18 Important Kavanot for Shir HaShirim

18 Important Kavanot for Shir HaShirim

On the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul, when it is customary to read Shir HaShirim for 40 days, our website presents its readers with rare and little-known kavanot for Shir HaShirim. 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur Rabbi Chaim Vital (may his merit protect us) revealed the secret of a pasuk from Shir HaShirim: אני לדודי ודודי לי – “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” The roshei teivot of these words form the acronym אלול—the month of Elul. For it is specifically during this month that the Almighty becomes like a beloved friend to the Jew who does teshuvah (repents). The final letters of these four words—אני לדודי ודודי לי—are the four letters י, “yud”, whose gematria is 40—the 40 days from the beginning of Elul until Yom Kippur. After Yom Kippur come the festivals of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, and then—“she shall be your wife.” (Rabbi Moshe Shapiro, based on Rabbi Chaim Vital’s book Etz HaDa’at) Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen (a student of Rabbi Daniel Frish, author of the commentary on the Zohar HaKadosh, Matok MiDvash) presents beautiful and rare kavanot for Shir HaShirim, transmitted by the Mekubalim. It is beneficial for a person reading Shir HaShirim for 40 days to make notes for himself and pray with kavanah. 1. Perek 1:8 – a segula for raising children along a good path, with tranquility וּרְעִי אֶת גְּדִיּוֹתַיִךְ עַל מִשְׁכְּנוֹת הָרֹעִים – “Ur’i et gediyotaich al mishkenot haro’im” – (Go forth in the footsteps of the sheep and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.) This is a segula for children—that they should follow a good path and that their parents should derive nachat from them. 2. Perek 2:1 – a segula for Refuah Shelemah אִנִי חֲבַצֶּלֶת הַשָּׁרוֹן, שׁוֹשַׁנַּת הָעֲמָקִים – “Ani chavatzelet ha-Sharon, shoshanat ha’amaqim” – (I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.) In Shir HaShirim, the words “shoshanim” and “shoshana” (rose, lily) appear eight times. The Mekubalim reveal a great secret concerning this word. The letter ו, “vav,” in the root of this word, positioned between two ש, “shins,” and meditated upon with kavanah, is conducive to complete healing. One should have the proper kavanah and think of the sick person. It is interesting that the gematria of ש – ו – ש is 606. We know that 606 is the gematria of the name רות—Ruth (and Ruth symbolizes renewal)—and that this is the number of mitzvot given at Mount Sinai (the seven Noahide commandments had already been given by the Almighty to the descendants of Noach). 3. Perek 2:4 – a segula for the secrets of the Torah הֱבִיאַנִי אֶל בֵּית הַיָּיִן – “Hevi’ani el beit hayayin” – (He brought me to the house of wine.) When reading Shir HaShirim, one should remember that the word “yayin” has the same gematria as the word “sod” (the secrets of the Torah)—70. It is beneficial to have the kavanah of drawing wisdom toward oneself, so that the heart will open to understanding the secrets of the Torah. The word “yayin” (wine) appears in Shir HaShirim seven times, so it is beneficial to have this kavanah each time the word appears. 4. Perek 6:3 – a segula for sweetening all gevurot and sweetening them with chasadim אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי, הָרוֹעֶה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים – “Ani ledodi vedodi li, haro’eh ba-shoshanim” – (I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine, who pastures among the lilies.) This pasuk helps sweeten all judgments and fulfills any desire (one should think of one’s desires at that moment). 5. Perek 3:6 – a segula for hatzlachah מִי זֹאת עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר כְּתִימְרוֹת עָשָׁן, מְקֻטֶּרֶת מֹר וּלְבוֹנָה – “Mi zot olah min ha-midbar ketimrot ashan, mekuteret mor u-levonah” – (Who is this ascending from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh.) This pasuk helps a person achieve success (as with the Ketoret—“mor u-levonah”—the very fragrances given to women for anointing and attracting good fortune) and to succeed “bechol inyan” (in every endeavor). 6. Perek 3:7 – a segula for protection at night הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה, שִׁשִּׁים גִּבֹּרִים סָבִיב לָהּ – “Hineh mitato sheli-Shlomo, shishim giborim saviv lah” – (Behold, Solomon’s bed! Sixty warriors surround it.) This pasuk is a segula for protecting a person at night during sleep and from all fears. 7. Perek 3:10 – a segula for the protection of angels רְפִידָתוֹ זָהָב, מֶרְכָּבוֹ אַרְגָּמָן – “Refidato zahav, merkavo argaman” – (Its couch is gold, its seat is purple.) This pasuk helps bring about the protection of angels over a person. 8. Perek 4:7 – a segula for Refuah Shelemah כֻּלָּךְ יָפָה רַעְיָתִי וּמוּם אֵין בָּךְ – “Kulach yafah ra’ayati, u-mum ein bach” – (You are altogether beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you.) This pasuk is conducive to healing. 9. Perek 5:13 – a segula for health לְחָיָו כַּעֲרוּגַת הַבֹּשֶׂם – “Lechayav ka’arugat habosem” – (His cheeks are like beds of spices.) This pasuk is a segula for health. 10. Perek 4:15 – a segula for Refuah Shelemah מַעְיַן גַּנִּים בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים – “Ma’yan ganim be’er mayim chayim” – (A spring of gardens, a well of living waters.) This pasuk is a segula for healing. 11. Perek 5:2 – a segula for teshuvah אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עֵר – “Ani yeshenah ve-libi er” – (I am asleep, but my heart is awake.) This pasuk is a powerful segula for teshuvah. 12. Perek 4:12 – a segula for finding one’s zivug גַּן נָעוּל אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה, גַּל נָעוּל מַעְיָן חָתוּם – “Gan na’ul achoti kalah, gal na’ul ma’yan chatum” – (A locked garden is my sister, my bride; a locked spring, a sealed fountain.) A special segula for finding a shidduch and one’s zivug is to ask that the “gan na’ul” (locked garden) be opened. “Gan na’ul” means “locked,” that is, not yet united with anyone. 13. Perek 4:11 – a segula for sweetening judgments through mercy נֹפֶת תִּטֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתוֹתַיִךְ כַּלָּה, דְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ – “Nofet titofna siftotaich kalah, devash ve-chalav tachat leshonech” – (Your lips drip honey, O bride.) This pasuk teaches that everything depends on a person’s tongue and lips—and then Hashem will transform Middat HaDin into Middat HaRachamim. This pasuk is a segula for annulling judgments and opening the way for mercy. Ben Ish Chai taught that when a person has a “chidush ba-lev” (when he studies something and discovers new insights for himself), he should recite this pasuk. 14. Perek 4:14 – a segula for Refuah Shelemah עִם כָּל עֲצֵי לְבוֹנָה – “Im kol-atzei levonah” – (With all manner of fragrant trees.) The sofey teivot (final letters) form the word “milah” (word). When a person speaks positively, Hashem gives him strength, like the “besamim” (fragrances), “nerd ve-charkom kaneh ve-kinnamon”, for healing. The letters of the word מילים – “milim” (plural) remain unchanged whether read in forward or reverse order—the letters are the same. Through this, Hashem seems to say that whatever a person utters is what returns to him. 15. Perek 5:2 – a segula for an easy birth פִּתְחִי לִי אֲחֹתִי רַעְיָתִי יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי – “Pitchuli achoti ra’ayati yonati tamati” – (Open to me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my pure one.) This pasuk helps during a difficult labor, when the baby is having difficulty being delivered—it should be repeated several times. 16. Perek 4:4 – a segula for understanding the meaning of a passage כְּמִגְדַּל דָּוִיד צַוָּארֵךְ, בָּנוּי לְתַלְפִּיּוֹת, אֶלֶף הַמָּגֵן תָּלוּי עָלָיו, כֹּל שִׁלְטֵי הַגִּבּוֹרִים – “Ke-migdal David tzavarech banui le-talpiyot, elef ha-magen talui alav kol shiltey ha-giborim” – (Your neck is like the Tower of David, built for display; a thousand shields hang upon it, all the shields of the warriors.) Rabbi Eliyahu Meir (may he live and be well) reveals that when David HaMelech was born, he had a tattoo on his right shoulder: a tower—“Migdal David”—with a Magen David, “ha-magen,” and within the Magen David was the letter א, “alef,” engraved, representing “elef ha-magen.” This pasuk is beneficial for those who love discovering new insights in the Torah. 17. Perek 5:2 – a segula for yirat Shamayim אֲחֹתִי רַעְיָתִי יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי – “Achoti, ra’ayati, yonati, tamati” – (My sister, my beloved, my dove, my pure one.) Chazal reveal that this pasuk refers to the Avot as the Divine chariot: Avraham (“achoti”—he called his wife Sarah his sister), Yitzchak (“yonati”—the korban of the Akeidat Yitzchak), and Yaakov (“tamati”—Yaakov is called “tam,” perfect). This pasuk is a segula for yirat Shamayim, awe of the Shechinah. 18. Perek 3:11 – a segula for finding one’s zivug צְאֶנָה וּרְאֶינָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן, בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה, בַּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנָּתוֹ, וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ. – “Tzetna u-re’ena benot Tziyon, ba-melech Shlomo. Ba’atarah she-iterah lo imo be-yom chatunato u-ve-yom simchat libo” – (Go forth and see, O daughters of Zion, King Solomon, wearing the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding and on the day of his heart’s joy.) This pasuk is a powerful segula for finding one’s true zivug.   Shir HaShirim and Dreams Chazal teach that one who sees Shir HaShirim in a dream (whether reading it, hearing it being read, or simply seeing the book itself) can hope for “itzapeh le-chasidus” (an expectation of mercy). One who has a bad dream should recite Shir HaShirim in the morning, and this will be a פירוש for a good dream. 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