פירוש על שיר השירים 8:9

If she be a wall. If she is strong in her faith and in her fear of God, to be against them like a copper wall, that they should not enter her midst, meaning that she will not intermarry with them, and they will not intermingle with her, and she will not be seduced by them.

If she be a wall, we build upon it a silver battlement: If she stands up to her enemies who entice her to deny her faith, we will build upon it a silver battlement: The parable indicates that no mortal will overcome them.

We will build upon her a fortress of silver. We will become for her a fortified city and for a crown and beauty, and we will build for her the Holy City and the Temple.

If she be a door: Which is easily opened, they similarly might be easily seduced, then even if we will panel [natzor] it in cedar, in accord with: “build a siege-work [matzor], the enemy will fight them and overcome them” [Deut. 20:20].

If she be a door. Which turns on its hinges, and opens whenever someone knocks on it, she, too, if she opens for them so that they enter her and she into them.¹⁴I.e., intermarry, intermingle.

We will enclose her with panels of cedar. We will put on her door wooden panels which rot and which the worm gnaws and eats. Thereupon, the congregation of Yisroel replies—