[ואתה תצוה וגו']. זש"ה ראשך עליך ככרמל (שה"ש ז ו), הדלים והרשים שבכם הן חביבין לפני כדניאל, [מלך אסור ברהטים] (שם), אמר להן הקב"ה כביכול אסור אני ביניכם, בזכות מה, בזכות הריצות שרץ אברהם לפני, שנאמרוימהר אברהם האהלה, ואל הבקר רץ אברהם (בראשית יח ו ז), הוי מלך אסור ברהטים, ר' לוי אמר בזכות יעקב שכתיב בו ברהטים בשקתות המים (שם ל לח).
[(Exod. 27:20:) AND YOU SHALL COMMAND….] This text is related (to Cant. 7:6 [5]): YOUR HEAD UPON YOU IS LIKE CARMEL, <AND THE LOCKS (dallah) OF YOUR HEAD (rosh) ARE LIKE PURPLE>. The poor (dallim) and the needy (rashim) who are among you are as dear to me as Daniel.8See Tanh., Exod. 8:6; Lev. R. 31:4; Cant. R. 7:6:1, all of which cite Dan. 5:29: AND THEY CLOTHED DANIEL IN PURPLE. [(Ibid., cont.:) A KING IS CAPTIVATED BY THE TRESSES (rehatim).] The Holy One, as it were, said to them: I am bound <by an oath>9The added words appear in all the parallel versions except Yalqut Shim’oni, Cant., 992. to be among you. By virtue of what? By virtue of the races that Abraham ran for me, as stated (in Gen. 18:6–7): ABRAHAM HASTENED TO THE TENT <…> THEN ABRAHAM RAN UNTO THE HERD.10On the three races of Abraham, see above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:5, and the note there. Ergo (in Cant. 7:6 [5]): A KING IS CAPTIVATED BY THE TRESSES (rehatim).11The root of rehatim (i.e., RHT) can mean “run.” R. Levi said: By virtue of Jacob, of whom it is written (in Gen. 30:38): < AND HE SET UP THE RODS WHICH HE HAD PEELED> IN THE TROUGHS (rehatim), IN THE WATER RECEPTACLES.
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ד"א מלך אסור ברהטים, א"ל הקב"ה למשה, משה מלך עשיתיך, מה המלך גוזר והן עושין, אף אתה גזור עליהן והן עושין, ואתה תצוה וגו'.
Another interpretation (of Cant. 7:6 [5]): A KING IS CAPTIVATED BY THE TRESSES (rehatim). The Holy One said to Moses: Moses, I have made you a king. Just as the king issues decrees, and they act; so you issue decrees12The Buber text reads GZWR, but this reading is probably a misreading of GWZR due to metathesis. The reading, gwzr, which is the one translated here, is found in the parallel text of Tanh., Exod. 8:6. over them, and they shall act. (Exod. 27:20:) AND YOU SHALL COMMAND <THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>….
[ואתה תצוה וגו']. זש"ה ראשך עליך ככרמל (שה"ש ז ו), הדלים והרשים שבכם הן חביבין לפני כדניאל, [מלך אסור ברהטים] (שם), אמר להן הקב"ה כביכול אסור אני ביניכם, בזכות מה, בזכות הריצות שרץ אברהם לפני, שנאמרוימהר אברהם האהלה, ואל הבקר רץ אברהם (בראשית יח ו ז), הוי מלך אסור ברהטים, ר' לוי אמר בזכות יעקב שכתיב בו ברהטים בשקתות המים (שם ל לח).
[(Exod. 27:20:) AND YOU SHALL COMMAND….] This text is related (to Cant. 7:6 [5]): YOUR HEAD UPON YOU IS LIKE CARMEL, <AND THE LOCKS (dallah) OF YOUR HEAD (rosh) ARE LIKE PURPLE>. The poor (dallim) and the needy (rashim) who are among you are as dear to me as Daniel.8See Tanh., Exod. 8:6; Lev. R. 31:4; Cant. R. 7:6:1, all of which cite Dan. 5:29: AND THEY CLOTHED DANIEL IN PURPLE. [(Ibid., cont.:) A KING IS CAPTIVATED BY THE TRESSES (rehatim).] The Holy One, as it were, said to them: I am bound <by an oath>9The added words appear in all the parallel versions except Yalqut Shim’oni, Cant., 992. to be among you. By virtue of what? By virtue of the races that Abraham ran for me, as stated (in Gen. 18:6–7): ABRAHAM HASTENED TO THE TENT <…> THEN ABRAHAM RAN UNTO THE HERD.10On the three races of Abraham, see above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:5, and the note there. Ergo (in Cant. 7:6 [5]): A KING IS CAPTIVATED BY THE TRESSES (rehatim).11The root of rehatim (i.e., RHT) can mean “run.” R. Levi said: By virtue of Jacob, of whom it is written (in Gen. 30:38): < AND HE SET UP THE RODS WHICH HE HAD PEELED> IN THE TROUGHS (rehatim), IN THE WATER RECEPTACLES.
ד"א מלך אסור ברהטים, א"ל הקב"ה למשה, משה מלך עשיתיך, מה המלך גוזר והן עושין, אף אתה גזור עליהן והן עושין, ואתה תצוה וגו'.
Another interpretation (of Cant. 7:6 [5]): A KING IS CAPTIVATED BY THE TRESSES (rehatim). The Holy One said to Moses: Moses, I have made you a king. Just as the king issues decrees, and they act; so you issue decrees12The Buber text reads GZWR, but this reading is probably a misreading of GWZR due to metathesis. The reading, gwzr, which is the one translated here, is found in the parallel text of Tanh., Exod. 8:6. over them, and they shall act. (Exod. 27:20:) AND YOU SHALL COMMAND <THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>….