Midrash sa Awit ng mga Awit 2:17: Shir HaShirim Rabbah & Aggadat Bereshit

“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.

Chapter 36: Writings [1] song of ascents. I lift my eyes to the mountains, etc. (Psalms 121:1). "Until the day breathes and the shadows flee" (Song of Songs 2:17). Since Israel is subjected to kingdoms, they say "Master of the Universe, until when will the nations rule over us?" as it is written, "How long will I harbor counsel within my soul, agony in my heart all day?" (Psalms 13:3) And the Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, "Until the dawn breaks forth," as it is said, "Until the day breathes and the shadows flee" (Song of Songs 2:17). The shadows refer to the kingdoms, as it is said, "Woe to us, for the day is turning, for the shadows of evening lengthen" (Jeremiah 6:4), and so too, Moses says, "Remove the veil from their faces" (Numbers 14:9). At that hour, Israel sits in peace and says, "Your heart will meditate on fear" (Isaiah 33:18). This fear is the kingdom of Babylon, and "four living creatures of terror and strength" (Daniel 7:7) are its measure. "Where is the scribe, where are the weighers" (Isaiah 33:18), where are the tax collectors who would weigh out their taxes? The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, "Do not fear, you will not see a fierce people" (Isaiah 33:19). And the shades will flee, missing two things, and returning two things, as it says, "And the redeemed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will be upon their heads" (Isaiah 51:11). Here are two things. "And sorrow and sighing will flee away" (Isaiah 35:10), here are two more things. Therefore it says, "Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away" (Song of Songs 4:6). In the merit of whom? In the merit of he who said, "I will go to the mountain of myrrh" (Song of Songs 4:6), this is Abraham. Just as myrrh is the head of spices, so too Abraham is the head of the righteous. "And to the hill of frankincense" (Song of Songs 4:6), this is Isaac, who was bound on the altar like frankincense, as it says, "And he laid him on the altar" (Genesis 22:9). [God] said to him, "Do not lay your hand on the boy" (Genesis 22:12). Isaac began to cry out, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains" (Psalms 121:1), but he did not do anything, except that "he saw, and behold a ram" (Genesis 22:13). At that moment he said, "My help comes from the Lord" (Psalms 121:2).