Chapter 5:8-9
Swear to me, daughters of Jerusalem
If you find my beloved,
You must tell him
That I am in the fever of Love.
How is your lover unique
Oh most beautiful of women?
How is your lover unique
That we must swear to you?
I call on my sisters, my friends, my spirit-buddies to witness my dilemma and hold me true
to my deepest wishes, my highest dreams.You help me to search my own heart,
And provide a mirror for my predicament.
Your questions help me to refine my deepest intention for love,
You challenge me to live from my integrity,
To dance the path of my Song.My sisters call to me,
They call me to share the beauty that is hidden,
They ask me to turn myself inside out
in the name of Love,
They challenge me to speak the un-nameable,
to create vessels that might hold oceans.The daughters of Jerusalem dare me to BE the Beloved, to be fully myself.
In the Fever of Love ©2008 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.
Practice
Chant: In the Fever of Love
Commentary
With this practice, we connect with our companions on the Path of Love, asking for their understanding, support, reality checks, anchoring, as we fall in love. Being in love requires us to surrender deeply.
Being in love feels like a kind of madness, in that it sometimes requires me to ignore the outer shape of things in order to embrace the inner essence. It tells me that all is well, even in the midst of apparent disaster. Living from that inner essence feels risky; I don’t want to do it alone. That’s why I’m always reaching out to kindred souls, so we can affirm each other’s glimpses, sharing our fragile impressions of the fragrance that love imbues.
When I chant the words she’cholat ahavah ani (That I am in the fever of Love), I am swooning, languorous, dreamy… as I enter into the state of being in love. Knowing my companions are there for me, without judgment allows me to surrender even further.
Bridge to Torah
The Book of Bamidbar begins with the taking of the census. It asks, “Who is taking this journey to Freedom? Who can we count on? Who will face with us the challenges of the wilderness?” We must take this journey together. We must turn towards each other in solidarity and mutual support. The lover of the Song of Songs also turns and counts on her fellow-journeyers on the Path of Love — the Daughters of Jerusalem. They ask her the hard questions that will help her find clarity, inspiration and motivation for the journey of love.
Click to see Numbers 1:1–4:20 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985) or the associated Torah Journeys page.
Questions for Contemplation
Can I connect with others who are on this path of love, reveal my own challenges and vulnerabilities and ask for their support? Can I offer my support to them?
Resources
View Love at the Center Resources.
Click to see Song of Songs Chapter 5:8-9 in Hebrew with the English JPS (1985) translation.