Мидраш к Шир ха-ширим 1:7

“Tell me, he whom my soul loves, where do you herd, where do you rest your flock at noon? Why should I be as one bound to the flocks of your companions” (Song of Songs 1:7).
“Tell me, he whom my soul loves,” Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon interpreted the verse regarding Moses. When the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Now go and I will send you to Pharaoh” (Exodus 3:10), he said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, through me, my Lord, can all these things be accomplished?²²¹“Through me [bi], Lord,” is a play on the phrase “Please [bi] my Lord” (Exodus 4:13). How can I stand before all these multitudes? How many new mothers are there among them? How many pregnant women are there among them? How many small children are there among them? How many kinds of hearty food have You prepared for the new mothers among them? How many kinds of soft foods have You prepared for the pregnant women among them? How much roasted grain and how many nuts have You prepared for the small children among them?’ Where is this matter articulated?²²²Where is it articulated that Moses’ claim to God was that he would not be able to properly care for the children of Israel? Here: “Tell me, he whom my soul loves”—the nation that my soul loves, the nation for whom I put my soul on the line; “where do you herd”—during the summer; “where do you rest your flock at noon”—during the rainy season. “Why should I be as one bound [keoteya],” Rabbi Ḥelbo said in the name of Rabbi Huna: Let me not be like this mourner who covers [oteh] until his upper lip and weeps, just as you say: “And he shall cover until his upper lip” (Leviticus 13:45).
Another matter, “Why should I be as one bound,” let me not be like this shepherd that wolves infiltrated his flock and mauled it, and he wrapped his garment and departed, just as it says: “He will wrap the land of Egypt” (Jeremiah 43:12). “To the flocks of your companions,” when I [Moses] go to Your companions²²³This is a reference to the patriarchs. and they ask me about their flocks, what will I respond to them?

Rabbi Berekhya interpreted it regarding this verse: “May the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint [a man over the congregation]” (Numbers 27:16). “May the Lord…appoint”—[Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, since you are ousting me from the world, inform me who are the shepherds whom You are installing over Your children.’ Where is the matter articulated? “Tell me, he whom my soul loves,” the nation that my soul loves, the nation to whom I dedicated my life; “where do you herd,” during the period of the monarchy; “where do you rest your flock at noon,” when [Israel is] subjudgated to [foreign] kingdoms. “Why [shalama] should I be as one bound [keoteya]?” Rabbi Azarya said: Shalama, that I will not [shelo] become as nothing [lema] in the eyes of Your companions²²⁴This is a reference to the patriarchs. regarding their flocks. There will be a desecration of Heaven in the matter if your children are in distress and the flocks of Your companions²²⁵This is a reference to the nations of the world. Their kings are referred to here as God’s companions (Etz Yosef). Alternatively, the reference is to the nations that descend from Ishmael and Esau, sons of the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac (Midrash HaMevoar). are comfortable. Rabbi Yudan bar Simon said: So the nations of the world will not say that the attribute of justice has erred [ta’at].²²⁶This is alluded to in the word keoteya. [God] knew that He sought to slaughter them in the wilderness and He slaughtered them in the wilderness, just as it says: “He slaughtered them in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:16).²²⁷This phrase appears in the passage in which Moses implores God not to destroy Israel in the aftermath of the sin of the scouts, arguing that the nations of the world would say God knew He could not defeat the Canaanite nations and therefore slaughtered Israel in the wilderness (see Numbers 14:13–19). Similarly, Moses requested that God appoint good leaders over the nation after him so as to avoid a desecration of Gdod’s name. The Rabbis say: So that your children will not see that their trouble is trouble and deviate [yatu] from following You and cleave to the flocks of Your companions,²²⁸This is a reference to the nations of the world. just as you say: “Can the seat of wickedness be Your companion?” (Psalms 94:20).²²⁹This verse demonstrates that the nations of the world can be referred to as companions of God.
At that moment the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Moses, you say to Me: “Where do you herd, where do you rest your flock,” by your life, if you do not know, ultimately, you will know,’ as it is stated: “If you do not know, fairest among women” (Song of Songs 1:8).²³⁰The Hebrew phrase generally translated “if you do not know” can also be translated “shall you not know,” and that is how the midrash is interpreting it here.
Another matter, “if you do not know, fairest among women,” fairest among prophets, the most outstanding among the prophets. Rabbi Yosei bar Yirmeya said: Why were the prophets likened to women? To say to you: Just as a woman is not shy about demanding her household needs from her husband, so the prophets are not shy about demanding the needs of Israel from their Father in Heaven.

Another interpretation (of Exod. 3:1): SO HE DROVE THE FLOCK TO THE FARTHEST END OF THE DESERT. R. Joshua ben Qorhah said: <The Holy One> portended to him that his flock (the Israelites) would perish in the desert and that he would be removed (i.e., die) along with them. (Exod. 3:1:) SO HE DROVE THE FLOCK. <Thereby the Holy One> was hinting to him that he would drive the children of Israel forty years. Then after that he would be removed. So also in the case of Moses, when he sought the needs of Israel. When the Holy One, blessed be he, said to him: Go on my mission, Moses said to him (in Cant. 1:7): TELL ME, YOU WHOM MY SOUL LOVES, WHERE DO YOU TEND <YOUR FLOCK >…? How many midwives are there among them? How many are pregnant among them? How many ointments have you prepared for the pregnant ones who are among them? TELL ME, YOU WHOM MY SOUL LOVES. The Holy One answered and said to him (in Cant. 1:8): IF YOU DO NOT KNOW, O FAIREST AMONG WOMEN, COME OUT IN THE TRACKS OF THE FLOCK…. Ergo (in Exod. 3:1): SO HE DROVE THE FLOCK TO THE FARTHEST END OF THE DESERT. When he reached Horeb, what is immediately written (in vs. 2)? THEN THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM IN A FLAME OF FIRE. Why IN A FLAME OF FIRE? In order to attract him. When he came to Sinai and saw that fire, he would be awe-struck.⁶³The verb here normally means “be afraid.” If it is so understood, there should probably be a negative here, i.e., “he would not be afraid,” in agreement with Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34 and Tanh., Exod. 1:14. Ergo: IN A FLAME OF FIRE. Another interpretation: Why IN A FLAME OF FIRE? Because a flame is given from two thirds.⁶⁴Tanh., Exod. 1:14 (as interpreted by Enoch Zundel’s commentary, ‘Ets Yosef), elaborates further: “Why IN A FLAME (LBH) OF FIRE? <Because it> is from the upper two thirds of a bush, as the heart (LB) is placed in the upper two thirds of a human.” So also Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34 and Exod. R. 2:5. Why FROM THE MIDST OF A THORN BUSH and not from the midst of another tree? The Holy One said (in Ps. 91:15): I WILL BE WITH HIM IN DISTRESS. Now they (the Israelites) were placed in the < thorns of> slavery; so shall I be revealed from the midst of another tree? Therefore, <I was revealed> (in Exod. 3:2): FROM THE MIDST OF A THORN BUSH, because it is all thorns.

And he led the flock. This was a sign to him that he would lead the Israelites though the desert for forty years, and that he would be taken away by death with the flock while it was still in the wilderness. Therefore, at the time Moses pleaded for the needs of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Go on My mission. Moses replied: Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth (Song 1:7), that is, tell Me how many midwives are there among them, how many women with child are there, how many nuts¹³Reading agozim (as in Shemot Rabbah), rather than agudot. have you provided for the infants, how many potions have you prepared for the pregnant women among them? Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way by the footsteps of the flock (you will learn). Therefore: And he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness. As soon as he reached Mount Horeb, The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire (Exod. 3:2). Why did He appear in a fiery flame? So that when he came to Sinai and beheld the fire, his heart would not be frightened by it.

(Bamidbar 27:17) "who will go out before them and who will come in before them": Not as others, who send others in the vanguard and who bring up the rear. But as Moses did, viz. (Bamidbar 21:34) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Do not fear him (Og, [to confront him in the vanguard]) for I have delivered him into your hand." And as Joshua did, viz. (Joshua 5:13) "And Joshua went up to him, and said: 'Are you for us or for our foes?'" And as Pinchas did, viz. (Bamidbar 31:6) "And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Pinchas (in the vanguard) etc." (Ibid. 27:17) "who will go out before them" — at the head, viz. (I Chronicles 11:6) "And Yoav ben Tzeruyah went up first, and he was at the head." "who will go out before them" — in a troop. "and who will come in before them" — in a troop. "who will go out before them" — on the way. "and who will come in before them" — on the way. "and who will take them out" — in his merits. "and who will bring them back" — in his merits. "and who will take them out" — with a count. "and who will bring them back" — with a count (i.e., none missing), as it is written (Bamidbar 31:44) "And they said to Moses: Your servants have counted the men of war who were under our charge, and not one of us is missing." And why did they need atonement (viz. Ibid. 50)? For they had "feasted their eyes" on nakedness (i.e., on the Midianite women [viz. Ibid. 16]). (Ibid. 27:17) "And let the congregation of the L-rd not be as sheep without a shepherd": On this the tradition comments (Song of Songs 1:7) "Tell me (Moses), O You, whom my soul loves, etc. for why should I be covered up," as in (Jeremiah 43:12) "And he (Nevuchadnezzar) will cover up the land of Egypt, as the shepherd covers up his cloak." (Song of Songs, Ibid.) "by the flocks of Your companions" — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Go out and see how the Holy One answers him (Song of Songs, Ibid. 8): "If you do not know, you fairest among the women (i.e., most exalted of the prophets), go out in the footsteps of the flock." (See) what I am destined to do for them in the end (of their "footsteps"), "and graze your kids by the tents of the shepherd" — whence it is derived that the L-rd showed Moses all the leaders who were destined to serve Israel from the day they left the desert until the resurrection. Thus, "Go out in the footsteps of the flock."

Moses appealed to the Holy One Blessed be He: L-rd of the universe, since I am departing from the world in such exaltation, show me a trustworthy man, who will go forth before them in peace, as it is written (Bamidbar 29:17) "who will go out before them and who will come in before them, and who will take them out and who will bring them back. And let the congregation of the L-rd not be as sheep without a shepherd." And this is expounded in the tradition (Song of Songs 1:7) "Tell me, O You whom my soul loves: Where will You graze (Your flock)? Where will you lay (them down) in the afternoon? For why should I be like (a woman) veiled (in mourning) among the flocks of Your neighbors?" What did the Holy One Blessed be He answer? (Ibid. 8) "If you do not know, O fairest of the women (i.e., "greatest of the prophets"), go out in the footsteps of the sheep" (i.e.,) what I am destined to do with them in the future. Israel passed through four exiles — without a shepherd, without a prophet, without a sage. And thus is it written of the days of Achav (II Chronicles 18:16) "I have seen all of Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd."