The “Song of Songs,” one of the shortest books in the Old Testament, can be read as a metaphor for love between God and his people, Doron Kalir said to the audience, or it can be read at face value as a story of love between two people.

“The idea of attraction, the idea of love, the idea of love making and the idea of passion is spread throughout the Bible from beginning to end,” Kalir said. “The ‘Song of Songs’ is the epitome of that.”

Kalir, adjunct professor at the Laura and Alvin Siegal College of Judaic Studies in Cleveland, spoke at a small luncheon Tuesday about “Love and Temptation in the Song of Songs” in honor of Valentine’s Day. The audience included people of all ages and religions.

Kalir said that love is the most powerful emotion we can have for God, which is why the “Song of Songs” is included in the Bible.

“It’s that important to us both in Judaism and other religions to understand the mechanism of love between men and women,” Kalir said.

The discussion was part of the Jewish Studies Program’s “Lunch and Learn” series, which occurs once a month. The series is supported through the donation of an anonymous friend of the Jewish Studies Program.

Chaya Kessler, director of the Jewish Studies Program, said that she hopes the lecture will help students think deeper about Valentine’s Day.

“Everybody’s thinking about love, and we’re all wearing pink or red,” Kessler said. “But we’re really going a little bit deeper into the text and the Jewish aspect of dealing with the notion of love.”

“It would be great if you could use a quote from the Bible to surprise your love,” Kessler added. “If that makes anybody open the book and read then that’s what we have accomplished.”

The “Song of Songs” is one of the few books that does not contain the word “God” and is usually attributed to King Solomon. Kalir argues that the “Song of Songs” is the deepest text on love ever written.

“The idea of love between a man and a woman is one of the greatest essences of the entire Bible,” Kalir said. “This is one of the oldest feelings in the history of mankind.”

Kalir was born and raised in Israel and studied law at the Columbia Law School. He blogs about segments of the Hebrew Bible at http://portionoftheweek.blogspot.com.

Contact Rebecca Reis at [email protected].