Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Kabbalah for Song of Songs 1:14

אֶשְׁכֹּ֨ל הַכֹּ֤פֶר ׀ דּוֹדִי֙ לִ֔י בְּכַרְמֵ֖י עֵ֥ין גֶּֽדִי׃ (ס)

My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna In the vineyards of En-gedi.

Zohar

(Shir Hashirim 1:14) "A cluster of henna is my Beloved." A cluster refers to the Supernal Imma (Mother), namely NAMELY BINAH. As a cluster is decorated with so many leaves and so many branches to Israel who eat it, so the Supernal Shechinah, WHICH IS BINAH, is decorated. SHE ELEVATES MAYIN NUKVIN (FEMALE WATERS) TO CHOCHMAH, with many jewels of eight vessels, NAMELY THE FOUR LETTERS OF YOD HEH VAV HEH AND THE FOUR LETTERS OF ADONAI, WHICH ARE MALE AND FEMALE, many offerings THAT ISRAEL OFFER, and many kinds of ornaments of atonement for Her children. She stands in them before the King, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, and immediately, "And I will look on it, to remember the everlasting covenant" (Bereishit 9:16), MEANING THAT HE UNITES WITH HER. AND BINAH gives us from her petitions SHE ASKED FROM CHOCHMAH FOR OUR SAKES, THROUGH those blessings that the sages composed to request before the King in the prayer service.
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Idra Zuta

In the book of Rav Hamnuna Saba he said, the first composition King Solomon revealed, “Behold, you are fair, my love” (Song of Songs 1:14) was about that, that is, it refers to Ima, whom Aba called beloved. The second composition, “Come with me from Lebanon, my bride” (Ibid. 4:8) is called a bride, who is the lower female, namely, Malchut. Some say both refer to the lower female, Malchut; this is not the case. The first Hei of Yud Hei Vav Hei is not called a bride but beloved, as Aba and Ima are called beloved; and the last Hei is called a bride at certain time. There are many times when the male, Zeir Anpin, does not unite with her but leaves her. Of that time, it is written “Also you shall not approach to a woman in the impurity of her menstrual flow” (Vayikra 18:19). When the female is purified and the male wishes to unite with her, she is called a bride; she comes verily like a bride. That is, Malchut is rebuilt anew with ten Sfirot for every union and is considered a bride. The union of Aba and Ima, however, is continuous and never ceases as shall be explained.
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