Midrash su Cantico dei cantici 2:17

“Until the day is great and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a fawn on the cleft mountains” (Song of Songs 2:17).
“Until the day is great [sheyafuaḥ],” Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Yudan said: Until I introduce a breeze [piḥa] into the night of the kingdoms. Did I not introduce a breeze into the night of Egypt, as it was four hundred years and I made them two hundred and ten?¹⁵³God provided relief for Israel from the persecution of Egypt; although He told Abraham that his descendants would be persecuted in a foreign land for four hundred years (Genesis 15:13), they were actually in Egypt for only two hundred and ten years. “And the shadows flee,” did I not remove from them two difficult shadows of mortar and bricks? Rabbi Ḥelbo said: “The nation” “and also the nation” (Genesis 15:14), Egypt and the four kingdoms.¹⁵⁴The verse states: “and also the nation whom they serve, I will judge” (Genesis 15:14), whereas it could have simply said “and the nation whom they serve…” Rabbi Ḥelbo means that since it could have stated “the nation” but instead it says “and also the nation,” the inclusionary term “also” alludes to the other four kingdoms destined to persecute Israel: Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Rabbi Yudan said: Being a stranger, subjugation, and affliction in a land that is not theirs, even in cities prepared for them.¹⁵⁵All of the years from the birth of Isaac until the exodus from Egypt are counted in the four hundred years, including the years in which they dwelled securely in cities prepared for them, such as during Joseph’s lifetime in Egypt. “Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle,” ultimately I will turn for you from the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy, and accelerate your redemption like the blood of the gazelle and the blood of a hart. “Or a fawn,” Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: Like the offspring of a hind. “On the cleft [bater] mountains,” owing to the conditions that I stipulated with Abraham your patriarch between the pieces [betarim], as it is stated: “On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying” (Genesis 15:18).
Rabbi Berekhya said: Until I heat the day, just as it says: “With the fire of My fury I will blow [afiaḥ] upon you” (Ezekiel 21:36), “to blow fire upon it” (Ezekiel 22:20). What is “and the shadows flee”? These are the shadows of sorrow and sighing. “Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle,” ultimately I will turn for you from the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy and accelerate your redemption like the blood of the gazelle and the blood of a hart. “Or a fawn,” like the offspring of a hind.
“On the cleft [bater] mountains,” Rabbi Yudan said: So that the kingdoms will be in abeyance until after [batar] their treasures.¹⁵⁶They will receive their ultimate punishment only after being rewarded in this world for any good deeds they performed. Rabbi Levi bar Ḥaita said: After the kingdom¹⁵⁷Rome. will experience its greatness. Rabbi Berekhya said: The Holy One blessed be He said: Even if I have against them only what they did in Beitar, My judgement will be extended over them. What did they do in Beitar? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Emperor Hadrian killed four million people in Beitar.