Midrash sur Le Cantique des Cantiques 3:1

“On my bed at nights I sought the one whom my soul loves; I sought him, but did not find him” (Song of Songs 3:1).
“On my bed at nights.” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: What is “on my bed at nights”? During my illness, just as it says: “And he does not die but falls into bed” (Exodus 21:18). Rabbi Levi said: The congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: Master of the universe, in the past You would illuminate for me between nights and nights; between the night of Egypt and the night of Babylon, between the night of Babylon and the night of Media, between the night of Media and the night of Greece, and between the night of Greece and the night of Edom.¹Edom refers to Rome. The meaning of Rabbi Levi’s statement is that there would be a bright period between periods of persecution. But now that I have slumbered from the Torah and the mitzvot, nights have become consecutive for me. “On my bed at nights,” Rabbi Alexandra said: When I slumbered from the Torah and the mitzvot, my nights became consecutive for me. “On my bed at nights [balelot],” the nights came [ba’u lelot].²The nights, meaning the periods of persecution, came consecutively.

Another matter, “on my bed at nights,” this is the night of Egypt. “I sought the one whom my soul loves,” this is Moses.” I sought him, but did not find him.”³This is because Moses returned from Egypt to Midian for three months (see Shir HaShirim Rabba 2:9).

“On my bed at night…” (Song of Songs 3:1) at the moment when Avraham bound Yitzchak his son on top of the altar. “I held him and would not let him go…” (Song of Songs 3:4) This refers to David. When he took the threshing floor from Aravnah the Jebusite he found the skull of Aravnah placed under the altar but Gd (HaMakom) did not disqualify the offerings of Israel.

Another explanation. “I held him and would not let him go…” R’ Yitzchak said: until the Tabernacle was erected prophecy was found among the idol worshipers. Once the Tabernacle was erected it was removed from them, as it says “I held him and would not let him go…” and it is written “Then I and Your people will be distinguished…” (Exodus 33:16) They said to him: but Balaam had prophecy? He replied: Not for his benefit! “Who counted the dust of Jacob…” (Bamidbar 23:10) “He does not look at evil in Jacob…” (Bamidbar 23:21) “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob…” (Bamidbar 25:4) “A star has gone forth from Jacob…” (Bamidbar 24:17) “A ruler shall come out of Jacob…” (Bamidbar 24:19) Another explanation. “On my bed at night…” (Song of Songs 3:1) Because I rested from Torah and commandments, night was joined to night for me. In the past it illuminated for me between night and night, between the night of Egypt and the night of Bavel, but now night is joined to night.