I know I do! Take the Song of Songs, or Shir HaShirim, that beautiful, sensual poem often interpreted as an allegory for the relationship between God and Israel. Right smack in the middle, we get this head-scratcher: "There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and young women without number." (Song of Songs 6:8). What on earth does that even mean?
Well, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Song of Songs, dives headfirst into this numerical puzzle. It's a fascinating peek into how the rabbis of the time wrestled with scripture, finding layers of meaning we might otherwise miss.
Rabbi Ḥiyya of Tzippori and Rabbi Levi, two prominent scholars, offer interpretations that focus on the nations of the world. Rabbi Ḥiyya sees those sixty queens and eighty concubines as representing different civilizations. He explains that sixty plus eighty equals one hundred and forty. Of these, forty have their own language but no writing system. Another forty have a script but no distinct language. And "young women without number?" Those are the nations that have neither language nor script.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Could the same possibly be said of Israel? Are there some Jews who lack something essential, like language or a written tradition? The text quickly reassures us: absolutely not! It quotes Esther 8:9, "To the Jews in their language and in their script," emphasizing that Jews do possess both.
Rabbi Levi offers a different, equally intriguing take. He still sees sixty and eighty as equaling one hundred and forty, but this time, they represent people with different familial knowledge. Seventy of them know their fathers but not their mothers, while another seventy know their mothers but not their fathers. And again, those "young women without number" are those who know neither.
But again, could this apply to the Jewish people? Are there Jews who don't know both their parents? The text swiftly counters this idea, citing Numbers 1:18: "They established their genealogy according to their families, according to their fathers' household." The phrase "their families" implies knowledge of their mothers, while "their fathers' household" indicates knowledge of their fathers. The text even offers an alternative reading: the Hebrew word for “they established their genealogy,” vayityaldu, is related to the term for birth, leida, suggesting knowledge of their mothers.
So, what are we to make of all this? It seems these interpretations aren't meant to be taken literally. Instead, they use the numerical imagery of the Song of Songs to explore broader questions about identity, knowledge, and belonging. Are we part of something bigger? What defines us? What essential components make us who we are?
Ultimately, this passage from Shir HaShirim Rabbah invites us to consider the unique qualities that define both the nations of the world and, most importantly, the Jewish people. It’s a reminder that even in the most poetic and seemingly obscure passages, there are layers of meaning waiting to be uncovered. And who knows? Maybe those sixty queens and eighty concubines are still whispering secrets to us today.