapter Four is a continuation of this promise!

Another reason why studying and learning about His Temple, as He commands in Ezekiel 43:10-11, will utterly enhance our understanding of Who He is and what He desires and how He interacts with His Bride! His Temple is THE Garden of Eden! Everything is significant as it pertains to His Temple! Nothing is just a coincidence! Everything has a purpose which reveals His glory!

Remember, Yeshua is NOT Jewish per se….Yeshua IS a Torah observant, Orthodox Jew, as revealed in the Apostolic Writings and the prophecies of the Messiah in the Tanakh, and if the tools HaShem gave i.e. what the Sages taught as is recorded in the Written and Oral Torah’s, and were good enough for Him to use, then these same tools should be good enough for us today! My point is, knowing Yeshua will require us to strip off the garbage we all picked up in Christendom, as well as the Hebrew Roots/Messianic movements, which are, whether they know it or not, are all highly anti-Jewish organizations via their doctrine, which by default means they are highly anti-Yeshua. I know this is a very hard statement, but its a fact! To know Yeshua requires us to learn what HaShem has taught the Torah observant Jews! HaShem is sifting everyone right now, to know who is and who isn’t with Him! Keep this in mind.

In this Op, we are going to explore specific area’s of His Temple as He references them in His relationship with His Bride, Israel! This means, the likelihood this is going to be an extremely long Op is very high so be prepared and take lots of notes as I will be citing and referencing Scripture, Mishnah, Midrash, Written and Oral Torah sources! We will be studying each verse individually. There are a total of sixteen verses in Shir HaShirim chapter four.

It is my hope and prayer, these Op’s will enhance what we read in the Apostolic Writings and see there truly is nothing new and nothing has been tossed out or replaced as Christendom erroneously teaches! But also see just how much HaShem is true to His Word and His Promises! For the sake of His Great Name may He act very, very soon in our days!!

As always, it is critical to remember when reading these op’s the eternal characteristics of HaShem:

• 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
• He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
• He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
• He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
• He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

Shir HaShirim 4:1 says “(HaShem speaking to Israel) Behold, you (Israel) are comely, My beloved, behold, you are indeed fair. Your eyes, the elders who possess a spiritual vision, to safeguard their people, demonstrate their fidelity and modesty from behind your kerchief. Your righteous ones, whose hair is radiant, are like that of a flock of white goats descending from Har Gilead.”

Chapter four begins with HaShem i.e. the Bridegroom, speaking to His beloved i.e. Israel and talks about her beauty and virtues. His description of her is not in a physical manner, but is an allegory. Again, if we understand His Temple, His Torah and how everything functions and operates, it will make much more sense and I will explain, with HaShem’s help.

The ‘Eyes’ of Israel, is the Sanhedrin (Court), comprised of 70 members plus one i.e. the Nasi, The Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) who is the head of the court, which sits in The Chamber of Hewn Stone in the Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem and renders rulings for how Israel is to walk in the Torah of HaShem!

We have discussed this many times before, but for review, Bamidbar (Numbers) 11:16-17 is where establishes the Sanhedrin: “HaShem said to Moshe, ‘Gather to Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and its officers; take them to the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting) and have them stand there with you. I will descend and speak with you there, and I will increase some of the Ruach (Spirit) that is upon you and place it upon them and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, and you shall not bear alone.'”

So, we see the Sanhedrin is NOT something man just up and decided one day, it is a commandment from HaShem in His Torah! HaShem follows up in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17:10-11 and says “You shall do according to the matter that they (The Sanhedrin) will tell you, from that place that HaShem will choose (The Temple), and you shall be careful to do according to everything they will teach you. According to the Torah that they will teach you and according to the judgment that they will say to you, shall you do; you shall not deviate from the word that they will tell you, right or left.”

Again, we see, HaShem has established the authority of the Sanhedrin and their rulings on how to walk in the Torah i.e. the Halakah, which is the basis for the Oral Torah i.e. the Mishnah (Contains the rulings of the Sanhedrin) and expounded upon in the Talmud Bavli and Talmud Yerushalmi (Commentary on the Mishnah), Midrash, etc. To disregard the Oral Torah as being something man made and to toss it aside, is to break HaShem’s command to learn and do from what the Sanhedrin teaches since He has not only anointed them, but has given them the authority. If they render a wrong ruling, then they will answer to HaShem and they bear their guilt! Matthew 16:19 discusses ‘whatever one binds on earth will be bound in heaven’, is a reference to the Sanhedrin and their function/authority!! Once more, showing the Apostolic Writings support and endorse the authority of the Sanhedrin and nothing has changed or been tossed out!

An excerpt from Tractate Sanhedrin 86a from the Talmud Bavli states “…These judges and those judges come to the High Court of the Sanhedrin of seventy-one judges that is in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, FROM WHICH TORAH EMERGES TO THE ENTIRE JEWISH PEOPLE…” This is the function of the Sanhedrin i.e. the Eyes of Israel!

Book of the Mitzvos command #496 says “The prohibition to defy the directives of the Great Sanhedrin.” It cites Devarim 17:11-12 as the authority. “It is prohibited for us to dispute the masters of the Oral Tradition, may peace be upon them, and it is prohibited to deviate from their words or to depart from their instructions in any Torah matter.”

The underlying purpose of the mitzvah is that “since people’s thinking differs one from the other, when numerous people have opinions about something they will never all be in agreement. Thus, HaShem, the Master of all, blessed is He, knows that if the authority to interpret the Torah’s verses would be handed over to every individual, for each man to interpret according to his intelligence, every one of them would explain the words of the Torah according to his own personal understanding, and there would be much conflict among the Jewish people regarding the interpretation of the mitzvos. As a result, the Torah would become as if it were comprised of many different individual Torahs, since every person would practice his own set of laws. Therefore, our G-d, Who is the Master of all wisdom, gave wholeness to our Torah, the Torah of Truth, by including in it this mitzvah, in which He commanded us to conduct ourselves in matters of Torah law in accordance with the true explanation that was transmitted from Sinai to our earlier Sages, may peace be upon them; and in each and every generation as well, we are to heed the sages of that time, who received the words of the previous sages and absorbed knowledge from their writings, and who toiled diligently by day and by night, to understand the depth of their words and the profundity of their thoughts. Through this commitment to follow the rulings of the Sages, we will discover the true path in our knowledge of Torah.”

In other words, the rulings of the Sanhedrin on how to walk in the Torah of HaShem, is meant to keep all of Israel unified and on one page, per se, and not each man deciding for themselves how to walk in the Torah based upon their own intelligence and experiences, which is nothing but absolute chaos.

Per Tractate Sanhedrin 1.1 from the Kehati Mishnah commentary describes the court system: “There were three types of Courts – 1: The Court of three judges, which judged monetary lawsuits and lawsuits involving fines. 2: The Court of twenty-three judges i.e. the Small Sanhedrin, which judged capital lawsuits. 3: The Great Court of seventy-one i.e. the Great Sanhedrin or merely the Sanhedrin, which sat in the Chamber of Hewn Stone in the Temple. The Great Court judged the tribe that engaged in idolatry, the false prophet, and the High Priest. It also appointed the Small Sanhedrins, and ruled on points of Torah. The word ‘Sanhedrin’ is of Greek origin and means ‘The council of the elders of the people.'”

The following entries are derived from the book ‘The Handbook of Jewish Thought’ by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan:

11:8 – “The Sanhedrin was the FINAL authority in all questions of the Torah. Whoever believes in the authority of the Torah MUST accept the decisions of the Sanhedrin as binding.”

11:24 – “Any legislation enacted by the Sanhedrin is called a ‘Rabbinical Commandment’ as distinguished from a commandment from the Torah. Even legislation enacted by the Sanhedrin of Moses is considered a Rabbinical Commandment.”

11:33 – “The Sanhedrin is commanded to enact safeguards to prevent people from violating actual commandments from the Torah. It is thus written ‘You shall safeguard My charge’ per Leviticus 18:30. It is likewise taught ‘Make a fence for the Torah’ per Avot 1.1.”

11:34 – “Such safeguards were enacted at various periods according to the needs of the time. Once they were passed by the Sanhedrin and accepted by the majority of Israel, they could never be repealed by a later Sanhedrin.”

I hope you can see just how vital and important the Sanhedrin is to enabling Israel to function as HaShem’s people? The Sanhedrin truly are the ‘eyes’ of Israel! No wonder the adversary has worked so hard to destroy and erase the Sanhedrin especially today!

HaShem’s reference to a flock of white goats from the highlands of Gilad, per the commentary from the Five Megillot Shir HaShirim book by Koren Publishers says “The region known as Gilad extends from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea on the eastern side of the Jordan River. It is a hilly region, rich in water sources and vegetation, and suitable for pasture. However, it is relatively unsuitable for farming. The woman’s hair is compared to the sight of black goats streaming down a hill, black lines against the bright background of the highlands of Gilad.”

Shir HaShirim 4:2 says “Your teeth are like a flock of ordered ewes that have come up from being washed, when they are extremely white and clean. As the ewes emerge simultaneously from the water, the entire herd is lined up like white teeth, that are all paired, and there is none missing among them.”

The commentary from the Artscroll Shir HaShirim book says “Here, again, the allegory is couched in terms of physical beauty. The simile stresses the whiteness, regularity, and completeness of well cared for teeth, which are like carefully counted sheep whose wool is tended and washed by wise shepherds from the moment of birth. The verse allegorizes the mighty warriors of Israel who figuratively tear apart and consume their enemies round about them with their teeth but refrain from stealing and lewdness so they do not become tainted by sin.”

Additionally, the reference to the ‘Teeth’ is understood, per the Hebrew word used, to be pointing to the prayers of Israel to HaShem. It is interesting, one of the sources listed for this verse is Tractate Berakhot 30a from the Talmud Bavli, which says regarding our prayers to HaShem:

• “One who was standing in prayer in the Diaspora (Global exile), should focus his heart towards Eretz Israel (Land of Israel), as it is stated, ‘And they shall pray to You by way of their land which You have given to their fathers’ per I Kings 8:48.”
• “One who was standing in Eretz Israel, should focus his heart toward Jerusalem, as it is stated ‘And they shall pray to the Lord by way of the city You have chosen’ per I Kings 8:44″
• “One who was standing in Jerusalem, should focus his heart toward the Temple, as it is stated, ‘And they shall pray toward this House’ per II Chronicles 6:32.”
• “One who was standing in the Temple, should focus his heart toward the Holy of Holies, as it is stated, ‘And they shall pray toward this place’ per I Kings 8:35.”
• “One who was standing in the Holy of Holies, should focus his heart toward the seat of the ark cover, atop the ark, the dwelling place of HaShem’s Glory.”
• “One who was standing behind the seat of the ark cover, should visualize himself as if standing before the ark cover and turn toward it.”
• “Consequently, one standing in prayer in the East turns to face west, and one standing in the West turns to face east. One standing in the South, turns to face north, and one standing in the North, turns to face south; all of the people of Israel find themselves focusing their hearts toward one place, the Holy of Holies of the Temple.”

So, no matter where one is in the world, the focus in our hearts when praying to HaShem is the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem in the Land of Israel i.e. the Throne of HaShem on earth!

Shir HaShirim 4:3 says “Like the scarlet thread, guarantor of Rachov’s safety, is the sincerity of your lips, and your word is unfeigned; your temple is like a split pomegranate from within your kerchief.”

The commentary from the Artscroll Shir HaShirim book says “As reflected in the translation this refers to the sincerity and earnestness of the pledge which the spies made to Rachov who sheltered them in Jericho. In gratitude, they pledged to guarantee her safety and that of her family when Israel occupied the city if she would display a scarlet thread as a signal to the conquering Jews per Joshua chapter two.”

What is very interesting is this reference to the scarlet thread is also very much associated with Yom Kippur! Again, this is where we need to be familiar with the Yom Kippur Temple Service to understand the gravity of what HaShem is saying here!

The commentary from the Shir HaShirim Judaica Press book on this verse says the following concerning the scarlet thread: “Your lips were as thin and red as a scarlet thread, which is a feature of beauty in a woman. This symbolizes the prophets who foresaw events in the distant future, and whose prophecies were realized, like red color, which is visible from afar and can be removed only with great difficulty. Also, the scarlet thread is referring to the Sanhedrin, which promulgates oral decisions, even to the extent of pronouncing the death sentence, symbolized by the scarlet thread. Another explanation is that the scarlet thread represents the scarlet thread tied to the head of the scapegoat on Yom Kippur. This would miraculously turn white, indicating the sins of the people were forgiven.”

Tractate Yoma 4.2 from the Mishnah says “He (Kohen HaGadol/High Priest) tied a strip of crimson/scarlet on the head of the Scapegoat (On Yom Kippur) and he stood it in the direction it was to be sent out (To Azazel), and to the one slaughtered at the place of the slaughtering. He came to his bullock a second time, and he placed his two hands on it and he made confession. And thus he would say: ‘O, HaShem (Except on Yom Kippur the Kohen HaGadol would utter the Four Letter Name of HaShem, which only the Kohen HaGadol can utter during the Yom Kippur Temple Service because of the kedusha attached to HaShem’s Name), I have done wrong, I have transgressed, I have sinned before You, I and my house and the children of Aaron, Your holy people. O, HaShem (Again the Kohen HaGadol would utter the Four Letter Name of HaShem), forgive the wrongs, and the transgressions, and the sins, that I have done wrong, and that I have transgressed, and that I have sinned before You, I and my house and the children of Aaron, Your holy people, as it is written in the Torah of Moses your servant, ‘For on this day (Yom Kippur) shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall you be clean before the Lord’ per Vayikra (Leviticus) 16:30. And they answer after him, ‘Baruch Shem kevod, malchotu laolam vayed’ Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom for ever and ever.”

This is the basis for where we read in our English translations of the Bible of the word ‘Selah’. Christendom teaches this word just means a pause, but that is woefully incorrect and incomplete. The word ‘Selah’ is part of the Temple Services and when the Kohen HaGadol would utter the Four Letter Name of HaShem, all the people everywhere in the Temple would immediately prostrate facing the Holy of Holies and in unison utter the phrase ‘Baruch Shem kevod, malchotu la’olam vayed’ meaning ‘Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom for ever and ever!’ When we read this word ‘Selah’ it is meant to be an indicator for us to know this is the part of the Temple Service where the Four Letter Name of HaShem was uttered and the people would prostrate! Nowhere outside of specific locations within the Temple can the Four Letter Name of HaShem be uttered and only the Kohen HaGadol may utter His Four Letter Name!!!! No, it isn’t some man made rule suddenly made up one day, but it is part of the tavnit (Blueprints) of the Temple Services HaShem gave to Moshe and David via His Ruach (Spirit) per Exodus 25 and I Chronicles 28!!

Tractate Yoma 6.8 says “They said to the High Priest, ‘The goat has reached the wilderness.’ And whence did they know that the goat had reached the wilderness? They would set up relay stations, and they waved with scarves, and they knew that the goat had reached the wilderness. Rabbi Yehuda said, ‘But did they not have a great sign?’ From Jerusalem to Bet Hiddudo (At the beginning of the wilderness, where the Scapegoat was led to the peak), three mils (One mil is a distance of 2,000 cubits); they could walk a mil, return a mil, and wait the time it takes to walk a mil, and thus know that the goat had reached the wilderness. Rabbi Yishmael says, ‘But did they not have another sign?’ A threat of crimson/scarlet was tied to the door of the Sanctuary, and when the goat reached the wilderness the thread would turn white. As it is written, ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow’ per Isaiah 1:18.” All of this connected to Yom Kippur! Another reason why we MUST learn and know His Torah, His Temple, His Shabbat and His Feasts! Moving on.

HaShem’s reference to “is the sincerity of your lips, and your word is unfeigned“, is a reference to His bride’s speech. Per the commentary from the Judaica Press Shir HaShirim book it says “The words of your mouth are beautiful with the most fitting poetic language and the clearest enunciation. Allegorically, this refers to the Levites, who stood on the Duchan (Platform in the Temple) and sang the Psalms with their beautiful voices.”

His reference to “your temple is like a split pomegranate from within your kerchief” is very important to understand! The commentary says “The temple, this is the highest part of the face, called pomels or pomials, cheek bones, next to the eyes. And in the language of the Talmud, it is called ‘The pomegranate of the face’, and it resembles the split half of a pomegranate from the outside, which is red and round. This is a praise in terms of a woman’s beauty, and our Sages explained the allegory to mean, ‘Even your worthless ones i.e. empty ones, are full of mitzvot as a pomegranate.'”

Now what is the significance of a pomegranate? The pomegranate was tied to the Torah in that there are 613 commandments which comprise the Torah of HaShem, and it is said there are 613 seeds within a pomegranate! The pomegranate was used as a decoration commanded by HaShem to be sewn onto the garments of the Kohen HaGadol while serving in the Temple! Exodus 28:33-35 says “You shall make on its (Robe of the Ephod) hem pomegranates of turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, on its hem all around, and gold bells between them, all around; a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate on the hem of the robe, all around. It must be on Aharon in order to minister. Its sound shall be heard when he enters the Sanctuary before HaShem and when he leaves, so that he not die.”

Now consider what the following in Tractate Yoma 7:3 from the Talmud Yerushalmi says with regards to the bells and the pomegranate and their function on the Robe of the Kohen HaGadol: “The garments worn by the Kohanim when they perform the service in the Beis HaMikdash (Temple) help bring atonement for specific sins. The Robe of the Kohen HaGadol had a row of gold bells and fabric pomegranates attached to its hem, and the bells tinkled when the Kohen HaGadol walked. There is no offering to atone for the sin of lashon hara (Gossip/slanderous speech), so the Torah gave us the bells of the Robe as an atonement as it says in the Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Yoma ‘Let the sound of the ringing of the bells come and atone for the sound of lashon hara.'”

Per the book Perek Shirah The Song of the Universe discussing the pomegranate says “The pomegranate sings that one dare not underestimate even the apparently lowliest people. The fruit’s hundreds of hidden, tasty seeds symbolize the 613 commandments in the Torah. Like the veil hiding the person behind it, one never knows the abundant merits of people who are seemingly ordinary or worse. As the Sages put it, even the comparatively few merits of the lowest among you are numerous as pomegranate’s seeds. History is replete with unexpected courage and self sacrifice from the least likely people.”

The significance of the ‘kerchief’ per the commentary is that “Allegorically, this refers to the Sanhedrin, the judges of the community, who were the face of the generation, and they were as full of wisdom as a pomegranate is full of seeds, and they would conceal their wisdom in their hearts and not boast about it.”

Can you see just how detailed HaShem and His Word is? And this is truly nothing…I am doing everything I can to condense this down for the sake of the length of the Op as there is SO much!

Shir HaShirim 4:4 says “As stately as the Tower of David is, the site of your Sanhedrin built as a model to emulate with a thousand shields of Torah armor hung upon it, all the disciple filled quivers of the mighty.”

This single verse here in this chapter is an astounding verse which is packed full of meaning and significance which I hope to capture!

The reference to the ‘Tower of David’ is a reference to the Temple of HaShem! It is referred to the Temple as the Temple of HaShem is where all the mouths of Israel’s prayers are directed too and why? Because, again, the Temple of HaShem on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, is THE Place He has chosen and therefore is the place of His throne for the rest of eternity!

Consider the following powerful prayer offered up by Solomon in I Kings 8:27-30 when the First Temple was completed and Solomon dedicated it to HaShem: “Would Elohim truly dwell on earth? Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You, and surely not this Temple that I have built! But, may You turn to the prayer that Your servant prays before You today, that Your eyes be open toward this Temple night and day, to the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ to hear the prayer that Your servant shall pray toward this place. And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, which they shall pray toward this place; may You hear from the place of Your habitation in Heaven, may You hear and forgive.”

We can see again the connection between the Temple of HaShem and the Sanhedrin which was located in the Temple of HaShem i.e. the Chamber of Hewn Stone! “The Sanhedrin is the spiritual stronghold of Israel from where the Torah emanated to the world!”

Now what is very significant to catch here is when HaShem says the following: “As stately as the Tower of David is, the site of your Sanhedrin built as a model to emulate.” What is He saying? The Temple and Sanhedrin of HaShem are what we are to learn, study and apply to our lives and live out in service to HaShem just as Yeshua Himself did! Remember HaShem commands each of us in Ezekiel 43:10-11 to learn EVERYTHING about His Temple and then we will be ashamed of our sin and truly repent! This is, in my opinion, the basis for what Paul was saying in I Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are a Dwelling Place (Temple) of Elohim and that the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you?” In other words, Paul was taking a very well known and understood concept to reinforce we are to learn and model our lives as well as our behavior after the Temple and Sanhedrin of HaShem!! To reject this, is once more the insidious trap of Replacement Theology and the fulfillment of the verse in Judges 17:6 which says “In those days (Meaning in the End of Days) there was no king in Israel; a man would do whatever seemed proper in his eyes!”

Additionally, to study and understand HaShem’s Temple and everything associated with it, we end up understanding ourselves and what HaShem created us for…to know what His task He has created us to accomplish in this life! Further, in studying and understanding His Temple, we will KNOW exactly who is Messiah and who is the false Messiah!!

Unfortunately, Christendom and its Replacement Theology doctrine took this and shredded this concept and built an entire teaching that the Temple and Sanhedrin have been replaced and done away with and now the believer is the Temple, literally, and therefore what stood in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount is now relegated to the garbage heap and the domain of Satan, no joke, many in Christendom teach this now.

Now here is where it gets really interesting! “With a thousand shields of Torah armor hung upon it”. Per the commentary it says “Allegorically, this refers to the Chamber of Hewn Stone, the seat of the Sanhedrin, from whence teaching went forth, Torah being Israel’s shield. Additionally, a cross reference to Psalms 105:8, ‘He remembered His covenant forever, the Word He commanded for a thousand generations.'” HaShem’s Word being His Torah! Deuteronomy 7:9 teaches “You must know that HaShem, your Elohim, He is the Elohim, the faithful Elohim, Who safeguards the covenant and the kindness for those who love Him and for those who observe His commandments, for a thousand generations.” So, once again, we see His Torah is at the center of our relationship with HaShem and further, it is eternal and has NOT been replaced, done away with or rendered obsolete…just the opposite! Moving on.

The final part of this verse says “All the disciple filled quivers of the mighty.” The commentary says “All quivers of the mighty that students or children are referred to in the context of arrows and quivers.” We see this concept in Psalms 127:4-5 which says “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of youth. Praiseworthy is the man who fills his quiver with them, they shall not be shamed, when they speak with enemies in the gate.” In Jewish life, children are extremely important! The commentary on this verse in Psalms says it best “Children of one’s youth grow to maturity while their father is still active and vigorous. They become their father’s trusted assistants in all of his affairs. Indeed, although David’s older sons were not his favorites, they were a great help to him.”

“When a father is still young, he possesses the patience and energy to give painstaking attention to developing his child’s personality. The son becomes a sharpened arrow, i.e. a weapon in the legions of the Lord to wage IDEOLOGICAL BATTLES against the enemies of our faith.”

“Rashi identifies these as the students a teacher educates while he is still young. Since they are educated and trained with spirit and enthusiasm they will eagerly battle and debate the enemies of Torah.”

“Having compared sons to arrows, the Psalmist now compares the home to each quiver which holds the arrows. Each son represents additional ammunition in the battle against the enemies of HaShem. Rashi understands the quiver full of arrows as a reference to a House of Study which is full of sharp and perceptive students. R. Hirsch adds that when the youthful father or teacher has taught his children properly, he can proudly and confidently display them in the gate i.e. in public, for they will valiantly voice their support of what is right.”

“The Talmud observes that people who are immersed in Torah study become intensely and passionately involved. Even a father and his son, or a rabbi and his close disciple may confront each other in furious debate in Torah matters, and they appear to be implacable enemies, as they argue their points. However, since they both seek truth rather than glory, they will not budge from the House of Study until the problem is resolved and they resume their affection.”

In light of this, consider what Proverbs 9:5 says “Come, partake of My bread and drink of the wine that I have mixed.” This verse is very powerful because the bread is the Written Torah of HaShem and the wine is the Oral Torah of HaShem! The commentary on this verse says “The Torah is likened to bread, for just as the world cannot exist without bread, it cannot exist without Torah.” And then we contrast this verse with what Yeshua said in John 6:32-35 says “Therefore Yeshua said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, Moshe did not give you the bread out of the heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread out of the heaven. For the bread of Elohim is He who comes down out of the heaven and gives life to the world.’ So they said to Him, ‘Master, give us this bread always.’ And Yeshua said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall not get hungry at all, and he who believes in Me shall not get thirsty at all.'”

In other words, the Torah of HaShem is THE Bread of Life which makes Yeshua the walking, talking Torah of HaShem, figuratively speaking. Which by default means if we want to know who the real Messiah is, Torah is the only way to know and not fall into the greatest deception the world has ever known and embrace ‘The Man of Lawlessness’ i.e. the man without the Torah of HaShem i.e. who teaches lawlessness or otherwise known as Replacement Theology!

Shir HaShirim 4:5 says “Moses and Aharon, your two sustainers, are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, who graze their sheep in rose like bounty.”

The commentary from the Shir HaShirim book by Artscroll on this verse likens Moshe and Aharon to being the ones who nursed Israel. “They are likened to the twins of a gazelle because they were equal one to the other. For this reason, sometimes Aharon’s is mentioned first per Exodus 6:26, and sometimes Moshe per Exodus 6:27 to demonstrate that Moshe was not greater than Aharon, nor was Aharon greater than Moshe.”

Rashi believes the reference to the twins of a gazelle to the Tablets of the Torah i.e. the Ten Commandments, with five commandments written on each stone. Further, he believes the five commandments on the first stone correspond to the five commandments written on the second stone. For example:

• ‘I am HaShem your Elohim’ corresponds to ‘You shall not murder’ for a murderer diminishes the divine image because he murdered someone who was created in the image of HaShem per Genesis 9:6.
• ‘You shall have no other gods’ corresponds to ‘You shall not commit adultery’, for one who engages in idolatry is comparable to a wife that commits adultery, taking strangers instead of her husband per Ezekiel 16:32 because he (The one committing idolatry) has thereby broken his covenant with HaShem.
• ‘You shall not take the Name of HaShem your Elohim in vain’ corresponds to ‘You shall not steal’, because one who steals will eventually swear falsely.
• ‘Remember the Shabbat Day to sanctify it’ corresponds to ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor’, because he who profanes the Shabbat, symbol of HaShem’s having created the world and having rested on the seventh day thereby testifies falsely against the Creator, denying that in the beginning He rested on the Shabbat.
• ‘Honor your father and your mother’ corresponds to ‘You shall not covet’, for he who covets will ultimately beget a son who may curse his real father while giving filial honor to one who is not his father.

Additionally, the reference in this verse to the twins of a gazelle, can apply to the King and Kohen HaGadol in that a King cared for the people’s physical needs while the Kohen HaGadol cared for the people’s spiritual needs, but they jointly ruled the people. Further, this reference to the twins of the gazelle, refers to the “Written and Oral Torah which like twins, complement and equal one another, and together lead us to graze in proper pastures” in our service to HaShem.

The reference to grazing their sheep in rose like bounty is very interesting. What is the significance of a rose as it pertains to HaShem and His Word? The Hebrew word ‘Shoshanim’ is the word for ‘Rose’. Psalms 69:1 and its commentary explains it best. It says in verse 1 “For the Conductor, upon Shoshanim, by David.” The commentary explains “Here David sings of the exile of Israel, which began with the exile of the members of the Sanhedrin, WHO ARE LIKENED TO ROSES. In exile, the seventy nations attack Israel, just as the thorns which surround the rose prick its delicate petals.”

“The chief characteristics of the rose are its bright red color and its remarkable fragrance. These symbolize the main features of exile. Israel’s wanderings have been stained by the blood of martyrdom, but the soul of our people has become permeated with the sublime fragrance of purity.”

So, once again we see HaShem discussing the Sanhedrin here in this chapter of Shir HaShirim! Clearly the Sanhedrin is extremely important to HaShem and we are expected to do our diligence and study, learn and apply what they have ruled on in our lives as we strive to serve HaShem and walk in His Torah!

Shir HaShirim 4:6-7 says “Until My sunny benevolence was withdrawn from Shiloh and the protective shadows were dispersed by your sin. I will go to Mount Moriah and the hill of frankincense where you will be completely fair My beloved, and no blemish will be in you.”

These two verses are connected which is why they are in one single entry. The commentary highlights this and says regarding these verses “HaShem’s recounting to Israel how He had always been their shade in the heat of the days, protecting them, until they forfeited His protection by sinning. Later, when His anger was abated, He relocated His glory at Mount Moriah (Temple Mount) where once again they were entirely pleasing to Him, and their mutual love resumes.”

“HaShem says ‘While the day was hot I protected you and you were acceptable to Me. But when, in the days of Hofni and Phinchas they sinned by profaning My holy things and despising My offerings I departed from you and abandoned your Tabernacle…’ allowing it to be destroyed by the Philistines.”

What happened in the days of Hofni and Phinchas? The account of Hofni and Phinchas is recorded in 1 Samuel 2:12-17: “The sons of Eli (The Kohen HaGadol) were lawless men; they did NOT recognize HaShem. This was the practice of the Kohanim (Priests) with the people: When any person would slaughter a korbonot (In this case a Shelamim/Peace korbonot) the Kohen’s attendant would come while the meat was cooking, with a three pronged fork in his hand. He would thrust it into the pot or the cauldron or the pan or the kettle, and everything the fork would bring up the Kohen would take with it. This is what they would do with all the Israelites who would come there, to Shiloh (Where the Tabernacle stood before the Temple was built in Jerusalem). Even before they would burn the fat on the Altar the Kohen’s attendant would come and say to the man who was bringing the offering, ‘Give some meat for roasting for the Kohen; he will not take cooked meat from you, but only raw meat.’ The man would say, ‘Let them first burn the fat upon the Altar and then take for yourself whatever your soul desires.’ But the attendant would say, ‘No; give it now, or else I will take it by force.’ The sin of the attendants was very great before HaShem, for the men had disgraced HaShem’s offering.”

Here is what HaShem says in His Torah about who gets what portion regarding a Shelamim/Peace korbonot which is found in Leviticus 7:28-34 “HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying: ‘Speak to the Sons of Israel, saying, the one who offers his Shelamim korbonot to HaShem, he shall deliver his korbonot to HaShem from his feast peace-offering. With his own hands shall he bring the fire offerings of HaShem, the fat atop the breast shall he bring, the breast, in order to wave it as a waver service before HaShem. The Kohen shall cause the fat to go up in smoke on the Altar; and the breast shall be for Aharon and his sons. And the right thigh you shall give as a raised up gift to the Kohen, from your Shelamim korbonot. Anyone from among the sons of Aharon who shall offer the blood of the Shelamim and the fat, the right thigh shall be his as a portion. For the breast of the waving and the thigh of the raising up I have taken from the Children of Israel, from their feast peace-offering, and I have given them to Aharon the Kohen and his sons as an eternal stipend from the Children of Israel.”

So, we can see HaShem is VERY clear and serious as to what parts of the Shelamim Korbonot goes to the Kohanim and these two guys are taking larger portions for themselves and in doing so they are bringing shame and dishonor not only to the Kohanim, to the Temple but most importantly to the Name of HaShem!!

Verse 22 from I Samuel 2 says further about Hofni and Phinchas “Eli became very old. He heard about all that his sons were doing to all of Israel, and that they would lie with the women who congregated at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle of HaShem).”

These guys were not only corrupt, arrogant, prideful and selfish/self-serving men but they were perverted as well. Just because their father was a righteous Kohen HaGadol had no effect on these men who were trained how to serve in the Temple of HaShem! The problem was their hearts were not in it and THAT is what HaShem searches for in each of us!!! We can go through the motions all we want and look like we believe in HaShem, but if our hearts are not in it, then to HaShem all our service, all our actions, all our words means nothing and is in fact an abomination to Him if our intentions are wrong!

HaShem then says “I will go to Mount Moriah and the hill of frankincense…” Once again we see the significance of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem i.e. Mount Moriah, the place where HaShem has placed His Name, the place of His Temple, His Throne on earth!!

The commentary from the Illuminated Shir HaShirim expounds on this further and says “Even Shetiyah (Foundational Stone) from which both worlds were created. This world was created with the Hebrew letter ‘Hey’ and the World to Come with the Hebrew letter ‘Yod’. The Beit HaMikdash (Temple) is the gate to the heavens, the entranceway through which prayer ascends, and the place where the relationship between HaShem and Israel is consummated. This relationship parallels the union of a husband and wife, which, our Sages teach, is symbolized by the Yod and Hey; the Hebrew word ‘Aish’ i.e. ‘Man’, contains the Hebrew letter ‘Yod’ and the Hebrew word ‘Aishah’ ‘Woman’ contains the Hebrew letter ‘Hey’. Our relationship with the Creator is solidified , as we reach out to HaShem in prayer, and He answers. An allusion to this connection in this specific place is that there are 15 steps, the numerical value of ‘Hey’ ‘Yod’, 15, that connect the lower chamber i.e. Ezrat Nashim (Court of the Women), with the Ezrat Yisrael (Court of Israel), the men’s court.”

Again, we see the concept of marriage and the Temple! Consider what HaShem says here in Jeremiah 23:6 concerning prophecy “In his days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name people will call HIM: ‘HaShem is our righteousness.'” Now read, Jeremiah 33:16 which says the exact same thing but one subtle difference: ““In his days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name people will call HER: ‘HaShem is our righteousness.'” The difference is in verse 23:6 it says HIM and verse 33:16 it says HER and they are both called the same i.e. HaShem is our righteousness….point is there was a wedding that took place!!! Ponder that for a bit!!

Shir HaShirim 4:8 says “With Me will you be exiled from the Temple, O bride, with Me from the Temple until you return; then contemplate the fruits of your faith from its earliest beginnings from your first arrival at the summit of Snir and the mountain of Hermon, the lands of mighty Sichon and Og, as impregnable dens of lions, and mountains of leopards.”

This verse is VERY important and indicative of Who HaShem is in relation to His bride i.e. Israel! Notice how HaShem declares Israel will, because of her sin, be exiled from the Temple but more importantly how HaShem says He will go into exile with His bride! Then promises His bride WILL return to the Temple with Him!

In Hebrew, the beginning of this verse uses the word ‘Lebanon’ i.e. ‘With Me from Lebanon, O bride…’ Another name for the Temple of HaShem is ‘Lebanon’ and it is called ‘Lebanon’ because the Hebrew word means ‘To whiten’. In other words, the Temple is the place where the sins of Israel are whitened!

The Illuminaed Shir HaShirim commentary elaborates on this and says “The Jewish nation is not sent into exile alone, totally cut off from HaShem. They were promised that when they would be sent into exile, HaShem, as it were, was in exile with them.”

Consider what Isaiah 63:7-9 says “I will proclaim HaShem’s kindness as the praises of HaShem, in accordance with all that HaShem has bestowed upon us and the abundant goodness to the House of Israel that He has bestowed upon them in His compassion and in His abundant kindness. For He said, ‘Indeed they are My people, children who will not be false’, and He became their Savior. IN ALL THEIR TROUBLES (EXILES) HE IS TROUBLED, so an angel before Him saved them. With His love and with His compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them and bore them all the days of the world.” The commentary on these verses says: “He was troubled when they were troubled. The Sages teach HaShem is compared to Israel’s twin. When one twin encounters pain it is felt by the other. Close relatives feel each other’s distress; HaShem reacts to Israel the same way. He does not merely feel for Israel the way one feels for a friend. Rather, He is equally hurt, so to speak, by our pain.” In other words, HaShem feels the pain, anguish, suffering and fear we all have to endure! WE ARE NOT ALONE!!

The following from Tractate Megillah 29a from the Talmud Bavli says “It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Yoĥai says: Come and see how beloved the Jewish people are before the Holy One, Blessed be He. As every place they were exiled, the Divine Presence went with them. They were exiled to Egypt, and the Divine Presence went with them, as it is stated: “Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt?” (I Samuel 2:27). They were exiled to Babylonia, and the Divine Presence went with them, as it is stated: “For your sake I have sent to Babylonia” (Isaiah 43:14). So too, when, in the future, they will be redeemed, the Divine Presence will be with them, as it is stated: “Then the Lord your God will return with your captivity” (Deuteronomy 30:3). It does not state: He will bring back, i.e., He will cause the Jewish people to return, but rather it says: “He will return,” which teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will return together with them from among the various exiles.”

The references at the end of this verse to “as impregnable dens of lions, and mountains of leopards“, refers to two kingdoms Israel was subjected too in the exiles. Lions den refers to the exile in Babylon as their emblem was a lion. The leopards refers to Edom i.e. Esau/Rome/Christianity, the most brutal exiles of all of them, the one we are currently under!

Shir HaShirim 4:9 says “You have given Me your heart, My sister, O bride; you have given Me your heart with one of your eyes, with one bead of your necklace.”

The Shir HaShirim Midrash says “The ‘two hearts’ that the Israelites gave to HaShem are the hearts that fulfill the Psalmist’s two exhortations in the verse, Psalms 34:15, to turn from evil and do good. These are two distinct areas of Divine service. The first is avoiding evil i.e. keeping our distance from evil deeds and evil associations. The second is doing good i.e. the active performance of HaShem’s commandments and good deeds.”

“The crushing burden of the Egyptian slavery left the Israelites without the time or opportunity to actively perform commandments and good deeds. But that burden could not crush the heart of avoiding evil. The enslaved Israelites knew who they were, and they turned from evil, refusing to assimilate and adopt Egyptian names, language, or dress, as our Sages teach. Throughout the darkness of the Egyptian servitude, the Israelites preserved that one heart for their Father in Heaven.”

“Freed from their servitude, however, the Israelites were able to bring forth as well their other heart, the one that had lain dormant because of the oppression beyond their control i.e. the heart that does good. It was with that freed heart that they declared resoundingly not only their avoidance of evil but their fierce embrace of do good when they fulfilled the commands of milah (Circumcision) and Pesach (Passover), and when they later proclaimed at Sinai, ‘We will do and we will listen’ per Exodus 24:7, to accept upon themselves forever the liberating yoke of the Torah and its commandments.”

We each have two hearts per se, i.e. two natures: Yetzer Hara, Yetzer Hatov i.e. Evil Inclination and Good Inclination. We each must struggle between the two constantly in this life as we strive to walk and serve HaShem.

The commentary from the Artscroll Shir HaShirim book says “The connotation of ‘sister’ as referring to ancestral merit, by virtue of which HaShem showers His love upon us. Even a brother’s daughter is sometimes called ‘sister’ implying that this love is due to the filial relationship as Abraham said of Sarah, daughter of his brother Haran per Genesis 20:12. Thus, in a deeply philosophical manner, HaShem loves Israel, by virtue of their being the descendants of His beloved Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), and thus this term ‘sister’ is expressive of this affinity. The very use of ‘sister’ in these verses implies this special relationship which Israel enjoys by virtue of their ancestral merit. ‘Bride’ refers to HaShem’s love which Israel enjoys by virtue of its own merits.”

This verse cross references to Proverbs 1:8-9 which says “Hear, my child, the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother. For they are an adornment of grace for your head and chains for your neck.” These verses are referring to the teaching of our Father i.e. HaShem and His Written Torah, while the reference to the teaching of your mother is talking about the Oral Torah which is recorded by the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem!

Shir HaShirim 4:10 says “How beautiful was your love, My sister, O bride! How much better your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than all spices.”

There is so much associated with this one verse alone, it will be difficult to fit it all in! There are a total of TEN times Israel is called ‘Bride of HaShem’, six times in Shir HaShirim and four in the Prophets in the Tanakh. To reiterate, the so called ‘Church’ of Christendom is NOT and cannot be the ‘Bride’ of HaShem, it is utterly impossible. That is again, just another example of Replacement Theology! There is ONE bride and her name is Israel!

We need to look at the significance of the number ten as it pertains to HaShem and His Word! Per the book ‘Jewish Wisdom in the Numbers’ concerning the number ten, it sums it up: “Ten relates to an integrated system. Here a full set of individual parts combines to make up a communal whole. This number typifies holiness and the resting place of the Shechinah.”

“There are ten Utterances in the creation of the universe. The cosmos was built using these Divine ten Utterances. The first generations of mankind were themselves grouped into two sets of ten. There were ten generations from Adam to Noach and ten generations from Noach to Avraham.”

“The ten tests of Avraham. In his lifetime, Avraham withstood ten great trials that tested every aspect of his character and his devotion to HaShem. He faced every sort of test humanely possible; from hiding from Nimrod who threw him into the fiery furnace, to being ready to sacrifice his beloved son to attest to the degree of his love of HaShem. It was these tests that molded him into the first forefather of the Jewish people, who set out to teach the world how to live in the service of its Creator. He became the ancestor of the Children of Israel who would be enslaved in Egypt yet would depart as the newly formed Chosen Nation ready to accept the Torah.”

There were the ten plagues which struck Egypt when HaShem delivered them out of enslavement. There are the Ten Commandments, which summarize the whole 613 Commandments of the Torah! The number ten is the gateway to holiness as Yom Kippur falls on the 10th of Tishrei, which is the final day of the Ten Days of Teshuvah (Repentance) between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur the Kohen HaGadol, in performing the Yom Kippur Temple Service, would pronounce the Four Letter Name of HaShem a total of ten times!

There are ten levels of kedusha (Holiness) as listed in Tractate Kelim 1:6-9 which are listed as it pertains to – Eretz Israel (Land of Israel), which is more sanctified than any of the other lands in the world followed by the ten levels. Remember, the closer one draws to HaShem, the higher level of Kedusha (Holiness) is required:

• Cities surrounded by a wall (In Eretz Israel) are more sanctified than this.
• Within the walls is more sanctified than these
• Har HaBayit (Temple Mount) is more sanctified than this
• The Cheil (Is a TEN amot/cubits wide area surrounding the Temple of HaShem) is more sanctified than this, for here Gentiles and one rendered impure by a corpse, may not enter here.
• Ezrat Nashim (Court of the Women) is more sanctified than this.
• Ezrat Israel (Court of Israel) is more sanctified than this
• Ezrat Kohanim (Court of the Priests) is more sanctified than this
• Between the Ulam (Porch) and the Altar is more sanctified than this
• The Hekhal (The Sanctuary/Holy Place where the Menorah, Showbread and Altar of Incense is located) 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 HaGadol may enter there, on Yom Kippur at the time of the service.

The number ten is hugely important as it pertains to a Jewish wedding!! There are ten obligations a husband is required, biblically, to his wife. There are ten verses which show us this:

• Sustenance – Shir HaShirim 4:11: Honey drops from your lips, O bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; milk and honey are the Torah’s metaphor for bountiful sustenance.
• Clothing – Isaiah 61:10: I will rejoice intensely with HaShem, for He has dressed me in the raiment of salvation, in a robe of righteousness He has cloaked me, like a bride who adorns herself with jewelry.
• Marital Relations – Isaiah 62:5: As a young man comes in marriage to a virgin and like a bridegroom’s rejoicing over his bride.
• Medical Care – Shir HaShirim 4:9: You captured My heart, My sister, O bride; therefore, I cannot bear to see you suffer, and will surely provide you with relief.
• Ransom, should she be taken captive – Shir HaShirim 4:12: A garden locked up is My sister, the bride; I will provide you with safety and security, and surely prevent your captivity.
• Burial, should she predecease him – Jeremiah 33:10-11: Thus said HaShem ‘There will again be heard in this place about which you say, ‘It is destroyed, without man and without animal,’ in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without animal, the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the sound of groom and the sound of bride.'”
• Support from his estate after his death – Shir HaShirim 4:10: How beautiful was your love, My sister, O bride! How much better your love than wine; wine is often used in Scripture as a metaphor for feasting.
• Residence in his home until she remarries – Shir HaShirim 4:8: With Me from Lebanon, O bride! you will be with Me in My Temple and city.
• Her daughters from him have the right to dwell in his house and receive support from the estate until they marry – Shir HaShirim 5:1: I have come into My garden, My sister, O bride, eat, friends; drink and become intoxicated, O beloved ones, this open and generous invitation surely encompasses one’s own daughters.
• Her sons from him inherit her ketubah (Marriage contract) after her death – Isaiah 49:17-18: Your children will hasten to return…Raise your eyes all around and see. They have all gathered, they have come to you…you will clothe yourself with them all like jewelry and adorn yourself like a bride; they will not be left bereft of possessions.

“The point of these ten obligations is that HaShem, as it were, desires Israel to be His bride, on whom He bestows all the benefits to which a Jewish bride is entitled.” So then with all this said thus far, can then HaShem, according to Replacement Theology, up and decide to dump Israel, and now marry a new bride, who is lawless, rebellious, full of idolatry and completely rejects HaShem, His Torah i.e. the Marriage Contract, known as the Church? Again, per Scripture, it is utterly impossible!

When HaShem said in this verse: “The fragrance of your oils than all spices.” The commentary from the Midrash says “Our verse is to be understood as a metaphor, the oils represent Scripture, and the fragrance represents the Oral Torah’s explanations and expositions of Scripture. Our verse teaches that although Scripture may seem bland and lacking in fragrance, the expositions of the Sages impart supremely edifying and fragrant meanings to a verse, just as assorted substances impart supremely fragrant scents oil.”

Shir HaShirim 4:11 says “The sweetness of Torah drops from your lips, like honey and milk it lies under your tongue; your very garments are scented with precepts like the scent of Lebanon.” This is HaShem speaking to His bride Israel! His bride will exude Torah, not only speaking Torah, but living Torah in our lives every second of every day in service to HaShem!

Psalms 19:11 says the following concerning the Torah of HaShem: “They are more desirable than gold, than even much fine gold; sweeter than honey, than dripping from the combs.” Point is, Torah is the most valuable treasure HaShem could have given to mankind! All the treasures of the earth, all the money in the world cannot compare to the value of the Torah of HaShem! It is the custom on Shavuot, the holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah, which is symbolized by honey and milk.

The commentary from the Illuminated Shir HaShirim says “The sweetness of Torah i.e. recognizing how delectable words of Torah can be, is the essence of the sustenance. It is the honey in Torah that nourishes us. In our daily prayers we ask HaShem to please make the words of Torah sweet to us. We recognize that by learning Torah, by reviewing what we have learned and making it part of whom we are, we can be satiated and sustained by its beautiful words.”

“Your very garments are scented with precepts like the scent of Lebanon.” Here HaShem is alluding to clothing, fringes, purple thread i.e. Priestly Garments worn by the Kohanim in conducting the daily Temple Services in the Temple of HaShem! Lebanon is a reference to the Temple of HaShem as well as the Garden of Eden per Ezekiel 31:16!

Shir HaShirim 4:12-13 says “As chaste as a garden locked, My sister, O bride; a spring locked up, a fountain sealed. Your least gifted ones are a pomegranate orchard with luscious fruit, henna with nard.” The commentary says “This verse refers to the modesty of the daughters of Israel who shun immorality. The imagery is poignant. Her rare beauty and pervasive charm are controlled by innate modesty and purity. She is like a beautiful garden which is locked to all but its rightful owner. Having compared her to a garden, HaShem embellishes the imagery and compares her to a spring and fountain of scare, precious good water which were sealed by their owners to prevent intrusion by strangers.”

Refer to verse three above for the explanation of the significance of a Pomegranate.

Shir HaShirim 4:14-15 says “Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes with all the chief spices. Purified in a garden spring of well of waters alive, and flowing from Lebanon.” The ingredients HaShem lists here are a portion of the ingredients used for the ketoret (Incense) which is burned on the Golden Altar in the Holy Place just before the Veils each day. It represents the prayers of Israel going up to HaShem. Additionally, cinnamon is used as part of the ingredients for the anointing oil. Here is some important info concerning the Ketoret and the Anointing Oil:

Per Hilchot K’lei HaMikdash Vihaovdim Bo 2.1 it says “The incense offering was prepared every year. Preparing it fulfills a positive commandment, as Exodus 30:34 states: ‘And you take spices….’ Four of the spcies are explicitely mentioned in the Torah. They are balsam, onycha, storax, and frankincense. The others were conveyed as a halachah communicated to Moses at Sinai.”

The following is per tractate Yoma 4.5 Yerushalmi Talmud: “Every day a Kohen offers a peras (Half) of incense in the morning and a peras in the afternoon, but today the Kohen Gadol adds another offering consisting of his two handfuls of incense.. Every day the incense would be ground fine, but today it is the finest of the fine.”

• Stacte
• Onycha
• Galbanum
• Pure Frankincense

**** The four above ingredients are required to weigh no less than 70 Maneh each. A Maneh represents the weight of 100 silver Dinars. This is approximately one pound in modern equivalents.

• Myrrh
• Cassia
• Spikenard
• Saffron

**** The four above ingredients are required to weigh no less than 16 Maneh each.

• Costus **** Must weigh no less than 12 Maneh
• Aromatic Bark **** Must weigh no less than three Maneh
• Cinnamon **** Must weigh no less than nine Maneh

Tractate Yoma 4.5 Yerushalmi Talmud – “When the individual weights of the spices enumerated in the Baraisa are added together, they are found to total 368 Maneh. 365 Maneh corresponding to the days of the solar year, and three additional maneh for the special Ketoret offered that day i.e. Yom Kippur.”

Additional substances used in the preparation of the ketoret mixture are as follows per Tractate Yoma 4.5 Yerushalmi Talmud:

• Karshinah Soap which is a kind of cleansing agent dubbed ‘Karshinah’ after its place of origin. The quantity is nine kav which in modern equivalents would be a half gallon.
• Kafrisin Wine which originated from Cyprus. A strong cider produced from the husks that cover caperberries. The quantity is three seah and three kav. If he has no Kafrisin Wine, he brings old white wine.
• Sodomite Salt which originated from the Dead Sea region. The quantity is a quarter kav. To fulfill the Torah’s directive in Leviticus 2:13 ‘On your every offering shall you offer salt.’
• A minute amount of Maaleh Ashan which literally means ‘Smoke Riser’ and is the name of a certain type of herb; its presence in the ketores causes the smoke of the ketores to rise in a straight column like a stick. The identity of this herb was jealously guarde by the House of Avtinas, who were charged with producing the ketores in the Temple.
• A minute amount of Jordan Amber. This is a type of plant that grows on the banks of the Jordan River.

****If He left out any of its spices, he is liable to death at the hands of Heaven.

The ingredients of the Anointment Oil i.e. ‘Shemen HaMishchah’ per Exodus 30:22-33 says:

• Pure Myrrh: 500 Shekel weight amount – one Shekel = .4 oz
• Fragrant Cinnamon: 250 Shekel weight amount
• Fragrant Cane: 250 Shekel weight amount
• Cassia: 500 Shekel weight amount
• Olive Oil: One Hin or almost one gallon

Shir HaShirim 4:16 says “Awake from the north and come from the south! Like the winds let My exiles return to My garden, let their fragrant goodness flow in Jerusalem. Let but my Beloved come to His garden and enjoy His precious people.” This final verse of this chapter is extremely prophetic in nature!

The commentary says “Having found delight in your fragrances, says Elohim, and in the beauty of your dwellings, I hereby command the winds, north and south, to blow upon your garden to waft your fragrance afar. Allegorically this refers to the return of the dispersed exiles with the coming of Messiah. The nations among whom they live will be so overwhelmed by the miracles preceding Redemption that they personally will deliver the Jews to Eretz Yisrael, per Isaiah 66:20 as their gift to HaShem. When the Temple is built, the Jews will go there for the festivals and they will say to Elohim, ‘Come to Your garden, O Beloved. If You are there, all is there.'”

Isaiah 66:20 says “They (The nations of the world) will bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to HaShem, with horses and with chariots and with covered wagons and with mules, and with, joyous dances, to My Holy Mountain (The Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem), says HaShem; just as the Children of Israel bring the offering in a pure vessel to the House of HaShem (The Temple).”

This was an extremely long Op! I hope you made it to the very end and were not overwhelmed by all the info? And to think the amount of info in this Op is just a tiny percentage of what HaShem has revealed in this single chapter alone! There is SO much more!

I hope you can see once more how utterly abysmal Replacement Theology Christian doctrine is in comparison to what HaShem reveals in His Word and how He is truly unchanging and His Torah is THE marriage contract between Him and His Bride i.e. Israel!! Something to consider!

We will continue this series of exploring Shir HaShirim – The Voice of the Bridegroom in chapter five!!

SOURCE MATERIALS:

• The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research
• The Koren Tanakh
• Shir HaShirim by Artscroll
• The Midrash Shir HaShirim by Artscroll
• The Kehati Mishnah
• The Steinsaltz Talmud Bavli
• The Yerushalmi Talmud by Artscroll
• The Steinsaltz Five Megillot
• Tehillim (Psalms) by Artscroll
• The Illuminated Shir HaShirim by Artscroll
• Shir HaShirim by Judaica Press
• HaTikvah Ministries