We have been told since we were children that we eat charoset on Pesach because it reminds us of the mortar that the Israelites used while laying bricks when they were in slavery. Sounds reasonable except that there is no actual instruction or blessing in the Haggadah to explain the meaning of the charoset.  Moreover, the charoset at our table is sweet and tasty enough for everyone to demand seconds (particularly this year when Nancy tried two new recipes each incorporating multiple kinds of fruit and nuts so that there was a lively debate as to which was better), certainly not something that reminds us of the bitterness of slavery. It is that very sweetness which connects to the special reading we will do this Shabbat during the intermediate days of the holiday.

Traditionally, the Song of Songs is read during Pesach, despite the fact that the holiday itself is not mentioned specifically in the poem. There is a reference to the "chariots of Pharoah," which has been interpreted to be those chariots which drowned chasing the Israelites. This seems a bit of a reach to me, even in a poem with as many layers of allegory as the Song of Songs. One thing clear about this poem is that it is a love story. It is a song from a lover to his (or her) betrothed, it is a song full of the sweetness of life, of the promise of new beginnings. The kind of new beginnings that we retell at our Seders when God brought the Israelites out of bondage and began the formation of a people that would forever be in a deep spiritual relationship with Him.

The Song of Songs is the charoset of the Bible, full of the sweet taste of the natural fruits and nuts that suggest the freedom and commitment of a strong relationship, and the possibility contained within that relationship. "Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his precious fruits." Song of Songs, 4:16.   

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.