Take this verse from (Song of Songs 5:15): "His calves are pillars of marble, set on sockets of fine gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice like cedars.”
Now, what does any of that really mean?
Well, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classical midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) commentary on the Song of Songs, dives deep into that very question. And what it finds might surprise you.
"His calves are pillars of marble," the verse begins. According to the Shir HaShirim Rabbah, “his calves” represent the world itself. And the "pillars of marble [shesh]"? They allude to the six [shisha] days of creation! As it says in (Exodus 31:17), "For in six days the Lord made…" the heavens and the earth. See how the Rabbis find these connections and hidden meanings? It’s But it gets even more intriguing. The verse continues, "set on sockets of fine gold." The midrash interprets this as the portions of the Torah that are expounded by examining what comes before and what comes after. Think of it like this: these portions are like pillars with a base and a capital, each supporting and illuminating the other.
To understand this, the text brings an example from Leviticus. We're talking about the laws concerning a man who has relations with a designated maidservant (Leviticus 19:20) followed by the laws about the fruit of a newly planted tree being forbidden for the first three years (Leviticus 19:23). What’s the connection?
The midrash explains that a laborer, working closely within a household, might become tempted by the maidservant. He might then try to downplay his sin, thinking he can easily bring a sin offering or a guilt offering. Rabbi Yudan, quoting Rabbi Levi, even warns that those who take this transgression lightly will face severe consequences in the future.
The juxtaposition of these verses, according to this interpretation, suggests that just as we must refrain from enjoying the fruit of a tree for three years, so too must we refrain from acting impulsively and thinking we can get away with something.
But the connection also works in the other direction – forward. (Leviticus 19:23), about the fruit, is followed by (Leviticus 19:26): "You shall not eat over the blood; you shall not practice divination…" Here, the Holy One, blessed be He, is essentially saying: "You wait three years for orlah (uncircumcised fruit), but you don't wait for your wife to purify after menstruation? You wait three years for orlah, but you don't wait for the animal's blood to be fully drained?" In other words, just as we are patient with the fruit, we must also be patient and observant in other areas of life, even when it's difficult.
The midrash then brings in Saul, the first king of Israel, as an example of someone who upheld the mitzvah of not eating blood. The text references (1 (Samuel 14:33-3)4), where Saul instructs the people to slaughter their animals properly to avoid sinning. The Rabbis even say he showed them a knife of a specific length to ensure proper slaughter!
And how was Saul rewarded? According to Rabbi Hagai in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak, and other Rabbis, he was rewarded during the Philistine war, when he miraculously obtained a sword and spear (1 (Samuel 13:2)2). The text also notes that Saul was the first king to build an altar to the Lord, signifying his devotion to proper ritual practice. Rabbi Yudan emphasizes that Saul’s dedication to these matters was so significant that he is credited as if he were the first to build an altar, despite the many altars built before him.
So, what can we take away from this intricate interpretation of a single verse? It's more than just a description of physical beauty. It's a reminder that the Torah is interconnected, that seemingly disparate laws can illuminate each other, and that our actions have consequences. The beauty of the Song of Songs, and the wisdom of the Rabbis, lies in their ability to find profound meaning in the smallest of details. And it reminds us that even in the most passionate of love poems, there's always room for a little bit of Torah.
“His calves are pillars of marble, set on sockets of fine gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice like cedars” (Song of Songs 5:15). “His calves are pillars of marble”; “his calves” – this is the world; “pillars of marble [shesh]” – as it was established in six [shisha] days, as it is written: “For in six days the Lord made…” (Exodus 31:17). “Set on sockets of fine gold” – these are the portions of the Torah that are expounded with what precedes them and are expounded with what follows them. To what are they comparable? To a pillar that has a base beneath it and a capital above it. So too, the portions of the Torah are expounded with what precedes them and what follows them. From where [is it derived that they are expounded with] what precedes them? As it is stated: “If a man lies carnally with a woman” (Leviticus 19:20).82This is written in the context of a maidservant who has been designated for a Hebrew slave. What is written thereafter? “When you will come into the land and plant any food tree [you shall consider its fruit forbidden; three years it shall be forbidden for you, it shall not be eaten]” (Leviticus 19:23). What does one have to do with the next? Rather, when [a laborer] hoes he gradually becomes a member of the household, and because he enters and exits [the homeowner’s] house, he becomes suspected regarding his maidservant. He says: Am I not liable to bring a sin offering, am I not liable to bring a guilt offering? I will bring a sin offering, I will bring a guilt offering.83The laborer downplays the significance of his sin with the maidservant. Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Those who practice leniency regarding maidservants in this world are destined to be hung by the crowns of their heads in the future. That is what is written: “Indeed, God will crush the heads of His enemies, hairy skulls of those walking in their guilt” (Psalms 68:22). What is “walking in their guilt”? His liability is with him. [People] say: Let this man go in his liability.84People will realize that the individual will die without atonement for the sins that he downplayed during his life. This is alluded to by the fact that the verse prohibiting fruit in the first three years of a tree’s life is preceded by the verse requiring a guilt offering for one who has relations with a designated maidservant. Just as it is prohibited to benefit from the fruit, it is prohibited to have relations with the maidservant with the intention of bringing the guilt offering. They are expounded with what follows them; how so? As it is written: “Three years it shall be forbidden for you, it shall not be eaten” (Leviticus 19:23). What is written thereafter? “You shall not eat over the blood; you shall not practice divination…” (Leviticus 19:26). The Holy One blessed be He said: For orla you wait three years, but for your wife, you do not wait until she purifies from her menstruation? For orla you wait three years, but for your animal, you do not wait until its blood is completely squeezed out?85The midrash interprets the phrase “you shall not eat over the blood” as alluding to the prohibition of having relations with a woman who has not been purified from her menstruation (see Etz Yosef), and to the prohibition of eating meat if the blood of the animal was not fully drained. Thus, the midrash derives from the juxtaposition of the verses that just as one waits for the fruit of the fourth year, he must wait in order to avoid these prohibitions, despite the fact that people might be less inclined to wait for them (see Etz Yosef; Midrash HaMevo’ar). Who upheld the mitzva of blood? Saul began to uphold the mitzva of blood.86Saul brought the people to observe the mitzva. That is what is written: “They told Saul, saying: Behold, the people are sinning to the Lord by eating with the blood” (I Samuel 14:33). “Saul said: Spread out among the people and say to them: Let each man bring to me his ox and each man his sheep, and you shall slaughter here [bazeh] and eat” (I Samuel 14:34). What is bazeh? The Rabbis say: He showed them a knife fourteen fingerbreadths long: bet – two, zayin – seven, heh – five; that is fourteen. He said to them: Slaughter and eat in accordance with this protocol. When did the Holy One blessed be He reward him? In the Philistine war, as it is written: “It was on the day of war that there was not to be found sword or spear in the possession of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but they could be found with Saul…” (I Samuel 13:22). “It was not found,” and you say: “It was found”? Who provided it to him? Rabbi Ḥagai [said] in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: An angel provided it for him. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He provided it for him. It is written: “Saul built an altar to the Lord; he was the first to begin building [altars to the Lord]” (I Samuel 14:35). The members of the early generations built numerous altars: Noah built an altar, Abraham built an altar, Isaac built an altar, Jacob built an altar, Moses built an altar, Joshua built an altar, and you say “he was the first to begin building [altars]”? Rather, he was the first of the kings to do so. Rabbi Yudan said: Because he devoted himself to this matter,87He ensured that the people observed the laws of ritual slaughter. the verse ascribes to him as though he were the first to build an altar to the Lord.
