The Song of Songs, that incredibly beautiful and often enigmatic book, gives us a clue. Specifically, let's dive into verse 4:10: “How fair is your loving, my sister, my bride; how much better is your loving than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than all spices.”

The rabbis of old saw something truly profound in this verse. Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Ḥelbo, quoting Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, point out that the word "bride" appears no less than ten times to describe Israel! Six times right there in the Song of Songs itself, and four more times scattered throughout the Prophets.

Think about it. Six times in Song of Songs: “With me from Lebanon, my bride” (4:8), “you have charmed me, my sister, my bride” (4:9), “how fair is your loving, my sister, my bride” (4:10), “your lips drip [nectar] my bride” (4:11), “a locked garden is my sister, my bride” (4:12), “I came to my garden, my sister, my bride” (5:1). Six instances in just one book! It's almost like the poem can't stop reiterating the closeness, the intimacy, of this bond.

And then, the prophets echo the same sentiment. We hear “the sound of gladness and the sound of joy, the sound of a groom and the sound of a bride” in Jeremiah (33:11). Isaiah (61:10) describes Israel as "like a bride who bedecks herself with her jewelry." Again in Isaiah (49:18), we read, "you will tie them like a bride," and finally, in Isaiah 62:5, "like a bridegroom rejoicing over his bride."

Why this repetition? What's the significance of calling Israel "bride" so many times?

The Midrash, in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, draws a fascinating parallel. It says that corresponding to these ten times Israel is called "bride," the Holy One, blessed be He, donned ten garments. Garments that represent different facets of His power, His justice, and His glory.

These aren't literal garments, of course. They are metaphors for God's attributes, His ways of interacting with the world. We see them described in the Psalms and the Prophets. “The Lord reigns; He is clothed in grandeur” (Psalms 93:1); “The Lord is clothed with strength” (Psalms 93:1); “Girded” (Psalms 93:1); “He donned righteousness like armor” (Isaiah 59:17); “He donned garments of vengeance” (Isaiah 59:17); “Attire” (Isaiah 59:17); “He clothed Himself with zealotry like a coat” (Isaiah 59:17); “This that is majestic in attire” (Isaiah 63:1); “Why is there red on Your attire” (Isaiah 63:2); and finally, “You are clothed in splendor and glory” (Psalms 104:1).

Ten garments, ten ways that God reveals Himself.

So, what’s the connection? The Midrash suggests this is "in order to exact retribution from the nations of the world who prevented Israel from fulfilling the Ten Commandments, which [Israel] was holding close to them like a bride."

Essentially, the ten garments of God are a response to the nations that tried to separate Israel from the mitzvot (commandments). Israel held onto those commandments like a bride cherishes her marriage contract, her ketubah. And God, in turn, dons these "garments" to defend and protect His beloved.

Finally, the Midrash brings us back to the "fragrance of your oils than all spices" from our original verse. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman offers a beautiful analogy: Just like unscented oil, when infused with different fragrances, yields a multitude of scents, so too, when we delve into the Torah, we uncover countless layers of meaning and wisdom.

So, what does it all mean?

Perhaps it’s this: the relationship between God and Israel is a deep, multifaceted, and enduring love story. A story expressed through the language of bride and groom, of garments and commandments, of fragrances and interpretations. And like any great love story, it's a story worth exploring again and again, uncovering new layers of meaning each time.