Note 32 — INTRODUCTION.

Ch. i. 13, 14, and v. 13, are quoted and explained in Sabbath, p. 88, b., “Rabbi Joshuah ben Levi saith, What is meant by ‏צרור המור דודי לי בין שדי ילין‎ is the congregation of Israel, who is saying before the Holy One thus: O Lord, though my beloved (i.e. God) oppresses me, and is embittered against me, yet he still lodges with me. By ‏אשכול הכופר דודי לי בכרמי עין גדי‎ is meant, He who is the owner of all things, will forgive me the sin of the calf, with which I covered myself. A question is raised, How does ‏בכרמי‎ signify my covering? Then Rabbi Mar-Sutra ben Rabbi Nachman quotes ‏כסא של כובס שכורמי עליו את הכלאם‎ from another part of the Talmud (Kelim 35), where ‏כרם‎ means to cover. R. Joshuah ben Levi proceeds, What is meant by ‏לחייו כערוגת הבושם‎ is, At every commandment which proceedeth from the mouth of the Holy One on Mount Sinai, the world was filled with aromatics. A question is asked, If the world was filled at the first commandment, where was the odour diffused at the second commandment? Answer, The Holy One sent his wind from his stores, and carried them away successively, as it is written, ‏שפתותיו שושנים‎ do not read ‏שושנים‎ but ‏ששונים‎ repeating in succession. Rabbi Joshuah ben Levi concludes, At every commandment uttered by the mouth of the Holy One, the soul of Israel was drawn out of them, as it is written, ‘My soul went out when he spake.’ A question is again asked, If their soul was drawn out at the first commandment, how could they receive the second? Answer. He (i.e. God) caused the dew to come down, by which he will raise the dead, and revived them, as it is written, ‘Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.’” Ps. lxviii. 9.32