아가 2:15의 미드라쉬

"And there went a man of the house of Levi" - Where did he go? R. Judah b. Zebina said: "He went with his daughter's advice." We are taught: Amram was the greatest man in his generation, etc. (above). "And took a daughter of Levi" - It did not say "and took back," but rather, "and took." R. Judah b. Zebina said: "This means that he acted toward her as if it was their first marriage; he placed her upon the litter, and Miriam and Aaron danced before them, and the ministering angels said (Ps. 113:9): 'The joyful mother of children.'" "A daughter of Levi" - How can this be? She was one hundred thirty years old and he calls her "a daughter"?! As R. Hama b. Hanina said: "She was Jochebed; she was conceived on the way [to Egypt] and born between the walls, as it says (Num. 26:59): 'Who was born to Levi in Egypt' - born in Egypt but not conceived. Thus he calls her "a daughter." R. Judah b. Zebina said: "Because the signs of virginity were reborn in her."

It is not written (Exodus 15:7) "He has consumed them as stubble," but "He will consume them as stubble" — in time to come, viz. (Ovadiah 1:18) "And the house of Yaakov will be fire, and the house of Joseph, flame, and the house of Esav, stubble, and they will ignite them and consume them, etc." And it is written (Zechariah 12:6) "On that day I will make the chieftains of Judah like a stove — fire (burning) wood, torch (burning) sheaf, etc." All woods, when they burn, their sound is not heard; but stubble, when it burns, it crackles and is heard. Thus did the sound of Egypt, in its destruction, make itself heard. All woods, when they burn, leave a trace; but stubble, when it burns, leaves no trace. And the L rd said (Isaiah 43:17) "They (the chariots of Egypt) all lie together, never to rise, snuffed out like flax" — to teach that there was no kingdom so abject as that of Egypt, but it seized power for the moment towards the aggrandizement of Israel. When the (other) kingdoms are symbolized, they are symbolized as cedars, viz. (Ezekiel 31:3) "Behold, Ashur, a cedar in the Levanon," and (Amos 2:9) "And I destroyed the Emori from before them, whose height was as the height of cedars, etc.", and (Daniel 4:17) "The tree (Bavel) that you have seen, etc." And when Egypt is symbolized, it is symbolized only as stubble, viz. "He will consume them as stubble." And when the (other) kingdoms are symbolized, they are symbolized as silver and gold (Ibid. 2:32) "This statue, its head of fine gold, etc." And when Egypt is symbolized, it is symbolized only as lead, viz. (Exodus 15:10) "they sank as lead." And when the (other) kingdoms are symbolized, they are symbolized as beasts, viz. (Daniel 7:3) "and four immense beasts, etc." And when Egypt is symbolized, it is symbolized only as a fox, viz. (Song of Songs 2:15) "Seize for us the foxes, etc." Antoninus asked Rabbeinu Hakadosh: I want to go to Alexandria. Is it possible that a king will arise there who will beat me? He answered: I do not know. In any event, we have it in writing that Egypt is incapable of establishing either a king or a governor, viz. (Ezekiel 29:15) "Of all the kingdoms it (Egypt) will be the lowest, and it will not exalt itself again among the nations. And I will diminish them, so that they not dominate the nations."

“Catch foxes for us, little foxes that ruin the vineyards, as our vineyards are in bloom” (Song of Songs 2:15).
“Catch foxes for us.” When [God] analogizes the kingdoms, He analogizes them only to fire; that is what is written: “I will direct My attention against them; they have emerged from the fire, but fire will consume them” (Ezekiel 15:7). But when He analogizes the Egyptians, he analogizes them with something that is consumed by fire. That is what is written: “It dwindled and extinguished like flax” (Isaiah 43:17). When He analogizes the kingdoms, He analogizes them only to silver and gold, is that not what is written: “That image, its head was of fine gold” (Daniel 2:32). When He analogizes the Egyptians, He analogizes them only to lead, as it is stated: “They sank like lead” (Exodus 15:10).
When He analogizes the kingdoms, he analogizes them only to cedars, is that not what is written: “Behold, Assyria is a cedar in Lebanon” (Ezekiel 31:3); and it is written: “The tree that you saw that grew [and was strong, whose height reached to heaven]” (Daniel 4:17); and it is written: “I destroyed the Emorite from before them, [whose height was like the height of cedars]” (Amos 2:9). When He analogizes the Egyptians, He analogizes them only to straw, as it is stated: “He will consume them like straw” (Exodus 15:7).
When He analogizes the kingdoms, He analogizes them only to beasts, as it is stated: “Four great beasts arose from the sea, each different from the other” (Daniel 7:3); and it is written: “The first was like a lion” (Daniel 7:4). When He analogizes the Egyptians, He analogizes them only to foxes, as it is stated: “Catch [eḥezu] foxes for us.”¹³⁵The verse is interpreted by the midrash to mean: “Foxes would catch us.” Thus, the Egyptians are compared to foxes. [The Egyptians] monitored them to cast them into the Nile.
Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon said: The Egyptians were cunning; therefore He likens them to foxes. Just as the fox looks behind itself, so the Egyptians would look to their end and say: ‘How shall we destroy them? [If] we destroy them in fire, is it not already stated: “For the Lord will judge with fire”? (Isaiah 66:16). [If] we destroy them by the sword, is it not written: “And with His sword all flesh”? (Isaiah 66:16). Rather, let us destroy them in water, as the Holy One blessed be He has already taken an oath that He will never again bring a flood to the world, as it is written: “For this is for Me like the waters of Noah; [as I took an oath that the waters of Noah would no longer pass over the earth]”’ (Isaiah 54:9). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘By your lives, I will drag each and every one of you to his own flood,’ as it is stated: “They will be hurled [yagiruhu] to the sword [ḥarev]; they will be a portion for the foxes [shualim]” (Psalms 63:11).“They will be hurled to the sword [ḥarev],” these are the wicked, who will be dragged to the dry seabed.¹³⁶The midrash interprets the verse to mean: He will entice [yegareh] them with dry land [ḥorev], into the waters of the sea [sha’al yam]. “They will be a portion for the foxes,” let this portion be designated for the foxes.¹³⁷The Egyptians. Rabbi Berekhya said: The first instance of foxes [shualim] is written full and the second defective;¹³⁸The first instance is written with a vav, and the second is written without a vav. However, it should be noted that traditionally the text appears with both words missing the vav. the foxes [shualim] will descend to the seabed [shaal yam].¹³⁹The first appearance of the word includes the vav so that it must be read shualim¸ whereas the second time it does not include the vav so that it may be read shaalim, or sha’al yam.

Rabbi Tanḥuma said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: It is written: “Who makes a way in the sea” (Isaiah 43:16); that is not a difficult feat. “And a path in mighty waters” (Isaiah 43:16); this is not a difficult feat. Rather, what is a difficult feat? “Who brings out chariots and horse, an army, and a mighty force” (Isaiah 43:17). Rabbi Yudan said: A great hunt and pursuit would begin from the archers. Each would push and chase the other, and [their horsemen] would drive them into the sea.
Rabbi Ḥanan said: What did the virtuous and modest daughters of Israel do? They would take their sons and conceal them in burrows and the wicked Egyptians would take their small children and bring them into the Israelite houses and pinch them. They would cry and the Israelite baby would hear the sound of his counterpart crying and would cry with him. [The Egyptians] would then take them and cast them into the Nile. That is what is written: “Catch foxes for us, little foxes.”¹⁴⁰The verse is interpreted by the midrash to mean: Foxes would catch us. They monitored them to cast them into the Nile.
How many babies did they cast into the Nile? Ten thousand, as it is stated: “[I rendered you] as numerous [revava] as the plants of the field” (Ezekiel 16:7).¹⁴¹The word revava also means ten thousand. The midrash means that God replenished their numbers such that the ten thousand were replaced (Matnot Kehuna). Rabbi Levi said: Six hundred thousand, as Moses said: “Six hundred thousand men on foot is the people in whose midst I am” (Numbers 11:21).¹⁴²Each of the men had, on average, one child who had been cast into the Nile (Matnot Kehuna).
What would the Egyptians do? They would bring their children from their academies and would send them to their bathhouses¹⁴³The bathhouses used by the Israelite women. and they would see which Israelite women were pregnant and they would make a note for themselves and return and say to their fathers: ‘So and so has three months, so and so has four months, or five months.’ According to their calculation,¹⁴⁴When they calculated that the baby had already been born. they would take them from their [mothers’] breasts and cast them into the Nile. That is what is written: “Catch foxes for us, little foxes.” ¹⁴⁵The verse is interpreted by the midrash to mean: Foxes would catch us, little foxes. “Seized us,” “killed us” is not written here, but rather “catch [eḥezu] us.” They monitored them to cast them into the Nile.¹⁴⁶The Egyptian children, referred to here as little foxes, would monitor us so that the Egyptians could throw our babies into the Nile.

Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Yudan said: “Little foxes,” these are Esau and his noblemen, just as it says: “Behold, I made you small among the nations” (Obadiah 1:2).¹⁴⁷This prophecy is said regarding Edom, the descendants of Esau. The Sages identified Edom with Rome. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: This is analogous to a province that would produce great swordsmen for the king. There was a certain woman there who gave birth to a puny son, and she would call her son: Tall and Quick. She said to them: ‘My son is tall and quick and you do not make him a great swordsman?’ They said to her: ‘If, in your eyes, he is tall and quick, in our eyes he is puniest of the puny.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘This wicked Esau, his father called him great [gadol],’ as it is stated: “He called Esau, his elder [hagadol] son” (Genesis 27:1). His mother called him great, as it is stated: “The garments of Esau, her elder [hagadol] son (Genesis 27:15). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘If, in your eyes, he is great, in My eyes, he is small,’ as it is stated: “Behold, I made you small among the nations” (Obadiah 1:2). And if he is great, the slaughterer corresponds to the bull. That is what is written: “There is a sacrifice for the Lord in Botzra and a great slaughter in the land of Edom” (Isaiah 34:6). “That ruin the vineyards,” this is Israel, as it is written: “For the house of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 5:7). “As our vineyards are in bloom,” just as it says: “There is no cluster to eat, or a first fruit that my soul desires” (Micah 7:1).¹⁴⁸The Romans are able to persecute Israel, compared to a vineyard, because the fruits of the vineyard are just beginning to bloom, but there are none that are fully formed yet. This represents the fact that the Jews were not sufficiently righteous.
Rabbi Berekhya said: “Little foxes,” these are the four kingdoms, as it is stated: “There are four upon earth that are little” (Proverbs 30:24). “That ruin the vineyards,” this is Israel, as it is written: “For the house of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 5:7). “As our vineyards are in bloom,” who caused our vineyards to be in bloom?¹⁴⁹The midrash should read: What caused our vineyard to be damaged? The fact that they are [merely] in bloom (Rabbi David Luria). “I sought from among them a man who builds a fence [and stands in the breach before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it,] but I did not find” (Ezekiel 22:30); were it not for Noah, Daniel, and Job.¹⁵⁰This phrase should be interpreted as though it continued: Were it not for Noah, Daniel, and Job, no one would have been left. There was no one righteous enough to save the generation from destruction, but these individuals and people like them were righteous enough to at least save themselves (Maharzu; see Ezekiel 14:13-14).

... R’ Huna said: the Messiah is called by seven names, and they are – magnified, Our Righteousness, Shoot, Consoler, David, Shiloh, and Eliyahu. Magnified from where? As it says, “May his name be forever; before the sun, his name will be magnified…” (Tehillim 72:17) Our Righteousness from where? As it says, “…and this is his name that he shall be called, The Lord is our righteousness.” (Yirmiyahu 23:6) Shoot from where? As it says, “…Behold a man whose name is the Shoot…” (Zechariah 6:12) Consoler from where? As it says, “For the Lord shall console Zion…” (Yeshayahu 51:3) David from where? As it says, “…and He performs kindness to His anointed; to David and to his seed forever.” (Tehillim 18:51) Shiloh from where? As it says, “…until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples.” (Bereshit 49:10) Eliyahu from where? As it says, “Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord…” (Malachi 3:23)

(Exod. 12:31:) AND HE CALLED MOSES AND AARON <IN THE NIGHT>. He (Pharaoh) went <about> calling them during the night in every single street and was saying: Where is Moses, and where does he live?⁷⁷Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha 13. But the children of Israel were mocking him and saying to him: Where are you going, Pharaoh? When he said to them: I am looking for Moses, they said to him: Here is where he lives. So they mocked him until he stood before him (i.e., Moses). [Pharaoh said to him] (ibid., cont.): ARISE AND GO AWAY FROM AMONG MY PEOPLE. Moses said to him: Are we thieves? The Holy One has said (in Exod. 12:22): NONE OF YOU SHALL GO OUTSIDE THE DOOR OF HIS HOUSE UNTIL MORNING. Pharaoh said to him: Will you please arise <and> leave! Moses said to him: Why are you going to so much trouble? He said to him: Because I am a first-born, and I am afraid I may die. Moses said to him: Do not be afraid of <this> thing. You are destined for something greater than this. Now you are not to say that Pharaoh alone was urging < Israel to leave >; rather all the Egyptians were urging <them to leave>. It is so stated (in Exod. 12:33): AND THE EGYPTIANS PRESSED <THE PEOPLE ON, TO SEND THEM OUT OF THE LAND IN HASTE>…. The Holy One said to them: By your life, none of you shall die here but in the sea. Why did all of them not die from the plague of the first-born, but in the sea? R. Samuel bar Nahman said: <It> was through guile <that> the Egyptians came upon Israel. They said: If we enslave them by fire, their God will be able to bring fire upon us from above just as he brought it upon the Sodomites. He has, however, sworn never again to bring a flood into the world. {By your life,} come and let us enslave them through water. The Holy One said: I have sworn never again to bring a flood into the world. By your life, those people have gone into the flood. It is so stated (in Ps. 63:11 [10]): THEY SHALL BE DRAGGED⁷⁸Interpreting yaggiruhu as coming from the root GRR instead of from NGR. TO THE POWER OF THE DRYNESS⁷⁹Interpreting HRB as horev instead of herev. A more usual translation would read: THEY SHALL BE DELIVERED TO THE POWER OF THE SWORD. For interpretation of the verse given here, see Exod. R. 22:1; Cant. R. 2:15:1. (of the sea bed). These people (i.e. these Egyptians) were dragged and went into the sea on their own. (Ibid., cont.:) THEY SHALL BE A PORTION FOR THE FOXES. Solomon said (Cant. 2:15): TAKE US <TO> THE FOXES (ShW'LYM)…. R. Samuel has said: {They saw THE DEPTH OF THE SEA (Sh'L HYM).} [DEPTH OF SEA (Sh'L YM) is written <here>.]

Rabbi Azariah said: Amalek was a descendant of Esau, and because of his ancestor's enmity he came against them to punish them. The cloud was surrounding the camp of Israel like a city surrounded by a wall. The adversary and enemy were unable to touch them, but (when) anyone needed a ritual bath the cloud excluded him from the camp of Israel, because the camp of Israel was holy, as it is said, "Therefore shall thy camp be holy" (Deut. 23:14), and (then) Amalek was smiting and slaying the hindmost of those who were beyond the cloud, as it is said, "And he smote the hindmost of thee, all that were feeble behind thee" (Deut. 25:18).