Sheloshah perushim (Three Commentaries) on the Song of Songs: Story of His Exile

R. Isaac ben Abraham ben Judah ‘Akrish, may he rest in peace, from exile in Spain and Naples, said that he would not receive the proud waters [of baptism; see Psalms 124:5], and was driven out together with the residue of those who escaped, who remained [see Exodus 10:5] from the entire kingdoms of Spain and France. For they were far more numerous than those who left Egypt, and the bitter waters came over all of them [see Numbers 5:22]. They were assimilated among the nations, and were left only two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough (Isaiah 17:6), here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10), one from a city and two from a family (Jeremiah 3:14). They escaped into the land of Ararat [see 2 Kings 19:37], to the kingdom of Naples, but there too they found no peace or rest. The rage of the expulsion reached them, and they secretly fled and came to Salonika, like choice silver [see Proverbs 10:20] refined and expurgated seven times [see Psalms 12:7], in a state of nakedness and lacking all things [see Deuteronomy 28:48]. Their souls found rest [see Jeremiah 6:16], and they rejoiced in fulfilling the Torah as they would rejoice in dividing up spoil [see Psalms 119:162]. But I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath [see Lamentations 3:1], for I saw the death of that entire generation, a generation of righteous ones, may they rest in peace, and I too was wrenched from city to city and from one kingdom to another.

And it came to pass, that God caused me to wander from my father’s house (Genesis 20:13) and from the land of my birthplace to a people that I did not know and who spoke a language I did not understand [see Deuteronomy 28:49], neither I nor my ancestors, among the tents of Edom, Ishmael, Moab, and the Hagirites [see Psalms 83:7], a nation of fierce countenance, that does not regard the elderly person, nor show favor to the young [see Deuteronomy 28:50]. I proceeded along my travels, continually journeying southward [see Genesis 12:9] until I came to Egypt, which is like the garden of the Lord [see Genesis 13:10] for instruction and testimony [see Isaiah 8:20], in order to work it and guard it [see Genesis 2:15]. There I found wise and understanding men [see Deuteronomy 1:13], all imparters of wisdom, donkey riders,¹ holy seed, all of them mighty men [see Jeremiah 5:16], who were engaged in the war of the Torah.

They were led by the man of many feathers with diverse colors [see Ezekiel 17:3], who spreads his wings, the wings of his wisdom, and his questions and responses reach from east to west. The lamp of his Torah illuminates the people who dwell in the dark [see Isaiah 9:1]; they walk day and night by the light of his acumen. In his house, thrones were set for judgment, the thrones of the house of David [see Psalms 122:5]. Three crowns rest upon his head: the crown of lineage, the crown of Torah, the crown of wealth, and also the crown of a good name, which exceeds them all [see m. Avot 4:13]. He is the great rabbi, our teacher and master, our honorable R. David ben Avi Zimra, of blessed memory, who taught Torah and reigned over Israel in Egypt for forty years, and in Jerusalem and Safed, may they be rebuilt and reestablished speedily in our days, for some twenty years. I saw in him that which I did not see in his peers—wisdom, knowledge, and the fear of God. His face was like that of a lion—a lion has roared, who will not fear? (Amos 3:8). Ministers and nobles shall bend their knee before him, and wise and understanding men will bow to him. Before him there is no wrong, no favoritism, and no taking of bribes [see m. Avot 4:22]. Happy is he, and happy are his sons after him; happy are his servants who attend him; happy are his students who hear his Torah.

Happy is my portion, as I have merited to see the sparkles of his splendor. For when I beheld him from afar [see Genesis 37:18] my heart agonized within me [see Psalms 109:22] over whether or not I should approach him, as I was afraid to come near him [see Exodus 34:30]. But he, in his piety, noticed me and called to me and asked me, “Who are you and where are you going?” [see Genesis 32:18]. I fell upon my face to the ground [see Deuteronomy 9:18; Daniel 10:15] and bowed down and kissed the dust of his feet, and answered as follows, “Your words, my lord, have fortified and encouraged me [see Joshua 1:7] and have given me the strength to stand on my feet and relate that which has happened and befallen me. My master should know that I am a Hebrew [see Jonah 1:9] and that I am going to my master’s house, and I have come from the ends of the earth [see Isaiah 41:9] to hear his Torah and visit his sanctuary [see Psalms 27:4].” He replied, “Welcome; come in, you blessed one of the Lord (Genesis 24:31); I will take care of all of your needs, and you will be among those who dine at my table [see 1 Kings 18:19].”

He brought me into his house, and gave me a bed, table, stool, and a candlestick [see 2 Kings 4:10], and he assigned me to teach his great-grandchildren and his grandchildren, the sons of his sons and daughters. I found favor in his eyes, and he showed me his entire treasure house and his treasures [see 2 Kings 20:13], his pearls and beryls; his sapphires, his books too numerous to be counted; and I was astonished at the sight of them. I said to myself, “This is the resting place that has been left for my weary self, after I have toiled and exhausted myself and my strength has sapped on my travels, and my days have been shortened [see Psalms 102:24] on sea and land. And now, this is the day for which I hoped, I have found and seen it [see Isaiah 25:9]; here will I dwell, for I desire it” [see Psalms 132:14].

I stayed there for about ten years, beloved by his entire household, like one of the children. He would give me two florins every month, in addition to garments, clothing, and various utensils [see Esther 1:7]. I used all my earnings to hire scribes to copy his delightful books. The volumes that I acquired and copied included fifteen commentaries on Song of Songs alone, apart from other books that were never seen by my fathers or my fathers’ fathers [see Exodus 10:6], and which would not be believed even if they were described [see Habakkuk 1:5].

One day, it came to pass that a holy spirit shone upon the rabbi, and he left Egypt—depriving it of its glory, splendor, and beauty [see Rashi on Genesis 28:10]—and went to Jerusalem to behold the graciousness of the Lord and to visit His sanctuary [see Psalms 27:4], to stand and minister (Deuteronomy 18:5) in the innermost chamber, as he was as holy as an angel of the Lord. But when he saw the inhabitants of the land, who were not members of our covenant [see 2 Samuel 21:2], and all the many taxes that were imposed upon him, his heart could not bear all that evil and he declared, “It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than [in a house in common with] a contentious woman” (Proverbs 25:24), and he left for Safed, where he was summoned for the academy upon high; may his soul be bound in the bundle of life [see 1 Samuel 25:29].

When I saw that his protecting shadow had been removed from over me [see Numbers 14:9] and that the chaotic days of my youth had returned, I remembered all the upheavals I had suffered and I took the property I had acquired in Egypt and arose and came to Constantinople. It is a large city, full of people [see Lamentations 1:1], a leader and a mother in Israel [see 2 Samuel 20:19], whose residents are great, wise, and understanding people, men of renown, may their Rock protect and sustain them. I stayed there, busy with my work, the labor of God, everything above board. But the day arrived, a day of distress and darkness [see Isaiah 8:22], a day of contumely and rebuke [see 2 Kings 19:3]—Constantinople and all that was within it burned down [in the great fire of 1569]; its palaces were burned; their houses of delight and their figured stones were burned. The fire was so great that it raged for days and nights and no one extinguished it [see Isaiah 1:31].

I was in the midst of the conflagration, near the altar, the place from where the fire emerged—may the altar atone for all the children of Israel [see b. Menaḥot 97a]. I escaped like a bird from a snare [see Psalms 124:7] and left my house, while all my books and the delight of my eyes [see 1 Kings 20:6; Ezekiel 24:16] were burned. There was nobody to save them, as I was lame and I was lying, strewn at the seashore for five days and five nights, without anyone to seek me [see Ezekiel 34:6], and there were many others like me. I saw the whole country, and it was in a state of chaos; all the birds of the heavens had fled and gone [see Jeremiah 4:25], and the entire land was barren and desolate. They called it Taberah because the fire of the Lord burned [ba‘ara] among them (Numbers 11:3). Then they passed through the passageway, this one looking for his wife and that one searching for his children and his household, but each man had departed from his brother [see Genesis 13:11]. I went along, weeping and wailing for my household, and my wife, and my home, and especially for my books, which were more dear and precious than gold and much fine gold [see Psalms 19:11].

After five days, I went to the house of a lady, Esther the business agent—above women in the tent shall she be blessed (Judges 5:24)—the widow of Eliya Handali, may he rest in peace. For many people found rest in her house, rich and poor alike, and even before the fire she would assist me through her generosity and gifts. When I arrived at her house, I found my wife there, and my daughter, and a few of my books that had been rescued by my wife and brothers. And Isaac was comforted (Genesis 24:67) by the books, for although they were few, they were some of the best ones, as I was left with only “the great terumah,” one drawn from every fifty (Numbers 31:30).² A month later I returned to Constantinople, to a district that had not been affected, called Kastoria. There were a few people there from the holy congregation of Romania, and I stayed with them for four years, in a state of nakedness, lacking all things, surviving on sparing bread and scant water (Isaiah 30:20).