Chapter 3:1-2
In my bed all night I long
For the one that my soul loves,
I seek him but do not find him.
I rise and roam the city,
Through the streets and through the squares
I search for the one that my soul loves
I seek him everywhere but do not find him.
I seek him everywhere:
In the approval of my parents and teachers, In achievement,
In the admiration of the young men,
In my compulsion to “figure it out,”
in my thirst to unravel the mystery.
I seek him as I try to hold on to something, someone,
anyone, anything that might assure me and reassure me of my worth. But I do not find him.
In the Fever of Love ©2008 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.
Practice
Chant: Longing for the One
Commentary
Longing is the fuel that must be unlocked through our practice. It is the force that moves me on the journey towards truth and essence. That longing is magnified by the difficult times when I looked to the wrong places to find love, fullfilment or validation — to other people’s approval or opinions, to food or substances, fame or more information. Each of these dead-ends send me back to my Self and to the inner journey of soul.
Bridge to Torah
Where do we meet God? The Torah tells the story of Moses going up the mountain and God coming down to the top of the mountain. This meeting happens in dramatic circumstances, amid smoke and fire, thunder and lightning. The Song of Songs tells of a quieter meeting that happens in the heart of our deepest longing. Longing in secrecy, in the stillness of my bed, searching for the one that my soul loves, seeking truth, love, connection, justice. And it is in that seeking that we are found. This quiet revelation dawns as we give ourselves over to the search, and open to the Beloved who whispers from within the longing of the heart.
Click to see Exodus 18:1–20:23 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985) or the associated Torah Journeys page.
Questions for Contemplation
Can I open to the power of a great longing within me? Can I let that force move me as I walk the path of Love?
Resources
View Love at the Center Resources.
Click to see Song of Songs Chapter 3:1-2 in Hebrew with the English JPS (1985) translation.