וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃
I wziął księgę przymierza i przeczytał przed uszy ludu; i rzekli: "Wszystko co powiedział Wiekuisty spełnimy i usłuchamy."
Shir HaShirim Rabbah
“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys” (Song of Songs 2:1).
“I am a rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved [ḥaviva]. It is I whom the Holy One blessed be He loved me more than seventy nations. “A rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon,” I made Him shelter [tzel] by means of Betzalel, as it is written: “Betzalel crafted the Ark” (Exodus 37:1). “Of Sharon,” as I recited song [shira] before Him by means of Moses, as it is written: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang” (Exodus 15:1).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of Egypt, but the Holy One blessed be He brought me quickly to Rameses. I sprouted good deeds like a lily, and I recited a song before Him, as it is stated: “The song will be for you like the night of the consecration of the festival” (Isaiah 30:29).1The song after the fall of Sennacherib will be like the Hallel that they recited in Egypt on the night before they left.
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of the sea,2I was in danger when Pharaoh was pursuing me. but I quickly sprouted good deeds like a lily, and I pointed to Him with my finger [and pronounced that He is] my Master, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of Sinai.3God suspended the mountain over the Israelites, threatening to obliterate them if they refused to accept the Torah (see Shabbat 88a). I quickly blossomed good deeds with my hand and my heart, and I said before Him: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded and trampled in the shadow of kingdoms. Tomorrow, when the Holy One blessed be He redeems me from the shadow of the kingdoms, I will blossom like a lily, and I will recite a new song before Him, as it is stated: “A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him” (Psalms 98:1).
“I am a rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved [ḥaviva]. It is I whom the Holy One blessed be He loved me more than seventy nations. “A rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon,” I made Him shelter [tzel] by means of Betzalel, as it is written: “Betzalel crafted the Ark” (Exodus 37:1). “Of Sharon,” as I recited song [shira] before Him by means of Moses, as it is written: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang” (Exodus 15:1).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of Egypt, but the Holy One blessed be He brought me quickly to Rameses. I sprouted good deeds like a lily, and I recited a song before Him, as it is stated: “The song will be for you like the night of the consecration of the festival” (Isaiah 30:29).1The song after the fall of Sennacherib will be like the Hallel that they recited in Egypt on the night before they left.
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of the sea,2I was in danger when Pharaoh was pursuing me. but I quickly sprouted good deeds like a lily, and I pointed to Him with my finger [and pronounced that He is] my Master, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of Sinai.3God suspended the mountain over the Israelites, threatening to obliterate them if they refused to accept the Torah (see Shabbat 88a). I quickly blossomed good deeds with my hand and my heart, and I said before Him: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded and trampled in the shadow of kingdoms. Tomorrow, when the Holy One blessed be He redeems me from the shadow of the kingdoms, I will blossom like a lily, and I will recite a new song before Him, as it is stated: “A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him” (Psalms 98:1).
Vayikra Rabbah
“He called to Moses, and the Lord spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying” (Leviticus 1:1).
“He called to Moses” – Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai began: “Bless the Lord, His emissaries [malakhav], mighty in strength, who perform His bidding…” (Psalms 103:20). Regarding whom is the verse speaking?1The term malakhim most commonly refers to angels, God’s supernal emissaries, but can also refer to human beings. If the verse is speaking of the supernal, but is it not already stated: “Bless the Lord, all His hosts” (Psalms 103:21)? It is speaking, rather, of the earthly. Because the supernal are able to successfully perform the tasks of the Holy One blessed be He, it is stated [of them]: “Bless the Lord, all His hosts.” But because the earthly are unable to successfully perform the tasks of the Holy One blessed be He, it is stated [of them]: “Bless the Lord, His emissaries,” but not all his emissaries.2Because most human beings do not live up to God’s expectations, the verse does not state “Bless the Lord, all His emissaries.” It leaves out the word “all,” as God does not want the blessings of the wicked (Etz Yosef).
Another matter: The prophets were called malakhim – that is what is written: “He sent a malakh and took us out of Egypt…” (Numbers 20:16). Was it an angel? Was it not Moses? Why does it call him a malakh? It is because the prophets are called malakhim. Similarly, “The malakh of the Lord ascended from Gilgal to Bokhim” (Judges 2:1) – was it an angel? Was it not Pinḥas? Why does it call him a malakh? Rather, Rabbi Simon said: When the Divine Spirit would rest upon Pinḥas, his face would shine like a torch. The Rabbis say: What was Manoaḥ’s wife saying to him?“a man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God” (Judges 13:6). She thought that he was a prophet, but he was none other than an angel. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: By their very nature the prophets are called malakhim.3The word malakh literally means emissary, and the role of a prophet is to present God’s word to the people (Rabbi David Luria). That is what is written: “Haggai, the malakh of the Lord, on mission from the Lord, said” (Haggai 1:13). Perforce, you learn that by their very nature, the prophets are called malakhim.
“Mighty in strength, who perform His bidding” (Psalms 103:20) – regarding whom is the verse speaking? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year. The way of the world is that a person performs a mitzva for one day, for one week, for one month. But does one do so for the rest of the days of the year? Yet this one sees his field fallow, his vineyard fallow, and pays his land tax and remains silent. Is there anyone mightier than that? If you say that it is not speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year, it is stated here: “Who perform His bidding [devaro],” and it is stated there: “This is the matter of [devar] the Sabbatical Year” (Deuteronomy 15:2). Just as when davar is stated there the verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year, so too, when davar stated here, the verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year. “Who perform His bidding” – Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: The verse is speaking of Israel when they stood before Mount Sinai, for having preceded performance to heeding and having said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).4They undertook to perform God’s commands before even hearing what they were. This took great spiritual strength.
“Hearing His word” (Psalms 103:20) – Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: The way of the world is that a burden that is difficult for one is easy for two; [one that is difficult] for two is easy for four. But can a burden that is difficult for six hundred thousand be easy for one? All of Israel was standing before Mount Sinai and saying: “If we continue to hear [the voice of the Lord our God, we will die]” (Deuteronomy 5:22), and Moses was hearing the voice of the divine speech himself, and he lived. Know that it is so, as from all of them, He called only Moses. That is why it is stated: “He called to Moses.”
“He called to Moses” – Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai began: “Bless the Lord, His emissaries [malakhav], mighty in strength, who perform His bidding…” (Psalms 103:20). Regarding whom is the verse speaking?1The term malakhim most commonly refers to angels, God’s supernal emissaries, but can also refer to human beings. If the verse is speaking of the supernal, but is it not already stated: “Bless the Lord, all His hosts” (Psalms 103:21)? It is speaking, rather, of the earthly. Because the supernal are able to successfully perform the tasks of the Holy One blessed be He, it is stated [of them]: “Bless the Lord, all His hosts.” But because the earthly are unable to successfully perform the tasks of the Holy One blessed be He, it is stated [of them]: “Bless the Lord, His emissaries,” but not all his emissaries.2Because most human beings do not live up to God’s expectations, the verse does not state “Bless the Lord, all His emissaries.” It leaves out the word “all,” as God does not want the blessings of the wicked (Etz Yosef).
Another matter: The prophets were called malakhim – that is what is written: “He sent a malakh and took us out of Egypt…” (Numbers 20:16). Was it an angel? Was it not Moses? Why does it call him a malakh? It is because the prophets are called malakhim. Similarly, “The malakh of the Lord ascended from Gilgal to Bokhim” (Judges 2:1) – was it an angel? Was it not Pinḥas? Why does it call him a malakh? Rather, Rabbi Simon said: When the Divine Spirit would rest upon Pinḥas, his face would shine like a torch. The Rabbis say: What was Manoaḥ’s wife saying to him?
“Mighty in strength, who perform His bidding” (Psalms 103:20) – regarding whom is the verse speaking? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year. The way of the world is that a person performs a mitzva for one day, for one week, for one month. But does one do so for the rest of the days of the year? Yet this one sees his field fallow, his vineyard fallow, and pays his land tax and remains silent. Is there anyone mightier than that? If you say that it is not speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year, it is stated here: “Who perform His bidding [devaro],” and it is stated there: “This is the matter of [devar] the Sabbatical Year” (Deuteronomy 15:2). Just as when davar is stated there the verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year, so too, when davar stated here, the verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year. “Who perform His bidding” – Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: The verse is speaking of Israel when they stood before Mount Sinai, for having preceded performance to heeding and having said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).4They undertook to perform God’s commands before even hearing what they were. This took great spiritual strength.
“Hearing His word” (Psalms 103:20) – Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: The way of the world is that a burden that is difficult for one is easy for two; [one that is difficult] for two is easy for four. But can a burden that is difficult for six hundred thousand be easy for one? All of Israel was standing before Mount Sinai and saying: “If we continue to hear [the voice of the Lord our God, we will die]” (Deuteronomy 5:22), and Moses was hearing the voice of the divine speech himself, and he lived. Know that it is so, as from all of them, He called only Moses. That is why it is stated: “He called to Moses.”
Shir HaShirim Rabbah
“Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, and we will gaze upon you. Why will you gaze at the Shulamite like at a dance of two companies?” (Song of Songs 7:1)
“Return, return, O Shulamite,” Rabbi Shmuel bar Ḥiyya bar Yudan [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: Four times “return,” is written here, corresponding to the four kingdoms that rule over Israel. Israel comes under their control unscathed and emerges unscathed. “The Shulamite,” a nation in whose midst the eternal One who lives in peace [shalom] moves about; that is what is written: “I have moved about in a tent and a Tabernacle” (II Samuel 7:6).1God rested His presence in the Tabernacle in the midst of Israel. The Tabernacle resided in four places in the Land of Israel: Gilgal, Shilo, Nov, and Givon, corresponding to the four times “return” is written here, as though the word Shulamite is written with each one (Maharzu, Bereshit Rabba 66:2).
Another matter, “the Shulamite,” a nation to whom [a blessing] concluding with peace is [recited] each day, just as it says: “And grant you peace [shalom]” (Numbers 6:26). Alternatively, “the Shulamite,” the nation that I am destined to settle in an abode of peace; that is what is written: “My people will live in a peaceful abode…” (Isaiah 32:18). Another matter, “the Shulamite,” the nation to whom I extend peace; that is what is written: “Behold, I will extend peace toward it” (Isaiah 66:12).
Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Maron said: A nation that completes [mashlemet] the stability of the world, both in this world and in the World to Come. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: A nation that all the good of the word comes only due to its merit. That is what is written: “God will give you from the dew of the heavens, and from the fat of the earth” (Genesis 27:28); “you,” the matter is dependent upon you and your merit, as it is written: “The Lord will open for you His good storehouse” (Deuteronomy 28:12), the matter is dependent upon you and your merit.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Tanḥum and Rabbi Ḥanan, the son of Rabbi Berekhya from Botzra, [said] in the name of Rabbi Yirmeya: The nation that made peace between Me and My world, as had they not accepted My Torah, I would have returned My world to emptiness and disorder, as Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: It is written: “The earth and all its inhabitants melt away” (Psalms 75:4). Had Israel not stood before Mount Sinai and said: “Everything that the Lord has said, we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7), the world would have begun to disintegrate. Who buttressed the world? It is I [anokhi], as it is stated: “I [anokhi] set its pillars firm, Selah” (Psalms 75:4); by the merit of: “I [anokhi] am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2), I set its pillars firm.2God caused the pillars of the world to be firm in the merit of the people of Israel accepting the Ten Commandments, the first of which was “I am the Lord your God” (Etz Yosef).
“Return, return, O Shulamite,” Rabbi Shmuel bar Ḥiyya bar Yudan [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: Four times “return,” is written here, corresponding to the four kingdoms that rule over Israel. Israel comes under their control unscathed and emerges unscathed. “The Shulamite,” a nation in whose midst the eternal One who lives in peace [shalom] moves about; that is what is written: “I have moved about in a tent and a Tabernacle” (II Samuel 7:6).1God rested His presence in the Tabernacle in the midst of Israel. The Tabernacle resided in four places in the Land of Israel: Gilgal, Shilo, Nov, and Givon, corresponding to the four times “return” is written here, as though the word Shulamite is written with each one (Maharzu, Bereshit Rabba 66:2).
Another matter, “the Shulamite,” a nation to whom [a blessing] concluding with peace is [recited] each day, just as it says: “And grant you peace [shalom]” (Numbers 6:26). Alternatively, “the Shulamite,” the nation that I am destined to settle in an abode of peace; that is what is written: “My people will live in a peaceful abode…” (Isaiah 32:18). Another matter, “the Shulamite,” the nation to whom I extend peace; that is what is written: “Behold, I will extend peace toward it” (Isaiah 66:12).
Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Maron said: A nation that completes [mashlemet] the stability of the world, both in this world and in the World to Come. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: A nation that all the good of the word comes only due to its merit. That is what is written: “God will give you from the dew of the heavens, and from the fat of the earth” (Genesis 27:28); “you,” the matter is dependent upon you and your merit, as it is written: “The Lord will open for you His good storehouse” (Deuteronomy 28:12), the matter is dependent upon you and your merit.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Tanḥum and Rabbi Ḥanan, the son of Rabbi Berekhya from Botzra, [said] in the name of Rabbi Yirmeya: The nation that made peace between Me and My world, as had they not accepted My Torah, I would have returned My world to emptiness and disorder, as Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: It is written: “The earth and all its inhabitants melt away” (Psalms 75:4). Had Israel not stood before Mount Sinai and said: “Everything that the Lord has said, we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7), the world would have begun to disintegrate. Who buttressed the world? It is I [anokhi], as it is stated: “I [anokhi] set its pillars firm, Selah” (Psalms 75:4); by the merit of: “I [anokhi] am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2), I set its pillars firm.2God caused the pillars of the world to be firm in the merit of the people of Israel accepting the Ten Commandments, the first of which was “I am the Lord your God” (Etz Yosef).