The Song of Songs, a beautiful and often enigmatic book, offers some tantalizing clues, and the Midrash, specifically Shir HaShirim Rabbah, amplifies them, painting a vivid picture of this sacred space. Let's dive in!

The verse "palanquin" in Song of Songs 3:9, the Midrash tells us, that's the Temple. And "King Solomon made himself" (Song of Songs 3:9)? Well, that's definitely Solomon himself! Though, interestingly, earlier interpretations in the Midrash saw Solomon as an allusion to God. See how rich and layered these texts can be?

And that "timber of Lebanon" (Song of Songs 3:9)? That’s a direct reference to the materials used in its construction, as we see echoed in II Chronicles 2:15: “We will cut timber from Lebanon.”

But it's the details about the gold that really capture the imagination. "He made its pillars of silver" (Song of Songs 3:10) connects to the description in I Kings 7:21, which speaks of establishing pillars for the hall of the Sanctuary. And the "cushion of gold" (Song of Songs 3:10)? According to one teaching, the entire Temple was plated with gold, except for the backs of the doors.

But then Rabbi Yitzchak chimes in with a fascinating distinction. He says that this teaching about the doors might only apply to the Second Temple. In the First Temple, even the backs of the doors were covered in gold! Can you even imagine that level of opulence?

And it wasn’t just any gold. Oh no. We learn that there were seven distinct types of gold used in the Temple. Seven! Fine gold, pure gold, chased gold, beaten gold, glittering gold, refined gold, and parvayim gold.

Fine gold, the Midrash explains, is fine whether you’re at home or traveling, echoing the verse in Genesis 2:12 "The gold of that land was fine." Rabbi Yitzchak adds that it's valuable whether you are at home or on the road. Pure gold was so pure that it could be placed in a crucible and come out lacking nothing. Rabbi Yuda, quoting Rabbi Ami, says that Solomon would put one thousand gold talents into the fire one thousand times until he was left with just one talent. Intense!

Beaten gold, we're told, could be drawn like wax. And then there's a fascinating, almost gossipy aside: Hadrian had some that weighed as much as an egg-bulk, while Diocletian had some the size of a Gordian dinar. And the current government? They have none of it, and never did!

Chased gold (sagur) was so exceptional that it would cause all the goldsmiths to close up shop (soger). It was so rare and valuable that no one else could compete.

Now, you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, didn't it say something about silver, too?" Good catch! I Chronicles 29:4 mentions "seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses.” But the Midrash asks, was it really silver? Wasn't it actually gold? The answer: it's called silver (kesef) because it would put to shame (makhsif) all the owners of gold. Even the most mundane items, like basins, pots, shovels, and even the teeth of keys (ḥafifot), were made of this precious metal. Rabbi Simai even points out that even the cup (pota) under the hinge was made of gold, to teach us that the Temple lacked nothing!

Glittering gold (mupaz) was like sulfur enflamed in fire, according to Rabbi Patriki. Rabbi Avun suggests it gets its name from the land where it was mined: Ufaz (me’ufaz).

And then there's refined gold. One tradition says they would cut it like olives, feed it to ostriches, and it would emerge refined. Another says they would conceal it in dung for seven years! Talk about dedication to purity!

Finally, parvayim gold. Reish Lakish says it was red like the blood of a bull (par). Some even say that it produced fruit! The Midrash paints this incredible image: When Solomon built the Temple, he crafted all sorts of trees from this gold. And when the trees in the field would produce fruit, these golden trees in the Temple would do the same! The fruit would fall, and they would gather it for Temple maintenance.

But here's where the story takes a somber turn. When Menashe placed an idol in the Sanctuary, all those trees dried up. That's what the verse in Nahum 1:4 refers to when it says, "The flower of Lebanon withers." But there's hope! The Midrash assures us that in the future, the Holy One will restore them, and as Isaiah 35:2 promises, "It will blossom and rejoice, even with joy and song."

The "seat of purple wool" (Song of Songs 3:10) ties back to the curtains of sky-blue, purple, and crimson wool and fine linen described in II Chronicles 3:14.

And the verse concludes with a powerful image: "Its interior is plated with love" (Song of Songs 3:10). Rabbi Yudan says this refers to the merit of the Torah and the righteous people who study it. Rabbi Azarya, quoting Rabbi Yehuda in the name of Rabbi Simon, says it represents the Divine Presence itself.

So, what does all of this tell us? More than just a description of a building, the Midrash reveals a profound understanding of the Temple as a place of immense spiritual and material value. A place where even the smallest details reflected the glory of God and the dedication of the people. And perhaps, a reminder that even in the face of destruction and despair, the promise of renewal and restoration always remains.