Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1.16

הִנְּךָ יָפֶה דּוֹדִי אַף נָעִים, רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ וְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא. רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ אָמַר הוּא קִלְסָהּ בְּלָשׁוֹן כָּפוּל, וְהִיא קִּלְּסַתּוּ בְּלָשׁוֹן פָּשׁוּט, הוּא קִלְסָהּ בְּלָשׁוֹן כָּפוּל, הִנָּךְ יָפָה רַעְיָתִי הִנָּךְ יָפָה, שֶׁאִם בִּקֵּשׁ לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֻמָּה אַחֶרֶת, שֶׁהוּא יָכוֹל. הִיא קִלְּסַתּוּ בְּלָשׁוֹן פָּשׁוּט, הִנְּךָ יָפֶה דּוֹדִי אַף נָעִים. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אַף הִיא קִלְּסַתּוּ בְּלָשׁוֹן כָּפוּל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הִנְּךָ יָפֶה דּוֹדִי אַף נָעִים. אָמְרָה לוֹ, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אַף שֶׁאַתְּ מֵבִיא עָלַי, נָעִים הוּא, לָמָּה, שֶׁאַתְּ מַחֲזִירֵנִי וּמְבִיאֵנִי לִידֵי מוּטָב.

“Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too; indeed our bed is fresh” (Song of Songs 1:16). “Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too.” Rabbi Abahu and Rabbi Ḥanina, Rabbi Abahu said: He lauded her with a compound expression, and she lauded him with a simple expression. He lauded her with a compound expression: “Behold, you are fair, my love; behold, you are fair” (Song of Songs 1:15), for if He sought to adopt another nation, He could. She lauded him with a simple expression: “Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too.” Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: She, too, lauded him with a compound expression, as it is stated: “Behold, you are fair, my beloved, pleasant too [af].” She said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, the anger [af] with which You treat me is pleasant. Why? Because You return me and cause me to be better.

אַף עַרְשֵׂנוּ רַעֲנָנָה, זֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, הָאֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (מלכים ב יא, ב): וְאֶת מֵנִקְתּוֹ בַּחֲדַר הַמִּטּוֹת, מַהוּ בַּחֲדַר הַמִּטּוֹת, רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר בַּתָּאִים. וְרַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר בָּעֲלִיּוֹת, וְלָא פְּלִיגֵי, מַאן דְּאָמַר בַּתָּאִים, בִּימוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים, מַאן דְּאָמַר בָּעֲלִיּוֹת, בִּימוֹת הַחַמָּה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַף עַרְשֵׂנוּ רַעֲנָנָה, רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן, לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁיָּצָא לוֹ לַמִּדְבָּר, וְהֵבִיאוּ לוֹ מִטָּה קְצָרָה, הִתְחִיל מִצְטָעֵר בְּעַצְמוֹ וּמְדַחֵק בְּאֵיבָרָיו, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּכְנַס לַמְּדִינָה, הֵבִיאוּ לוֹ מִטָּה אֲרֻכָּה, הִתְחִיל פּוֹשֵׁט עַצְמוֹ וּמוֹתֵחַ אֵבָרָיו. כָּךְ עַד שֶׁלֹא נִבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיְתָה הַשְּׁכִינָה מִתְמַצַּעַת בֵּין שְׁנֵי בַּדֵּי הָאָרוֹן, מִשֶּׁנִּבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (מלכים א ח, ח): וַיַּאֲרִכוּ הַבַּדִּים.

“Indeed our bed is fresh,” this is the Temple, just as you say: “And his nurse in the bedroom” (II Kings 11:2). What is “the bedroom”? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, Rabbi Elazar said: The side chambers. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: In the upper side chambers. The one who said in the side chambers, it is during the rainy season. The one who said in the upper side chambers, it is during the summer season. Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” Rabbi Azarya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: [This is analogous] to a king who went out to the wilderness, and they brought him a short bed. He began straining himself and cramping his limbs. When he entered the province, they brought him a long bed, [and] he began stretching himself and extending his limbs. So too, until the Temple was constructed, the Divine Presence restricted itself between the two staves of the Ark. Once the Temple was constructed, “the staves were extended” (I Kings 8:8).

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַף עַרְשֵׂנוּ רַעֲנָנָה, מַה מִּטָּה זוֹ אֵינָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה אֶלָּא לְנַחַת רוּחַ, כָּךְ עַד שֶׁלֹא נִבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיְתָה הַשְּׁכִינָה מִטַּלְטֶלֶת מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמואל ב ז, ו): וָאֶהְיֶה מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּאֹהֶל וּבְמִשְׁכָּן. מִשֶּׁנִּבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (תהלים קלב, יד): זֹאת מְנוּחָתִי עֲדֵי עַד. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַף עַרְשֵׂנוּ רַעֲנָנָה, מַה מִּטָּה זוֹ אֵינָהּ עֲשׂוּיָה אֶלָּא לְנַחַת רוּחַ, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד שֶׁלֹא נִבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, הָיוּ מִטַּלְטְלִין מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, וַיִּסְעוּ וַיַּחֲנוּ, מִשֶּׁנִּבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (מלכים א ה, ה): וַיֵּשֶׁב יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָבֶטַח. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַף עַרְשֵׂנוּ רַעֲנָנָה, מַה מִּטָּה זוֹ אֵינָה אֶלָּא לִפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, כָּךְ עַד שֶׁלֹא נִבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (דברי הימים א כא, ב): לְכוּ סִפְרוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִשֶּׁנִּבְנָה (מלכים א ד, כ): יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל רַבִּים. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַף עַרְשֵׂנוּ רַעֲנָנָה, מַה מִּטָּה זוֹ אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא לִפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, כָּךְ עַד שֶׁלֹא נִבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (עזרא ב, סד): כָּל הַקָּהָל כְּאֶחָד אַרְבַּע רִבּוֹא, מִשֶּׁנִּבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ פָּרוּ וְרָבוּ, דְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִגְּבַת וְעַד אַנְטִיפְרַס שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עֲיָרוֹת הָיוּ,, וְהָיוּ מוֹצִיאוֹת כִּפְלַיִם כְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם, וּכְדֵין, אֲפִלּוּ אַתְּ מַצְנְעָה יַתְהוֹן שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא דִּקְנֵי, לָא מַטְחֲנָא לְהוֹן וְלָא נְסַב יָתְהוֹן. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, קָפְצָה לָהֶם אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” just as this bed is made only for comfort, so too, until the Temple was constructed, the Divine Presence was tossed from place to place; that is what is written: “I would make My way in a tent and in a tabernacle” (II Samuel 7:6). Once the Temple was constructed, “this is My resting place forever” (Psalms 132:14). Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” just as this bed is made only for comfort, so too, until the Temple was constructed the Israelites were tossed from place to place, “they traveled…and they encamped” (Numbers 33:5). When the Temple was constructed, “Judah and Israel lived securely” (I Kings 5:5). Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” just as this bed is only for procreation, so too, until the Temple was contructed, “go count Israel” (I Chronicles 21:2). Once it was constructed, “Judah and Israel were numerous [like the sand that is by the sea in abundance]” (I Kings 4:20). Another matter, “indeed our bed is fresh,” just as this bed is only for procreation, so too, until the Temple was contructed, “The entire congregation together was forty [-two] thousand [three hundred and sixty]” (Ezra 2:64). Once the Temple was constructed, they procreated, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From Gevat until Antipatris there were six hundred thousand towns, and they would produce twice the number of those who emerged from Egypt. Now, even were you to introduce six hundred thousand reeds there, it would not contain them and would not hold them. Rabbi Ḥanina said: The Land of Israel has [since] contracted.