|
|
April 11, 2003
Solomon's songs for Passover
Rich imagery provides a song of nature for the Passover spring
festival.
BATSHEVA POMERANTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
The "Song of Songs," written by King Solomon, is read
in many communities on the Sabbath that falls during Passover. This
biblical holy scroll (megillah) is appropriate for Passover,
also known as the Chag Ha'Aviv (Festival of Spring), as its
figurative language makes abundant reference to the flora, fauna
and landscape of the land of Israel, especially during the season
of renewal.
Symbolically, Solomon's Hebrew name, Shlomo, is from shalem
(complete) and shalom (peace), and his reign was, in fact,
during one of the most peaceful and materially abundant periods
in Jewish history. Author of two other biblical books, the philosophical
Kohelet and Mishlei, a collection of parables, King Solomon was
considered the wisest among men and was praised by leaders of the
ancient world.
In the poetical eight-chapter "Song of Songs," King Solomon
portrays a love story between a young shepherd and a wealthy maiden,
who is also a shepherdess. The story is interpreted as an allegory
for the love between God and the people of Israel, unlike in the
other biblical books, where the relationship is based on fear of
God rather than love. The couple experiences the different stages
of courtship, including endearment and rejection, which the sages
interpret as the stages that the people of Israel go through in
their relationship with God. The relationship began during the first
Passover – when the people of Israel were freed from slavery
– and the making of a covenant with God is compared to a betrothal.
The love story is embellished with rich imagery, interpreted as
symbols of the foundations of Jewish history. The tall cedars of
Lebanon were used together with cypresses to build the couple's
house, symbolic of the Temple. "As the lily among thorns, so
is my beloved among the daughters" (the lily is Israel, chosen
among the nations). And, in fact, certain types of lilies can indeed
be found in Israel growing among thorns.
The "Song of Songs" paints the land of Israel as green,
with reference to 23 types of flora. Prof. Yehuda Feliks, botanist
and author of Plant World of the Bible, divides these into
nine aromatic plants, three flowers, six fruit trees, two forest
trees and three field plants.
Of the nine aromatic plants, only three were grown in Israel. Among
them are the saffron, the balsam and the henna, used as a dye in
Yemenite pre-nuptial celebrations. Six of the aromatic plants were
part of the 11 spices used for the incense offered daily by the
priests in the Temple. The blossoms and fruit of the vines, pomegranate
trees, lilies and apple trees also produce pleasant smells.
Four of the fruit trees are from the Seven Species with which the
land of Israel is blessed: the vine, the fig, the pomegranate and
the date palm (termed "honey" in the Bible). The charoset,
eaten at the seder, symbolizes the mortar used by the enslaved Hebrews.
One of its many recipes includes figs, nuts, dates, pomegranates
and apples – the fruit of trees mentioned in the "Song
of Songs." The "nut garden" is like a boustan,
a Mediterranean-style orchard.
The images and similes also extend to the animal kingdom, including
the black crow and white dove, both sent by Noah to look for dry
land after his sojourn in the ark. Only the dove returned, becoming
the symbol of hope, peace and faithfulness. In the "Song of
Songs," the dove is used repeatedly as a term of endearment
for the maiden. The songbirds, including the turtle-dove, build
their nests, a sign of the renewal of spring.
Bodies of water appear in different forms: rivers, springs, wells
and riverbeds. "Many waters cannot quench the love," writes
King Solomon near the end of his book.
King Solomon's love for the beauty of the land of Israel is evident
in the "Song of Songs," as it is for his descendants who
annually enjoy the renewal of spring, and await the opportunity
to view its panoramic vistas and foliage.
"For the autumn has passed and the rain is over and gone. The
flowers are seen in the country, the season of the songbird arrived,
and the sound of the turtle-dove is heard in our land."
Batsheva Pomerantz is a writer with Israel Press Service.
^TOP
|
|
