Cantar de los Cantares 4:2 Midrash: Midrash Tanchuma, Shir HaShirim Rabbah, Aggadat Bereshit & Bamidbar Rabbah

(Numb. 31:2:) “Exact vengeance [for the Children of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered unto your people].” R. Judah said, “If Moses had wanted to live for several [more] years, he could have remained alive; as the Holy One, blessed be He, had made his death dependent upon the vengeance against Midian.⁷Numb. R. 22:2. It is simply to show you the praise of Moses, as he did not say, ‘For the sake of my remaining alive, I shall delay the Children of Israel's vengeance on Midian.’ [Rather] immediately (in vs. 3), ‘Moses spoke unto the people, saying, “Arm some of your number (anashim) for the army, and let them fall on Midian.”’” [The word,] anashim, [implies that they were] righteous. So also elsewhere (in Exod. 17:9), “Choose anashim for us,”⁸Here also, as in Numb. 31:3, anashim implies that those chosen were righteous. [implies] righteous men. And so too (in Job 4:13), “in the falling of slumber upon anashim.” (Numb. 31:3, cont.:) “To render the vengeance of the Lord against Midian.” The Holy One, blessed be He, had said (in vs. 2), “the vengeance of the Children of Israel”; but Moses says (here in vs. 3), “the vengeance of the Lord.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “It is your judgment that is called for, because they caused Me to harm you.” [But] Moses said, “Master of the world, if we had been uncircumcised or practitioners of star worship or had denied [the binding force of] the commandments, they would not have persecuted us. On the contrary, [they have done so precisely] because of the Torah and commandments which You have given. The vengeance, therefore, is Yours.” Ergo (in Numb. 31:3), “to render the vengeance of the Lord against Midian.” (Numb. 31:4:) “[You shall send to the war] a thousand per tribe [from all the tribes of Israel].” Some say, “He sent two thousand from each and every tribe.” But others say, “Three thousand from each and every tribe, with twelve thousand armed shock troops, twelve thousand to guard the baggage, and about them it is stated (in Cant. 4:2), ‘Your teeth are like a flock of ewes…,’ and twelve thousand for prayer.”⁹Numb. R. 22:3. And where is it shown? Where it is stated (ibid.), “A thousand per tribe (literally, a thousand per tribe; a thousand per tribe).”¹⁰For the third thousand per tribe, Numb. R. 22:3 cites Numb. 31:5, which repeats: A THOUSAND PER TRIBE, for the third time. (Numb. 31:5:) “So from the thousands in Israel there were furnished a thousand per tribe.” What is the meaning of “were furnished?” That they were furnished for each other in pairs.¹¹Gk.: zeuge, zuga; Lat.: jugera. The probable meaning is that for each thousand who fought, there were a thousand replacements. Another interpretation [of “were furnished”]: They were furnished by force. Since Scripture had made the death of Moses dependent upon the vengeance against Midian, they said, “Shall we go against Midian and let Moses die?” They refrained from going. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Cast lots over the tribes, and they will be furnished automatically.” (Numb. 31:6:) “Then Moses sent them, a thousand per tribe [along with Phinehas ben Eleazar].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in vs. 2), “’Take vengeance,’ by yourself,” and he sent others?¹²Numb. R. 22:4. It was simply because he had been raised in Midian, he said, “It is not right for me to oppress those who have done good to me.” The proverb says, “Do not cast a stone into a cistern from which you have drunk water.” But some say that this is not the same Midian in which Moses was raised. As this one is next to Moab and it is [still] desolate until now. And why did He send Phinehas (instead of someone else)? He said, “Whoever has begun a commandment should finish it. [Phinehas] has (according to Numb. 25:11) ‘turned around My wrath’ (by executing an Israelite man copulating with the Midianite woman). Let him finish the commandment [that he undertook].” (Numb. 31:6, cont.:) “And the vessels of the sanctuary (haqodesh).” This refers to the ark (and its contents), since it is stated (in Numb. 7:9), “because they (i.e., the Children of Kohath) had the service of the holy (haqodesh) objects, which they carried on the shoulder.” R. Johanan said, “These were the priestly garments, in which were the urim and thummim, as stated (in Exod. 29:29), ‘And the sacred (haqodesh) garments of Aaron.’” (Numb. 31:8:) “They also killed Balaam ben Beor with the sword.” Now what was he doing there? He had simply gone to receive a reward for the twenty-four thousand from Israel that had fallen through his counsel. And about him is it stated (in Prov. 26:27), “He who digs a pit will fall in it.” [It is like the] proverb about the camel that goes to put on and claim horns, while the ears that it had are severed from it. (Numb. 31:11-12:) “Then they took all the plunder…. And they brought unto Moses and Elazar the Priest.” [This text serves] to show their excellence, for they did not want to take the spoils without permission. Rather they had brought all of it before them; and [only] after that, they took [them with his permission]. (Numb. 31:13:) “Then Moses, Elazar the Priest, and the princes of the congregation [went out to meet them.” This text serves] to show Moses' humility, for they all were disciples of his disciples.

“Your neck is like the tower of David, built magnificently. One thousand bucklers are hung upon it, all the shields of the mighty” (Song of Songs 4:4).
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – regarding which David elevated [gidel] you in his book. Regarding what did David elevate you in his book? “Who split the Red Sea asunder, [His mercy endures forever. He led Israel through its midst]” (Psalms 136:13).¹⁴The fact that Israel was the recipient of this great miracle is a credit to them. “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – what is letalpiyot? It is the book that was stated by many mouths [piyot]. Ten people said the book of Psalms: Adam the first man, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon. Regarding these five there is no dispute. Who are the other five? Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan: Rav said: Asaf, Heiman, Yedutun, the three sons of Koraḥ,¹⁵The three sons of Koraḥ are counted as one. and Ezra; Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Asaf, Heiman, and Yedutun are one,¹⁶Asaf is one of the sons of Koraḥ, and Yedutun is not the name of an author, as explained below. each of the three sons of Koraḥ, and Ezra. In the opinion of Rav, Asaf is not included among the sons of Koraḥ. In the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, Asaf here is Asaf there;¹⁷The Asaf mentioned as an author of certain psalms (see, e.g., Psalms 50:1) is the same Asaf who was a son of Koraḥ (see Exodus 6:24, which mentions a son of Koraḥ named Aviasaf). however, because he was a Torah personality he was privileged to recite song with his brothers¹⁸The other sons of Koraḥ and to recite song on his own. In the opinion of Rav, it is a different Asaf, as it is stated: “With Asaf, who prophesied by means of the king” (I Chronicles 25:2).¹⁹The Asaf mentioned in this verse was a contemporary of King David and not a son of Koraḥ.
“Who prophesied” – Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan: Rav said: “To Yedutun” (Psalms 39:1) – who prophesied;²⁰This psalm was written by the individual named Yedutun who is mentioned as having prophesied (See I Chronicles 25:1). “regarding Yedutun” (Psalms 77:1) – regarding the punishments [dinin] that befell him and Israel. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “To Yedutun” [means] that [the psalmist] prophesied regarding the decrees [datin] and the punishment that befell him and Israel.²¹Even the Yedutun mentioned in Psalms 39 is not the name of a person. Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: Even though ten people said the book of Psalms, of all of them, it is not attributed to them, but exclusively to David king of Israel. They stated a parable: to what is this matter analogous? It is to a group of people who seek to recite a hymn to the king. The king said: You are all pleasant, you are all pious, you are all qualified to recite a hymn before me. However, so-and-so will recite it on behalf of all of you. Why? Because his voice is sweet. So too, when ten righteous people sought to recite the book of Psalms, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: You are all pleasant, pious, and qualified to recite a hymn before Me; however, David will recite it on behalf of all of you. Why? Because his voice is sweet. That is what is written: “The sweet singer of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: Who sweetly sings the psalms of Israel? It is David son of Yishai.
“One thousand bucklers are hung upon it” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who stood at the sea and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of what came after one thousand generations.²²The Torah was given after one thousand generations (see Bereshit Rabba 28:4; Kohelet Rabba 7:28). The first nine hundred seventy-four generations that were supposed to exist were erased because they were not worthy, and there were twenty-six generations from Adam to Moses.
“All the shields of the mighty” – to include one who stands and controls his inclination and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time; his entire generation depends upon him. By means of whom was the Red Sea split for you? It was by means of “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Moses and Aaron.
Rabbi Yoḥanan interpreted the verse regarding Israel before Mount Sinai: the flock that stood at Mount Sinai did not stand with lightheartedness. “Behind your braid [tzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – they would contract [metzamtzemin] themselves with each and every divine statement.²³They would huddle together in an expression of humility and unity. They would not stand with lightheartedness, but rather with fear, trembling, and agitation. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan cites it from here:²⁴This statement should appear after Rabbi Yehoshua’s statement that Israel was absolved of its sins at Sinai, which implies that the nations of the world, who did not receive the Torah, were still held accountable for their sins (Maharzu). It is written: “And the nations will be destroyed [ḥarov yeḥeravu]” (Isaiah 60:12) – from Ḥorev they will be destroyed, they received their death sentence.
“Your hair is like a flock of goats [that streams down [shegaleshu] from Mount Gilad]” (Song of Songs 4:1) – Rabbi Yehoshua said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The mountain from whose midst you took away [shegelashtem], I rendered it a memorial for the nations of the world. Which is this? This is Mount Sinai. What is it that you took away from its midst? “Your teeth are like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2) – defined matters, two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments and three hundred and sixty-five negative commandments. “That have come up from bathing” (Song of Songs 4:2) – all of them were cleansed of iniquity. Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Mesharshiya say in the name of Rabbi Idi: In all the additional offerings it is written: “And one goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 28:15), “and [one] goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 28:22). However, regarding Shavuot it is not written that there is a sin offering, to teach you that they did not have sin or iniquity attributed to them.
“That are all paired” (Song of Songs 4:2) – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: On the day that the Lord descended onto Mount Sinai to give the Torah to Israel, six hundred thousand ministering angels descended with him, and in the hand of each and every one of them was a crown with which to crown an Israelite, [one] for each and every one of Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana [said] in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: One million two hundred thousand ministering angels descended with the Holy One blessed be He to Sinai; one would adorn [an Israelite] with a crown and one would gird a zoni on him. What is a zoni? Rabbi Huna the Great of Tzippori said: It is a belt [zonam], just as it says: “He loosens the bonds of kings and girds a belt on their waists” (Job 12:18). “And there is none missing among them” (Song of Songs 4:2) – that not one of them was harmed.
“Your lips are like a scarlet thread” (Song of Songs 4:3) – this is the voice before the divine speech; just as it says: “The entire people responded with one voice” (Exodus 24:3). “Your speech is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3) – this is the voice that is after the divine speech, as it is stated: “The Lord heard the sound of your words…the Lord said to me: I heard the sound of the words…they did well in everything that they spoke” (Deuteronomy 5:25). What is “they did well [heitivu] in everything that they spoke”? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ada and bar Kappara: one said it was done well like the removal [hatava] of the ashes from the lamps of the candelabrum,²⁵This is performed after the flames are extinguished, a reference to what they said after the commandments. and one said it was done well like the preparation [hatava] of the incense.”²⁶This is performed before the incense is burned, a reference to what they said before the commandments. At that moment, Moses began lauding them: “Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice” (Song of Songs 4:3) – even the empty [hareikan] among you is packed with mitzvot like this pomegranate. It goes without saying: “Behind your braid [letzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – regarding the modest and the fervent [metzumatin] among you.
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – regarding which David elevated [gidel] you in his book. Regarding what did David elevate you in his book? “God, when You emerged before Your people” (Psalms 68:8). What is written thereafter? “The earth quaked…[this is Sinai; at the presence of God, the God of Israel]” (Psalms 68:9). Likewise, “The mountains flowed before the Lord; [this is Sinai before the Lord, God of Israel]” (Judges 5:5), as the verse did not need to say: “This is Sinai before the Lord, God of Israel.”²⁷It mentions Israel in order to accord them honor. “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – a book that was stated by many mouths [piyot].
“One thousand bucklers” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who stood before Mount Sinai and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of what came after one thousand generations.²⁸Moses You relied not only upon him, but rather, “all the shields of the mighty” – to include anyone who arises and controls and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time. Their entire generations depend upon them. By means of whom was the Torah given? It was by means of “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Moses and Aaron.

Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted the verse regarding the Midianite war. “Your hair is like a flock of goats” (Song of Songs 4:1) – the flocks that went to the Midianite war went only due to the merit of Moses and Pinḥas.²⁹They were successful in the war against Midian only due to the merit of Moses and Pinḥas (Etz Yosef). That is what is written: “Moses and Elazar the priest took the gold from…” (Numbers 31:54).³⁰Some suggest that the text should read: That is what is written: “Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Pinḥas” (Numbers 31:6). This verse may be understood as equating Pinḥas with the rest of those who went out to war (Matnot Kehuna). “That streams down [shegaleshu] from Mount Gilad” (Song of Songs 4:1) – the mountain from whose midst you took away [shegelashten], I rendered a memorial for the nations of the world. Which is this? This is the Midianite war. What is it that you took away from its midst? “Your teeth are like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2) – defined matters, twelve thousand volunteers and twelve thousand conscripts, as it is stated: “One thousand per tribe from the thousands of Israel were provided, [twelve thousand mobilized soldiers]” (Numbers 31:5). Rabbi Ḥananya bar Yitzḥak said: They went to the Midianite war with twelve thousand.
“That have come up from bathing” (Song of Songs 4:2) – Rabbi Huna said: Not one of them gave precedence to the head phylacteries before the arm phylacteries,³¹The arm phylacteries are supposed to be donned before the head phylacteries. as, had one of them given precedence to the head phylacteries before the arm phylacteries, Moses would not have praised them and they would not have ascended from there unharmed. That is to say that they were extremely righteous.
“That are all paired” (Song of Songs 4:2) – as when they would enter in pairs to the woman, one of them would blacken her face and one of them would remove her jewelry.³²The war against Midian was fought in the aftermath of the events in Shitim, where Moavite and Midianite women enticed Israelites to engage in sexual immorality and idolatry. As a result, twenty-four thousand Israelites died in a plague (see Numbers 25:1–9). When the Israelites defeated the Midianite army and entered the private dwellings where the women were located to take the spoils of war, they would enter two at a time and would cause the women to look less enticing, so as to ensure that they would not sin. [The women] would say to them: ‘Are we not 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). “And there is none missing among them” (Song of Songs 4:2) – that not one of them was suspected of committing a transgression.
“Your lips are like a scarlet thread” (Song of Songs 4:3) – when they said to Moses: “Your servants took a census of the men of war under our command, and not a man is missing from among us” (Numbers 31:49), in lewdness and in sin.³³None of our men were killed, and none acted inappropriately with the captive women.
“Your speech is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3) – as they said to him: “We brought the offering of the Lord” (Numbers 31:50). Moses said to them: ‘Your statements contradict each other. You said: “Not a man is missing from among us” (Numbers 31:49) – in lewdness and in sin. And you said: “We brought the offering of the Lord.” If you did not sin, what is the purpose of this offering?’ They said to him: Moses our master, we would enter to the woman in pairs, and one of us would blacken her face and one would remove her jewelry. Is it possible that the evil inclination was not moved at all? For that moving of the evil inclination we say to bring an offering.
At that moment, Moses began praising them: “Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice” (Song of Songs 4:3) – even the empty among you is packed with mitzvot like this 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]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – regarding the modest and the fervent [metzumatin] among you.
“Like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – regarding which [David] elevated [gidel] you in his book. Regarding what did David elevate you in his book? “Siḥon king of the Emorites.… and Og king of the Bashan.… and gave their land as an inheritance” (Psalms 136:19–21).³⁴These verses state that God gave the land of Siḥon to Israel as an inheritance. Included in this territory was the land of Midian. The fact that Israel merited to inherit the land of Midian speaks positively of them. “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – a book that was stated by many mouths [piyot].
“One thousand bucklers are hung upon it” – all those tens of thousands and those thousands who went to the Midianite war and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of what came after one thousand generations. Not only you alone relied upon it, but rather, “all the shields of the mighty” – everyone who arises and controls and overcomes his inclination, is called mighty, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time. Their entire generation depends upon them. By means of whom was the Midianite war waged? It was by means of “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Moses, the head of the Sanhedrin, and Pinḥas.