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Where is there a rabbinic recipe for milk and honey?

Shir HaShirim 4:11 "honey and milk are under your tongue" דְּבַ֤שׁ וְחָלָב֙ תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֵ֔ךְ

From this passage, which to me seems to suggest a kosher food combination, my main question is:

Is there a food-recipe or any-type of benefit (i.e. medical/health/physical/sexual benefit) written or confirmed by any ancient rabbi in regards to eating and/or putting milk-and-honey "under the tongue"?

A by-product of this main question is: which type of honey is this, and which type of milk is this?

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  • Why go to the allegorical Shir HaShirim instead of the more literal Chumash which repeatedly refers to Eretz Yisrael as a “land flowing with milk and honey”?
    – DonielF
    Mar 3, 2019 at 18:25
  • The Ralbag says it is allegorical. The Torah Temimah seems to speak a bit about the concept of putting it under the tongue so that might be a place to start. sefaria.org/…
    – rosends
    Mar 3, 2019 at 18:33
  • @DonielF, even the 'the more literal Chumash which repeatedly refers to Eretz Yisrael as a “land flowing with milk and honey”' does not answer my question: "which type of honey is this, and which type of milk is this?"
    – ninamag
    Mar 3, 2019 at 18:46
  • Rashi on the passuk tells us it's dates and goat milk. More specifically the goats eating the dates makes them produce copious amounts of milk.
    – user6591
    Mar 4, 2019 at 2:06
  • @user6591 i have also read a difference of opinion somewhere that it is not dates but figs. who can settle this?
    – ninamag
    Mar 4, 2019 at 6:10

1 Answer 1

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The Midrash (Shir HaShirim Rabbah, 4:11:2) actually makes the exact opposite inference from this passuk, prompting it to interpret it allegorically:

דְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ, רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה אָמַר אֵין מַשְׁקֶה סוֹרֵחַ יוֹתֵר מִמַּשְׁקֶה זֶה שֶׁתַּחַת הַלָּשׁוֹן, וְאַתְּ אוֹמֵר: דְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ, אֶלָּא אִם הֲלָכוֹת קֵהוֹת תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ דְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב הֲלָכוֹת הַמְאֻשָּׁשׁוֹת עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי אַף הַקּוֹרֵא מִקְרָא בְּעִנּוּגוֹ וּבְנִגּוּנוֹ, עָלָיו נֶאֱמַר: דְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ.

”Honey and milk under your tongue” - R’ Berechya said, “There is no liquid which is more putrid than this liquid under the tongue, yet you say, ‘honey and milk under your tongue’?! Rather, if difficult Halachos are under your tongue like honey and milk [i.e. fluent in all different categories of Halacha, like honey which warms a person and milk which cools a person - Matnos Kehunah], all the more so the easy Halachos.” R’ Levi said, “Also one who reads Tanach with its enjoyment and its tune, regarding him does it say, ‘honey and milk are under your tongue.’”

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