II Crónicas 5:9 Midrash: Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

(Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless.” This text is related (to Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed, the one belonging to Solomon (rt.: shlm), with sixty warriors around it […].” What reason did Solomon (rt.: shlm), have to be concerned with a bed?⁵¹Cant. R. 3:7:2, 4. When it said, “There is his bed,” it is simply that [the verse] was only concerned with the King to whom peace (rt.: shlm) belongs (God). (Ibid.:) “There is his bed.” This is the Temple.⁵²Numb. R. 11:3. But why was the Temple compared to a bed? It is simply that just as a bed is only for being fruitful and multiplying, so it was with the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying, as stated (in I Kings 8:8 = II Chron. 5:9), “The poles grew long.”⁵³This literal interpretation of the Hebrew text was seen to imply that the poles miraculously lengthened while within the Temple. See Tanh., Exod. 7:11. It also says (in II Chron. 3:6), “the gold was gold from Parvaim (as if from prh),” which produced fruit (rt.: prh). And so it says (in I Kings 7:2), “And he built the house of the Forest of Lebanon.” Why was it compared to a forest? Just as a forest is fruitful and multiplies, so it is in the case of the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying. It is therefore stated (in Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed.” (Ibid., cont.:) “With sixty warriors.” These are the sixty letters that are in the priestly blessing (in Numb. 6:24-26). (Cant. 3:8:) “All of them equipped with a sword,” because in each and every [verse of the priestly blessing] the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned, “The Lord⁵⁴This translation follows the common practice of substituting THE LORD for the Divine Name. bless you […]; The Lord make [His face] shine […]; The Lord lift up [His face …].” (Cant. 3:8, cont.:) “Each with his sword on his thigh.” What is the reason for the thigh to be mentioned here? Simply that, even if one sees in his dream a sword being drawn, placed over his neck, and [then] cutting off his thigh, he rises early in the morning and goes to the synagogue,⁵⁵There may be an allusion here to circumcision. See Numb. R. 11:3; Cant. R. 3:7:4. from the fear [of what] he saw at night in his dream; then [when] he sees the priests raising their hands, the bad dream is cancelled from him. It is therefore stated (Cant. 3:8, cont.), “because of fear at night.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless My children, as stated (in Numb. 6:23), “Thus shall you bless [the Children of Israel].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In the past I needed to bless My creatures.⁵⁶Above, Gen. 3:5; Tanh., Gen. 3:4; Numb. 2:9, cont.; Numb. R. 11:2; PRK 31 (suppl. 1):11. I blessed the first Adam and his wife, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), ‘Then God blessed them.’ I blessed Noah and his children, as stated (in Gen. 9:1), ‘Then God blessed Noah and his children.’ I blessed Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 24:1), ‘and the Lord had blessed Abraham in everything.’” [Then] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, “From now on behold, the blessings are being delivered to you.” Thus it is stated (in Gen. 12:2), “and you are to be a blessing.” Abraham begot two [children], Ishmael and Isaac, but he did not bless them. A parable:⁵⁷Gen. R. 61:6. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard⁵⁸Pardes. Cf. the Gk.: paradeisos. [and] gave it to a tenant. Now in the midst of that orchard was one tree with an elixir of life…. Then Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob blessed the twelve tribes, as stated (in Gen. 49:28), “All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what [their father] spoke to them [when he blessed them…].” From now on, said the Holy One, blessed be He, behold, the blessings are being delivered to you; and the priests will bless Israel.

“He placed there [the man whom He had formed]” – just as it says: “And it is there to this day” (II Chronicles 5:9).²¹Referring to the Ark in the Temple. The word “there,” appearing in both verses, is used as a verbal analogy to teach that Adam’s placement in the Garden of Eden was intended to be permanent. Rabbi Levi said: Provided that he remain in his present form.²²Provided that he remains “the man whom He had formed,” i.e. without sin. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon said: It is written: “These are the outgrowths of the heavens [when they were created]” (Genesis 2:4) – their Creator praises them, who can disparage them? Their Creator lauds them, who can find fault with them? Rather, they are beautiful and praiseworthy,²³As long as they are as they were created, they will remain that way. [as it is written:] “These are the outgrowths of the heavens.”²⁴This is another interpretation of “the man whom He had formed” – God was speaking the praises of His creation.

Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:23): THUS SHALL YOU BLESS. This text is related (to Cant. 3:7): THERE IS HIS BED, THE ONE BELONGING TO SOLOMON (rt.: ShLM), WITH SIXTY WARRIORS AROUND IT. What reason did <the author of Canticles, i.e.,> Solomon (rt.: ShLM), have to be concerned with a with a bed?⁶⁰Tanh., Numb. 2:9; Cant. R. 3:7:2, 4. When it said: THERE IS HIS BED, it is simply that <the verse> was only concerned with the king to whom peace (rt.: ShLM) belonged. (Ibid.:) THERE IS HIS BED. This is the Temple.⁶¹Numb. R. 11:3. But why was the Temple compared to a bed? It is simply that just as a bed is only for being fruitful and multiplying, so it was with the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying, as stated (in I Kings 8:8 = II Chron. 5:9): THE POLES GREW SO LONG.⁶²This literal interpretation of the Hebrew text was seen to imply that the poles miraculously lengthened while within the Temple. See Tanh., Exod. 7:11. It also says (in II Chron. 3:6): THE GOLD WAS GOLD FROM PARVAIM (as if from PRH), which produced fruit (rt.: PRH). And so it says (in I Kings 7:2): AND HE BUILT THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON. Why was it compared to a forest? Just as a forest is fruitful and multiplies, so it is in the case of the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying. It is therefore stated (in Cant. 3:7): THERE IS HIS BED. (Ibid., cont.:) WITH SIXTY WARRIORS. These are the sixty letters that are in the priestly blessing (in Numb. 6:24–26). (Cant. 3:8:) ALL OF THEM EQUIPPED WITH A SWORD, because in each and every <verse of the priestly blessing> the name of the Holy One is mentioned: THE LORD⁶³This translation follows the common practice of substituting THE LORD for the Divine Name. BLESS YOU <…>; THE LORD MAKE <HIS FACE> SHINE< … >; THE LORD LIFT UP HIS <FACE … >. (Cant. 3:8, cont.:) EACH WITH HIS SWORD ON HIS THIGH. What is the reason for the thigh to be mentioned here? simply that, even if one sees in his dream a sword being drawn, placed over his neck, and <then> cutting off his thigh, he rises early in the morning and goes to the synagogue.⁶⁴There may be an allusion here to circumcision. See Numb. R. 11:3; Cant. R. 3:7:4. On the symbolic use of the sword, cf. also Ephesians 6:17. (Cant. 3:8, cont.:) BECAUSE OF FEAR AT NIGHT, <i.e.,> because of a fear which he saw in his dream at night. Then <when> he sees the priests raising their hands, the bad dream passes away from him. It is therefore stated: BECAUSE OF FEAR AT NIGHT. Therefore the holy one told moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless my children, as stated (in numb. 6:23): THUS SHALL YOU BLESS [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL].