עִשָּׂר֤וֹן עִשָּׂרוֹן֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה לַכֶּ֖בֶשׂ הָאֶחָ֑ד לְשִׁבְעַ֖ת הַכְּבָשִֽׂים׃
Um dízimo fareis para o cordeiro, para os sete cordeiros.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A rational approach to the dream. The ladder represents the various levels of this universe. The universe may be regarded like a pyramid with the terrestrial part, the part inhabited by man at the bottom of the pyramid. Above our world is that of the planetary system; still “higher” is the world inhabited by disembodied creatures. In other words: the ladder has three basic rungs. David also characterized the world in a similar manner when he said (Psalms 103,20): ברכו ה’ מלאכיו, “bless the Lord, His angels.” He followed this by saying: (verse 21) ברכו ה’ כל צבאיו, משרתיו, עשי רצונו, “bless the Lord, all His hosts, His servants, who do His will; “ Finally, he said (verse 22) ברכו ה’ כל מעשיו וגו’, “bless the Lord all His creatures, etc.” Solomon also portrayed the world in a similar way in Song of Songs in three consecutive verses in Song of Songs 5,13-14-15).
The verses are: לחיו כערוגות הבושם, מגדלות מרקחים. שפתותיו שושנים נוטפות מור עובר. ידיו גלילי זהב, ממולאים בתרשיש, מעיו עשת שן מעולפת ספירים. שוקיו עמודי שש, מיוסדים על אדני פז. מראהו כלבנון בחור כארזים. The conventional translation of these verses is as follows: ”His cheeks are like beds of spices, producing banks of perfume; His lips are like lilies, they drip flowing myrrh. His hands are rods of gold, studded with beryl; his legs are like marble pillars set in sockets of fine gold. He is majestic as Lebanon, stately as cedars” The author views Solomon as paraphrasing different parts of the universe and its functions.
He uses the cheeks, hand and thighs, to describe these three levels of the universe. In those verses the spiritual concept of the Jewish people, known in Talmudic parlance as כנסת ישראל, praises the Lord and His creation. The לחיו, “cheeks,” represent the world of the angels who tell the prophets what they should prophesy; the hands represent the world of the planetary systems The word שפתותיו, “his lips,” are a reference to the prophets who relate what they have been told by the angels, the source of their information. The word נוטפות, is the actual prophetic message. The word is derived from והטף אל דרום, (Ezekiel 21,2) “let your words flow southwards.” Solomon also compares prophecy to מור, “myrrh”, as the soul derives similar pleasure from prophecy as it does from the spice by that name. “His hand,” is a reference to the planetary system, the word גלילים being essentially the same as גלגלים, “orbiting planets”. They are compared to “hands,” as all of man’s activities are influenced by these orbiting stars and planets. In fact everything that goes on in our terrestrial world depends on these planets. The words “filled with beryl,” is a reference to the stars which form the satellites of many of these planets. The word תרשיש represents something more precious than gold. Whereas the planets themselves are in outer space, the “stars” are perceived of filling some of the void between earth and the planets. The words מעיו עשת שן are a reference to the 12 horoscopes; this is why Solomon mentioned מעולפת ספירים, adorned with sapphires, i.e. with 12 sapphires. The words שוקיו are a reference to our terrestrial world, the bottom rung of this material existence. Just as the legs of a human being are the “lower” part of his whole body, so the part of the universe we live in is the low end of the entire universe. The word שוקיו applies to the two elements fire and wind, whereas the word אדני פז are a reference to the other two elements water and earth. The entire universe is portrayed as if it were a ladder.
The verses are: לחיו כערוגות הבושם, מגדלות מרקחים. שפתותיו שושנים נוטפות מור עובר. ידיו גלילי זהב, ממולאים בתרשיש, מעיו עשת שן מעולפת ספירים. שוקיו עמודי שש, מיוסדים על אדני פז. מראהו כלבנון בחור כארזים. The conventional translation of these verses is as follows: ”His cheeks are like beds of spices, producing banks of perfume; His lips are like lilies, they drip flowing myrrh. His hands are rods of gold, studded with beryl; his legs are like marble pillars set in sockets of fine gold. He is majestic as Lebanon, stately as cedars” The author views Solomon as paraphrasing different parts of the universe and its functions.
He uses the cheeks, hand and thighs, to describe these three levels of the universe. In those verses the spiritual concept of the Jewish people, known in Talmudic parlance as כנסת ישראל, praises the Lord and His creation. The לחיו, “cheeks,” represent the world of the angels who tell the prophets what they should prophesy; the hands represent the world of the planetary systems The word שפתותיו, “his lips,” are a reference to the prophets who relate what they have been told by the angels, the source of their information. The word נוטפות, is the actual prophetic message. The word is derived from והטף אל דרום, (Ezekiel 21,2) “let your words flow southwards.” Solomon also compares prophecy to מור, “myrrh”, as the soul derives similar pleasure from prophecy as it does from the spice by that name. “His hand,” is a reference to the planetary system, the word גלילים being essentially the same as גלגלים, “orbiting planets”. They are compared to “hands,” as all of man’s activities are influenced by these orbiting stars and planets. In fact everything that goes on in our terrestrial world depends on these planets. The words “filled with beryl,” is a reference to the stars which form the satellites of many of these planets. The word תרשיש represents something more precious than gold. Whereas the planets themselves are in outer space, the “stars” are perceived of filling some of the void between earth and the planets. The words מעיו עשת שן are a reference to the 12 horoscopes; this is why Solomon mentioned מעולפת ספירים, adorned with sapphires, i.e. with 12 sapphires. The words שוקיו are a reference to our terrestrial world, the bottom rung of this material existence. Just as the legs of a human being are the “lower” part of his whole body, so the part of the universe we live in is the low end of the entire universe. The word שוקיו applies to the two elements fire and wind, whereas the word אדני פז are a reference to the other two elements water and earth. The entire universe is portrayed as if it were a ladder.
Ramban
THREE TENTH-PARTS SHALL YE OFFER FOR ‘A BULLOCK’ — that is, for each of the [two] bullocks, [mentioned in the preceding verse]. Similarly, three tenth-parts for ‘the one bullock’206Ibid., 29:14. means for each one of the [thirteen] bullocks [mentioned in the preceding verse]. And [the expression in the following Verse 21] for the one lamb shows us [the meaning of] this [phrase — for ‘a bullock,’ in Verse 20 before us], since it says [there in Verse 21], ‘isaron isaron’ [literally: ‘a tenth-part, a tenth-part’ shalt thou offer for ‘the one lamb’ — thus indicating clearly that this amount of the meal-offering is for each of the Iambs; and here too the amount stated is for each of the bullocks and rams]. Scripture further states explicitly [in Verse 21]: for every lamb of the seven lambs. So here too, for ‘a bullock’ means for [each of] the two bullocks. Scripture, however, sometimes speaks briefly in a matter which is self-understood, for it is obvious that there are not three tenth-parts [of an ephah offered up] for one bullock, whilst the second one has none [at all]. And [the reason why] He stated explicitly [in the following Verse 21] in connection with the lambs [that the meal-offering specified is for each one of the lambs], is because they are many [i.e., seven], and it follows all the more so in the [case of the] bullocks [mentioned here in Verse 20 that the meal-offering specified there is to be offered up for each of the two bullocks]. And in [speaking about the first day of] the Festival of Tabernacles, when the bullocks were more [than on any other festival], He explains three tenth-parts for the one bullock of the thirteen bullocks.206Ibid., 29:14.