(2) Oh, give me of the kisses of your mouth,For your love is more delightful than wine.

(8)Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days as joyous for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur, as on them the daughters of Jerusalem would go out in white clothes, which each woman borrowed from another. Why were they borrowed? They did this so as not to embarrass one who did not have her own white garments. And the daughters of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards. And what would they say? Young man, please lift up your eyes and see what you choose for yourself for a wife.

What is the special joy of the fifteenth of Av? Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: This was the day on which the members of different tribes were permitted to enter one another’s tribe, by intermarriage. It was initially prohibited to intermarry between tribes, so as to keep each plot of land within the portion of the tribe that originally inherited it. On the day this barrier separating the tribes was removed, the Sages established a permanent day of rejoicing.

And there are those that wonder: How was this custom good in the eyes of the Sages - that a man should snatch [a woman, to be] his wife? And, God forbid, it is similar to it being as if the daughters of Israel were abandoned! But this is not a [true] wonder. For it should be known that anyone who could afford to marry off his daughter would not send her there. For if she was a minor, what does his snatching help? Behold, she is not married without the consent of her father. And if she was a maiden or an adult [and could consent on her own], he would not let her go out [there]. And if he did permit her to go out, he would warn her to only get married to [a man] who was suitable for her. Rather the custom was for girls whose fathers could not afford to marry them off; and if it were not for this custom, perhaps they would have remained [single] until their hair whitened.

(16)All love that depends on a something, [when the] thing ceases, [the] love ceases; and [all love] that does not depend on anything, will never cease. What is an example of love that depended on a something? Such was the love of Amnon for Tamar. And what is an example of love that did not depend on anything? Such was the love of David and Jonathan.

(1) This happened sometime afterward: Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon son of David became infatuated with her. (2) Amnon was so distraught because of his [half-]sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.

(15) Then Amnon felt a very great loathing for her; indeed, his loathing for her was greater than the passion he had felt for her. And Amnon said to her, “Get out!”

(1) When [David] finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan’s soul became bound up with the soul of David; Jonathan loved David as himself. (2) Saul took him [into his service] that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.— (3) Jonathan and David made a pact, because [Jonathan] loved him as himself. (4) Jonathan took off the cloak and tunic he was wearing and gave them to David, together with his sword, bow, and belt.

(41) When the boy got there, David emerged from his concealment at the Negeb. He flung himself face down on the ground and bowed low three times. They kissed each other and wept together; David wept the longer.

(26) I grieve for you,My brother Jonathan,You were most dear to me.Your love was wonderful to meMore than the love of women.

(14) They broke into weeping again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell. But Ruth clung to her. (15) So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods. Go follow your sister-in-law.” (16) But Ruth replied, “Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. (17) Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. bA formula of imprecation. Thus and more may the LORD do to me if anything but death parts me from you.”

And acquire for yourself a friend. How so? This teaches that a person should acquire a friend for himself who will eat with him, and drink with him, and study Scripture and Mishnah with him, and go to sleep with him, and tell him all his secrets, both secrets of the Torah and secrets of the ways of the world.

The Gemara continues discussing the bodies of these Sages: Rav Pappa said: The organ of Rabbi Yoḥanan was the size of a jug of five kav, and some say it was the size of a jug of three kav. With regard to Rabbi Yoḥanan’s physical features, the Gemara adds that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: I alone remain of the beautiful people of Jerusalem. The Gemara continues: One who wishes to see something resembling the beauty of Rabbi Yoḥanan should bring a new, shiny silver goblet from the smithy and fill it with red pomegranate seeds [partzidaya] and place a diadem of red roses upon the lip of the goblet, and position it between the sunlight and shade. That luster is a semblance of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s beauty... Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, Reish Lakish, died. Rabbi Yoḥanan was sorely pained over losing him. The Rabbis said: Who will go to calm Rabbi Yoḥanan’s mind and comfort him over his loss? They said: Let Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat go, as his statements are sharp, i.e., he is clever and will be able to serve as a substitute for Reish Lakish. Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat went and sat before Rabbi Yoḥanan. With regard to every matter that Rabbi Yoḥanan would say, Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat would say to him: There is a ruling which is taught in a baraitathat supports your opinion. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Are you comparable to the son of Lakish? In my discussions with the son of Lakish, when I would state a matter, he would raise twenty-four difficulties against me in an attempt to disprove my claim, and I would answer him with twenty-four answers, and the halakha by itself would become broadened and clarified. And yet you say to me: There is a ruling which is taught in a baraitathat supports your opinion. Do I not know that what I say is good? Being rebutted by Reish Lakish served a purpose; your bringing proof to my statements does not. Rabbi Yoḥanan went around, rending his clothing, weeping and saying: Where are you, son of Lakish? Where are you, son of Lakish? Rabbi Yoḥanan screamed until his mind was taken from him, i.e., he went insane. The Rabbis prayed and requested for God to have mercy on him and take his soul, and Rabbi Yoḥanan died.

(19) Thus the Sages commanded: A man should honor his wife more than himself and love her as himself. If his money is plentiful, he should honor her as much as he can afford. He should not inspire excess fear in her, and he should speak gently with her, and not act downcast or hot-tempered.
(20) Thus the Sages commanded: A woman should honor her husband to excess, and stand in awe of him, and act according to his word. He should seem to her like a minister or king, following the desires of his heart, and distancing herself from the things he hates. This is how holy and pure Jews behave in their marriages; these ways are their pleasant and praiseworthy lifestyle.

This is as it is related about Rav Reḥumi, who would commonly study before Rava in Meḥoza: He was accustomed to come back to his home every year on the eve of Yom Kippur. One day he was particularly engrossed in the halakha he was studying, and so he remained in the study hall and did not go home. His wife was expecting him that day and continually said to herself: Now he is coming, now he is coming. But in the end, he did not come. She was distressed by this and a tear fell from her eye. At that exact moment, Rav Reḥumi was sitting on the roof. The roof collapsed under him and he died. This teaches how much one must be careful, as he was punished severely for causing anguish to his wife, even inadvertently.

Like an apple tree among trees of the forest,So is my beloved among the youths.I delight to sit in his shade,And his fruit is sweet to my mouth.

Refresh my bed. Spread my bed around me with apples for a good fragrance, in the manner of [treating] the sick, for I am sick for His love, for I thirst for Him here in my exile.

(1) Ah, you are fair, my darling,Ah, you are fair.Your eyes are like dovesBehind your veil.Your hair is like a flock of goatsStreaming down Mount Gilead. (2) Your teeth are like a flock of ewesClimbing up from the washing pool;All of them bear twins,And not one loses her young. (3) Your lips are like a crimson thread,Your mouth is lovely.Your brow behind your veil[Gleams] like a pomegranate split open. (4) Your neck is like the Tower of David,Built to hold weapons,Hung with a thousand shields—All the quivers of warriors. (5) Your breasts are like two fawns,Twins of a gazelle,Browsing among the lilies.

(10) My beloved is clear-skinned and ruddy,Preeminent among ten thousand. (11) His head is finest gold,His locks are curledAnd black as a raven. (12) His eyes are like dovesBy watercourses,Bathed in milk,Set by a brimming pool. (13) His cheeks are like beds of spices,Banks of-g perfumeHis lips are like lilies;They drip flowing myrrh. (14) His hands are rods of gold,Studded with beryl;His belly a tablet of ivory,Adorned with sapphires. (15) His legs are like marble pillarsSet in sockets of fine gold.He is majestic as Lebanon,Stately as the cedars. (16) His mouth is deliciousAnd all of him is delightful.Such is my beloved,Such is my darling,O maidens of Jerusalem!

I am my beloved’sAnd my beloved is mine;He browses among the lilies.

If only it could be as with a brother,As if you had nursed at my mother’s breast:Then I could kiss youWhen I met you in the street,And no one would despise me.

Vast floods cannot quench love,Nor rivers drown it.If a man offered all his wealth for love,He would be laughed to scorn.

(3) Your ointments yield a sweet fragrance,Your name is like finest oil—Therefore do maidens love you.

(1) Broken-heartedness and depression are not at all the same.​​​​​​​
(3) Depression comes from the Other Side and is hated by God. But a broken heart is very dear and precious to God.
(4) It would be very good to be broken-hearted all day long. But for the average person, this can easily degenerate into depression.
(5) You should therefore set aside some time each day and isolate yourself to express your broken-heartedness to God for a given time. But the rest of the day should be joyful.
(6) The Rebbe emphasized this many times, telling us not to be brokenhearted except for a fixed time each day. Other than during that period, we should always be joyful; but depressed, never.