Shir Hashirim: A New Approach

“For your voice is sweet (Song of Songs 2:14),” corresponds to, “Give thanks to God for He is good (Psalms 118:1).” “And your appearance is beautiful,” corresponds to, “Please, God, save now! Please, God, bring success now!” (Yalkut Shimoni; Shir Hashirim 2)

We see from here that we can read the Song of Songs on two levels: “Give thanks to God,” over the good He has given us in the past, and, “Please, God, bring success now,” as a song of the future.

We have been studying the midrash on the Song of Songs as a preparation for Pesach: a way of expressing our gratitude for all the good He has done for us in the past. As we now begin to count the The Omer, we will switch our study of the midrash into a way of preparing for the future; Shavuot, the Revelation at Sinai.