Sitting in the congregation Friday night, April 2, I was listening to the Temple band, which I always enjoy very much. This particular service happened during
Pesach, so Cantor Berlin sang, not only the customary Barshop tunes, but also from
Song of Songs. Accompanied by Rabbi Alan Berlin on the guitar, Cantor's voice rose up, and I felt myself moved by the music and by her beautiful singing. I couldn't help but look out across the congregation to see if I could tell whether or not others were feeling what I was feeling. Most of the people there were listening and smiling, but what struck me most were two of our elderly congregants, who have been married for many years, looking into one another's eyes as though they were all alone in the Temple. I lingered there for just a minute and could sense this intense love between the two that, sorry to say, seems way too rare in this day and age. They were transformed by the music and by each other, and I felt privileged to witness a very special moment. Obviously, this song spoke to their hearts. Maybe they were remembering another special moment in their lives when they were young lovers or newly married. Maybe
Song of Songs was something they read together at night. Part of me wanted to ask if there was a certain significance, but I knew this was a private moment between them. Perhaps for the duration of the song, they were transported back to an earlier day, discovering their soulmate for the first time- a love to last for eternity.
