Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Awit ng mga Awit 2:17

TZILAM’ (literally: “their shadow”) IS REMOVED FROM THEM. “That is, their shield and their strength [are departed from them]. The worthy ones among them have died. Another interpretation: the shade (protection) of G-d is departed from them.” This is Rashi’s language. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that “tzilam means the buckler and shield which form a shade [and protection] to people in battle, and they [Moses and Aaron] are thus saying that our fear has fallen upon them, so that they will not take buckler, shield nor helmet to arm themselves and fight against us.” He has explained it well.
But it is possible that Scripture is alluding to the well-known fact that there will be no shadow over the head of a person who is [destined] to die that year, on “the night of the seal.”¹⁰³This is a term signifying the night of Hoshana Rabbah, i.e., the night of the seventh day of the Festival of Tabernacles — the twenty-first of Tishri — when the “Heavenly seal” is put upon the judgment which was decided on the New Year [and Day of Atonement] for each individual and his fate in the coming year. The subject is mentioned by R’mah [Rabbi Moshe Isserles] in Orach Chayim 664:1. However, he discourages anyone from prying into the veiled future, for it is far better to be whole-hearted with the Eternal than to pay heed to such auguries of the future. See also the learned essay on this topic in “Studies in Jewish Philosophy and Mysticism” by Israel Weinstock, pp. 249-269. Therefore it says: “their ‘shade’ is already removed from them, meaning that death has been decreed upon them, and the Eternal is with us, for it is He Who dwells in our midst and does miracles and wonders for us in the eyes of all who behold us; therefore, fear them not.” Or it is possible that the verse alludes to the princes above [in heaven], for no nation falls unless its prince falls first, as it is written, The Eternal will punish the host of the high heaven on high etc., and afterwards, on the kings of the earth upon the earth,¹⁰⁴Isaiah 24:21. and as is explained in the Book of Daniel.¹⁰⁵Daniel 10:20. See Ramban above in Seder Beha’alothcha, 11:16. Thus the verse is saying: “the power under whose protection the nations [in the land of Canaan] live is already removed, and the Eternal Who lowered them is with us, therefore fear them not.” And thus the Rabbis said in Midrash Shir Hashirim:¹⁰⁶This is not found in our editions of Shir Hashirim Rabbah. Its source is an unknown “Midrash Shir Hashirim” quoted in the commentary to Song of Songs ascribed to Ramban (see my Hebrew commentary, second edition et seq. Vol. II, p. 528). “And the shadows flee away.¹⁰⁷Song of Songs 2:17. These are the princes of the nations and their angels,” for they are the protection over the nations. I have already mentioned this in other places.¹⁰⁸Exodus 20:3, and above 11:16.

Nachmanides explains the words: “their shadow has departed from them,” to mean that their shadow had been removed from their heads. He refers to a kabbalistic tradition that on the night of Hoshanah Rabbah, the 21st of Tishrey when the seal is attached to the fate of the individuals for the coming year, anyone whose shadow cannot be seen in the moonlight is slated to die during the course of that year. That calendar date corresponds to the 26th day after G’d commenced creating the universe. Calev meant to say that death had been decreed for these people already on the previous 21st of Tishrey. Although Calev did not spell this out in so many words, this is what he alluded to. This is also the allusion contained in Song of Songs 2,17: “until the day blows past and the shadows have fled.” Solomon meant that when a person’s “day,” i.e. his lifetime on earth, approaches its end this is signaled by his shadow departing from him first. This “shadow” comes closer to the Lord (the Ineffable Name י-ה-ו-ה whose numerical value is 26, corresponding to the 26th day after commencement of the creation). When David writes this “name” it also is described as ה' צלך, “the Lord is your shadow” (Psalms 121,5). Actually it would have been sufficient to refer to ונס הצל, “the shadow (sing.) departed, fled.” The reason Solomon spoke about צללים, “shadows” in the plural, is that every human being has two shadows (compare Yevamot 122). The regular shadow is the one visible when the sun shines. The “secondary” shadow is the one visible at night. [The Talmud distinguishes between the ability of demons to cast a shadow, suggesting that they can cast a shadow when impersonating persons by day, but cannot do so at night. Ed.]