Midrash sobre Deuteronômio 5:25

1) (Vayikra 26:3) ("If in My statutes you walk, and My mitzvoth you keep to do them,") "If in My statutes you walk … (Vayikra 26:4) then I shall give your rains in their proper times, etc.": We are hereby taught that the Holy One Blessed be He yearns that Israel toil in Torah. And thus is it written (Tehillim 81:14-15) "Would that My people heeded Me, that Israel walked in My ways! In an instant I would humble their foes and against their oppressors turn My hand!" (Isaiah 18:19) "Would that you heeded My mitzvoth — then your peace would be like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. And your seed would be like the sand and the issue of your loins like its innards. Its name would not be cut off and blotted out before Me!" And (Devarim 5:26) "Who would grant that this their heart would be in them to fear Me and to keep all My mitzvoth all the days, so that it be good for them and for their children forever" — whence we learn that the Holy One Blessed be He yearns that they toil in Torah.

“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 Akiva interpreted the verse regarding Israel when they stood before Mount Sinai. “My dove, in the clefts of the rock,” as they were shadowed in the recesses of Sinai. “Show me,” as it is stated: “The entire people saw the thunder” (Exodus 20:15). “Let me hear your voice,” this is the sound before the commandments, as it is stated: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). “For your voice is pleasant,” this is the sound before the commandments, as it is stated: “The Lord heard the sound of your words, when you spoke to me…they did well in all that they spoke” (Deuteronomy 5:25). What is “they did well [heitivu] in all that they spoke”? Ḥiyya bar Ada and bar Kappara, one said it was well done like the removal [hatava] of ashes from the lamps of the candelabrum,¹²⁸This process, referred to as hatava (see Exodus 30:7), is performed after the flames are extinguished, a reference to what Israel said after the commandments. and one said it was well done like the preparation [hatava] of the incense.¹²⁹This is performed before the incense is burned, a reference to what Israel said before the commandments. “And your appearance is lovely,” as it is stated: “The people saw and they trembled, and they stood at a distance” (Exodus 20:15).

“Even in your thought do not curse a king, and in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy, as a bird of the heavens will carry the sound, and a winged one will tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20).
“Even in your thought do not curse a king” – Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: The Holy One blessed be He says to a person: Because I have given you intellect beyond that of the animal, the beast, and the birds, you curse and blaspheme before me? I gave you eyes and [the animal] eyes, you have ears and it has ears, you have hands and it has hands, you have feet and it has feet, you have a mouth and it has a mouth, he is like the beasts that perish [nidma].⁸⁶This is an adaptation in the singular of Psalms 49:21. The verse compares people to beasts, but the midrash reads it as implying a difference between people and animals, that animals cannot speak. Nidma means nothing other than silence; I have silenced it before you.⁸⁷Unlike people, animals cannot speak. See the honor that I have afforded you. But you do not understand all this goodness, “man does not understand the honor” (Psalms 49:21).
Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” that is in your generation, “and in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” – do not curse the wealthy of your generation. “As a bird of the heavens” – Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: This is the raven, by means of bird divination.⁸⁸The king or wealthy people might find out what you said from the ravens, by means of bird divination. “And a winged one will tell the matter” – because the wall has ears.
Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” – the King of the world; “and in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” – the wealthy One of the world. “As a bird of the heavens will carry the sound” – Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: There are some sounds that are for good and there are some sounds that are for evil. [There are] sounds for good, as it is stated: “The Lord heard the sound of your words…they have done well in everything that they spoke” (Deuteronomy 5:24). Ḥiyya bar Ada and bar Kappara: Ḥiyya bar Abba said: For good [hatava], as in the preparation of [hatavat] the incense. Bar Kappara said: For good, as in the cleaning of [hatavat] the lamps. [There are] sounds for evil, as it is stated: “The Lord heard the sound of your words, and He was enraged and took an oath…” (Deuteronomy 1:34).
Rabbi Abbahu [said] in the name of Rabbi Taḥalifa his father in law: It is written: “As I took an oath in My wrath” (Psalms 95:11) – the Holy One blessed be He said: I took an oath in My wrath, but then I recanted; “that they⁸⁹The generation of the wilderness, which left Egypt. will not enter My place of rest” (Psalms 95:11) – they will not enter this resting place,⁹⁰The Land of Israel but they will enter another resting place.⁹¹The World to Come Rabbi Beivai said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: [This is analogous] to a king who was angry at his son and expelled him from his palace and took an oath that he would not allow his son to enter the palace. What did he do [once he reconsidered]? It was [already] built; he dismantled it and rebuilt it, and brought his son into it. He thereby brings his son in and [still] fulfills his vow. So too, the Holy One blessed be He said: I took an oath in My wrath and recanted. They will not enter this resting place, but they will enter another resting place.
“And a winged one will tell the matter” – Rabbi Bon said: When a person sleeps, the body tells the soul [what it has done], the soul [tells it] to the spirit, the spirit to the angel, the angel to the cherub, and the cherub to the winged one. Who is that? It is the seraph. The seraph will bring the matter and tell it before He who spoke and the world came into being.
Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” – do not curse a king who is before you. “And in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” – a prominent person in your locale. “As a bird of the heavens will carry the sound” – the Holy One blessed be He said to David: Would you not say: “All my enemies shall be ashamed and frightened” (Psalms 6:11)? Who were your enemies? Was it not Saul? Would you not say: “On the day that the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (Psalms 18:1)?⁹²Thus, you cursed the king I appointed over Israel. David said: Master of the universe: Do You calculate them for me as intentional transgressions? Consider them as unwitting transgressions [shegagot] for me. That is what is written: “A meditation [shigayon] by David, a song that he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Kush the Benjamite (Psalms 7:1).⁹³Kush the Benjamite is a reference to Saul (see Moed Katan 16b).
Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “There was a king in Yeshurun” (Deuteronomy 33:5). “And in your bedrooms do not curse the wealth” – this is Moses. From where did Moses become wealthy? It was from the residue of the tablets. Rabbi Ḥanin said: He discovered a quarry of sapphires in his tent, and from that Moses became wealthy, as it is stated: “Carve for you two tablets of stone…” (Exodus 34:1), its carvings will be for you.