Midrasz do Pieśń nad pieśniami 3:1
עַל־מִשְׁכָּבִי֙ בַּלֵּיל֔וֹת בִּקַּ֕שְׁתִּי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו׃
Na łożu mojem w nocy szukałam tego, którego umiłowała dusza moja; szukałam go, alem go nie znalazła.
Shir HaShirim Rabbah
“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.
“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.
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Shir HaShirim Rabbah
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).
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Yalkut Shimoni on Nach
“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.
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