Kissing in the Bible

(1) The Song of Songs, by Solomon.

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

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

(4) Draw me after you, let us run!
The king has brought me to his chambers.^-d
Let us delight and rejoice in your love,
Savoring it more than wine—
Like new wine^-e they love you!

(1) Jacob resumed his journey^-a and came to the land of the Easterners. (2) There before his eyes was a well in the open. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it....

(4) Jacob said to them, “My friends, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” (5) He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “Yes, we do.” (6) He continued, “Is he well?” They answered, “Yes, he is; and there is his daughter Rachel, coming with the flock.”

(9) While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s flock; for she was a shepherdess. (10) And when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, and the flock of his uncle Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of his uncle Laban. (11) Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and broke into tears. (12) Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, that he was Rebekah’s son; and she ran and told her father. (13) On hearing the news of his sister’s son Jacob, Laban ran to greet him; he embraced him and kissed him, and took him into his house. He told Laban all that had happened, (14) and Laban said to him, “You are truly my bone and flesh.”
When he had stayed with him a month’s time,

(24) He asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” And when he said, “I am,” (25) he said, “Serve me and let me eat of my son’s game that I may give you my innermost blessing.” So he served him and he ate, and he brought him wine and he drank. (26) Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come close and kiss me, my son”; (27) and he went up and kissed him. And he smelled his clothes and he blessed him, saying, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of the fields that the LORD has blessed.

(25) Laban overtook Jacob. Jacob had pitched his tent on the Height, and Laban with his kinsmen encamped in the hill country of Gilead. (26) And Laban said to Jacob, “What did you mean by keeping me in the dark and carrying off my daughters like captives of the sword? (27) Why did you flee in secrecy and mislead me and not tell me? I would have sent you off with festive music, with timbrel and lyre. (28) You did not even let me kiss my sons and daughters good-by! It was a foolish thing for you to do.

(1) Looking up, Jacob saw Esau coming, accompanied by four hundred men. He divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maids, (2) putting the maids and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. (3) He himself went on ahead and bowed low to the ground seven times until he was near his brother. (4) Esau ran to greet him. He embraced him and, falling on his neck, he kissed him; and they wept. (5) Looking about, he saw the women and the children. “Who,” he asked, “are these with you?” He answered, “The children with whom God has favored your servant.”

(1) ויחבקהו AND EMBRACED HIM — His pity was aroused when he saw him prostrating himself so many times (Genesis Rabbah 78:8).

(2) וישקהו AND HE KISSED HIM — Dots are placed above the letters of this word, and a difference of opinion is expressed in the Baraitha of Sifré (בהעלותך) as to what these dots are intended to suggest: some explain the dotting as meaning that he did not kiss him with his whole heart, whereas R Simeon the son of Johai said: Is it not well-known that Esau hated Jacob? But at that moment his pity was really aroused and he kissed him with his whole heart. (Sifrei Bamidbar 69.2)

(29) Then he instructed them, saying to them, “I am about to be gathered to my kin. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, (30) the cave which is in the field of Machpelah...

(33) When Jacob finished his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and, breathing his last, he was gathered to his people. (1) Joseph flung himself upon his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. (2) Then Joseph ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel.

(1) Jethro priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the LORD had brought Israel out from Egypt. (2) So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent home, (3) and her two sons....

(5) Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. (6) He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.” (7) Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed low and kissed him; each asked after the other’s welfare, and they went into the tent.

(7) Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living; and they set out on the road back to the land of Judah. (8) But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Turn back, each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me! (9) May the LORD grant that each of you find security in the house of a husband!” And she kissed them farewell. They broke into weeping (10) and said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” (11) But Naomi replied, “Turn back, my daughters! Why should you go with me? Have I any more sons in my body who might be husbands for you? (12) Turn back, my daughters, for I am too old to be married. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I were married tonight and I also bore sons, (13) should you wait for them to grow up? Should you on their account debar yourselves from marriage? Oh no, my daughters! My lot is far more bitter than yours, for the hand of the LORD has struck out against me.” (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.”

(21) "And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell (Ruth 1:14)": every kiss is frivolous except for three: kisses of greatness, and kisses of meeting, and kisses of leaving. Of greatness, as it is written: "Samuel took a flask of oil and poured some on Saul’s head and kissed him (1 Samuel 10:1)". And kisses of meeting, as it is written: "He went and met him at the mountain of God, and he kissed him (Exodus 4:27)". And kisses of leaving, as it is said: "And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell". Rabbi Tanchuma said: "Also kisses of affinity, as it is said: "Then Jacob kissed Rachel (Genesis 29:11)". Why? Because she had affinity with him. "So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods (Ruth 1:15)".

(4) Some have a custom to look at their ציצית when they reach [the verse] "And you shall see them," and to place them on their eyes. This is a beautiful custom and [a way of] showing love for the מצוה. Rem"a: Some also have the custom of kissing their ציצית when they look at them, and all of this is [a way of] showing love for the מצוה (Beit Yosef).