Pesach 5783

Pesach 5783

Rabbi Hal Miller

We have a deep-seated tradition to read the Song of Songs on the Shabbat

morning during the week of Pesach, and a second tradition that some have to read

it after the seder. Why do we read this on Pesach? Further, the entire megillah is

impossible to relate to any understanding typical for a book of the Canon, rather is

obviously all an allegory. What does it mean?

Our sages were easily able to explain for each of the other four megillas why we

read them at the times we do. This one gave them all difficulties. Beginning with

the law, in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 490:9, the Rama writes, "It is the practice to

say Shir HaShirim on the Shabbat of chol hamoed." The Mishneh Berurah explains,

"This is because the subject of the Exodus from Egypt is described in it." He is

referring to verse 1:9, which does mention Pharaoh, but that is the only mention,

and the megillah mentions all sorts of other things as well, so this seems pretty

tenuous. Numerous commentators lean on this, though.

R'Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard in Rite and Reason gives a second idea, that it "occurs

in spring and is related to spring of song" meaning that the world sings with the renewal

of the seasons. Certainly birds sing at this time, and if you count new blossoms and

leaves you could say the plants are singing as well. With freshness in the air, many of us

do so too. He also notes that the Torah reading for the seventh day includes the Shir

HaYam, the Song of the Sea. He then mentions Shir HaYichud and Shir HaKavod, but

both of those are said either at different times or even regularly throughout the year.

Sfas Emes asks our question directly, however he does not give a simple direct

answer. After mentioning that the megillah "contains no explicit reference to the festival

of Pesach", he discusses how this love story between the Jewish people and God reflects

the love that was obvious during the Exodus and how the song now inspires the same

kind of love and praise we can have for God as we had then. At Pesach, we celebrate our

freedom from enslavement to man, and at the same time, our commitment to servitude

to God. Perhaps the tie is that in the Exodus we learned how to properly praise God

and this song is exactly that.

In sum, it seems that the reason must lie in the area of spiritual understanding. The Exodus

through the time of the giving of the Torah was the time when we were at our highest level

of spirituality and connection to God. Shir HaShirim reflects that time and reminds us to

work to achieve that closeness again.