In Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7, the Rabbis unpack a seemingly simple verse – (Song of Songs 2:7): “I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, that you will not awaken, and you will not rouse love, until it pleases.” What’s this oath all about? What are we not supposed to awaken?
Rabbi Eliezer kicks things off by suggesting the oath is sworn by the very foundations of existence: the heavens and the earth. Just as they consistently follow God's plan, so too should Israel uphold its oath, explains Etz Yosef. Then the verse shifts, "by the gazelles [bitzvaot]…and by the hinds of the field.” The word bitzvaot sounds like tzava, meaning "host," so it’s interpreted as a reference to the hosts of heaven and earth. And the "hinds of the field"? Those are the wild beasts, just as it says in (Job 5:23), "For your covenant will be with the rocks of the field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.”
But hold on, Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon offer a different perspective. Rabbi Hanina says the oath is sworn by the patriarchs and matriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. Again, bitzvaot, is reinterpreted, this time as the avot, the patriarchs, who "established My stature [tzivyoni]," and in whom God imbued His stature. And the "hinds of the field" become the tribes of Israel, echoing (Genesis 49:21): “Naphtali is a hind let loose.”
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon chimes in: maybe the oath is about circumcision, that visible sign – ot – of the covenant. So bitzvaot becomes connected to mitzvah, a commandment that has a sign [ot]. The "hinds of the field" are those who shed their blood, just like the gazelle and the hind, in this sacred ritual.
Then we get to the Rabbis' collective interpretation: the oath is sworn by the generation of persecution – a time of immense suffering, like the era of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. They see bitzvaot as those who "established My stature [tzivyoni] in the world," even as God imbued His stature in them. And the "hinds of the field" are those who gave their lives to sanctify God's name, echoing (Psalm 44:23): “For we are killed all day over You.”
Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba paints a stark picture of the generation of persecution. He admits he would be willing to give his life for God, as long as it was quick. But in that time, the Romans would torture their victims to death, slowly and deliberately, with hot iron balls or slivers of reeds under fingernails. A gruesome reminder of the cost of faith. This is what David meant when he said "To You, Lord, I lift [esa] my soul" (Psalms 25:1), which the midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) interprets as "I will give up [asi]," because they would give their lives for the sanctification of God’s name.
Rabbi Oshaya adds that God tells Israel to wait for Him, and He will render them like the host of the heavens. Rabbi Yudan, quoting Rabbi Meir, elaborates: if you fulfill My oath, you will be like the heavenly host; if not, like the earthly host. Big difference!
Rabbi Yosei bar Hanina believes there are actually two oaths here: one for Israel, not to rebel against the kingdoms of the world, and one for the nations, not to oppress Israel too harshly. If they do, they risk hastening the end of days before its time. Rabbi Levi adds that God only allows wicked kings to rule over Israel to settle accounts, to punish them for their sins.
Rabbi Helbo goes even further, suggesting there are four oaths, based on the four times the expression "I administer an oath to you" appears in Song of Songs. These oaths are: not to rebel against the kingdoms, not to force the end of days, not to reveal Jewish secrets to the world, and not to ascend en masse to the Land of Israel.
Rabbi Onya connects these four oaths to four failed attempts to hasten the Messiah’s arrival: during the times of Amram, Deinai, ben Kozeva (Shimon Bar Kokhba), and Shutelaḥ ben Ephraim. He points to (Psalms 78:9-10), about the sons of Ephraim who "turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God.”
The story of Shutelaḥ ben Ephraim is particularly poignant. They mistakenly calculated the 400-year exile prophesied to Abraham as beginning when God spoke to him, rather than 30 years later with the birth of Isaac (Genesis 15:13). Impatient, they went to war and suffered terrible losses. Why? Because, the text says, "they did not believe in the Lord and did not trust His salvation." They tried to force redemption and violated the oath.
Finally, we come back to the core of the verse: “That you will not awaken, and you will not rouse [love, until it pleases].” Rabbi Yudan interprets this in the context of Isaac’s love for Esau (Genesis 25:28). "Until it pleases" means until it becomes the wish of the elder, meaning until Esau’s merit is used up and no longer stands as a barrier to Israel's redemption.
Rabbi Berekhya offers a different perspective. He sees it as the love God has for Israel (Malachi 1:2). "Until it pleases" means until the heavenly kingdom desires it – until the attribute of justice itself demands it. Then, God will bring redemption with a loud voice and without delay. Therefore, it says: "Until it pleases."
So, what does it all mean? Maybe it's a reminder that love, in all its forms – human and divine – is a powerful force. Maybe it's a lesson in patience, in trusting the divine timing, even when we desperately want something to happen now. Maybe it's about understanding that true redemption comes not through force or impatience, but through faith, righteousness, and waiting until the time is right, until… it pleases.
“I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, that you will not awaken, and you will not rouse love, until it pleases” (Song of Songs 2:7). “I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem.” By what did He administer the oath? Rabbi Eliezer says: He administered the oath by the heavens and the earth;80Just as heaven and earth constantly act in the manner prescribed for them from God, so too Israel should not violate its oath (Etz Yosef). “by the gazelles [bitzvaot],” by the host [tzava] of the heavens and by the host of the earth, with two hosts [tzevaot]; that is bitzvaot. “And by the hinds of the field,” these are the beasts of the field, just as it says: “For your covenant will be with the rocks of the field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you” (Job 5:23). Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, Rabbi Ḥanina said: He administered an oath to them by the patriarchs and the matriarchs. Bitzvaot, these are the patriarchs [avot], who established My stature [tzivyoni], and I imbued My stature in them. “And by the hinds of the field,” these are the tribes, just as it says: “Naphtali is a hind let loose” (Genesis 49:21). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: He administered an oath by circumcision; bitzvaot, by a mitzva that has a sign [ot]; “and by the hinds of the field,” who shed their blood like the blood of the gazelle and the hind.81See, for example, Leviticus 17:13; Deuteronomy 15:22–23. The Rabbis say: He administered an oath by the generation of persecution.82Like the generation of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. Bitzvaot, as they established My stature [tzivyoni] in the world, and I imbued My stature in them. “And by the hinds of the field,” who shed their blood for the sanctification of My name, like the blood of the gazelle and the hind. That is what is written: “For we are killed all day over You” (Psalms 44:23). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: If a person would say to me: Give your life for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One blessed be He, I will give it, provided that they kill me immediately. However, in the generation of persecution, I would not be able to withstand [the persecution]. What would they do in the generation of persecution? They would bring iron balls and heat them until they were white hot and place them under their [victims’] armpits and would take their lives. Or they would bring stalks of reeds83Thin, sharp shards, similar to needles. and place them under their fingernail and would take their lives.84In both examples cited, the victims would suffer a slow, torturous death. That is what David said: “To You, Lord, I lift [esa] my soul” (Psalms 25:1), I will give up [asi] is written,85In fact, the word is written esa in the verse, not asi. The midrash means to say that the word esa should be interpreted as though it read asi, as David would not take his own life, as implied by the word esa, but might give up his life by maintaining his allegiance to God in the fact of enemies who would seek to prevent him from doing so. for they would give their lives for sanctification of the name of the Holy One blessed be He. Rabbi Oshaya said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Wait for Me86Until the end of days. and I will render you like the host of the heavens.’ Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Meir: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you fulfill My oath I will render you like the heavenly host, and if not, I will render you like the earthly host.’ Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: There are two oaths here, one for Israel and one for the nations of the world. He administered an oath to Israel that they would not rebel against the kingdoms, and He administered an oath to the nations that they would not impose a harsh yoke upon Israel, for if they impose a harsh yoke upon Israel, they will cause the end of days to come before its time. Rabbi Levi said: It is written: “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1). The Holy One blessed be He enthrones a wicked king over His nation only until He collects its debt and liquidates it.87God grants wicked kings power over Israel only in order to punish Israel for its sins. Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Tanḥum: What did the foremen of Israel say to Pharaoh? That is what is written: “Straw is not given to your servants… [your servants are beaten] and it the fault of your people” (Exodus 5:16). You are sinning against your people,88Israel, the people who have come under your dominion (Matnot Kehuna). you are sinning against your nation,89The Egyptians, who will be held accountable for Israel’s suffering. and you are causing your kingdom to be taken from you and to be given to another nation. Rabbi Ḥelbo says: There are four oaths here.90This is based on the fact that the expression “I administer an oath to you” appears four times in Song of Songs: 2:7, 3:5, 5:8, and 8:4 (Etz Yosef). He administered an oath to Israel that they would not rebel against the kingdoms; would not accelerate [the advent of] the end of days;91They should not over-engage in prayer that the end of days should arrive (Matnot Kehuna). would not reveal their secrets to the nations of the world; and they would not ascend as a wall from the Diaspora.92They should not forcefully stage a mass immigration to Israel. If they did, why would the messianic king come to gather the exiles of Israel? Rabbi Onya said: He administered to them four oaths corresponding to the four generations that sought to accelerate [the advent of] the end of days, and failed, and they are: One during the days of Amram; one during the days of Deinai;93He was one of the Jerusalem zealots during the period leading to the destruction of the Second Temple. See Sota 47a. one during the days of ben Kozeva;94Shimon bar Kokhva. and one during the days of Shutelaḥ ben Ephraim, as it is stated: “The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows [yet they turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God]” (Psalms 78:9–10). Some say: One during the days of Amram; one in the generation of persecution; one during the days of ben Kozeva; and one during the days of Shutelaḥ ben Ephraim, as it is stated: “The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows.” They had calculated the decree was issued when the Holy One blessed be He spoke with Abraham our patriarch between the pieces, but it began when Isaac was born.95God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land for four hundred years, and they would be enslaved (Genesis 15:13). Members of the tribe of Ephraim assumed that the four hundred years began from when God spoke to Abraham, but in fact they began thirty years later, when Isaac was born. What did they do? They gathered and went to war and they suffered many casualties. Why? It is because they did not believe in the Lord and did not trust His salvation. They violated the end of days and they violated the oath.96They attempted to forcefully bring about redemption before the proper time. “That you will not awaken, and you will not rouse [love, until it pleases],” Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Yudan said: The love that Isaac had for Esau, as it is stated: “Isaac loved Esau” (Genesis 25:28). What is “until it pleases”? Until it becomes the wish of the elder.97From the fact that the verse does not say “you will not rouse the end of days,” or “you will not rouse redemption,” the midrash derives the idea that the love referred to in the verse is a factor that prevents the redemption of Israel. Thus, the midrash states that Isaac’s love for Esau, which was due to the honor he accorded Isaac, is a source of merit for Esau’s descendants, and prevents Israel from being redeemed from their dominion. This will be the case “until it becomes the wish of the elder,” i.e. Isaac, meaning until the merit of Esau has been used up (Midrash HaMevoar). Rabbi Berekhya said: The love that the Holy One blessed be He had for Israel, as it is stated: “I have loved you, said the Lord” (Malachi 1:2).98The midrash is now interpreting the love mentioned in the verse as a cause of redemption for Israel. What is “until it pleases”? [Until it pleases] the heavenly kingdom: When the attribute of justice will so desire in and of itself, I will bring it with loud voice and will not delay. Therefore, it says: “Until it pleases.”
