Commentaire de citation sur Le Cantique des Cantiques 4:14

ראש The best.²A. V., The head of the fat valleys.²A. V., The head of the fat valleys. Comp. ראשי בשמים the chief spices (Song 4:14). ניא שמנים Valley of oil. There was so much of it, that it was like a valley full of oil. Comp. בגיא in the valley (Deut. 3:29). Others compare נֵּיא with נֵּא proud (16:6), and say that the radical ה is omitted.³Root גאה.—The difference in spelling, גֵּיא (with י) and נֵּא (without י) is entirely overlooked.

מה טבו wie "gut" nicht: wie "schön" wie gut, wie sehr dem Sittenideal und der wahren Wohlfahrt eines Volkes entsprechend sind deine "Häuser", sie mögen flüchtige Wanderzelte "Jakobs" sein, oder stolze, festere Wohnungen "Israels!" (משכנות vergl. משכנותם לדור ודור Ps. 48, 12; וישב עמי בנוי שלום ובמשכנות מבטחים Jes. 32, 18). Israels Familienstätten sind נחלים und גנות, sie sind Segen bringende "Bäche" und selbst gesegnete "Gärten". Jedes Haus und jeder Familienzweig führt Bach gleich den Segen leiblicher, geistiger und sittlicher Wohlfahrt auf jedes kommende Geschlecht hinab, und ist selbst in jeder seiner Gegenwart ein leiblich, geistig und sittlich gesegneter Menschengarten. Sie sind in ihrer Gesondertheit in besonderer Eigentümlichkeit ihren Lauf nehmende Bäche, die aber alle wieder einem Strome ihre Errungenschaften zuführen, und sie sind gleichzeitig Gärten, die ihren Blüte- und Fruchtsegen einem gemeinsamen Strome verdanken. Sie sind zu gleicher Zeit אהלים und ארזים, vereinigen die ätherische Aloewürze mit der festen Zedernstärke, das Wohltuende edler und adelnder Geistigkeit mit der Ausdauer und Kraft. – אהלים wie מר אהלים וקנמון (Prov. 7, 17) מר ואהלות עם כל ראשי בשמים (Hohel. 4, 14). Das ätherisch Geistige der אהלים und insbesondere die dadurch vergegenwärtigte geistige Begabung der Israelgeschlechter ist eine unmittelbare Gottesspende, bedingt durch die Pflanzung nach Gottes Willen, daher: אהלים נטע ד׳, und das Wasser, der Leben und Kraft bringende Quell, an welchem diese Menschenzedern wachsen.

SPICES FOR ANOINTING OIL AND FOR INCENSE OF ‘HASAMIM’ (AROMATICS). Some scholars⁴⁵I have not been able to identify these scholars. say that this is an elliptical verse,⁴⁶These scholars are of the opinion that b’samim (spices) and hasamim (aromatics) are two different terms. And since it says further on that for the incense take unto thee ‘samim’ (aromatics) (30:34), the word b’samim cannot refer also to the incense mentioned here. Hence they complete the sentence thus: “spices for anointing oil, and aromatics for incense and aromatics.” the sense being: “spices for anointing oil and aromatics for incense of aromatics.” And other scholars⁴⁷Mentioned in Ibn Ezra in the name of “contemporary scholars.” I found this in Chizkuni. say that the verse is to be understood as if it were inverted: “and for incense of aromatics they shall bring aromatics.” Scripture mentions them with the definite article [hasamim], in order to indicate that it is referring to those aromatics that are good as incense, for there also [i.e., further in the section of the Torah dealing with the incense — 30:34] He did not explain [fully the compound forming the incense].⁴⁸Hence He referred to them here by the definite article — hasamim — the aromatics that are known. See Ramban further 30:34 for full discussion of this subject. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote that the verse is to be taken in its simple sense, that spices be taken for both — for the anointing oil and for the incense, for included in the compound of the incense were these spices: spikenard and saffron and cinnamon, according to the words of our Rabbis.⁴⁹Kerithoth 6a. It was not necessary for Scripture to mention “spices and aromatics for the incense,” because it said the incense of aromatics, just as it did not say “oil for the anointing oil.” This is the correct interpretation.
All these opinions are necessary because according to the view of the linguists [samim and b’samim connote two different things]: samim are curative herbs which are not edible, such as frankincense and galbanum,⁵⁰Further, 30:34. while b’samim are those that are edible, and are called mis’adim (props)⁵¹This was a Medieval medicinal term for spices which were given to the sick to restore their vigor. See Hebrew dictionaries, under the term mis’ad. because they have a strengthening power by their fragrant odor.
However, in the opinion of Rashi samim is identical with b’samim. And such is the meaning of our Rabbis in the Midrash⁵²Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1:61. in saying: “Eleven samonin (ingredients) were told to Moses on Mount Sinai” [which form the incense, and among them were spikenard and saffron and cinnamon which are b’samim, thus proving that they are all called by the term samim]. Onkelos also translates in both cases busmin [“busmaya for the anointing oil, and for incense of busmaya”]. This is correct in the understanding of this verse. But because Scripture changed the terms [calling one b’samim and the other samim] we might possibly say that the most important of aromatics and spices are called b’samim, a term which signifies the choicest and most famous of the spices, just as He said, ‘b’samim rosh’ (the chief spices).⁵³Further, 30:23. ‘b’rosh kol bosem’ (with chief of all spieces).⁵⁴Ezekiel 27:22. We are also correct in saying that the words b’samim and bosem are composite words: bo sem, bo samim (“in it is spice,” “in it are spices”). Proof to the words of the Rabbis [that the term b’samim includes also samim] is the verse, Take thou unto thee ‘b’samim rosh’ (the chief spices) of flowing myrrh,⁵³Further, 30:23. and myrrh, is counted among the samim since it is a curative, not an edible herb. Scripture further says, Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense,⁵⁵Song of Songs 4:14. and the verse there continues: myrrh and aloes, with all the chief ‘b’samim’ (spices). And with reference to all of these Scripture says, Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that ‘b’samov’ (the spices thereof) may flow out.⁵⁶Ibid., Verse 16. Thus it is clear that the term b’samim (spices) includes also samim (aromatics), since it speaks of all of them as b’samim and lists amongst them myrrh, which is one of the samim. A further proof [to the opinion of the Rabbis that b’samim includes also samim] is the verse, and the princes brought… the ‘bosem’ and the oil for the light and for the annointing oil and the incense of aromatics,⁵⁷Further, 35:27-28. but it does not mention that they brought samim, from which we may conclude that they are all included in the bosem.