Midrash sobre Cantar de los Cantares 1:16

“My beloved is mine, and I am his, who herds among the lilies” (Song of Songs 2:16).
“My beloved is mine, and I am his,” He is God for me, and I am a nation for Him. He is God for me, “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2). I am a people and a nation for Him, as it is stated: “Pay attention to Me, My people, and listen to Me, My nation” (Isaiah 51:4). He is a father to me, and I am a son to Him. He is a father to me, “For You are our Father” (Isaiah 63:16). I am a son to Him, “My son, My firstborn, Israel” (Exodus 4:22). He is a shepherd to me, “Shepherd of Israel, listen” (Psalms 80:2). I am His flock, “you, My flock, flock of My pasture” (Ezekiel 34:31). He is my guardian, “Behold, the Guardian of Israel does not slumber and does not sleep” (Psalms 121:4). I am His vineyard, as it is stated: “For the house of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 5:7).
He is for me against those who provoke me, and I am for Him against those who anger Him. He is for me against those who provoke me, as He smote the firstborn of Egypt, as it is stated: “I will pass in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12); “it was at midnight and the Lord smote every firstborn” (Exodus 12:29). I am for Him against those who anger Him, as I slaughtered the gods of Egypt, and likewise, “against all the gods of Egypt I will administer punishment” (Exodus 12:12), and I slaughtered them to Him, as it is stated: “Behold, will we slaughter the abomination of Egypt before their eyes, and they will not stone us?” (Exodus 8:22). Likewise, “they shall each take for them a lamb for each patrilineal home” (Exodus 12:3).
He said to me: ‘Let the proportion [hamazeg] not be skewed,’ as it is stated: “Your navel is a moon-shaped goblet, may it not lack mixed wine [hamazeg]” (Song of Songs 7:3). I said to Him: ‘You are my good beloved, if only Your goodness will never be lacking from me,’ just as it says: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I will not lack” (Psalms 23:1).
Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Ilai said: He sang to me and I sang to Him; He lauded me and I lauded Him. He called me: “My sister, My love, My faultless dove” (Song of Songs 5:2), and I said to Him: “This is my beloved and this is my companion” (Song of Songs 5:16). He said to me: “Behold you are fair my love” (Song of Songs 4:1), and I said to Him: “Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too” (Song of Songs 1:16). He said to me: “Happy are you Israel, who is like you?” (Deuteronomy 33:29). I said to Him: “Who is like You among the powers, Lord?” (Exodus 15:11). He said to me: “Who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land” (I Chronicles 17:21). I declare the unity of His name twice daily: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). When I require something, I seek it only from His hand, as it is stated: “It was during those many days, that the king of Egypt died; [the children of Israel sighed due to the bondage, and they cried out, and their plea rose to God due to the bondage.] God heard their groaning…God saw the children of Israel” (Exodus 2:23–25). When He requires something, he seeks it only from me and from my hand, as it is stated: “Speak to the entire congregation of Israel, saying: [In the tenth day of this month they shall take for themselves every man a lamb]” (Exodus 12:3). When I require something, I seek it only from His hand, as it is stated: “Pharaoh approached and the children of Israel raised [their eyes and…the Egyptians were traveling after them… the children of Israel cried out to the Lord]” (Exodus 14:10). When He requires something, He seeks it only from me, as it is stated: “Speak to the children of Israel and let them take a gift for Me” (Exodus 25:2). When I had trouble, I sought [salvation] only from Him: “The Children of Israel cried out to the Lord, as he had nine hundred iron chariots, and he oppressed the Children of Israel forcefully…” (Judges 4:3). What is forcefully? It was with cursing and blaspheming. When He required something, He sought it only from me, as it is stated: “They shall make a sanctuary for Me” (Exodus 25:8).

“Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too; indeed our bed is fresh” (Song of Songs 1:16).
“Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too.” Rabbi Abahu and Rabbi Ḥanina, Rabbi Abahu said: He lauded her with a compound expression, and she lauded him with a simple expression. He lauded her with a compound expression: “Behold, you are fair, my love; behold, you are fair” (Song of Songs 1:15), for if He sought to adopt another nation, He could.³⁰³The verse repeats the laudatory phrase to say that even though He could, he chooses not to do so. She lauded him with a simple expression: “Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too.”³⁰⁴“Behold” is not repeated, and “fair” is not repeated either. Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: She, too, lauded him with a compound expression, as it is stated: “Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too [af].” She said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, the anger [af] with which You treat me is pleasant. Why? Because You return me and cause me to be better.³⁰⁵The people of Israel recognize that their suffering is meant to cause them to repent.

“Indeed our bed is fresh,” this is the Temple, just as you say: “And his nurse in the bedroom” (II Kings 11:2). What is “the bedroom”? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, Rabbi Elazar said: The side chambers. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: In the upper side chambers. The one who said in the side chambers, it is during the rainy season. The one who said in the upper side chambers, it is during the summer season.³⁰⁶During the hot summer months it is more comfortable in the upper chambers, where there is more of a breeze, whereas in the winter months it is more comfortable in the lower chambers.
Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” Rabbi Azarya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: [This is analogous] to a king who went out to the wilderness, and they brought him a short bed. He began straining himself and cramping his limbs. When he entered the province, they brought him a long bed, [and] he began stretching himself and extending his limbs. So too, until the Temple was constructed, the Divine Presence restricted itself between the two staves of the Ark. Once the Temple was constructed, “the staves were extended” (I Kings 8:8).

Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” just as this bed is made only for comfort, so too, until the Temple was constructed, the Divine Presence was tossed from place to place; that is what is written: “I would make My way in a tent and in a tabernacle” (II Samuel 7:6). Once the Temple was constructed, “this is My resting place forever” (Psalms 132:14).
Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” just as this bed is made only for comfort, so too, until the Temple was constructed the Israelites were tossed from place to place, “they traveled…and they encamped” (Numbers 33:5). When the Temple was constructed, “Judah and Israel lived securely” (I Kings 5:5).
Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” just as this bed is only for procreation, so too, until the Temple was contructed, “go count Israel” (I Chronicles 21:2). Once it was constructed, “Judah and Israel were numerous [like the sand that is by the sea in abundance]” (I Kings 4:20).
Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” just as this bed is only for procreation, so too, until the Temple was contructed, “The entire congregation together was forty [-two] thousand [three hundred and sixty]” (Ezra 2:64). Once the Temple was constructed, they procreated, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From Gevat until Antipatris there were six hundred thousand towns, and they would produce twice the number of those who emerged from Egypt. Now, even were you to introduce six hundred thousand reeds there, it would not contain them and would not hold them. Rabbi Ḥanina said: The Land of Israel has [since] contracted.