Midrasch zu Schir haSchirim 8:5

(Lev. 6:2:) “This is the law of the burnt offering.” This text is related (to Ps. 89:7), “For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord, is like the Lord among the children of the powerful ones?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “If I had [merely] desired an offering, would I not have told (the angel) Michael to bring me an offering? From whom do I desire sacrifice? From Israel.” And so it says about the shewbread (in Lev. 24:8), “on every Sabbath day shall he arrange it.” But it is written (in Micah 6:7), “Does the Lord want thousands of rams?” Balaam the wicked was an advocate¹Gk.: synegoros. for the nations of the world. It is in reference to the nations that that [Scripture] speaks (in Micah 6:7), “Does the Lord want thousands of rams with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” He wants what you offer to Him, [i.e.] a log²A log is a liquid measure that equals the contents of six eggs. of oil. We (gentiles) offer Him ten thousand times ten thousands rivers of oil. What did Abraham offer to Him? Was it not one ram? It is so stated (in Gen. 22:13), “Then [Abraham] lifted his eyes to look and there was a ram behind….” If He wants, we should offer Him thousands of rams; but what did Abraham offer Him? His son. I might offer Him my son and daughter, as stated (in Micah 6:7, cont.), “shall I give my first-born for my transgression,” this is my first-born son; “the fruit of my belly for the sin of my soul,” this is my daughter. See how crafty Balaam the wicked was! He began to say (in Numb. 23:4), “I have prepared the seven altars [and offered a ram and a bull on each altar].” He did not say, "seven altars," but, “the [seven] altars.” These are [all of the] seven altars, [which] they had built since the first Adam was created up to now. Now I am offering seven corresponding to the seven of them. And what did they offer? Twelve cakes, as stated (in Lev. 24:5), “Then you shall take fine white flour and bake it into twelve cakes.” When the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to him, He said to him, “O wicked one, what are you doing?” He said to Him (in Numb. 23:4) “I have prepared the seven altars.” To whom is this wicked one comparable? To a butcher who sold [meat] in the market. When his store was full of meat, thieves saw [him] and looked at the meat. [When] that butcher saw that he was looking at the meat, he said to him, “Sir, I have already sent provisions³Gk.: opsonion. to your house.” So it was with Balaam. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “O wicked one, what are you doing here?” He said to Him (in Numb. 23:4), “I have prepared the seven altars with a bull and a ram on each altar.” He said to Him (in Micah 6:7), “Does the Lord want thousands of rams?” He said to Him (ibid., cont.), “Shall I give my first-born for my transgression?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “O evil one, if I had desired an offering, I would have spoken to Michael and Gabriel, and they would have presented offerings to me.” It is so stated (in Ps. 89:7), “For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord, is like the Lord among the children of the powerful ones?” This is [referring to] Balaam, who desired to imitate [what is done by] the children of the powerful ones to the Holy One, blessed be He. [“Among the children of the powerful ones” is referring to] the children of Abraham [which] are Isaac and Jacob. [These are the ones] who are the rams of the world. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “What do you desire? To deceive yourself before Me? [To persuade] Me to accept offerings from the gentiles? You are not able. It is an oath (in the words of Lev. 24:8, cont.), ‘an everlasting covenant on the part of the Children of Israel.’ It is a stipulation that I only accept offerings from Israel.” It is so stated (in Lev. 6:2), “Command Aaron and his children, saying.” When the nations said, “What is this, whereby Israel is presenting offerings and sacrificing?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (ibid.), “This is the law of the burnt offering (rt.: 'lh),” [referring to (Cant. 3:6),] “Who is this that comes up (rt.: 'lh) from the desert?” (Exod. 19:3:) “Then Moses went up (rt.: 'lh) unto God.” Another interpretation (of Lev. 6:1-2) “Then the Lord spoke…, ‘Command Aaron…, “This is the law of the burnt offering”’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Fulfill what is written above on the matter. Then after that [comes,] ‘This is the law of the burnt offering.’” Why? (Is. 61:8) “Because I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery with a burnt offering,” [meaning] even with a burnt offering. What is written above on the matter (in Lev. 5:23)? “And it shall come to pass that, when one has sinned and is guilty, he shall restore the stolen goods which he robbed.” Then after that (in Lev. 6:2), “This is the law of the burnt offering.” If you desire to present an offering, you shall not rob anyone. Why? “Because I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery with a burnt offering.” So when do you present a burnt offering so that I accept it? When your hands are clean of robbery. David said (in Ps. 24:3-4), “Who may ascend (rt.: 'lh) the hill of the Lord, and who may stand in His holy place? One with clean hands and a pure heart.” “This is the law of the burnt offering,” the one who has hands clean of robbery, he “may stand in His holy place.” “From the beginning of [this book on] offerings you learn (in Lev. 1:2), “Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them, ‘When one (adam) of you presents an offering.” Why is Adam mentioned? It is simply that the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “When you sacrifice to Me, you shall be like the first Adam in that he did not rob from others, since he was alone in the world. So also you shall not rob people. Why? (Is. 61:8:) ‘Because I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery with a burnt offering.’” Another interpretation (of Lev. 6:2), “This is the Torah of the burnt offering”: Why is it named a burnt offering ('olah, rt.: 'lh)? Because it is the highest (rt.: 'lh) of all the offerings. It is that which ascends ('olah, rt.: 'lh). You should know that when someone brings a sin offering, the priest takes it, and likewise the meal offering. Moreover, the peace offerings belong to their owners and a guilt offering belongs to the priest. In the case of the burnt offering, however, no creature tastes it. Rather all of it belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, it is called burnt offering ('olah, rt.: 'lh), because it ascends ('olah) to the Holy One, blessed be He, who is [the] Most High (rt.: 'lh).

...and when the Israelite women conceived, they would return to their homes. When they were about to go into labor, the women would go out into the fields and give birth in the apple orchards, as it is written: "I woke you under the apple [tree]" (Song of Songs 8:5). And the Lord Blessed be He would send an angel from the heavens who cleaned them and made them beautiful, just as a new mother grooms her infant, as it is written: "And as for your birth, on the day you were born..." (Ezekiel 16:4), and He grants them two round cakes, one of oil and the other of honey, as it is written: "And He [God] suckled Him [ The Children of Israel] with honey from the rock..." (Deuteronomy 32:13). And as soon as the Egyptians would become aware of this, they sought to kill them. And a miracle happened, and the cihldren were swallowed up by the earth, and bulls would come and plow the ground above them, as it is written: "Upon my back the plowers plowed" (Psalms 129:3). And once the Egyptians would pass, the infants would rise up from the mud like grass from the field, as it is written: "I have made you grow like the plantlings in the field..." (Ezekiel 16:7) And when the babes grew, they would flock to their homes in great droves, as it says: "And you came in all your finest and dressiest," (Ezekiel 16:7) - do not read "finest and dressiest" but rather "flocked in droves." And when the Lord Blessed be He revealed Himself at the Sea of Reeds, they were the first to recognize Him instantly, as it says: "THIS is my God, and I will praise Him." (Exodus 15:2).

R. Oshiya said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Zech. 11, 7) And I had taken unto me two staves; the one I called Graciousness (No'am), and the other I called Concord (Choblim): i.e., No'am refers to the scholars of Palestine who are polite to one another while discussing halacha. Choblim, refers to the scholars of Babylon who wounded [each other's feelings] while discussing halacha." (Ib. 4, 14) Then he said to me: 'They are the two sons of Yizhari (clear oil), that stand by the Lord, etc. (Ib., ib. 3) And two olive trees are naer it.' R. Isaac said: "This refers to the scholars of Palestine, who please each other during halachik discussions like olive oil; and the two olive trees near it, refer to the Babylonian scholars who enrage one another with bitterness during halachik discussions," just as an olive tree is bitter." It is written (Ib. 5, 9) Then did I lift up my eyes and looked, and behold, there came out two women, having the wind in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the Ephah between the. earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that spoke to me, 'Whither are these bearing away the Ephah?' And he said unto me: 'To build a home for it in the land of Shinar.' R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: "These two women refer to cringing submissions [to power] and haughtiness [to the weak], which came to Babylon." Did then haughtiness come to Babylon? Behold the master said elsewhere: "Ten measures of haughtiness came down upon the world of which nine were taken by Elam and the one measure was given to the entire world." Yea, their intention was to go to Babylon, but they were dragged along to Elam. You can also infer this from [the expression] of the passage to build (intended) a house in the land of Shinar. The explanation is sustained. Is then haughtiness not frequent also in Babylon? Behold the master said: "The symptom for haughtiness is poverty and [nine out of ten measures of] poverty went to Babylon." The poverty mentioned here refers to the Torah, as it is written (Songs 8, 5) We have a little sister and she has yet no breasts, whereupon R. Jochanan said: "This refer to Elam, which merited to [have cholars to] learn, but not to teach others." What is the meaning of the word Babel (Babylon)? R. Jochanan said: "A mixture of Scripture, Mishnah and Talmud." (Lam 3, 6) In dark places hath He set ms to dwell. R. Jeremiah said: "This refers to Babylon" [where the scholars are not agreeable to one another].