But Jewish tradition is full of unexpected connections, hidden depths waiting to be uncovered.

Today, we're diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a classical rabbinic commentary on the Song of Songs, to explore just such a connection. Specifically, we're looking at how the Rabbis interpreted verse 14 in light of these two central places of worship.

Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Aha bat Hanina, interpreting according to Rabbi Meir's understanding of the Ohel Mo’ed, the Tent of Meeting (another name for the Tabernacle), find echoes of it in the verse "My dove, in the clefts of the rock." They suggest that the "clefts of the rock" are akin to being hidden within the shelter of the Tabernacle itself. “Show me your appearance,” the verse continues, and this, they say, mirrors the congregation assembling at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, as described in Leviticus 8:4. “Let me hear your voice,” the verse implores, and that reminds them of the joyous song the people sang when they witnessed the Divine presence, as recounted in Leviticus 9:24. "Because they saw something new," the Rabbis say, "they sang a new song."

It's a beautiful image, isn't it? The yearning in the Song of Songs becomes a yearning for connection with God, a connection made manifest in the communal experience of worship.

Rabbi Tanhuma takes this idea a step further. While acknowledging the interpretation of Rabbi Meir regarding the Tabernacle, he offers his own understanding, based on the Rabbis' view of the Temple in Jerusalem. He sees the "clefts of the rock" as representing the shelter of the Temple. "Show me your appearance," he interprets as aligning with the assembly of the elders and the people before Solomon, as described in 1 Kings 8:1–2. And "Let me hear your voice" becomes the unified sound of trumpeters and singers, a single voice raised in praise, as we find in 2 Chronicles 5:13.

Rabbi Avin, quoting Rabbi Abba Kohen ben Delaya, adds a fascinating layer. He connects this unified voice to the moment when the entire people responded together at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:8 and 24:3). The merit of that unified acceptance of the Torah, he argues, allowed them to unite in song when the Temple was built. According to the Maharzu commentary, because Israel had united in accepting the Torah, they merited to unite to sing praise to God at the building of the Temple.

And what of the final phrases? “For your voice is pleasant,” is, simply, the song itself. “And your appearance is lovely,” Rabbi Tanhuma suggests, refers to the offerings brought in the Temple, specifically the peace offerings described in 1 Kings 8:63. He even makes a connection to the cattle mentioned in Numbers 7:8 – the cattle that had been used to transport the Tabernacle through the wilderness. Once the Temple was built and the Tabernacle was no longer in use, Solomon offered those very cattle as sacrifices. A beautiful repurposing, a sense of continuity between the portable sanctuary and the permanent one.

What are we to make of all this? Perhaps it's a reminder that even the most intimate expressions of love and longing can be seen as reflections of our relationship with the Divine. Perhaps it's a lesson in finding echoes of sacred moments in unexpected places. Or maybe, just maybe, it's an invitation to find our own voice within the chorus of Jewish tradition, a voice that unites past and present, individual and community, in a song of praise.