Introduction: Looking Back to the Exodus from Egypt
In this part of the chapter (from verse 8 onward), the poet circles back. Until now we have heard about "The King brought me into His chambers," about the Giving of the Torah, and about the Mishkan, and suddenly we are pulled back in time to the Exodus from Egypt. Rashi resolves this chronological difficulty: "The poet returns to earlier events, like a person who spoke in brief and then comes back and says: I have not yet related to you the beginning of the matter." This is like someone telling a story who briefly mentions a detail and moves on, but then pauses and says: Wait, what I told you earlier about our departure was not quite that simple; let me tell you how it really happened. So it is here: he began by saying, "The King brought me into His chambers," without recounting how He lovingly remembered them in Egypt, and now he returns to elaborate.
Verse 8: The Holy One Skips Over the Appointed Time
ק֣וֹל דּוֹדִ֔י הִנֵּה־זֶ֖ה בָּ֑א מְדַלֵּג֙ עַל־הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים מְקַפֵּ֖ץ עַל־הַגְּבָעֽוֹת׃ - The voice of my Beloved! Behold, He comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.
Kenesset Yisrael describes her situation at that time: "Thus was I in despair; I said that redemption would not come until the end of the four hundred years spoken of at the Covenant Between the Parts." Consider the situation: they had been in Egypt for 210 years, including eighty-six years of horrific servitude, and they knew it had been decreed, "And they shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years." According to their calculation, then, another 190 years of exile remained. Because of this, they despaired of redemption. And then came the surprise: "The voice of my Beloved! Behold, He comes" before the appointed end, as if leaping over the mountains and bounding over the hills. The Holy One, blessed be He, brought the end near, skipped over those 190 years, and brought redemption ahead of time.
Verse 9: The Swiftness of the Gazelle and Peering Through the Windows
דּוֹמֶ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ לִצְבִ֔י א֖וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָאַיָּלִ֑ים הִנֵּה־זֶ֤ה עוֹמֵד֙ אַחַ֣ר כׇּתְלֵ֔נוּ מַשְׁגִּ֙יחַ֙ מִן־הַֽחַלֹּנ֔וֹת מֵצִ֖יץ מִן־הַחֲרַכִּֽים׃ - My Beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart; behold, He stands behind our wall, looking through the windows, peering through the lattices.
"My Beloved is like a gazelle," Rashi explains: in the swiftness of His running, for He hurried to come like a gazelle and like a young hart ("ofer" being a young stag). The gazelle is the classic metaphor for speed - "swift as a gazelle." While the fastest animal on earth is the cheetah, reaching around 93 km/h (58 mph), the cheetah can only sprint short distances, whereas the gazelle can run swiftly over long distances. Therefore, it specifically serves as the archetype for running.
However, there is a chronological difficulty here: standing behind the wall and peering through the windows chronologically preceded the swift running, and should have been mentioned first. To this, Rashi explains: "I thought I was destined to sit forsaken for many more days, but behold, He informed me that He had been standing and peering from the windows of heaven at what was being done to me, as it is stated: 'I have surely seen the affliction of My people.'" In other words, at the very moment when I was despairing, the Holy One tells me: at that very hour I was watching over you, My mind was upon you, and I did not forget you for a single moment. This is the meaning of "and under His feet was like the brickwork of sapphire," and this is the significance of the revelation at the burning bush to Moshe Rabbeinu: as if to say, I am present within the thorny bush, sharing in the distress of the Jewish people - "I am with him in distress." The period preceding the Beloved's arrival like a gazelle was also a time in which He never hid His eyes from me, but was watching from the windows and peering from the lattices, all in order to ultimately bring the redemption before its time.
Verse 10: My Beloved Answered and Said to Me
עָנָ֥ה דוֹדִ֖י וְאָ֣מַר לִ֑י ק֥וּמִי לָ֛ךְ רַעְיָתִ֥י יָפָתִ֖י וּלְכִי־לָֽךְ׃ - My Beloved answered and said to me: Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
"And said to me," Rashi explains: through Moshe. For we do not find that Hashem spoke to the people of Israel directly, so this speaking refers to Moshe. Rashi will later explain the repetition of "answered" and "said" homiletically (al derech hadrash). "Rise up" means: I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt. While we do not find those exact words, we see the concept, and this is the intent of "Rise up" - arise and depart from Egypt.
Verse 11: Leaving at the Most Pleasant Time
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה הַסְּתָ֖ו עָבָ֑ר הַגֶּ֕שֶׁם חָלַ֖ף הָלַ֥ךְ לֽוֹ׃ - For behold, the winter has passed, the rain is over and gone.
Rashi explains: "'For behold, the winter has passed' - there is no longer hardship on the journey." Setav means winter, translated in Aramaic as sitva. The Jewish people left at the most pleasant time of year, in the month of Nisan, a season that requires neither heating nor cooling. The rain had already passed, so there was no need to trudge through mud upon departing. And do not wonder what difference it made since they were going to be delayed in the wilderness for forty years anyway: according to the original plan, that was not supposed to happen. Had we not ruined things, we would have entered the Land swiftly; it was only as a result of our actions that we were delayed as long as we were.
Verse 12: A Blossoming Landscape and the Sound of Song
הַנִּצָּנִים֙ נִרְא֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ עֵ֥ת הַזָּמִ֖יר הִגִּ֑יעַ וְק֥וֹל הַתּ֖וֹר נִשְׁמַ֥ע בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ׃ - The blossoms have appeared in the land, the time of singing has arrived, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
Rashi writes: "'The blossoms have appeared in the land' - the warm days have approached, when the trees bring forth blossoms and travelers delight in seeing them." The journey would be pleasant, as everything began to bud. A person traveling through the north at the end of winter delights in seeing the blossoms, and similarly, one who goes out in the days of Nisan and sees fruit trees in bloom even recites a blessing. "The time of singing has arrived" - and if the scenery is not enough, there is also music: the birds offer pleasant songs and melodies for wayfarers. "And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land" in its plain sense, turtledoves and young pigeons, for it is the nature of birds to sing and chirp in the days of Nisan.
As an aside, the phrase "the time of singing [zamir] has arrived" brings to mind a notable memory: the father of Rabbi Zamir Cohen passed away about a week and a half ago, having served for decades as the legendary gabbai of the Musayoff synagogue. He was once asked where he came up with such unusual names for his sons, such as Zevadiah, Zamir, and the like, given that customary names are typically given in the Charedi community. He replied: "I knew my family name was Cohen. If I named my son Moshe or David, who would know which one was being spoken of? There are countless individuals named 'Rabbi Moshe Cohen' and 'Rabbi David Cohen.' But 'Rabbi Zamir Cohen' is unique, as is 'Rabbi Zevadiah.' I gave them distinctive names to compensate for the common surname, because I knew they would grow to become great scholars and would be recognized by their names." And speaking of serving as a gabbai, Rabbi Mutzafi once remarked that synagogue gabbaim merit long life; anyone seeking a segulah for longevity has one right there, even though the role entails enduring complaints and insults.
Anyone who reflects on this will see a profound insight: the Holy One, blessed be He, took them out at a time that was visually pleasant, when everything was blooming and beautiful, with the chirping of birds filling the air. The season itself was one in which travel was enjoyable, and Hashem provided them with the very best. This calls to mind what we see regarding Yosef: when he was taken down into exile, Hashem arranged that the caravan carrying him would bear sweet spices, whereas such caravans typically transported foul-smelling tar. Paying attention to fine details demonstrates deep affection. Hashem wanted to show Yosef: "I am with him" - I am with you and caring for you even in the smallest details, ensuring that even a bad odor will not distress you.
Verse 13: The Affection of Persuasion
הַתְּאֵנָה֙ חָנְטָ֣ה פַגֶּ֔יהָ וְהַגְּפָנִ֥ים ׀ סְמָדַ֖ר נָ֣תְנוּ רֵ֑יחַ ק֥וּמִי לָ֛ךְ רַעְיָתִ֥י יָפָתִ֖י וּלְכִי־לָֽךְ׃ - The fig tree has ripened its early figs, and the vines with budding grapes give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away.
"The fig tree has ripened its early figs" is meant literally, meaning it has already begun to produce its fruit. Regarding "and the vines with budding grapes [semadar]," Rashi explains that when the flower falls off and the grapes become distinct from one another, with each grape individually recognizable, it is called semadar. Semadar is the early stage of the grape. Incidentally, there are beverages labeled "mashkeh semadar" that are actually grape drinks. The reason for this phrasing is that the Badatz does not permit labeling them as "grape" drink, lest people mistakenly make Kiddush over them. The older generation may remember those who used to make Kiddush over "Jafora," which had "grape juice" printed on the label even though it was doubtful whether it contained any real grapes beyond what was printed on the bottle. Therefore, they instituted the label semadar to prevent such a mistake.
And what is all this meant to teach us? Rashi explains: "Its plain meaning is an expression of endearing persuasion, like a young man coaxing his bride to follow him; so did my Beloved do for me." In other words, this describes how the Holy One, blessed be He, coaxed Knesset Yisrael to follow Him into the wilderness, like a young man wooing his bride and offering pleasant conditions so that she will accompany him.
The Homiletical Path: Returning to Verse 10
From here, Rashi returns to verse 10, even though we have already reached verse 13, in order to explain the matters according to the Midrash - that is, to transition to the nimshal (the allegorical meaning). "My Beloved answered" through Moshe, "and said to me" through Aharon, for Aharon was his spokesman, "and he shall be a mouth for you" (Shemot 4:16), and he was the one who conveyed the words. In this way, the repetition in the verse is settled.
"Arise, my love" and "go away" are also repetitive; why say "arise" if it already says "go"? Rashi explains: "Hasten yourself, and let them borrow, every man from his friend." "Arise" expresses urgency and quick action, and this urging took place when they were told: "Let every man borrow from his neighbor, and every woman from her neighbor and from her lodger." A person coming to receive gifts is always quick to act. "Arise" means hasten to prepare yourself, "and go" - and then depart from Egypt.
"For lo, the winter is past" - these are the four hundred years over which I leaped, counting them instead from the time Yitzchak was born. The winter, which represents the height of the exile, has passed, meaning I passed it by and skipped over it. "The rain is over and gone" refers to the hardship of the winter, the burdensome and harsh aspect of the season, which is the rain. The allegory here is: the eighty-six years of harsh subjugation decreed upon you have passed. For although Israel dwelled in Egypt for two hundred and ten years, as long as any of the tribes were still alive they were not enslaved, and only after the death of the last of the tribes did the servitude begin, eighty-six years before the Exodus. Rashi notes: from the time Miriam was born, the Egyptians intensified the servitude upon Israel, which is why she was named Miriam, after the verse "and they made their lives bitter (vayemareiru)." The calculation is simple: Moshe was eighty at the Exodus from Egypt, and Miriam was six when Moshe was born, which makes exactly eighty-six years from her birth. And since the rain, which is the harsh part of the servitude, has also departed, the time has arrived for the Congregation of Israel to leave Egypt.
"The blossoms have appeared in the land" - behold, Moshe and Aharon are ready for all your needs. They are the blossoms, beginning now to bloom in the leadership of Israel. "The time of singing has arrived" - for you are destined to sing song at the Sea, since it was for this very purpose that you are leaving Egypt. "And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land" - the voice of the great scout (tayar), who is Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, who leads them to scout the wilderness. Another interpretation: "tor" denotes a set time (zeman) - the voice proclaiming that the time for your departure from Egypt has arrived; a voice is heard in our land declaring that the time has come.
"The fig tree has put forth its green figs" - the time has arrived to bring bikkurim (first fruits), that you enter the Land. The fruits are already ripening, and you stand on the verge of entry, and Hashem prepares the fruits of the Land for you so they will be ready upon your arrival. "The vines are in blossom" - the time has arrived for the wine libations. The first fruits come from the seven species, and therefore "the fig tree has put forth its green figs," while the libations come from wine, and therefore "the vines are in blossom." Rashi brings another explanation: the righteous among you have ripened and budded before Me with good deeds and produced a sweet aroma. The fruits symbolize good deeds and a pleasing scent, and the worthy among you have already blossomed in their deeds, making them fit now to be redeemed.
"Arise, my love, my fair one, and go away." Rashi explains: the text is written "Kumi lechi" with an extra letter yud, meaning: arise to receive the Ten Commandments (which correspond to the numerical value of yud, ten). There is a reference here both to the reading (keri), "Kumi lach," and to the written text (ketiv), "Kumi lechi," with the extra yud hinting at the Ten Commandments. Another interpretation: "The fig tree has put forth its green figs" - these are the transgressors of Israel who perished during the three days of darkness. There is a ripening process here leading toward redemption, for as long as unworthy individuals were mingled among Israel, it delayed the redemption, and now those transgressors - those who did not believe in the redemption - had already perished during the three days of darkness. "And the vines in blossom give forth fragrance" - these are the survivors who repented and were accepted, as expounded in the Pesikta. Notably, the fig tree did not give off a fragrance, and therefore the fig alludes to those who are unworthy, whereas the vines that gave off fragrance represent the worthy who repented and were accepted, making them deserving of redemption. It can also be said that the fig tree (te'enah) hints at those who seek a pretext (to'anah) to turn away from Hashem, looking for an excuse to distance themselves. Likewise, the precise phrasing "put forth its unripe figs (pageha)" indicates that although it budded, they remained unripe figs (pagim); they never matured like the vines that gave forth fragrance, for they did not merit redemption and remained in Egypt in the status of unripe fruit.
Verse 14: A Dove Between the Hawk and the Serpent
יוֹנָתִ֞י בְּחַגְוֵ֣י הַסֶּ֗לַע בְּסֵ֙תֶר֙ הַמַּדְרֵגָ֔ה הַרְאִ֙ינִי֙ אֶת־מַרְאַ֔יִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִ֖נִי אֶת־קוֹלֵ֑ךְ כִּֽי־קוֹלֵ֥ךְ עָרֵ֖ב וּמַרְאֵ֥יךְ נָאוֶֽה׃ - O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your countenance, let me hear your voice; for sweet is your voice, and your countenance is comely.
Here the text returns to the continuation of the passage's explanation. Rashi explains: this was said regarding the moment Pharaoh pursued them and overtook them encamped by the sea, when there was no place to flee forward because of the sea, nor to turn back because of wild beasts. To what were they compared at that hour? To a dove fleeing from a hawk, which entered the crevices of the rocks, where a serpent was hissing at it. If it moves inward, there is the serpent; if it flies outward, there is the hawk. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: "Let me see your countenance" - show me the fitness of your deeds, to Whom you turn in a time of trouble.
Here Israel was summoned to genuine emunah and bitachon (faith and trust). "Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel that they journey forward" (Shemot 14:15). In this regard, the Ben Ish Chai explains that there are three levels of bitachon: one who hopes for good, one who is confident that it will be good, and an even higher level - one who even performs actions demonstrating that it will be good. He is so certain that he takes an action which, were it not fulfilled, would cause him great humiliation. He cites the story of a sage in Jerusalem who told his students to go out on a sweltering summer day wearing overcoats and winter clothing, because they were going to pray for rain. Onlookers mocked them: there has been a drought for years, and you are dressed as if Purim arrived by mistake! Even the pasha saw this, ridiculed him, and struck him. Yet by the time they returned, rain had already caught up with them. His faith was so absolute that he was willing to stake his reputation upon it, even though failure would have brought public disgrace. So too with the wife of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, who went to fetch the bread shovel (marda); had she arrived with the shovel and found the oven empty, she would have suffered humiliation, but she was confident to that degree.
This is what was required of Israel here: "Let me see your countenance" - the quality of your action, to Whom you turn in a time of trouble. Crying out is not enough; proof is needed: I am so confident in Hashem that I step into the water until it reaches the neck, and only then does the sea split. "Let me hear your voice" - this corresponds to "and the Children of Israel cried out to Hashem." There is virtue even in this, for they prove that they are turning to the proper address, and "Why do you cry out to Me?" should not be interpreted as meaning there is no place for prayer, since prayer is always welcome before Hashem. Rather, at this moment something more was demanded, and therefore He said: "Speak to the Children of Israel that they journey forward" - let them enter the water, and thereby prove their faith and trust.
In explaining the words: bechagvei refers to a cleft, derived from the concept of a fracture, since a cleft is a fracture in rock, a place where the rock split and formed a narrow place to hide. Similar to this is "They reel (yachogu) and stagger like a drunkard," which we usually understand as deriving from a compass or circling, yet Rashi explains it as an expression of breaking. Likewise, "And the land of Judah shall become a terror (lechaga) to Egypt" is also in the sense of fracture. In the plural form it is called chagvei, for in the plural the letter vav is added, as in "the ends (katzvei) of the earth" and "and cut off their garments (madveihem)," which refers to their garments (maddim), and in the plural madveihem; so too here, chagvei.
"In the covert of the cliff" (beseiter hamadreigah), eskalos in Old French: they would dig a ditch around towers and pile the excavated earth upward to raise the embankment all around, shaping it into stepped tiers, one above the other. This was the practice in their times: they dug a ditch around a tower, sometimes filling it with water to prevent enemies from entering, and the earth they extracted was piled on the outside like a terrace, stepped so that the earth would not collapse back inside. And what is the "covert" (seiter) in this stepped terrace? Rashi explains: there are times when there are holes in them where rodents and birds enter, such as mice, rats, doves, and small birds. Therefore, she is compared to a dove found in the hiding place of the stepped cliff.
Verse 15: The Little Foxes
אֶֽחֱזוּ־לָ֙נוּ֙ שֻֽׁעָלִ֔ים שֻׁעָלִ֥ים קְטַנִּ֖ים מְחַבְּלִ֣ים כְּרָמִ֑ים וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ סְמָדַֽר׃ - Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.
Rashi explains: The Holy One, blessed be He, heard their voice, commanded the sea, and swept them away. This is the meaning of "Catch for us" these foxes, the small along with the great, for even the small ones ruined the vineyards. That is to say, when we cried out to Hashem, He heard our voice, split the sea for us, we entered and crossed, and then He commanded that the sea seize the foxes and drown them.
And why "little foxes," when the Egyptians were not little? Rather, "the little ones along with the great," for there were young ones among them as well. When? When our vineyards were in blossom (semadar), when the grapes were still tender and the vineyard young. When an Israelite woman gave birth to a boy, she would hide him away so the Egyptians would not come to seize and drown him. The Egyptians would enter their homes searching for male infants, while the baby was hidden, whether one or two years old. How did they locate him? They would bring an infant from an Egyptian home, and the Egyptian baby would babble and make noise, and the hidden Jewish baby would respond from his hiding place. Anyone who has ever been in a nursery knows that it takes only one baby to start wailing to produce an entire chorus. Then they would track him down and throw him into the Nile.
And why did he call them foxes? Just as a fox looks behind itself to flee, so the Egyptians looked behind them, as it says, "Let us flee from Israel." A fox is not courageous like a lion; in times of danger it flees, and for that reason it constantly looks behind itself to see if the path is clear. By the way, Chazal state that a fox has a reverse gear that other animals do not have, which explains why Shimshon specifically tied foxes by their tails: since a fox can run backwards, when one ran forward the other shifted into reverse. And why did he punish the Philistines through them? Because they reneged on the promise they had made him, so they were punished by foxes that move backwards. Here, Rashi explains it in terms of looking back, alluding to the Egyptians who looked behind them to find an escape route when they realized the sea was closing in upon them, saying, "Let us flee from Israel."
Rashi notes a further nuance: the verse writes she'alim (foxes) defectively, without a vav, alluding to the fact that He punished them with waters measured by the hollow of the Omnipresent's hand (besho'alo), as in the verse, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand (besho'alo)?" A sho'al can also mean a stride or footstep, the tread of the foot, as in "the path of the vineyards" (mish'ol hakramim), the walkway where people tread among the vineyards. Allegorically speaking, as it were, all the waters of the world are measured before the Holy One, blessed be He, like the measure of His footstep, this being purely metaphorical, just as Scripture speaks of the "hand of Hashem" or the "eyes of Hashem." Therefore, she'alim is written defectively to hint that He exacted retribution from them with those very waters that Hashem measured in His hollowed hand, namely their drowning in the sea.
Verse 16: My Beloved Is Mine and I Am His
דּוֹדִ֥י לִי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י ל֔וֹ הָרֹעֶ֖ה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃ - My beloved is mine, and I am his; he feeds among the lilies.
Rashi explains: He demanded all His needs from me, and commanded no one else but me. "Make a Pesach offering, sanctify the firstborn, build a Mishkan, offer burnt offerings," and He demanded nothing of any other nation. How is it evident that "My beloved is mine"? In that whatever Hashem desires and requests, He requests solely from me, and this is proof of His closeness. When a king directs all his requests to one person, it is a sign that he feels affection and closeness toward him. Had he turned now to this one and now to that one, there would be no special bond. Imagine if whenever the Chofetz Chaim needed an errand run, he called specifically upon us: what a privilege we would feel! So it is here: all the duties were placed upon us alone, and He has no such commandments for the other nations. The Seven Noahide Laws are merely civic guidelines: do not steal, do not murder, do not commit adultery, establish courts of justice - commandments designed to preserve a functional society, without unique mitzvos that express divine intimacy. But me He commanded to observe Pesach, to sanctify the firstborn, to build a Mishkan so that He might dwell among us, to offer burnt offerings; and this reveals how deeply my Beloved belongs and is connected to me.
"And I am His" - that I, too, directed all my needs exclusively to Him, and not to other gods. The Holy One, blessed be He, asks that we turn "to Hashem alone," and "the name of other gods you shall not mention." The mistake of idol worshippers was that they turned to the intermediaries, to the forces of the stars and constellations, to the sun and the moon, viewing them as emissaries of the Holy One, blessed be He. The Torah forbids this entirely: one must not turn to any subordinate power of nature, but solely and exclusively to Him, blessed be He, and we did not err in this. The sacred books write that even regarding the smallest and most basic matters, even a slight ailment in one's little toe, where a person might think, "Would I trouble the Holy One, blessed be He, with such a thing?" even in this, one must turn solely to Him, blessed be He.
"He who grazes among the roses" - He who grazes His flock among the roses, in a good, pleasant, and beautiful pasture. It is not standard practice to graze sheep in actual roses; rather, this is entirely an allegory, conveying that He grazes us in a pleasant, comfortable, and beautiful place.
Verse 17: Until the Day Blows
עַ֤ד שֶׁיָּפ֙וּחַ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וְנָ֖סוּ הַצְּלָלִ֑ים סֹב֩ דְּמֵה־לְךָ֨ דוֹדִ֜י לִצְבִ֗י א֛וֹ לְעֹ֥פֶר הָאַיָּלִ֖ים עַל־הָ֥רֵי בָֽתֶר׃ - Until the day blows and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart upon the cleft mountains.
Rashi explains: This refers back to the preceding verse, "My Beloved is mine, and I am His" - until the time when sin caused rupture, and "the sun tanned me" as the heat of the day intensified and the scorching wind prevailed. For a sentence cannot open with "Until...", and one needs to know until when. Therefore, this connects to the previous verse: the bond between us, "My Beloved is mine, and I am His," lasted until the day blew. "Yapuach" comes from the root of blowing, like a blowing fire, until the heat mounted and "the sun tanned me" - which is an expression for the nations of the world, sun-worshippers, corrupting me and leading me to commit their evil deeds, as in the phrase, "Do not gaze at me because I am swarthy, for the sun has tanned me."
"And the shadows flee" - we sinned with the Golden Calf, we sinned with the Spies, and the fleeing shadows are the merits that protect us, for I cast off His yoke. This is like the phrase, "Whether there is a tree in it or not" in the episode of the Spies, which Chazal expounded: Is Iyov still alive? Is there anyone there worthy of protecting them like a tree? "There was a man in the land of Utz" - and Utz shares the letters of Eitz (tree), and he is called a tree because he protects his generation and the people of his place. This is the aspect of shadows (tzelalim): the shadows are the saviors (metzilim). As long as His yoke is upon us, those merits spread over us like a spiritual umbrella; but once we sinned with the Calf and the Spies, the shadows fled and the protective merits departed.
And what did this cause? "Turn, my Beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart upon the cleft mountains." I caused Him to withdraw from me to mountains far away from me. As it were, I banished the Master of the Universe and told Him: Turn around and go from here, and be like a gazelle and a young hart that leaps and bounds away from me. That is to say, my own wicked deeds pushed away the salvation, the protection, and the saving shadows, and they, as it were, told the Master of the Universe that we are not interested in His closeness.
"Mountains of Bater" - Rashi explains this as an expression of division and distance. One does not know whether such mountains exist in reality, but within the allegory, they are dividing mountains, from the root of "and he divided them in the middle" (Bereishit 15:10) and "but the bird he did not divide." As it were, through this we severed our connection with the Master of the Universe. And even though we did not say so explicitly, through the very act of the Golden Calf and the mission of the Spies - which represented turning away from Hashem - it was as though we said it. After all, the Spies said, "For they are stronger than we / Him" (Bamidbar 13:31), as if to say stronger than He, blessed is He; and Chazal expounded "mimenu" as related to "mana" (vessel): even the Master of the house cannot remove His vessels from there. In doing so, they denied Hashem's omnipotence, as if saying to Him: Master of the Universe, turn and be like a gazelle, distance Yourself from us, we do not desire Your closeness. And then, "upon the mountains of Bater," the Holy One, blessed be He, was as if severed and divided from us. Whenever Hashem moves away from us, reality turns harsh: darkness, troubles, and persecution. We must always ensure that we seek closeness to Hashem, and then He will bestow upon us all goodness.
In summary: In the second half of the chapter, Knesset Yisrael recounts the beginning of events: how she sat despondent in the Egyptian exile, believing she still had another 190 years of bondage, when suddenly, "The voice of my Beloved! Behold, he comes," leaping over the appointed end and hastening like a gazelle to redeem. Furthermore, even in the hour of despair itself, He was peering through the windows, peeking through the lattices, never forgetting her for a moment. He brought her out at the most pleasant and beautiful time, in blooming Nisan, to the singing voice of birds, with the endearing words of a bridegroom wooing his betrothed, through Moshe and Aharon, after the wicked were eliminated and the repentance of the upright was accepted. At the sea, like a dove trapped between the hawk and the serpent, she was required to offer not merely a cry, but an act of emunah and bitachon; then the sea seized the little and great foxes and drowned them in the very waters that Hashem measured in His fist. From there, "My Beloved is mine, and I am His" - that all His demands were directed only to me, and all my petitions were directed only to Him, which is the ultimate measure of closeness. All this lasted "until the day blows," until sin took its toll through the Golden Calf and the Spies, and the protective shadows fled, as though we ourselves had told the Master of the Universe to distance Himself upon the mountains of Bater. The lesson is simple: as long as we seek closeness to Hashem, the shadows remain spread over us and abundance descends; when we pull away, troubles ensue. And with this, we conclude the second chapter of Shir HaShirim.