שיר השירים רבה 6

אָנָה הָלַךְ דּוֹדֵךְ הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים, אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אוֹמְרִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָנָה הָלַךְ דּוֹדֵךְ, מִמִּצְרַיִם לַיָּם, לְסִינַי, אָנָה פָּנָה דּוֹדֵךְ. מַה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵשִׁיבָה לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, מַה טִּיבְכֶם שׁוֹאֲלִים עָלָיו וְאֵין לָכֶם חֵלֶק בּוֹ, מֵאַחַר שֶׁנִּדְבַּקְתִּי בּוֹ יְכוֹלָה אֲנִי לִפְרשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, מֵאַחַר שֶׁנִּדְבַּק בִּי יָכוֹל הוּא לִפְרשׁ מִמֶּנִּי, כָּל הָן דְּהוּא לְגַבִּי הוּא אָתֵי לֵיהּ.

“Where did your beloved go, fairest of women? Where did your beloved turn, that we may seek him with you?” (Song of Songs 6:1).
“Where did your beloved go, fairest of women?” The nations of the world say to Israel: ‘Where did your beloved go? From Egypt, to the sea, to Sinai. Where did your beloved turn?’¹The nations of the world taunt Israel: In the past, God performed wonders for you in Egypt, at the sea, and at Sinai; but where is He now? He has abandoned you. What does the congregation of Israel respond to the nations of the world? ‘Why are you asking about Him, while you have no share in Him? Now that I have cleaved to Him, am I able to separate from Him? Now that He has cleaved to me, can He separate from me? Wherever He is, He comes to me.’

דּוֹדִי יָרַד לְגַנּוֹ לַעֲרֻגוֹת הַבֹּשֶׂם, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא הַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה לֹא רֹאשׁוֹ סוֹפוֹ וְלֹא סוֹפוֹ רֹאשׁוֹ, לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ קְרָא לְמֵימַר אֶלָּא דּוֹדִי יָרַד לִרְעוֹת בְּגַנּוֹ, וְאַתְּ אָמַר לִרְעוֹת בַּגַּנִּים. אֶלָּא דּוֹדִי, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. לְגַנּוֹ, זֶה הָעוֹלָם. לַעֲרֻגוֹת הַבֹּשֶׂם, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. לִרְעוֹת בַּגַּנִּים, אֵלּוּ בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת. וְלִלְקֹט שׁוֹשַׁנִּים, לְסַלֵּק אֶת הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. מַה בֵּין מִיתַת זְקֵנִים לְמִיתַת נְעָרִים, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי אַבָּהוּ, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר הַנֵּר הַזֶּה בִּזְּמַן שֶׁהוּא כָּבֶה מֵאֵלָיו, יָפֶה לוֹ וְיָפֶה לַפְּתִילָה, וּבִזְּמַן שֶׁאֵינוֹ כָּבֶה מֵאֵלָיו, רַע לוֹ וְרַע לַפְּתִילָה. רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ אָמַר הַתְּאֵנָה הַזּוֹ בִּזְּמַן שֶׁנִּלְקֶטֶת בְּעוֹנָתָהּ, יָפֶה לָהּ וְיָפֶה לַתְּאֵנָה, וּבִזְּמַן שֶׁאֵינָהּ נִלְקֶטֶת בְּעוֹנָתָהּ, רַע לָהּ וְרַע לַתְּאֵנָה.

“My beloved went down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies” (Song of Songs 6:2).
“My beloved went down into his garden, to the beds of spices.” Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: This verse, its beginning does not correspond to its end, and its end does not correspond to its beginning. The verse should have said only: My beloved went down to feed in his garden, and it says: “To feed in the gardens”? Rather, “my beloved,” this is the Holy One blessed be He. “Into his garden,” this is the world. “To the beds of spices,” this is Israel. “To feed in the gardens,” these are the synagogues and study halls. “And to gather lilies,” to take the righteous of Israel.²God takes the righteous to the Garden of Eden after their deaths.
What is the difference between the death of the elderly and the death of lads? Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Abahu, Rabbi Yehuda says: When a lamp extinguishes on its own, it is good for it and it is good for the wick; but when it does not extinguish on its own, it is bad for it and bad for the wick. Rabbi Abahu said: When a fig tree is harvested in its season, it is good for it and good for the fig, and when it is not harvested in its season, it is bad for it and bad for the fig.

דֵּילָמָא רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא וְתַלְמִידָיו, וְאִית דְּאָמְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְתַלְמִידָיו, וְאִית דְּאָמְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְתַלְמִידָיו, הֲווֹ נְהִיגִין יָתְבִין פָּשְׁטִין תְּחוֹת חָדָא תְּאֵנָה, וּבְכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם הָיָה מַשְׁכִּים בַּעַל הַתְּאֵנָה וּמְלַקֵּט תְּאֵנָתוֹ, אָמְרוּן נְשַׁנֶּה אֶת מְקוֹמֵנוּ שֶׁמָּא חוֹשְׁדֵנוּ, מֶה עָשׂוּ הָלְכוּ וְיָשְׁבוּ לָהֶם בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, הִשְׁכִּים בַּעַל הַתְּאֵנָה וְלֹא מְצָאָן, הָלַךְ וְחָזַר אַחֲרֵיהֶם עַד שֶׁמְּצָאָן, אָמַר לָהֶם רַבּוֹתַי מִצְוָה אַחַת הֱיִיתֶם עוֹשִׂין לִי וְאַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁין לְמָנְעָהּ מִמֶּנִּי, אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וּמִפְּנֵי מָה הִנַּחְתֶּם מְקוֹמְכֶם וִישַׁבְתֶּם בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, אָמְרִינַן שֶׁמָּא אַתָּה חוֹשְׁדֵנוּ, אָמַר לָהֶם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אֶלָּא אֹמַר לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי מָה אֲנִי מַשְׁכִּים לִלְקֹט תְּאֵנָתִי, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁהַחַמָּה זוֹרַחַת עַל הַתְּאֵנִים הֵן מַתְּלִיעוֹת, מִיָּד חָזְרוּ לְתַמָּן, הַהוּא יוֹמָא אַשְׁכְּחוּן דְּלָא לָקַט, נָטְלוּ מֵהֶן וּפָצְעוּ אוֹתָם וּמְצָאוּם מֻתְּלָעוֹת, אָמְרוּ יָפֶה אָמַר בַּעַל הַתְּאֵנָה, וְאִם הוּא יוֹדֵעַ עוֹנָתָהּ שֶׁל תְּאֵנָתוֹ וְהוּא לוֹקְטָהּ, כָּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹדֵעַ אֵימָתַי עוֹנָתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לְסַלְּקָן וְהוּא מְסַלְּקָן.

There was an incident in which Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba and his disciples, and some say Rabbi Akiva and his disciples, and some say Rabbi Yehoshua and his disciples, were accustomed to sit and study beneath a certain fig tree. Each day, the owner of the fig tree would arise early and harvest his fig tree. They said: ‘Let us change our location, as perhaps he is suspicious of us.’ What did they do? They went and sat themselves elsewhere. The owner of the fig tree arose early and did not find them. He went and looked for them until he found them. He said to them: ‘My rabbis, you were performing one mitzva to my credit, and now you are seeking to withhold it from me?’ They said to him: ‘Heaven forbid.’ [He said:] ‘Why then did you abandon your place and sit elsewhere?’ They said: ‘We said that perhaps you are suspicious of us.’ He said to them: ‘Heaven forbid; rather, I will tell you why I arise early to harvest my fig tree. When the sun shines on the fig tree, it becomes infested with worms.’ They returned there immediately. On that day they found that he did not harvest. They took some of them, pierced them, and found them infested with worms. They said: ‘The owner of the fig tree spoke well. If he knows the season of his fig tree and he harvests it, so too, the Holy One blessed be He knows when it is the time to take the righteous, and he takes them.’

אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ פַּרְדֵּס וְנָטַע בּוֹ שׁוּרוֹת שֶׁל אֱגוֹזִין, וְשֶׁל תַּפּוּחִין, וְשֶׁל רִמּוֹנִים, וּמְסָרוֹ בְּיַד בְּנוֹ, בִּזְמַן שֶׁבְּנוֹ עוֹשֶׂה רְצוֹנוֹ הָיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ מַחֲזִיר וְרוֹאֶה אֵיזוֹ נְטִיעָה יָפָה בָּעוֹלָם, וְהָיָה עוֹקְרָהּ וּמְבִיאָהּ וְשׁוֹתְלָהּ בְּתוֹךְ אוֹתוֹ הַפַּרְדֵּס, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁלֹא הָיָה בְּנוֹ עוֹשֶׂה רְצוֹנוֹ, הָיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ רוֹאֶה אֵיזֶה נְטִיעָה יָפָה בְּתוֹךְ הַפַּרְדֵּס וְעוֹקְרָהּ. כָּךְ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, רוֹאֶה אֵיזֶה צַדִּיק יֵשׁ בְּאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, כְּגוֹן, יִתְרוֹ וְרָחָב, מְבִיאוֹ וּמְדַבְּקוֹ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רוֹאֶה אֵיזֶה צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר וְכָשֵׁר וִירֵא שָׁמַיִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם, וּמְסַלְּקוֹ מִתּוֹכָן.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: [This is analogous] to a king who had an orchard and he planted rows of nuts, of apples, and of pomegranates, and he gave them over to his son. When his son would fulfill his will, the king would search for and find a beautiful sapling in the world, and he would uproot it and plant it in that orchard. When his son would not fulfill his will, the king would see some beautiful sapling in the orchard and uproot it. So too, as long as Israel fulfills the will of the Omnipresent, He sees what righteous individual there is among the nations of the world, like Yitro and Raḥav, and He brings them and attaches them to Israel. When Israel does not fulfill the will of the Holy One blessed be He, He sees what righteous, upright, proper, and God-fearing individual there is among them, and He takes them from their midst.

כַּד דְּמַךְ חִיָּא בַּר אִוְיָא בַּר אֲחָתֵיהּ דְּבַר קַפָּרָא, אָמְרִין לְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן עוּל וְאַפְטַר עִלּוֹי, אָמַר לוֹן יֵיעוֹל רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ דְּהוּא תַּלְמִידֵיהּ וְהוּא יָדַע חַיְילֵיהּ. עָאל רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאַפְטַר עִלּוֹי, דּוֹדִי יָרַד לְגַנּוֹ, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹדֵעַ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אִוְיָא וְסִלְּקוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם.

When Ḥiyya bar Ivya, son of bar Kappara’s sister, died, they said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: ‘Go and eulogize him.’ He said to them: ‘Let Reish Lakish go, as he is his disciple and he knows his virtues.’ Rabbi Shimon³Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, who was known as Reish Lakish. came and eulogized him: “My beloved went down into his garden”—the Holy One blessed be He knows the actions of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ivya and He took him from the world.

כַּד דְּמַךְ רַבִּי סִימוֹן בַּר זַבְדִּי, עָאל רַבִּי אִילָא וְאַפְטַר עִלּוֹי (איוב כח, יב) (איוב כח, כ): וְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא וְאֵי זֶה מְקוֹם בִּינָה, תְּהוֹם אָמַר לֹא בִי הִיא וְיָם אָמַר אֵין עִמָּדִי, וְנֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי כָל חָי וּמֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם נִסְתָּרָה. אַרְבָּעָה דְבָרִים שֶׁהֵם תַּשְׁמִישׁוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וְאִם אָבְדוּ יֵשׁ לָהֶן חֲלִיפִין, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: (איוב כח, א ב): כִּי יֵשׁ לַכֶּסֶף מוֹצָא וּמָקוֹם לַזָהָב יָזֹקּוּ, בַּרְזֶל מֵעָפָר יֻקָּח וְאֶבֶן יָצוּק נְחוּשָׁה, תַּלְמִיד חָכָם אִם מֵת מִי מֵבִיא לָנוּ תְּמוּרָתוֹ, אָנוּ שֶׁאִבַּדְנוּ אֶת רַבִּי סִימוֹן, מֵהֵיכָן נִמְצָא כָּמוֹהוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי שְׁבָטִים מְצִיאָה מָצְאוּ, וּכְתִיב (בראשית מב, כח): וַיֵּצֵא לִבָּם וַיֶּחֶרְדוּ, אָנוּ שֶׁאִבַּדְנוּ אֶת רַבִּי סִימוֹן בַּר זַבְדִי מֵאֵיכָן אָנוּ מוֹצְאִים תְּמוּרָתוֹ, הֱוֵי: וְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא.

When Rabbi Simon bar Zavdi died, Rabbi Ila entered and eulogized him. “But wisdom, where will it be found, and where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12). “The deep says: It is not in me; and the sea says: It is not with me” (Job 28:14). “It is vanished from the eyes of all living and hidden from the birds of the heavens” (Job 28:21). There are four elements that are crucial for the function of the world, but if they are lost they have replacements. These are: “For there is a source of silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the dust, and copper is smelted from rock” (Job 28:1–2). A Torah scholar, if he dies, who will bring us his replacement? We, who lost Rabbi Simon, where will we find someone like him? Rabbi Levi said: The tribes found a lost item, and it is written: “Their hearts sank and they trembled” (Genesis 42:28).⁴The sons of Jacob were fearful when they found that the money of one of them had been returned to his sack, despite the fact that, generally speaking, finding money is cause for celebration. We, who lost Rabbi Simon bar Zavdi, from where will we find his replacement? That is, “but wisdom, where will it be found?”

כַּד דְּמַךְ רַבִּי בּוֹן בְּרַבִּי חִיָּא, עָאל רַבִּי זֵירָא וְאַפְטַר עִלּוֹי (קהלת ה, יא): מְתוּקָה שְׁנַת הָעֹבֵד, נֵימַר לְכוֹן לְמָה רַבִּי בּוֹן דּוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ כֶּרֶם וְשָׂכַר עָלָיו פּוֹעֲלִים, וְהָיָה שָׁם פּוֹעֵל אֶחָד מִתְכַּשֵּׁר בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ יוֹתֵר מִכֻּלָּן, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ כָּשֵׁר בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי, אֲחָזוֹ בְּיָדוֹ וְהִתְחִיל מְטַיֵּל עִמּוֹ אֲרֻכּוֹת וּקְצָרוֹת, לְעִתּוֹתֵי עֶרֶב בָּאוּ הַפּוֹעֲלִים לִטֹּל שְׂכָרָן, וּבָא אוֹתוֹ פּוֹעֵל לִטֹּל שְׂכָרוֹ עִמָּהֶם, וְנָתַן לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׂכָרוֹ כְּמוֹתָן, הִתְחִילוּ הַפּוֹעֲלִים מְצֵרִים, אָמְרוּ לוֹ אֲדוֹנֵנוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ, אָנוּ שֶׁיָּגַעְנוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם וְזֶה לֹא יָגַע אֶלָּא שְׁתַּיִם אוֹ שָׁלשׁ שָׁעוֹת בַּיּוֹם, וְהוּא נוֹטֵל שְׂכָרוֹ כְּמוֹתֵנוּ. אָמַר לָהֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ מָה אַתֶּם מְצֵרִין, יָגַע זֶה בִּשְׁתַּיִם אוֹ בְּשָׁלשׁ שָׁעוֹת מַה שֶּׁא יָגַעְתֶּם אַתֶּם כָּל הַיּוֹם כֻּלּוֹ, כָּךְ יָגַע רַבִּי בּוֹן בַּר חִיָּא לְעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנָה בַּתּוֹרָה, מַה שֶּׁא יָגַע תַּלְמִיד וָתִיק לְמֵאָה שָׁנָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, כָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אַף לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא אֵין מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ לִישֹׁן, אֶלָּא מוֹלִיכִין אוֹתוֹ לְבֵית מִדְרָשׁוֹ שֶׁל שֵׁם וְעֵבֶר וְשֶׁל אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, וְשֶׁל משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, וְעַד הֵיכָן עַד (שמואל ב ז, ט): וְעָשִׂיתִי לְךָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל כְּשֵׁם הַגְּדֹלִים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ.

When Rabbi Bon ben Rabbi Ḥiyya died, Rabbi Zeira came to eulogize him. “The sleep of the worker is sweet” (Ecclesiastes 5:11). I will tell you to what Rabbi Bon is comparable; to a king who had a vineyard and hired workers for it. There was one worker there who was more industrious in his work than all the others. When the king saw that he was extraordinarily industrious in his work, he grasped his hand and began taking long and short strolls with him. At evening time, the workers came to collect their wages. That worker came to collect his wages with them, and the king gave him wages like them. The workers began complaining. They said to him: ‘Our lord the king, it is we who exerted ourselves all day, and that one exerted himself for only two or three hours of the day, yet he is collecting his wages like us?’ The king said to them: ‘Why are you complaining? This one accomplished in two or three hours of the day what you did not accomplish in the entire day.’ So too, Rabbi Bon bar Ḥiyya accomplished in Torah what an experienced scholar does not accomplish in one hundred years.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Anyone who engages in Torah in this world, even in the future they do not allow him to sleep, but rather, they lead him into the study hall of Shem and Ever, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of Moses and Aaron. To what extent?⁵To what extent do they educate him in the future? It is until “I will give you great renown, like the renown of the great men of the world” (II Samuel 7:9).

יָפָה אַתְּ רַעְיָתִי כְּתִרְצָה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן פָּתַר קְרָיָה בְּקָרְבָּנוֹת, יָפָה אַתְּ רַעְיָתִי כְּתִרְצָה, אֵלּוּ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, שֶׁאַתֶּם מִתְרַצִּים בְּקָרְבָּנוֹת, הֵיאַךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (ויקרא א, ד): וְנִרְצָה לוֹ לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו. נָאוָה כִּירוּשָׁלָיִם, אֵלּוּ הַקֳּדָשִׁים שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם הָאֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (יחזקאל לו, לח): כְּצֹאן קָדָשִׁים כְּצֹאן יְרוּשָׁלָיִם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, יָפָה אַתְּ רַעְיָתִי כְּתִרְצָה, אֵלּוּ נְשֵׁי תִּירְעָן, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי נְשֵׁי תִּירְעָן כְּשֵׁרוֹת הָיוּ, עָמְדוּ וּמִחוּ עַל עַצְמָן וְלֹא נָתְנוּ מִנִּזְמֵיהֶם לְמַעֲשֶׂה הָעֵגֶל, אָמְרוּ מַה לִּיסְטַטִירִין הַקָּשֶׁה שִׁבְּרוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לִיסְטַטִירִין הָרַךְ עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. נָאוָה כִּירוּשָׁלָיִם, שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁהָיָה רוֹצֶה וּמְבַקֵּשׁ טִפּוּסִים שֶׁל פְּעוֹר, הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ וּמוֹצְאָהּ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ישעיה י, י): וּפְסִילֵיהֶם מִירוּשָׁלַיִם וּמִשֹּׁמְרוֹן.

“You are fair, my love, like Tirtza, lovely like Jerusalem, formidable like banners” (Song of Songs 6:4).
“You are fair, my love, like Tirtza.” Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon interpreted the verse regarding offerings. “You are fair, my love, like Tirtza,” these are the offerings, as you achieve acceptance [mitratzim] with offerings, just as you say: “It will be accepted [venirtza] for him, to atone for him” (Leviticus 1:4). “Lovely like Jerusalem,” these are the consecrations in Jerusalem, just as it says: “Like the consecrated flock, like the flock of Jerusalem” (Ezekiel 36:38).
Another matter, “you are fair, my love, like Tirtza,” these are the women of the generation of the wilderness [tiran], as Rabbi said: The women of the generation of the wilderness were upright. They stood and asserted themselves and did not give their rings for the incident of the Golden Calf. They said: If the Holy One blessed be He smashed the hard idol, this soft idol, all the more so.⁶If God smashed the idols of Egypt, how much more so this golden calf. They referred to the idols of Egypt as hard because they were made from stone, which is harder than gold, or because the Egyptians worshipped Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, which is harder to destroy than a golden calf (see Etz Yosef). “Lovely like Jerusalem,” as anyone who wants and seeks molds of Peor, he would go and find in Jerusalem; that is what is written: “And their idols from Jerusalem and from Samaria” (Isaiah 10:10).⁷The midrash means that Israel is lovely to God for distancing themselves from the idols that had become ubiquitous even in Jerusalem and Samaria (Matnot Kehuna).

דָּבָר אַחֵר, יָפָה אַתְּ רַעְיָתִי כְּתִרְצָה, כְּשֶׁאַתְּ רוֹצָה, כַּד אַתְּ בָּעְיָיא לֵית אַתְּ צְרִיכָה בָּעְיָיה מִכְּלוּם מֵילַף מִכְּלוּם, מִי אָמַר לָהֶם לְהָבִיא עֲגָלוֹת וּבָקָר לִטְעוֹן הַמִּשְׁכָּן, לֹא מֵהֶן וּבָהֶן הֵבִיאוּ אוֹתָן, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (במדבר ז, ג): וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת קָרְבָּנָם לִפְנֵי ה' שֵׁשׁ עֶגְלֹת צָב, כְּנֶגֶד שִׁשָּׁה רְקִיעִים, וְלֹא שִׁבְעָה הֵם, אָמַר רַבִּי אָבוּן הָן דְּמַלְכָּא שָׁרֵי טָמִיקוֹן, שֵׁשׁ כְּנֶגֶד שֵׁשׁ אֲרָצוֹת, אֶרֶץ, אַרְקָא, אֲדָמָה, גֵּיא, צִיָּה, נְשִׁיָּה, תֵּבֵל, וּכְתִיב (תהלים צח, ט): וְהוּא יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק. שֵׁשׁ כְּנֶגֶד שִׁשָּׁה עֶרְכֵי מִשְׁנָה. שֵׁשׁ כְּנֶגֶד שֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית. שֵׁשׁ כְּנֶגֶד שֵׁשׁ אִמָּהוֹת, שָׂרָה, רִבְקָה, רָחֵל, לֵאָה, זִלְפָּה, בִּלְהָה. צָב, דּוֹמוֹת לְקוֹלְיָינוֹן. צָב, מְצֻיָּנוֹת. צָב, מְטֻכָּסוֹת. צָב, שֶׁצְּבָא הַלְוִיִּם עוֹמְדִים עֲלֵיהֶם. תָּנֵי בְּשֵׁם נְחֶמְיָה כְּמִין קָמְרוֹטִין הָיוּ, שֶׁלֹא יִהְיוּ כְּלֵי שָׁרֵת מִתְבַּקְּעִין. וּשְׁנֵי עָשָׂר בָּקָר, כְּנֶגֶד שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר נְשִׂיאִים, עֲגָלָה עַל שְׁנֵי הַנְּשִׂאִים וְשׁוֹר לְאֶחָד, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹא לְקָחוּם בְּדָמִים, אֶלָּא זֶה הֵבִיא שׁוֹר וְזֶה הֵבִיא שׁוֹר, זֶה הֵבִיא עֲגָלָה וְזֶה הֵבִיא עֲגָלָה. וַיַּקְרִיבוּ אוֹתָם לִפְנֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמְּסָרוּם לַצִּבּוּר. (במדבר ז, ד): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה לֵאמֹר, מַהוּ לֵאמֹר, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא צֵא וֶאֱמֹר לָהֶם דִּבְרֵי שֶׁבַח וְנֶחָמוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם כְּאִלּוּ כְּבָר הָיִיתִי צָרִיךְ לִסְבֹּל בּוֹ אֶת עוֹלָמִי וַהֲבֵאתֶם לִי, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה נִתְיָרֵא משֶׁה, אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ תֹּאמַר רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ נִסְתַּלְּקָה מִמֶּנִּי וְשָׁרַת עַל הַנְּשִׂיאִים, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא נָבִיא אַחֵר עָמַד וְחִדֵּשׁ אֶת הַהֲלָכָה. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, משֶׁה, אִלּוּ לָהֶם הָיִיתִי אוֹמֵר שֶׁיָּבִיאוּ, הָיִיתִי אוֹמֵר לְךָ שֶׁתֹּאמַר לָהֶם, אֶלָּא (במדבר ז, ד): קַח מֵאִתָּם וְהָיוּ, מַהוּ קַח מֵאִתָּם, מֵאִתָּם הָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים, וּמִי נָתַן לָהֶם אֶת הָעֵצָה, אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל יִשָֹּׂשכָר אָמַר לָהֶם הַמִּשְׁכָּן הַזֶּה שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים פּוֹרֵחַ הוּא בָּאֲוִיר, עֲשׂוּ לוֹ עֲגָלוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיְהֵא נִטְעַן בָּהֶם, הוּא שֶׁהַכָּתוּב מְשַׁבֵּחַ שֵׁבֶט יִשָֹּׂשכָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א יב, לג): וּמִבְּנֵי יִשָֹּׂשכָר יוֹדְעֵי בִינָה לָעִתִּים, מַהוּ לָעִתִּים, רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא אָמַר לְקִירְסִין, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר קַסְרַיי אָמַר לְעִבּוּרִין. (דברי הימים א יב, לג): לָדַעַת מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹדְעִים לְרַפְּאוֹת אֶת הַקִּירוֹס. רָאשֵׁיהֶם מָאתַיִם, אֵלּוּ מָאתַיִם רָאשֵׁי סַנְהֶדְרָאוֹת שֶׁהָיָה שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל יִשָֹּׂשכָר מַעֲמִיד. וְכָל אֲחֵיהֶם עַל פִּיהֶם, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּל אֲחֵיהֶם הָיוּ מַסְכִּימִין הַהֲלָכָה עַל פִּיהֶם כַּהֲלָכָה לְמשֶׁה מִסִּינַי. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמַר משֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם שֶׁמָּא תָּמוּת אַחַת מִן הַפָּרוֹת וְיִשָּׁבֵר אֶחָד מִן הַגַּלְגַּלִּים, וְנִמְצָא קָרְבָּנָן שֶׁל נְשִׂיאִים פָּסוּל, וְנִמְצֵאת עֲבוֹדַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן בְּטֵלָה. מִיָּד (במדבר ז, ד): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה לֵאמֹר קַח מֵאִתָּם וְהָיוּ לַעֲבֹד וגו', וְהָיוּ נָתַן לָהֶם הֲוָיָה שֶׁיְּהוּ חַיּוֹת וְקַיָּמוֹת בָּעוֹלָם לְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים, עַד אֵיכָן הָיוּ קַיָּמוֹת, רַבִּי יוּדָן וְרַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם בַּר קַפָּרָא עַד הַגִּלְגָּל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב בְּהוֹשֵׁעַ (הושע יב, יב): בַּגִּלְגָּל שְׁוָרִים זִבֵּחוּ גַּם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם כְּגַלִּים עַל תַּלְמֵי שָׂדָי. וְאֵיכָן הִקְרִיבוּ אוֹתָן, רַבִּי אָבוּן אָמַר בְּנוֹב הִקְרִיבוּ אוֹתָן, רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר בְּגִבְעוֹן הִקְרִיבוּ אוֹתָן, לֵוִי אָמַר בְּשִׁילֹה הִקְרִיבוּם, וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרִין בְּבֵית הָעוֹלָמִים הִקְרִיבוּם. רַבִּי חָמָא אָמַר טַעְמָא דְרַבָּנָן דִּכְתִיב (דברי הימים ב ז, ה): וַיִּזְבַּח הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת זֶבַח הַבָּקָר, זֶבַח בָּקָר לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא זֶבַח הַבָּקָר, אֵי זֶה בָּקָר, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר (במדבר ז, ז): אֵת שְׁתֵּי הָעֲגָלוֹת וְאֵת אַרְבַּעַת הַבָּקָר, וּכְתִיב (במדבר ז, ז): וְאֵת אַרְבַּע הָעֲגָלֹת וְאֵת שְׁמֹנַת הַבָּקָר, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר עַכְשָׁו הֵן קַיָּמוֹת וְלֹא הוּמְמוּ וְלֹא הִזְקִינוּ וְלֹא הִטְרִיפוּ, אֶלָּא הֵן חַיּוֹת וְקַיָּמוֹת, וַהֲרֵי דְבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר, וּמָה הַפָּרוֹת שֶׁנִּדְבְּקוּ עַל יְדֵי אָדָם בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן נָתַן לָהֶם הֲוָיָה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הֵן חַיּוֹת וְקַיָּמוֹת לְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים, יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁדְּבֵקִים בְּחַי הָעוֹלָמִים, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד, ד): וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם.

Another matter, “you are fair, my love, like Tirtza,” when you wish [at rotza]. When you wish,⁸When you wish to wholeheartedly fulfill My will. you need not seek to learn from anyone. Who said to them to bring wagons and cattle to bear the Tabernacle? Was it not of their own accord that they brought them? That is what is written: “They brought their offering before the Lord: six covered wagons [and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two princes and an ox for each; they brought them before the Tabernacle]” (Numbers 7:3), corresponding to the six firmaments. But are they not seven? Rabbi Avun said: Where the king rests under his canopy [is not counted among the rest]. Six corresponding to six earths: Eretz, arka, adama, gei, tziya, neshiya, tevel;⁹These are seven terms used in the Bible to refer to the earth. However, since tevel is singled out as uniquely governed by God’s righteousness, it is not included with the others. and it is written: “He will judge the world [tevel] with righteousness” (Psalms 98:9). Six corresponding to the six orders of Mishna; six corresponding to the six days of Creation; six corresponding to the six matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Zilpa, and Bilha.
“Covered [tzav],” like canopies; tzav, colored;¹⁰This is due to the similarity between the word tzav and the word color (tzeva). tzav, arranged in order;¹¹This is due to the similarity between the word tzav and the word tzava, army, which indicates ordered rows of soldiers. tzav, that the hosts [tzava] of Levites stood over them. It was taught in the name of Neḥemya: They were like covered wagons, so the service vessels would not [fall and] break.
“And twelve oxen,” corresponding to the twelve princes: “A wagon for every two princes, and an ox for each” (Numbers 7:3), this teaches that they did not purchase them with money; rather, this one brought an ox and this one brought an ox, this one brought a wagon and this one brought a wagon. “They brought them before the Tabernacle,” this teaches that they gave them to the congregation.
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying” (Numbers 7:4). What is “saying”? The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Go out and say to them words of praise and consolation.’ Rabbi Hoshaya said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I ascribe to you [merit] as though I needed [something] in which to hold my world, and you brought it to me.’
At that moment, Moses was afraid. He said in his heart: Perhaps the Divine Spirit has left me, and has rested on the princes, or perhaps a different prophet arose and introduced this halakha.¹²Moses was commenting on the fact that he had not been commanded to tell the princes to make this donation, but clearly God was very pleased with it. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, had I said to them that they should bring [these items], I would have told you to tell them; however, “take from them, and they shall be”’ (Numbers 7:5). What is “take from them”? These matters originated with them.
Who gave them the counsel? Rabbi Simon said: It was the tribe of Issachar. They said to them: ‘This Tabernacle that you are crafting, does it float in the air? Craft wagons for it upon which it may be carried.’ That is why the verse praises the tribe of Issachar, as it is stated: “From the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding of the times” (I Chronicles 12:33). What is “of the times”? Rabbi Tanḥuma said: For astrology. Rabbi Yosei bar Kasrai said: For intercalation. “To know what Israel should do” (I Chronicles 12:33), as they knew how to cure skin disease. “Their leaders were two hundred” (I Chronicles 12:33), these are the two hundred heads of Sanhedrins¹³This refers to the twenty-three person courts that presided in each major city. that the tribe of Issachar produced. “And all their brethren at their command” (I Chronicles 12:33), this teaches that all their brethren would agree with their [decisions in] halakha, like halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai.
At that moment, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, perhaps one of the oxen will die, or one of the wheels will break and the offering of the princes would be invalidated, resulting in the Tabernacle service being abrogated?’ Immediately, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Take from them, and they shall be to perform…” (Numbers 7:4-5). “They shall be”—I will grant them existence so that they will live and endure in the world for ever and ever. Until when did they endure? Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of bar Kapara: Until the Gilgal; that is what is written in Hosea: “In Gilgal they slaughtered oxen, their altars are like heaps upon the furrows of the field” (Hosea 12:12). Where did they sacrifice them?¹⁴This question assumes that they were not sacrificed in Gilgal, as stated above. Alternatively, the midrash means that the merit of these offerings lasted until Israel worshipped idolatry in Gilgal, and the oxen were actually sacrificed afterward (see Etz Yosef). Rabbi Avun said: They sacrificed them in Nov. Rabbi Abba said: They sacrificed them in Givon. Levi said: They sacrificed them in Shilo. The Rabbis say: They sacrificed them in the permanent Temple. Rabbi Ḥama said: The source for the Rabbis is as it is written: “King Solomon slaughtered a feast offering of…cattle [zevaḥ habakar]” (II Chronicles 7:5). Zevaḥ bakar is not written, but rather, zevaḥ habakar.¹⁵It is written with the definite article, so that it reads in a literal sense “a feast offering of the cattle.” Which cattle? You must say: “The two wagons and the four cattle” (Numbers 7:7), and it is written: “the four wagons and the eight cattle” (Numbers 7:8).
Rabbi Meir says: They endure [even] now, and they have not become blemished, they have not grown old, and they have not become tereifa, but rather, they are alive and well. The matters may be inferred a fortiori: If the oxen that were assigned by man to the Tabernacle service, [God] granted them existence to live and endure for ever and ever, Israel, which cleaves to He who endures forever, all the more so, as it is stated: “But you, who cleave to the Lord your God, all of you live today” (Deuteronomy 4:4).

הָסֵבִּי עֵינַיִךְ, רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁכָּעַס עַל מַטְרוֹנָה וּדְחָפָהּ וְהוֹצִיאָהּ מִפָּלָטִין בַּחוּץ. מֶה עָשְׂתָה, הָלְכָה וְצִמְצְמָה פָּנֶיהָ אַחַר הָעַמּוּד חוּץ לַפָּלָטִין, לִכְשֶׁעָבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַעֲבִירוּהָ מִנֶּגֶד פָּנַי, שֶׁאֵינִי יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל. כָּךְ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבֵּית דִּין יוֹשְׁבִין וְגוֹזְרִין תַּעֲנִיּוֹת וְהַיְּחִידִים מִתְעַנִּים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר אֵינִי יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל, שֶׁהֵם הִרְהִיבֻנִי, הֵן גָּרְמוּ לִי לִפְשֹׁט יָדִי בְּעוֹלָמִי. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁבֵּית דִּין גּוֹזְרִין תַּעֲנִיּוֹת וְתִינוֹקוֹת מִתְעַנִּים, אוֹמֵר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֵינִי יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל, שֶׁהֵם הִרְהִיבֻנִי, הֵם הִמְלִיכוּנִי עֲלֵיהֶם וְאָמְרוּ (שמות טו, יח): ה' יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁגּוֹזְרִין תַּעֲנִיּוֹת וּזְקֵנִים מִתְעַנִּים, אוֹמֵר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵינִי יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל, שֶׁהֵם הִרְהִיבֻנִי, הֵם קִבְּלוּ מַלְכוּתִי עֲלֵיהֶם בְּסִינַי וְאָמְרוּ (שמות כד, ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע, וּכְתִיב (תהלים פז, ד): אַזְכִּיר רַהַב וּבָבֶל לְיֹדְעָי וגו'. רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא בַּר פַּפָּא כְּתִיב (תהלים סח, יט): וְאַף סוֹרְרִים לִשְׁכֹּן יָהּ אֱלֹהִים, וְאַף סוֹרְרִים וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתוֹ בֵּינֵיהֶם, בְּאֵי זוֹ זְכוּת, בִּזְכוּת כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע. שַׂעְרֵךְ כְּעֵדֶר הָעִזִּים, מָה עֵז זוֹ בְּזוּיָה, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּזוּיִין בַּשִּׁטִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כה, א): וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים וגו'.

“Avert your eyes from me, as they excite my arrogance. Your hair is like a flock of goats that streams down from Gilad” (Song of Songs 6:5).
“Avert your eyes,” Rabbi Azarya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: [This is analogous] to a king who was angry at the queen and banished her, expelling her from the palace. What did she do? She went and concealed her face behind a pillar outside the palace. When the king passed, the king said: ‘Remove her from before me, as I am unable to bear [her suffering].’ So too, when the rabbinical court convenes and decrees fasts and the individuals fast, the Holy One blessed be He says: ‘I am unable to bear it.’¹⁶God is unable to bear their distress and therefore alleviates the suffering or ends the drought that was the cause of their fasting. “As they excite my arrogance”—they caused Me to extend My hand against My world.¹⁷It is due to the merit of the righteous individuals that I displayed My dominance over the world by redeeming Israel from Egypt.
When the rabbinical court convenes and decrees fasts and the children fast, the Holy One blessed be He says: ‘I am unable to bear it.’ “As they excite my arrogance,” they crowned Me as king over them, and said: “The Lord will reign for ever and ever” (Exodus 15:18). When they decree fasts and the elderly fast, the Holy One blessed be He says: ‘I am unable to bear it.’ “As they excite my arrogance [hirhivuni],” they accepted My kingdom over them at Sinai, and said: “Everything that the Lord says we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7), and it is written: “To those of my acquaintance, I mention Rahav¹⁸In this verse, too, the word Rahav is a term indicating exaltedness or kingship, as the word hirhivuni, which shares the same root as Rahav, is understood in the midrash. and Babylon…” (Psalms 87:4).
Rabbi Pinḥas [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina bar Pappa: It is written: “Even the rebellious You captured to dwell over, Lord God” (Psalms 68:19); even the rebellious, the Holy One blessed be He rests His Divine presence in their midst. By what merit? By the merit of: “Everything that the Lord says we will perform and we will heed.”
“Your hair is like a flock of goats,” just as the goat is contemptible,¹⁹This is because its tail does not cover its sexual organs. so, too, Israel was contemptible in Shitim, as it is stated: “Israel was living in Shitim, [and the people began to engage in licentiousness with the daughters of Moav]” (Numbers 25:1).

שִׁנַּיִךְ כְּעֵדֶר הָרְחֵלִים, מָה רָחֵל זוֹ צְנוּעָה, כָּךְ הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל צְנוּעִים וּכְשֵׁרִים בְּמִלְחֶמֶת מִדְיָן, רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַחָא אָמַר שֶׁלֹא הִקְדִּים אֶחָד מֵהֶן תְּפִלִּין שֶׁל רֹאשׁ לִתְפִלִּין שֶׁל יַד, שֶׁאִלּוּ הִקְדִּים אֶחָד מֵהֶן תְּפִלִּין שֶׁל רֹאשׁ לִתְפִלִּין שֶׁל יַד, לֹא הָיָה משֶׁה מְשַׁבְּחָם, וְלֹא הָיוּ עוֹלִין מִשָּׁם בְּשָׁלוֹם, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר שֶׁהָיוּ צַדִּיקִים בְּיוֹתֵר. שֶׁכֻּלָּם מַתְאִימוֹת, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיוּ נִכְנָסִים זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹת אֵצֶל הָאִשָּׁה, הָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶם מְפַחֵם פָּנֶיהָ, וְאֶחָד מֵהֶם מְפָרֵק נְזָמֶיהָ, וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרוֹת לָהֶם אֵין אָנוּ מִבְּרִיּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ לָנוּ כָּךְ, וְהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים לָהֶן לֹא דַּיֵּכֶם שֶׁנָּטַלְנוּ שֶׁלָּנוּ מִתַּחַת יְדֵיכֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (במדבר כה, ד): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה קַח אֶת כָּל רָאשֵׁי הָעָם וְהוֹקַע אוֹתָם. וְשַׁכֻּלָּה אֵין בָּהֶם, שֶׁא נֶחְשַׁד מֵהֶם אֶחָד בַּעֲבֵרָה.

“Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that are ascending from being washed, that are all paired, and there is none missing among them” (Song of Songs 6:6).
“Your teeth are like a flock of ewes.” Just as the ewe is modest,²⁰This is because its tail covers its sexual organs. so too, Israel was modest and upright in the Midyanite war. Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: That not one of them donned the phylacteries of the head before the phylacteries of the arm, as had one of them donned the phylacteries of the head before the phylacteries of the arm, Moses would not have praised them and they would not have ascended from there²¹The Midyanite war. in peace. You must say that they were extremely righteous.
“That are all paired,” as they would enter in pairs to the woman.²²The war against Midyan was undertaken in response to a plague that killed thousands of Israelites. The plague was a result of their sins with Moavite and Midyanite women (see Numbers chapter 25), who were sent to seduce them. Consequently, when the Israelite soldiers conquered the Midyanites, they would enter a tent in which there was a woman only in pairs, so that there would be no doubt that they would repeat the same sins which had brought about the plague in the first place. One of them would blacken her face and one of them would remove her jewelry. [The women] would say to them: ‘Are we not among the creations of the Holy One blessed be He, that you do this to us?’ The Israelites would say to them: ‘Is it not enough for you that our people received their punishment because of you?’ That is what is written: “The Lord said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people, and hang them” (Numbers 25:4).²³This was one of the disastrous consequences of the Israelites’ sins with the Midyanite women. “And there is none missing among them,” that not one of them was suspected of committing a transgression.

כְּפֶלַח הָרִמּוֹן רַקָּתֵךְ, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה כְּשֶׁחָזְרוּ מִמִּלְחֶמֶת מִדְיָן הִתְחִיל משֶׁה לְשַׁבְּחָן, אֲפִלּוּ רֵיקָנִין שֶׁבָּכֶם רְצוּפִים מִצְווֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים כָּרִמּוֹן הַזֶּה, שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁבָּא עֲבֵרָה לְיָדוֹ וְנִצַּל מִמֶּנָּהּ וְלֹא עָשָׂה אוֹתָהּ, מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה עָשָׂה, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר לְצַמָּתֵךְ, עַל הַצְּנוּעִין וְעַל הַמְצֻמָּתִים שֶׁבָּכֶם.

“Your temple is like a pomegranate slice behind your braid” (Song of Songs 6:7).
“Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice.” At that moment, Moses began praising them: Even the empty among you is packed with mitzvot and good deeds like the pomegranate, for anyone who is confronted by the opportunity to commit a transgression and is spared from it and does not perform it has performed a great mitzva. It goes without saying: “Behind your braid [letzamatekh]” regarding the modest and the fervent [metzumatin] among you.

שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת, רַבִּי חִיָּא צִיפוֹרָאָה וְרַבִּי לֵוִי פַּתְרֵי קְרָיָה בְּאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, רַבִּי חִיָּא אָמַר, שִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁמוֹנִים, הֲרֵי מֵאָה וְאַרְבָּעִים, אַרְבָּעִים מֵהֶם יֵשׁ לָהֶם לָשׁוֹן וְאֵין לָהֶם כְּתַב, וְאַרְבָּעִים מֵהֶם אֵין לָהֶם לָשׁוֹן וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם כְּתַב. וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר, הַשְּׁאָר מֵהֶם שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם לֹא כְתַב וְלֹא לָשׁוֹן, יָכוֹל אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (אסתר ח, ט): וְאֶל הַיְּהוּדִים כִּכְתָבָם וְכִלְּשׁוֹנָם. רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר שִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁמוֹנִים הֲרֵי מֵאָה וְאַרְבָּעִים, שִׁבְעִים מֵהֶם מַכִּירִים אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְאֵין מַכִּירִים אִמּוֹתֵיהֶם, וְשִׁבְעִים מֵהֶם מַכִּירִין אִמּוֹתֵיהֶם וְאֵין מַכִּירִין אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם, וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר, שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִין אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְאִמּוֹתֵיהֶם. יָכוֹל אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (במדבר א, יח): וַיִּתְיַלְדוּ עַל מִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם.

“There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and young women without number” (Song of Songs 6:8).
“There are sixty queens.” Rabbi Ḥiyya of Tzippori and Rabbi Levi interpreted the verse regarding the nations of the world. Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Sixty and eighty are one hundred and forty. Forty of them have a language [of their own] but do not have a script [of their own] and forty do not have a language but have a script. “And young women without number,” the rest of them have neither a language nor a script. Is the same, perhaps, true of Israel? The verse states: “To the Jews in their language and in their script” (Esther 8:9).
Rabbi Levi said: Sixty and eighty are one hundred and forty. Seventy of them know their fathers but do not know their mothers. Seventy of them know their mothers but do not know their fathers. “And young women without number,” [those] who do not know their fathers or their mothers. Is the same, perhaps, true of Israel? The verse states: “They established their genealogy according to their families, according to their fathers' household” (Numbers 1:18).²⁴The term “their families” indicates that they knew their mothers and “their fathers’ household” indicates they knew their fathers. Alternatively, “they established their genealogy [vayityaldu]” is related to the term birth [leida], indicating that they knew their mothers.

אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי, אַחַת זֶה אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל לג, כד): אֶחָד הָיָה אַבְרָהָם. אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ, זֶה יִצְחָק, שֶׁהָיָה יָחִיד לְאִמּוֹ. בָּרָה הִיא לְיוֹלַדְתָּהּ, זֶה יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ, שֶׁהָיָה בָּרוּר לְיוֹלַדְתּוֹ שֶׁהָיָה צַדִּיק גָּמוּר. רָאוּהָ בָנוֹת וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ, אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מה, טז): וְהַקֹּל נִשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר בָּאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף. דָּבָר אַחֵר, רָאוּהָ בָנוֹת וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ, זוֹ לֵאָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ל, יג): בְּאָשְׁרִי כִּי אִשְּׁרוּנִי בָּנוֹת. מְלָכוֹת וּפִילַגְשִׁים וַיְהַלְלוּהָ, זֶה יוֹסֵף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מא, לח): וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל עֲבָדָיו הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה, אִם אָנוּ מְהַלְּכִין מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ אֵין אָנוּ מוֹצְאִין כָּזֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מא, לח): אַחֲרֵי הוֹדִיעַ אֱלֹהִים אוֹתְךָ כָּל זֹאת וגו'.

“One is my faultless dove, one to her mother, pure to the one who bore her. Girls see her and laud her; queens and concubines, and praise her” (Song of Songs 6:9).
“One is my faultless dove”—“one,” this is Abraham, as it is stated: “Abraham was one” (Ezekiel 33:24). “One to her mother,” this is Isaac, who was an only child to his mother. “Pure [bara] to the one who bore her,” this is Jacob our patriarch, of whom it was clear [barur] to the one who bore him that he was entirely righteous. “Girls see her and laud her,” these are the tribes, as it is stated: “The news was heard in Pharaoh's palace, saying, "Joseph's brothers have come" (Genesis 45:16). Alternatively, “girls see her and laud her [vayashruha],” this is Leah, as it is stated: “In my happiness, as women will be happy for me [ishruni]” (Genesis 30:13).
“Queens and concubines, and praise her,” this is Joseph, as it is stated: “Pharaoh said to his servants: Can we find someone like this?” (Genesis 41:38). If we walk from one end of the world to the other we will not find someone like this, as it is stated: “After God has disclosed all this to you, [there is no one as insightful and wise as you]” (Genesis 41:39).

רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַר קְרָיָה בְּפָרָשִׁיּוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת, אֵלּוּ שִׁשִּׁים מַסֶּכְתּוֹת שֶׁל הֲלָכוֹת. וּשְׁמֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים, אֵלּוּ שְׁמוֹנִים פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים. וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר, אֵין קֵץ לַתּוֹסָפוֹת. אַחַת הִיא, הֵן חוֹלְקִים אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ, וְכֻלְּהוֹן דּוֹרְשִׁין מִטַּעַם אֶחָד, מֵהֲלָכָה אַחַת, מִגְּזֵרָה שָׁוָה, מִקַּל וָחֹמֶר. רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּרַבִּי אִלְעָאי פָּתַר קְרָיָה בְּעֵץ חַיִּים וּבְגַן עֵדֶן, שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת, אֵלּוּ שִׁשִּׁים חֲבוּרוֹת שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבוֹת בְּגַן עֵדֶן תַּחַת עֵץ הַחַיִּים וְעוֹסְקוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה. תָּנֵי עֵץ חַיִּים מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְכָל מֵימֵי בְרֵאשִׁית מִתְפַּלְּגִין וְיוֹצְאִין מִתַּחְתָּיו.

Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted the verse regarding the portions of the Torah. “There are sixty queens,” these are the sixty tractates of halakhot. “And eighty concubines,” these are the eighty portions in Torat Kohanim.²⁵This is the midrash halakha on the book of Leviticus. “And young women without number,” these are the Tosefta.²⁶The Tosefta contains tannaitic material [baraitot] that was not included in the Mishna. “One is [my faultless dove],” they dispute each other, but all of them expound it from one source, from one halakha, from a verbal analogy, from an a fortiori inference.

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי אִלְעָאי אָמַר לֹא סוֹף דָּבָר גּוּפוֹ, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ קוֹרָתוֹ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה. תָּנֵי תַּמְצִית כּוֹר תַּרְקַב שׁוֹתָה, וְתַמְצִית כּוּשׁ מִצְרַיִם שׁוֹתָה, וּמִצְרַיִם מַהֲלַךְ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, וְהִיא אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה עַל אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה, וְהִיא אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים בְּכוּשׁ, וְכוּשׁ מַהֲלַךְ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְעוֹד, וְהִיא אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים בָּעוֹלָם, וְאָרְכּוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה מַהֲלַךְ, וְרָחְבּוֹ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְהוּא אֶחָד מֵאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה לַגֵּיהִנֹּם, וּמוֹצָא הִלּוּכָהּ שֶׁל גֵּיהִנֹּם שְׁנֵי אֲלָפִים מֵאָה שָׁנָה, מָצִינוּ שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ כְּכִסּוּי קְדֵרָה לַגֵּיהִנֹּם, וְעוֹלָם אֶחָד מִשִּׁשִּׁים בְּעֵדֶן, וְעֵדֶן אֵין לָהּ שִׁעוּר. וּשְׁמֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים, אֵלּוּ שְׁמוֹנִים חֲבוּרוֹת בֵּינוֹנִיּוֹת שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבוֹת וְעוֹסְקוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה חוּץ לְעֵץ הַחַיִּים. וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר, אֵין קֵץ לַתַּלְמִידִים, יָכוֹל שֶׁהֵן חֲלוּקִין זֶה עִם זֶה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי, כֻּלָּן דּוֹרְשִׁין מִטַּעַם אֶחָד, מֵהֲלָכָה אַחַת, מִגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה אַחַת, מִקַּל וָחֹמֶר.

Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Ilai interpreted the verse regarding the Tree of Life and the Garden of Eden. “There are sixty queens,” these are the sixty groups of righteous people that sit in the Garden of Eden beneath the Tree of Life and engage in Torah study. It is taught: The Tree of Life is a walking distance of five hundred years, and all the primordial waters separate and emerge from beneath it. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai said: This is not only regarding its foliage, but even its trunk was a walking distance of five hundred years.
It is taught: The runoff of a kor²⁷This is a field large enough that it would be seeded with one kor of seed. This is the equivalent of 75,000 square cubits. irrigates a tarkav.²⁸This is a field large enough that it would be seeded with one tarkav of seed. The tarkav is one-sixtieth of a kor. The runoff of Kush irrigates Egypt. Egypt is a walking distance of forty days, it measures four hundred parasangs by four hundred parasangs, and it is one-sixtieth [the size] of Kush. Kush is a walking distance of more than seven years, and it constitutes one-sixtieth of the world. The length of the world is a walking distance of five hundred years, and its width is a walking distance of five hundred years, and it is one four-hundredth [the size] of Gehenna. We find that the walking distance of Gehenna is two hundred thousand years. We thus find that the whole world in its entirety is like a pot cover for Gehenna. The world constitutes one-sixtieth [the size] of Eden and Eden is beyond measure.²⁹Some suggest that the text should read that Gehenna is one-sixtieth the size of Eden.
“And eighty concubines,” these are the sixty groups of middling people that sit and engage in Torah study outside the Tree of Life. “And young women without number,” there is no limit to the disciples. Are they, perhaps, in dispute with one another? The verse states: “One is my faultless dove”—they all expound it from one source, from one halakha, from one verbal analogy, from an a fortiori inference.

רַבָּנָן פָּתְרֵי קְרָיָה בְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם, שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת, שִׁשִּׁים, אֵלּוּ שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה. וּשְׁמֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים, אֵלּוּ שְׁמוֹנִים רִבּוֹא שֶׁיָּצְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וּלְמַטָּה. וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר, אֵין קֵץ וְאֵין סְכוּם לַגֵּרִים. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר, אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם יֵשׁ לָהֶם מִנְיָן וְאֵין לָהֶם סְכוּם, יֵשׁ לָהֶם מִנְיָן (בראשית י, ב): בְּנֵי יֶפֶת גֹּמֶר וּמָגוֹג, אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לָהֶם מִנְיָן וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם סְכוּם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (במדבר ג, כב): פְּקֻדֵיהֶם בְּמִסְפַּר כָּל זָכָר, פְּקֻדֵיהֶם, זֶה הַמִּנְיָן, בְּמִסְפַּר, זֶה הַסְּכוּם. וְדִכְוָותֵיהּ (שמואל ב כד, ט): וַיִּתֵּן יוֹאָב אֶת מִסְפַּר מִפְקַד הָעָם אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ וגו', מִסְפַּר זֶה הַמִּנְיָן, מִפְקַד זֶה הַסְּכוּם. אִין תֵּימַר שֶׁאָנוּ מְעִידִין עַל עַצְמֵנוּ, וַהֲלֹא בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע הֵעִיד בָּנוּ, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר כג, י): מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב זֶה מִנְיָן, וּמִסְפָּר אֶת רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל זֶה הַסְּכוּם.

The Rabbis interpret the verse regarding those who departed from Egypt. “There are sixty queens,” these are the six hundred thousand [men] from the age of twenty and above who departed [from Egypt]. “And eighty concubines,” these are the eight hundred thousand Israelites from the age of twenty and below who departed. “And young women without number,” there is no limit and no tally of the proselytes.
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The nations of the world have enumeration but do not have a tally.³⁰At times the Torah lists their descendants, but it does not give a total number. They have enumeration:“the children of Yefet, Gomer and Magog” (Genesis 10:2). But Israel has enumeration and a tally, as it is written: “Their count according to the number of every male…[their count was seven thousand five hundred]” (Numbers 3:22); “their count,” this is the enumeration, “according to the number,” this is the tally.
Likewise, “Yoav gave the sum of the number of the census to the king…” (II Samuel 24:9), “sum,” this is the enumeration, “census,” this is the tally. If you say that we are testifying about ourselves, did not the wicked Bilam testify in our regard, as it is written: “Who has counted the dust of Jacob,” this is the enumeration, “or tallied one quarter of Israel” (Numbers 23:10), this is the tally.

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי, זוֹ כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב ז, כג): וּמִי כְעַמְּךָ כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ. אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נא, ד): הַקְשִׁיבוּ אֵלַי עַמִּי וּלְאוּמִּי אֵלַי הַאֲזִינוּ, לְאִמִּי כְּתִיב, בָּרָה הִיא לְיוֹלַדְתָּהּ, תִּרְגֵּם רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אֲבוּנָה קוֹמֵי רַבִּי יִצְחָק, בַּר מִינָהּ לֵית לְיוֹלַדְתָּהּ. רָאוּהָ בָנוֹת וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ, הֵיאַךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (מלאכי ג, יב): וְאִשְׁרוּ אֶתְכֶם כָּל הַגּוֹיִם. מְלָכוֹת וּפִילַגְשִׁים וַיְהַלְלוּהָ, הֵיאַךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (ישעיה מט, כג): וְהָיוּ מְלָכִים אֹמְנַיִךְ.

Another matter, “one is my faultless dove,” this is the congregation of Israel, as it is stated: “Who is like Your people, like Israel, one nation on earth” (II Samuel 7:23). “One to her mother [le’imah],” as it is stated: “Pay attention to Me, My people, and listen to Me, My nation [uleumi]” (Isaiah 51:4); le’imi is written.³¹The word My nation [le’umi] is written without a vav, such that it can be pronounced le’imi, meaning my mother. However, the verse is traditionally written with the vav in the word le’umi. The midrash may reflect a tradition regarding the writing of this word that is different from the tradition that has been more accepted over the centuries. Alternatively, the word le’umi is not necessary in the verse at all, and is written because it at times can be pronounced le’imi, when it is written without a vav. “Pure to the one who bore her,” Rabbi Yaakov bar Avuna interpreted before Rabbi Yitzḥak: Other than her, there are no others to the one who bore her.³²Israel is God’s only chosen nation. “Girls see her and laud her,” just as it says: “All the nations will praise you” (Malachi 3:12). “Queens and concubines, and praise her,” just as you say: “Kings will be your caregivers” (Isaiah 49:23).³³This demonstrates that even royalty will admire and praise Israel.

מִי זֹאת הַנִּשְׁקָפָה כְּמוֹ שָׁחַר, דֵּילָמָא רַבִּי חִיָּא וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר חֲלַפְתָּא הֲווֹן מְהַלְּכִין בַּהֲדָא בִּקְעַת אַרְבֵּאל בִּקְרִיצְתָה, וְרָאוּ אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר שֶׁבָּקְעָה אוֹרָהּ, אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר חֲלַפְתָּא כָּךְ תִּהְיֶה גְּאֻלָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל מְצַפְצֶפֶת, דִּכְתִיב (מיכה ז, ח): כִּי אֵשֵׁב בַּחשֶׁךְ ה' אוֹר לִי, בַּתְּחִלָּה הִיא בָּאָה קִימְעָא קִימְעָא, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הִיא מְנַצְנֶצֶת וּבָאָה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ פָּרָה וְרָבָה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַרְטֶבֶת וְהוֹלֶכֶת. כָּךְ בַּתְּחִלָּה (אסתר ב, כא): בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וּמָרְדֳּכַי יוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ (אסתר ח, טו): וּמָרְדֳּכַי יָצָא מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּלְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת. וְאַחַר כָּךְ (אסתר ח, טו): לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וגו'. כְּמוֹ שָׁחַר, אִי מַה שַּׁחַר זֶה שֶׁאֵין לוֹ צֵל, יָכוֹל אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: יָפָה כַלְּבָנָה. אִי מָה הַלְּבָנָה הַזּוֹ אֵין אוֹרָהּ בָּרוּר כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: בָּרָה כַּחַמָּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שופטים ה, לא): וְאֹהֲבָיו כְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבֻרָתוֹ, אִי מָה הַחַמָּה קוֹפַחַת, יָכוֹל אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: יָפָה כַלְּבָנָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים לו, ח): מַה יָּקָר חַסְדְּךָ אֱלֹהִים. אִי מַה לְּבָנָה זוֹ פְּעָמִים חֲסֵרָה פְּעָמִים יְתֵרָה, יָכוֹל אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: בָּרָה כַּחַמָּה. אִי מָה חַמָּה זוֹ מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בַּיּוֹם וְאֵינָה מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בַּלַּיְלָה, יָכוֹל אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: יָפָה כַלְּבָנָה, מַה לְּבָנָה זוֹ מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה, דִּכְתִיב בָּהּ (בראשית א, יח): וְלִמְשֹׁל בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵן הֵן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הֵן הֵן לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אִי מָה חַמָּה וּלְבָנָה אֵין לָהֶם אֵימָה, יָכוֹל אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל כֵּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֲיֻמָּה כַּנִּדְגָּלוֹת, כִּדְגָּלִין שֶׁל מַעְלָן, כְּגוֹן מִיכָאֵל וְדִגְלוֹ, גַּבְרִיאֵל וְדִגְלוֹ. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אֵימָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל א, יח): וְגַבֵּיהֶן וְגֹבַהּ לָהֶם וְיִרְאָה לָהֶם. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר אֵימָה שֶׁלְּמַטָּה, כְּגוֹן דֻּכָּסִין וְאִפַּרְכִין וְאִיסְטְרָטִילָטִין, וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אֵימָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל ז, ז): דְּחִילָה וְאֵימְתָנִי וְתַקִּיפָא. רַבִּי יוּדָן וְרַבִּי הוּנָא, רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי וְרַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי, כִּדְגָלִים אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא כַּנִּדְגָּלוֹת, כַּדּוֹר שֶׁנִּתְנַדְנֵד לְגָלוּת, אֵיזֶה זֶה, זֶה דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל חִזְקִיָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה לז, ג): יוֹם צָרָה וְתוֹכֵחָה. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אֵימָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים ב לב, כג): וַיִּנַּשֵֹּׂא לְעֵינֵי כָל הַגּוֹיִם. רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי כִּדְגָלִים אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא כַּנִּדְגָּלוֹת, כַּדּוֹר שֶׁנִּתְנַדְנֵד לִגְלוֹת וְלֹא גָלָה, וְאֵיזֶה זֶה, זֶה דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (זכריה יד, ב): וְאָסַפְתִּי אֶת כָּל הַגּוֹיִם אֶל יְרוּשָׁלָיִם לַמִּלְחָמָה. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֵימָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה יא, ד): וְהִכָּה אֶרֶץ בְּשֵׁבֶט פִּיו. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר יִרְמְיָה, בַּשָּׁעָה הַהִיא יִהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְנַדְנְדִים מִמַּסָּע לְמַסָּע. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין אוֹמֵר אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֱבִיאַנִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמַרְתֵּף שֶׁל יַיִן זֶה סִינַי, שָׁם מִיכָאֵל וְדִגְלוֹ, גַּבְרִיאֵל וְדִגְלוֹ, אָמְרָה הַלְוַאי נִסַּע כַּטַּכְסִיס הַזֶּה שֶׁל מַעְלָן, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הוֹאִיל וְנִתְאַוּוּ בָּנַי לִהְיוֹת כַּדְּגָלִים, יַחֲנוּ בִּדְגָלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ב, ב): אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְּאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

“Who is she who appears like dawn, fair like the moon, pure like the sun, formidable like banners?” (Song of Songs 6:10)
“Who is she who appears like dawn?” There was an incident in which Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta were walking in the Arbel Valley in the early morning and they saw the light of dawn breaking. Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great said to Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta: So will the redemption of Israel burst forth, as it is written: “Though I sit in darkness, the Lord is a light for me” (Micah 7:8). Initially it will come little by little, then it will sparkle, then it will increase, and then it will continuously spread. So too, initially, “In those days, Mordekhai was sitting at the king’s gate” (Esther 2:21), then, “Mordekhai emerged from before the king in royal garments” (Esther 8:15), and then: “For the Jews there was light and joy…” (Esther 8:16).
“Like dawn,” if so, just as the dawn has no shade, could it be, perhaps, that the same is true of Israel?³⁴Is it true that they have no protection? The verse states: “Fair like the moon.” If so, just as the light of the moon is not clear, perhaps the same is true of Israel? The verse states: “Pure like the sun,” that is what is written: “Let those who love Him be like the powerfully rising sun” (Judges 5:31). If so, just as the sun beats down, is the same, perhaps, true of Israel? The verse states: “Fair like the moon,” that is what is written: “How precious is Your kindness, God” (Psalms 36:8). If so, just as the moon is at times deficient and at times full, is the same, perhaps, true of Israel? The verse states: “Pure like the sun.” If so, just as the sun serves by day and does not serve by night, is the same, perhaps, true of Israel? The verse states: “Fair like the moon,” just as the moon serves by day and by night, as it is written in its regard: “To rule by day and by night” (Genesis 1:18), so too Israel, they are in this world and they are in the World to Come. If so, just as the sun and the moon do not induce fear, is the same, perhaps, true of Israel? The verse states: “Formidable like banners,” like the banners On High, like Mikhael and his banner, Gavriel and his banner. From where is it derived that they induce fear? As it is stated: “They had backs, and they were tall, and they were fearsome” (Ezekiel 1:18).
Rabbi Yehoshua said: It is like the fear of those below, e.g., dukes, governors, and generals. From where is it derived that they induce fear? It is as it is stated: “Fearsome, terrifying, and strong” (Daniel 7:7). Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili and Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Elazar HaModa’i: “Like banners [kidgalim],” is not written here, but rather kanidgalot,³⁵ Degalim, in the masculine, would be perceived as an allusion to angels or leaders. Nidgalot, in the feminine, is an allusion to the exile [galut]. like the generation that was sliding toward exile. Which is this? This is the generation of Hezekiah, as it is stated: “A day of distress and rebuke” (Isaiah 37:3). From where is it derived that they induced fear? It is as it is stated: “He was thereafter exalted in the eyes of all the nations” (II Chronicles 32:23).
Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of Rabbi Elazar HaModa’i: “Like banners [kidgalim]” is not written here, but rather kanidgalot, like the generation that would slide toward exile, but would not be exiled. Which is this? This is the generation of the messianic king. That is what is written: “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem for the war” (Zechariah 14:2). From where is it derived that [the messianic king] will induce fear? As it is stated: “He will strike the world with the rod of his mouth” (Isaiah 11:4). Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Yirmeya: At that time, Israel will be moving from journey to journey.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin says: The congregation of Israel said: ‘The Holy One blessed be He brought me to a wine cellar, this is Sinai; Mikhael and his banner and Gavriel and his banner were there.’ It said: ‘If only we could travel like the supernal array.’ At that time, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Since My children desire to be like the banners, they shall encamp by banners,’ as it is stated: “Each at his banner with the insignias by their patrilineal houses, the children of Israel shall encamp” (Numbers 2:2).

אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי נִמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּאֱגוֹזָה, מָה הָאֱגוֹזָה נִגְזֶזֶת וְנֶחֱלֶפֶת לְטוֹבָתָהּ הִיא נִגְזֶזֶת, לָמָּה שֶׁהִיא מַחֲלֶפֶת כַּשֵֹּׂעָר הַזֶּה שֶׁנִּגְזַז וְנֶחְלַף, וְכַצִּפָּרְנַיִם הַלָּלוּ שֶׁנִּגְזָזִין וְנֶחֱלָפִין, כָּךְ כָּל מַה שֶּׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נִגְזָזִין מֵעֲמָלָן וְנוֹתְנִין לַעֲמֵלֵי תּוֹרָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, לְטוֹבָתָן הֵן נִגְזָזִין וְנֶחֱלָפִין לָהֶם, וּמַרְבִּין לָהֶם עשֶׁר בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְשָׂכָר טוֹב לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר, מָה הַנְּטִיעוֹת הַלָּלוּ אִם אַתְּ מְכַסֶּה שָׁרְשֵׁיהֶם בִּשְׁעַת נְטִיעָתָן הֵן מַצְלִיחוֹת, וְאִם לָאו אֵין מַצְלִיחוֹת, אֲבָל הָאֱגוֹז הַזֶּה, אִם אַתְּ מְכַסֶּה שָׁרָשָׁיו בִּשְׁעַת נְטִיעָתוֹ, אֵינוֹ מַצְלִיחַ. כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל (משלי כח, יג): מְכַסֶּה פְּשָׁעָיו לֹא יַצְלִיחַ. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָשָׁה, לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ קְרָא לְמֵימַר אֶלָּא אֶל גִּנַּת יָרָק, וְאָמַר אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז, אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם כֹּחָן שֶׁל נְטִיעוֹת וְזִיוָן שֶׁל יָרָק. רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה אָמַר תַּרְתֵּי, מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה עֵצוֹ מְשַׁמֵּר פִּרְיוֹ, כָּךְ עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מַחֲזִיקִין בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי ג, יח): עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ. אֲמַר חוֹרִי מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה אִם נוֹפֵל לְתוֹךְ הַטִּנֹפֶת אַתְּ נוֹטְלוֹ וּמוֹרְקוֹ וְשׁוֹטְפוֹ וּמְדִיחוֹ וְהוּא חוֹזֵר כִּתְחִלָּתוֹ, וְהוּא יָפֶה לַאֲכִילָה, כָּךְ כָּל מַה שֶּׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מִתְלַכְלְכִין בַּעֲוֹנוֹת כָּל יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה, בָּא יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וּמְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ויקרא טז, ל): כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן אוֹמֵר מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה יֵשׁ לוֹ שְׁתֵּי קְלִפּוֹת, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לָהֶם שְׁתֵּי מִצְווֹת, מִילָה וּפְרִיעָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז, אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה חָלָק, דִּתְנֵינַן רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר אַף בַּחֲלִיקֵי אֱגוֹזִים, וְכָל מִי שֶׁעוֹלֶה לְרֹאשׁוֹ וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן דַּעְתּוֹ הֵיאַךְ יַעֲלֶה הוּא נוֹפֵל וּמֵת, וְנוֹטֵל שֶׁלּוֹ מִן הָאֱגוֹז, כָּךְ כָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא מַנְהִיג שְׂרָרָה עַל הַצִּבּוּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן דַּעְתּוֹ הֵיאַךְ הוּא מַנְהִיג אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, סוֹף שֶׁהוּא נוֹפֵל וְנוֹטֵל שֶׁלּוֹ מִתַּחַת יְדֵיהֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ירמיה ב, ג): קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַה' רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה כָּל אֹכְלָיו יֶאְשָׁמוּ וגו'. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה שְׂחוֹק לַתִּינוֹקוֹת וְשַׁעֲשׁוּעַ לַמְּלָכִים, כָּךְ הֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה עַל יְדֵי עֲוֹנוֹת, דִּכְתִיב (איכה ג, יד): הָיִיתִי שְׂחֹק לְכָל עַמִּי וגו', אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא (ישעיה מט, כג): וְהָיוּ מְלָכִים אֹמְנַיִךְ. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶל גִּנַת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, מָה הָאֱגוֹז הַזֶּה יֵשׁ בּוֹ אֱגוֹזֵי פֶרֶךְ, אֱגוֹזִים בֵּינוֹנִים, וֶאֱגוֹזִים קַנְטְרָנִין, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ מֵהֶן עוֹשִׂין צְדָקָה מֵאֲלֵיהֶן, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁאִם אַתָּה תּוֹבְעָן הֵם נוֹתְנִים, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁאַתְּ תּוֹבְעָן וְאֵין עוֹשִׂין. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי מַתְלָא אֲמַר תַּרְעָא דְּלָא פְּתִיחַ לְמִצְוָותָהּ יְהֵא פְּתִיחַ לְאַסְיָא. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה הָאֶבֶן שׁוֹבְרוֹ, כָּךְ הַתּוֹרָה קְרוּיָה אֶבֶן, וְיֵצֶר הָרָע קָרוּי אֶבֶן. הַתּוֹרָה קְרוּיָה אֶבֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כד, יב): וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן, וְיֵצֶר הָרָע קָרוּי אֶבֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל לו, כב): וַהֲסִרֹתִי אֶת לֵב הָאֶבֶן מִבְּשַׂרְכֶם. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי לִמְקוֹם אֲרִימוֹן שֶׁהוּא מְשֻׁבָּשׁ בִּגְיָסוֹת, מֶה עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ הוֹשִׁיב בּוֹ כּוֹסְטַרְיָינִים בִּשְׁבִיל לְשָׁמְרוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא יְקַפְּחוּ לָעוֹבְרִים וְלַשָּׁבִים. כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא תּוֹרָה קְרוּיָה אֶבֶן וְיֵצֶר הָרָע קָרוּי אֶבֶן, תְּהֵא הָאֶבֶן מְשַׁמֵּר הָאֶבֶן. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶל גִּנַת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִגְנוֹב הַמֶּכֶס שֶׁלּוֹ שֶׁהוּא נִשְׁמַע וְנִכָּר, כָּךְ הֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאֶחָד מֵהֶם הוֹלֵךְ אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ יְהוּדִי, לָמָּה, שֶׁהוּא נִכָּר, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ישעיה סא, ט): כָּל רֹאֵיהֶם יַכִּירוּם כִּי הֵם זֶרַע בֵּרַךְ ה'. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה הַשַֹּׂק מָלֵא אֱגוֹזִים בְּיָדְךָ, אַתְּ נוֹתֵן לְתוֹכוֹ כַּמָּה שֻׁמְשְׁמִים, כַּמָּה חַרְדָּלִים, וְהֵן מַחֲזִיקִין. כָּךְ כַּמָּה גֵרִים בָּאוּ וְנִתּוֹסְפוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (במדבר כג, י): מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה אַתְּ נוֹטֵל אֶחָד מֵהַכְּרִי וְכֻלָּן מִדַּרְדְּרִין וּמִתְגַּלְגְּלִים זֶה אַחַר זֶה, כָּךְ הֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל לָקָה אֶחָד מֵהֶן כֻּלָּן מַרְגִּישִׁין, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (במדבר טז, כב): הָאִישׁ אֶחָד יֶחֱטָא וְעַל כָּל הָעֵדָה תִּקְצֹף. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה מָה אֱגוֹז זֶה עָשׂוּי אַרְבַּע מְגוּרוֹת וְהַסִּירָה בָּאֶמְצַע, כָּךְ הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁרוּיִין בַּמִּדְבָּר, אַרְבָּעָה דְּגָלִים, אַרְבָּעָה מַחֲנוֹת, וְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בָּאֶמְצַע, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (במדבר ב, יז): וְנָסַע אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי, זֶה הָעוֹלָם. לִרְאוֹת בְּאִבֵּי הַנָּחַל, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. לִרְאוֹת הֲפָרְחָה הַגֶּפֶן, אֵלּוּ בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת. הֵנֵצוּ הָרִמֹּנִים, אֵלּוּ הַתִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְעוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה, וְיוֹשְׁבִין שׁוּרוֹת שׁוּרוֹת כְּגַרְעִינֵי רִמּוֹנִים.

“I went down to the nut garden to look at the budding of the valley, to see if the vine had blossomed and the pomegranates were in bloom” (Song of Songs 6:11).
“I went down to the nut garden,” Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Israel was likened to a nut tree. Just as a nut tree is pruned, and it regenerates, [such that] it is pruned for its own good – why? – because it regenerates, like that which is trimmed and regenerates, and like fingernails that are trimmed and regenerate, so too, whatever Israel pares from the wages of their labor and gives to those who toil in Torah study in this world, it is pared and regenerated for them, to their benefit. It provides them with wealth in this world and a fine reward in the World to Come.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Just as these trees, if you cover their roots at the time of their planting, they are successful, and if not, they are not successful, but this nut tree, if you cover its roots at the time of its planting, it is not successful, so too Israel, “one who conceals his transgressions will not succeed” (Proverbs 28:13).
Rabbi Elasha said: The verse should have stated only: “To the vegetable garden,” but it said: “To the nut garden.” Thus, it teaches that He gave them the strength of trees and the radiance of vegetables. Rabbi Azarya said two: Just as the shell of a nut protects its fruit, so the ignoramuses of Israel support the Torah.³⁶They do so by supporting those who engage in Torah study. That is what is written: “It is a tree of life for those who grasp it” (Proverbs 3:18).
He said another: Just as this nut, if it falls into filth, you take it, scour it and rinse it, and it is restored to its original state and it is fit for consumption, so too, regardless of how much Israel is sullied with iniquities all the days of the year, Yom Kippur comes and atones for them. That is what is written: “For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to purify you” (Leviticus 16:30). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon says: Just as this nut has two shells, so, Israel has two commandments, circumcision and uncovering.³⁷These are the two stages of circumcision, which are likened to the removal of the hard and the soft shells of a nut.
Another matter, “to the nut garden,” Reish Lakish said: Just as this nut tree is smooth, as we learned (Pe’a 4:1): Rabbi Shimon says: Regarding the smooth nut trees as well.³⁸As opposed to other trees, where one may leave the pe’a fruit on the tree for the poor, one may not do so on a nut tree, because it is smooth and dangerous to climb it. Therefore, one must remove all the nuts from the tree. Anyone who climbs to the top of it, and does not pay attention to how he should climb, will fall and die. He will receive his due from the nut tree. So too, anyone who asserts authority over the public in Israel and does not pay attention as to how he should lead Israel, ultimately, he will fall and receive his due from them. That is what is written: “Israel is sacred to the Lord, the first of His crop, all those who devour it will be guilty…” (Jeremiah 2:3).
Another matter, “I went down to the nut garden,” just as the nut is a toy for children and amusement for kings, so are Israel in this world, due to iniquity, as it is written: “I have become a laughingstock to all my people…” (Lamentations 3:14). But in the future, “Kings will be your caregivers” (Isaiah 49:23).
Another matter, “I went down to the nut garden,” just as on this nut tree there are nuts with brittle shells, medium shells, and hard shells, so too with Israel, some of them give charity at their own initiative, some give if you demand it from them, and some do not give even if you demand it from them. Rabbi Levi said: The parable says, a gate that does not open for a mitzva will open for a doctor.
Another matter, “I went down to the nut garden,” just as a stone breaks a nut, so too, the Torah is called a stone and the evil inclination is called a stone. The Torah is called a stone, as it is stated: “I will give you the stone tablets” (Exodus 24:12), and the evil inclination is called a stone, as it is stated: “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Rabbi Levi said: [This is analogous] to a desolate place which was afflicted by gangs. What did the king do? He positioned members of the royal guard there to defend it, so [the bandits] would not accost passersby. So too, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘The Torah is called stone and the evil inclination is called stone, let the stone protect from the stone.’
Another matter, “I went down to the nut garden,” just as the nut cannot be smuggled past the tax collector because its [rattling] can be heard and it is conspicuous, so too Israel, any place that one of them goes, he cannot say that he is not a Jew. Why? Because he is conspicuous. That is what is written: “Everyone who sees them will recognize them, for they are the descendants of the blessed of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:9).
Another matter, “I went down to the nut garden,” just as the nut, if you have a sack filled with nuts, you can [still] put numerous sesame seeds and mustard seeds into it and it will hold them, so too, numerous proselytes have come and joined Israel. That is what is written: “Who has counted the dust of Jacob” (Numbers 23:10).
Another matter, “I went down to the nut garden,” just as the nut, if you take one from the pile, all of them collapse and roll onto one another, the same is true of Israel; if one of them is stricken all of them feel it. That is what is written: “Shall one man sin, and You will rage against the entire congregation?” (Numbers 16:22).
Rabbi Berekhya said: Just as the nut has four compartments and a space in the middle, so were Israel were situated in the wilderness; four banners, four camps, and the Tent of Meeting in the middle. That is what is written: “The Tent of Meeting…shall journey” (Numbers 2:17).
Another matter, “I went down to the nut garden,” this is the world. “To look at the budding of the valley, this is Israel. “To see if the vine had blossomed,” these are the synagogues and the study halls. “And the pomegranates were in bloom,” these are the children who sit and engage in Torah study, and sit in rows like pomegranate seeds.

לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי, תָּנֵי רַבִּי חִיָּא מָשָׁל לְבַת מְלָכִים שֶׁהָיְתָה מְלַקֶּטֶת בַּשְּׁלָפִים, נִמְצָא הַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹבֵר וְהִכִּיר שֶׁהִיא בִּתּוֹ, שָׁלַח אוֹהֲבוֹ נְטָלָהּ וְהוֹשִׁיבָהּ עִמּוֹ בַּקְּרוֹנִין, וְהָיוּ חַבְרוֹתֶיהָ תְּמֵהוֹת עָלֶיהָ וְאוֹמְרוֹת, אֶתְמוֹל הָיְתָה מְלַקֶּטֶת בַּשְּׁלָפִים וְהַיּוֹם יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּקְּרוֹנִין עִם הַמֶּלֶךְ, אָמְרָה לָהֶם כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאַתֶּם תְּמֵהוֹת עָלַי כָּךְ אֲנִי תְּמֵהָה עַל עַצְמִי, וְקָרָאת עַל עַצְמָהּ; לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי. כָּךְ כְּשֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם מְשֻׁעְבָּדִין בְּטִיט וּלְבֵנִים וְהָיוּ מְאוּסִין וּבְזוּיִין בְּעֵינֵי הַמִּצְרִיִּים, וּכְשֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי חוֹרִין וְנִגְאֲלוּ וְנַעֲשׂוּ סְגָנִים עַל כָּל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם, וְהָיוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם תְּמֵהוֹת וְאוֹמְרוֹת אֶתְמוֹל הֱיִיתֶם עוֹבְדִים בְּטִיט וּלְבֵנִים וְהַיּוֹם נַעֲשֵׂיתֶם בְּנֵי חוֹרִין וּסְגָנִים עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם, וְהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאַתֶּם תְּמֵהִים עָלֵינוּ כָּךְ אָנוּ תְּמֵהִים עַל עַצְמֵנוּ, וְקָרְאוּ עַל עַצְמָן: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי, בְּיוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, אֶתְמוֹל (תהלים קה, יח): עִנּוּ בַכֶּבֶל רַגְלוֹ בַּרְזֶל בָּאָה נַפְשׁוֹ, וְהַיּוֹם (בראשית מב, ו): וְיוֹסֵף הוּא הַשַּׁלִּיט עַל הָאָרֶץ, וְקָרָא עַל עַצְמוֹ: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי, הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר בְּדָוִד, אֶתְמוֹל הָיָה בּוֹרֵחַ מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל, וְהַיּוֹם וַיְהִי דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ, וְקָרָא עַל עַצְמוֹ: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי, הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר בְּמָרְדֳּכַי, אֶתְמוֹל (אסתר ד, א): וַיִּלְבַּשׁ שַׂק וָאֵפֶר, וְהַיּוֹם (אסתר ח, טו): וּמָרְדֳּכַי יָצָא מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּלְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת תְּכֵלֶת וָחוּר וגו', וְקָרָא עַל עַצְמוֹ: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי, הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמֶרֶת לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם (מיכה ז, ח): אַל תִּשְׂמְחִי אֹיַבְתִּי לִי כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיִיתִי יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּחשֶׁךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הוֹצִיאַנִי לָאוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מיכה ז, ח): כִּי אֵשֵׁב בַּחשֶׁךְ ה' אוֹר לִי, וְקָרְאָה עַל עַצְמָהּ: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי. יוּסְטָא חַיָּיטָא דְצִפּוֹרִין, סְלֵק לְמַלְכוּתָא וְאִיתְקַבַּל לְמַלְכָּא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַלְכָּא שְׁאַל שְׁאֵלָה וְאֶתֵּן לָךְ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ הַב דּוּכְסוּתָא דְגַבָּן, יְהַב לֵיהּ מַלְכָּא, כַּד נְסַב דוּכְסוּתָא נְחַת מִינָהּ, הֲווֹ אִילֵין דְּחַכְּמִין לֵיהּ אָמְרִין הוּא הוּא, וּמִנְּהוֹן אָמְרִין לֵית הוּא הוּא. אֲמַר לוֹן חַד כְּדוּן הוּא עָבַר בְּשׁוּקָא, אִין הוּא מִסְתַּכֵּל לְהַהוּא מִסְטוֹבִיתָא דַּהֲוָה נָהֵיג יָתֵיב וּמְחַיֵּיט עֲלָהּ הוּא הוּא, וְאִין לָא לֵית הוּא. עֲבַר בְּשׁוּקָא וְשָׁרֵי מִסְתַּכֵּל לְהַהוּא מִסְטוֹבִיתָא דַּהֲוָה נָהֵיג יָתֵיב וּמְחַיֵּיט עֲלָהּ, וְחַכְּמוּנֵיהּ דְּהוּא הוּא. אֲמַר לוֹן אַתּוּן תְּמֵהִין עָלַי וַאֲנָא תָּמַהּ עָלַי יוֹתֵר מִנְכוֹן, וְקָרוֹן עֲלֵיהּ: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי נַפְשִׁי שָׂמַתְנִי וגו'. עַמִּי נָדִיב, עִמִּי הֲוָה מְהַלֵּךְ נָדִיב חֵי הָעוֹלָמִים.

“I did not know; my soul placed me upon chariots of my noble people” (Song of Songs 6:12).
“I did not know; my soul placed me,” Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: This is comparable to the daughter of kings, who was gathering residual sheaves. The king passed and recognized that she was his daughter. He sent his friend and he took her and seated her with him in his carriage. Her friends were astonished in her regard and saying: ‘Yesterday she was gathering residual sheaves and today she is in the carriage with the king?’ She said to them: ‘Just as you are astonished about me, so I am astonished about myself.’ She declared about herself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
So too, when Israel was in Egypt, they were enslaved with mortar and bricks and were despicable and contemptible in the eyes of the Egyptians. When they became free men and were redeemed, they became elevated over all mankind. The nations of the world were astonished and saying, ‘Yesterday you were working with mortar and bricks, and now you have become free men, elevated over the entire world?’ Israel said to them: ‘Just as you are astonished about us, so are we astonished about ourselves.’ They declared about themselves: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” it is regarding Joseph the righteous that the verse is speaking. Yesterday, “they tortured his legs with chains; his body was placed in irons” (Psalms 105:18), and today, “Joseph is the ruler over the land” (Genesis 42:6). He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of David. Yesterday he was fleeing from Saul, and today, David is king. He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of Mordekhai. Yesterday, “he donned sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:1), and today, “Mordekhai emerged from before the king in royal garments of sky-blue and white…” (Esther 8:15). He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of the congregation of Israel. The congregation of Israel says to the nations of the world: “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I fell, I will rise” (Micah 7:8). When I was sitting in the dark, the Holy One blessed be He took me out to the light, as it is stated: “Though I sit in the darkness, the Lord is a light to me” (Micah 7:8). It declared about itself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Yusta, the tailor of Tzippori, ascended to the royal palace and found favor with the king. The king said to him: ‘Make a request and I will grant it to you.’ He said to him: ‘Appoint me governor over our locale [Tzippori].’ The king granted it to him. When he was appointed governor, he descended from it.³⁹He descended from the palace back to Tzippori. Some of those who knew him said: ‘It is him,’⁴⁰When they saw him approaching they identified him as Yusta the tailor. And some of them said: ‘It is not him.’ One said to the others: ‘He will now pass through the marketplace; if he looks at the stall upon which he would sit and sew, it is him. If not, it is not him.’ He passed through the marketplace and he began to look at the stall upon which he would sit and sew, and they realized that it was him. He said to them: ‘You are astonished about me, but I am astonished about myself more than you are.’ They declared of him: “I did not know; my soul placed me…” “My noble people [ami],” the noble One accompanied me [imi]—the One who lives eternally.