וידבר שלשת אלפים משל (שם שם יב). אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני חזרנו על כל המקראות, ולא מצינו שנתנבא שלמה אלא קרוב לשמנה מאות פסוקים, אלא מהו שלשת אלפים, מלמד שכל פסוק ופסוק שאמר יש בו שנים שלשה טעמים, כמד"א נשם זהב וחלי כתם (משלי כה יב), ורבנין אמרין שלשת אלפים משל על כל פסוק, ואלף וחמש טעמים על כל משל ומשל, ויהי שירו חמשה ואלף (מ"א שם), שירה אין כתיב כאן אלא שירו, שיירו של משל.
(I Kings 5:12 [4:32]:) MOREOVER HE COMPOSED THREE THOUSAND PROVERBS. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: We have gone over all of the Scriptures and have found that Solomon only uttered prophetically approximately eight hundred verses.84See Cant. R. 1:1:11. Then what is meant by THREE THOUSAND? <This number> teaches that each and every verse that he spoke contains two <or> three interpretations, just as it says (in Prov. 25:12): LIKE AN EARRING OF GOLD, A NECKLACE OF FINE GOLD, <SO IS A WISE REPROVER TO A LISTENING EAR>.85The midrash understands the WISE REPROVER TO BE Solomon himself, who is likened to both a golden earring and a golden necklace. In addition the Rabbis say: Every verse has three thousand proverbs, while each and every proverb has a thousand and five interpretations. (I Kings 5:12 [4:32], cont.:) AND HIS ShYRW NUMBERED A THOUSAND AND FIVE. ShYRH ("song") is not written here, but ShYRW, <which can be read as> sheyaro ("its remainder"): THE REMAINDER (i.e., the thousand and five interpretations) of a proverb.86Cf. the parallels in Tanh., Lev. 6:6; Numb. R. 19:3; et al, which argue somewhat differently from the fact that SONG is, not plural, but singular. Cf. also PRK 4:3; PR 14:9.
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וידבר על העצים וגו' (שם שם יג), וכי אפשר לו לאדם לדבר על העצים, אלא אמר שלמה מפני מה מצורע נטהר על הגבוה שבעצים, ובנמוך שבנמוכים, בעץ ארז [ושני תולעת], ואזוב (ויקרא יד ד), אלא על ידי שהגביה עצמו כארז לקה בצרעת, כיון שהשפיל עצמו כאזוב, לכך נתרפא על ידי אזוב.
(I Kings 5:13 [4:33]:) AND HE SPOKE WITH/CONCERNING ('al)87The point of the midrash in this and in the following chapter conderns whether to understand ‘al as “with” or “concerning.” THE TREES, <FROM THE CEDAR THAT IS IN LEBANON EVEN TO THE HYSSOP WHICH GROWS OUT OF THE WALL>. Is it possible that a person would speak with the trees? Solomon merely said: For what reason is a leper cleansed? Because of ('al) the tallest among the trees (the cedar) and through the lowest of the low (the hyssop). Through (according to Lev. 14:4) CEDAR WOOD, [CRIMSON STUFF,] AND HYSSOP. It is simply because he had exalted himself like the cedar, that he was stricken with leprosy. As soon as he humbled himself like the hyssop, he was therefore cured through hyssop.
וידבר שלשת אלפים משל (שם שם יב). אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני חזרנו על כל המקראות, ולא מצינו שנתנבא שלמה אלא קרוב לשמנה מאות פסוקים, אלא מהו שלשת אלפים, מלמד שכל פסוק ופסוק שאמר יש בו שנים שלשה טעמים, כמד"א נשם זהב וחלי כתם (משלי כה יב), ורבנין אמרין שלשת אלפים משל על כל פסוק, ואלף וחמש טעמים על כל משל ומשל, ויהי שירו חמשה ואלף (מ"א שם), שירה אין כתיב כאן אלא שירו, שיירו של משל.
(I Kings 5:12 [4:32]:) MOREOVER HE COMPOSED THREE THOUSAND PROVERBS. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: We have gone over all of the Scriptures and have found that Solomon only uttered prophetically approximately eight hundred verses.84See Cant. R. 1:1:11. Then what is meant by THREE THOUSAND? <This number> teaches that each and every verse that he spoke contains two <or> three interpretations, just as it says (in Prov. 25:12): LIKE AN EARRING OF GOLD, A NECKLACE OF FINE GOLD, <SO IS A WISE REPROVER TO A LISTENING EAR>.85The midrash understands the WISE REPROVER TO BE Solomon himself, who is likened to both a golden earring and a golden necklace. In addition the Rabbis say: Every verse has three thousand proverbs, while each and every proverb has a thousand and five interpretations. (I Kings 5:12 [4:32], cont.:) AND HIS ShYRW NUMBERED A THOUSAND AND FIVE. ShYRH ("song") is not written here, but ShYRW, <which can be read as> sheyaro ("its remainder"): THE REMAINDER (i.e., the thousand and five interpretations) of a proverb.86Cf. the parallels in Tanh., Lev. 6:6; Numb. R. 19:3; et al, which argue somewhat differently from the fact that SONG is, not plural, but singular. Cf. also PRK 4:3; PR 14:9.
וידבר על העצים וגו' (שם שם יג), וכי אפשר לו לאדם לדבר על העצים, אלא אמר שלמה מפני מה מצורע נטהר על הגבוה שבעצים, ובנמוך שבנמוכים, בעץ ארז [ושני תולעת], ואזוב (ויקרא יד ד), אלא על ידי שהגביה עצמו כארז לקה בצרעת, כיון שהשפיל עצמו כאזוב, לכך נתרפא על ידי אזוב.
(I Kings 5:13 [4:33]:) AND HE SPOKE WITH/CONCERNING ('al)87The point of the midrash in this and in the following chapter conderns whether to understand ‘al as “with” or “concerning.” THE TREES, <FROM THE CEDAR THAT IS IN LEBANON EVEN TO THE HYSSOP WHICH GROWS OUT OF THE WALL>. Is it possible that a person would speak with the trees? Solomon merely said: For what reason is a leper cleansed? Because of ('al) the tallest among the trees (the cedar) and through the lowest of the low (the hyssop). Through (according to Lev. 14:4) CEDAR WOOD, [CRIMSON STUFF,] AND HYSSOP. It is simply because he had exalted himself like the cedar, that he was stricken with leprosy. As soon as he humbled himself like the hyssop, he was therefore cured through hyssop.