Kabbalah zu Schir haSchirim 3:6

Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion by quoting, "Who is this coming up out of the wilderness?" (Song of Songs 3:6). "Who is this" is the joining of two kinds of holiness, of two worlds (Binah and Malchut), into one firm bond. "Coming up (Heb. עוֹלָה)," means that it actually comes up to become the Holy of Holies. Because "Who," מִ''י, (corresponding to Binah), is the Holy of Holies and has joined "this," זֹא''ת (corresponding to Malchut), so that she (Malchut) will be a burnt offering (Heb. עוֹלָה) which is the highest class of sacrifices (lit. "Holy of Holies'). "Out of the wilderness," means that this inherits it from the wilderness in order to become a bride and enter the bridal canopy. Furthermore she came out of the wilderness (Heb. מִּדְבָּר) as it is written, "And your speech (Heb. מִדְבָּרֵךְ) is comely" (Song of Songs 4:3) 1. meaning that she is "coming up" with the speech in a whisper.

This issue was hinted in the Zohar in Vayishlach: “227. Another explanation is that the “powders of the merchant” refers to Joseph the Righteous, for his coffin (lit. ‘ark’), YESOD, traveled by Her. He was called a merchant (Heb. rochel; also: ‘talebearer’) because he slandered his brothers (Heb. rechilut) before his father. According to another explanation, he was thus called because just as a merchant possesses all kinds of bundles of incense and perfumed herb powders, so Joseph maintained the Torah, for he observed it as all the precepts of the Torah are connected to keeping the Holy Covenant, WHICH HE DID.” Similar to this it says in the Zohar in Miketz: “83. By keeping the HOLY Covenant, Joseph merited to be adorned in his place, THAT IS, TO BECOME A CHARIOT TO YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, and attained the upper kingdom and the lower kingdom. Whoever guards the Holy Covenant, is considered to be observing the holy Torah in its entirety, for the Covenant corresponds to the whole Torah.”

Rabbi Yitzchak said, If the soul deserves to pass through the gates of the terrestrial Jerusalem, the great angel Michael hastens to greet and walk with it. The ministering angels wonder about this and ask, "Who is that, coming up from the wilderness" (Shir Hashirim 8:5). Who rises to be among the high ones from the destroyed body, which resembles a breath, as is written, "Man is like a breath" (Tehilim 144:4)? He answers by saying, "My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is distinguished she is the only one of her mother" (Shir Hashirim 6:9). Her mother is the Throne of Glory, a mother for the soul that gives it birth, for the soul is derived from her.

Another reading: "Your neck" - this is the Torah, adorned by her 248 commandments; her jewels and amulets are the 365 prohibitions guarding her. When she rises up, wearing these jewels, towards Her groom, how many good scents rise up in Her! Of this it is written (Song of Songs 3:6) "Who is she rising from the desert" - this is Mount Sinai, the neck of the world; "in clouds of myrrh" - this is the Holy One, of whom it is said (4:6) "I will go to the mount of myrrh"; "and frankincense" - this is the holy moon, of whom it said "and to the hills of frankincense"; "from all the powders of merchants" - this is the Righteous, who is everything united in All.