Chapter 5:14-16
His hands are rods of gold,
Studded with topaz,
His body is polished ivory,
Inlaid with sapphire,
His thighs are marble pillars
On pedestals of gold.
Majestic as Lebanon,
A man like a cedar!
His mouth is luscious,
He is all delight.
This is my beloved
And this is my friend
Oh daughters of Jerusalem.
I open my senses to subtle textures
that speak so articulately,
to the spice that awakens the heart of memory.
In the Fever of Love ©2008 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.
Practice
Chant: Loving ‘This’: Zeh Dodi
Commentary
Meditation is the practice of opening to “this” — this very moment, this very place. Ordinarily I may have my judgements — things about this that I like or not. But in meditation I just say yes to whatever is before me. I accept it fully. I may not like it, but I surrender to “this” whatever it is. I fall in love, each moment, again and again. I make this moment my friend.
My friend and teacher Sylvia Boorstein has taught me a phrase of intention, “I greet this moment in friendship with an undefended heart.”
This phrase from the Song of Songs helps me to enter into meditation with a clear and vital intention of making each moment my Beloved.
Bridge to Torah
The Torah of Behaalotecha reminds us that we journey forth in stages. At each stage and with each step of the journey, we are offered the light of the golden Menorah to infuse our consciousness, open our eyes and illuminate the way forward. And at each stage we are commanded to hear the beautiful clear sounds of the silver trumpets that call us together. Despite the troubles of the wilderness — the rebellions and complaints…. We keep setting forth, newly inspired. The Song of Songs encourages us on this arduous journey by reminding us to delight in the beauty before us and in the majesty of love.
Click to see Numbers 8:1–12:16 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985) or the associated Torah Journeys page.
Questions for Contemplation
Can I fall in love with “THIS” (this moment in all its amazing complexity)? Can I simply befriend this moment?
Resources
View Love at the Center Resources.
Click to see Song of Songs Chapter 5:14-16 in Hebrew with the English JPS (1985) translation.