Êxodo 24:6 Midrash: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Sifra & Vayikra Rabbah

Another interpretation of NAVEL. As in the case of the navel, all the time that the infant is located in its mother's abdomen, the navel < coming > from it is a life<line>; so Israel draws its life from the Sanhedrin. Therefore, there is a resemblance between the Sanhedrin and a navel. What is the meaning of ROUND BOWL (literally: BOWL OF ROUNDNESS [sahar])? A patera²The Latin word denotes a merchant’s dish in which the various coins were arranged. used in business.³Gk.: pragmateia. {The ROUNDNESS (sahar) is like the merchant (soher).} Whatever is needed comes out of it (i.e., round bowl). Now this expression (ROUND BOWL, i.e., aggan ha-sahar) can only be a word for patera, as stated (in Exod. 24:6): AND MOSES TOOK HALF THE BLOOD AND PUT IT IN BOWLS (agganot). Another interpretation (of Cant. 7:3 [2]): YOUR NAVEL IS A ROUND BOWL. Abbin bar Bar Hisda said: What is the meaning of ROUND BOWL (aggan ha-sahar)?⁴Cant. R. 7:3:1. It is like the half moon, since they call the moon roundness (sihra in Aramaic).⁵The Aramaic word actually means “moonlight.” <Ergo:> ROUND BOWL, <i.e. the moon>.⁶Aggan ha-sahar actually denotes a full moon, but once the concept of the moon is introduced, it is easy to visualize the moon in any phase. Our masters have said (in Sanh 4:3): THE SANHEDRIN WAS <ARRANGED> LIKE HALF OF A ROUND THRESHING FLOOR. (Cant. 7:3 [2], cont.:) LET NOT MIXED WINE BE LACKING, since there is never less than one-third of them. In the case of mixed wine, whoever mixes it properly mixes a third of a cup of wine with two parts water. So the Sanhedrin would sit from the <time of > the morning sacrifice until the sacrifice at twilight, so that none of them was free for <heeding nature's> necessities. Then what did they do when one of them wanted to leave? He would count. If there were twenty-three, he would leave; but if not, he would not leave. Thus it is written (in Cant. 7:3 [2]): LET NOT MIXED WINE BE LACKING; and there was never less than one third of them. Ergo (in Cant. 7:3 [2]): LET NOT MIXED WINE BE LACKING.

And the sages say twelve monuments for each tribe. He built an altar, sacrificed thereon a burnt-offering and peace-offerings, took of the blood of the burnt-offering in two receptacles, part for the L–rd, part for the congregation; he took of the blood of the peace-offerings in two receptacles, part for the L–rd, part for the congregation, as it is written (Ibid. 6) "And Moses took half the blood" — the part for the congregation — "and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar" — the part for the L–rd.

There is a warrior in a province, who may be so swayed by wrath and power s to vent his fury even upon his father and mother and close of kin. Not so, the Holy One Blessed be He. "The L–rd is a man of war — the L–rd ("yod-keh-vav-keh," signifying mercy) is His name. "The L–rd is a man of war" — who fought against the Egyptians. "The L–rd is His name — He compassionates His creations, viz. (Exodus 24:6) "The L–rd, the L–rd, the G–d (Kel) who is merciful and gracious, etc."