Midrash sa Ezekiel 1:14: Shir HaShirim Rabbah, Bamidbar Rabbah & Bereshit Rabbah

“Emerge, daughters of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the rejoicing of his heart” (Song of Songs 3:11).
“Emerge, daughters of Zion, and gaze,” sons who are conspicuous [metzuyanim] for me in haircut, in circumcision, in ritual fringes; “at King Solomon [Shlomo],” at the King who created perfect [shelemot] creations. He created the sun and the moon in their completeness, the stars and the constellations in their completeness. Bar Kappara said: Adam and Eve were created as at the age of twenty. “At King Solomon [Shlomo],” at the King [of Whom it may be said] that peace is His.
Another matter, “at King Solomon [Shlomo],” the King who made peace between His works and His creatures. How so? He made the fire be at peace with our patriarch Abraham; He made the sword be at peace with Isaac; He made the angel be at peace with Jacob.¹⁰⁶God saw to it that Abraham was not harmed when he was thrown into the fiery furnace; that Isaac was not harmed when Abraham was about to slaughter him; and that Jacob was not harmed when he struggled with the angel.
Another matter, “at King Solomon [Shlomo],” the King who made peace between His creations. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The firmament is of snow and the [celestial] creatures are of fire. The firmament is of snow, as it is stated: “Over the heads of the creature there was the likeness of a firmament, resembling the awesome ice” (Ezekiel 1:22). The creatures are of fire, as it is stated: “The likeness of the creatures, their appearance was like fiery coals” (Ezekiel 1:13), and it is written: “The creatures were darting to and fro like the appearance of a flash” (Ezekiel 1:14). This one does not extinguish that one, and that one does not extinguish this one. Mikhael is the angel of snow and Gabriel of fire; this one does not extinguish that one, and that one does not harm this one.
Rabbi Avin said: This is not merely between angel and angel, but even within one angel that is half snow and half fire, the Holy One blessed be He makes peace between them. It has five descriptions, and they are: “His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning” (Daniel 10:6);¹⁰⁷The full verse states: “His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes as torches of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” Thus it is described as like beryl, lightning, torches of fire, burnished brass, and the voice of a multitude—five descriptions. and one does not harm the other.
One verse says: “He covers His upper chambers with water” (Psalms 104:3), and one verse says: “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and it is written: “His throne was sparks of fire” (Daniel 7:9). This one does not harm that one, and that one does not harm this one. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is written: “He makes peace in His high places” (Job 25:2), the firmament is of water and the stars of fire and they do not harm each other. The sun has never seen the defect of the moon.¹⁰⁸The deficient side of the moon’s crescent never faces the sun. This is taken as an indication that God causes there to be peace between them.
Rabbi Yaakov of the village of Ḥanin said: It is written: “Dominion and fear are with Him” (Job 25:2). “Dominion,” this is Mikhael, “and fear,” this is Gavriel, “with Him,” what is “with Him”? They are at peace for Him. Rabbi Levi said: No constellation ever passed another on their ascent. There is no star that sees what is above it, but rather what is below it, like a person who descends a ladder and does not look behind him.
Even regarding the plagues of Pharaoh, the Holy One blessed be He brought about peace, as it is stated: “There was hail, and fire aflame within the hail” (Exodus 9:24). Rabbi Yuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yuda said: Bowls of hail filled with fire; this one did not extinguish that one, and that one did not extinguish this one. Rabbi Ḥanin said: That [description] of Rabbi Yuda is similar to a pomegranate aril, as [the seed] inside each aril can be seen.¹⁰⁹Just as the seed is visible from outside the aril, the hail contained fire that was visible despite being surrounded by ice. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Fire and hail intermingled with each other. Rabbi Ḥanin said: That [description] of Rabbi Neḥemya is similar to the bowl of an oil lamp, where water and oil are intermingled and it continues to burn. This one does not extinguish that one, and that one does not extinguish this one. The Rabbis say:¹¹⁰Expounding the word “aflame” [mitlakaḥat]. Death [mita] and reassembly [mitkalha], death and reassembly in order to perform the will of their Creator.¹¹¹The ice and fire would continually eliminate each other and be restored. Rabbi Aḥa said: [This is analogous] to a king who had two powerful legions and they were enemies with each other. Once they saw that the king’s war was intensifying, they made peace with one another in order to wage the king’s war. So too, fire and hail are enemies with each other. When they saw the war of the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, which was the war against the Egyptians, they made peace between them and waged the war of the Holy One blessed be He against Egypt. That is what is written: “There was hail and fire aflame within the hail”—a miracle within a miracle.

“On the day” – that is what is written: “Go out and gaze, daughters of Zion, [at King Solomon, at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the rejoicing of his heart]” (Song of Songs 3:11). It is speaking at the time that the Divine Presence rested upon the Tabernacle. “Go out and gaze” – just as it says: “The entire people saw, shouted, and fell on their faces” (Leviticus 9:24).³⁰This was their reaction to seeing the Divine Presence in the Tabernacle. “The daughters of Zion [Tziyon]” – [alludes to] those who are marked [metzuyanim] for Him with circumcision, as had they not been circumcised they would not have been able to look at the Divine Presence. Rather, they would have fallen, just as Abraham our patriarch fell, as it is stated: “Abram fell on his face, and God spoke with him” (Genesis 17:3). Likewise, regarding Bilam, it says: “He falls with uncovered eyes” (Numbers 24:4, 16). Likewise it says: “Moses said: This is the matter that the Lord commanded that you shall do, and the glory of the Lord will appear to you” (Leviticus 9:6). What is, “this is the matter [ze hadavar]”? It was regarding circumcision that he said to them, just as it says: “This is the reason [veze hadavar] that Joshua circumcised” (Joshua 5:4). “That the Lord commanded” – to do to Abraham; this is analogous to a storekeeper who had a friend who was a priest. There was impurity in the house of his friend [the storekeeper], who sought to bring him to his house. The priest said to him: If you wish that I will come into your house, listen to me and remove the impurity from inside your house. When the storekeeper knew that there was no impurity there, he went and brought the priest into his house. So, the Holy One blessed be He, when he sought to appear to Abraham, his beloved, a foreskin was still attached to him. Once he circumcised himself, He immediately appeared, as it is stated: “On that very day, Abraham was circumcised” (Genesis 17:26), and then: “The Lord appeared to him” (Genesis 18:1). That is why Moses said to them: ‘God commanded to have circumcision performed on Abraham your patriarch when He sought to appear to him. You too, anyone of you who has someone uncircumcised, let him come out and have himself circumcised, “and the glory of the Lord will appear to you.”’ That is why Solomon said: “Go out and gaze, daughters of Zion, at King Solomon [Shelomo],” at the king who desires faultless [shelemim] people, just as it says: “Walk before Me and be faultless” (Genesis 17:1), as the foreskin is a blemish on the body.
Another matter: “At King Solomon [Shelomo]” (Song of Songs 3:11) – at the King who created His creations complete [shelemim]. He created the sun and the moon in their fullness, and all the acts of Creation were created in their full stature, as it is stated: “[The heaven and] the earth and all their hosts [tzevaam]” (Genesis 2:1).³¹Tzevaam is expounded as tzivyonam, in their full form. Bar Kappara said: Adam and Eve were created as twenty-year-olds.
Another matter: “At King Solomon [Shelomo]” (Song of Songs 3:11) – at the King who made peace between his creations and those who love Him. He made peace between fire and Abraham³²This refers to a midrash that states that Nimrod placed Abraham in a furnace and that God saved Abraham (Bereshit Rabba 39:3)., the sword and Isaac, and angels and Jacob.
Another matter: “At King Solomon [Shelomo]” (Song of Songs 3:11) – at the King who makes peace between his creations. The heavenly beasts are of fire, and the firmament is of snow. The heavenly beasts are of fire, as it is stated: “The beasts were darting to and fro like the appearance of a flash” (Ezekiel 1:14). The firmament is of snow, as it is stated: “Over the heads of the beast there was the likeness of a firmament, resembling the [awesome] ice…” (Ezekiel 1:22). Neither does this one extinguish that one, nor does that one consume this one.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “Dominion and fear are with Him; [He makes peace in His heights]” (Job 25:2). “Dominion” – this is Mikhael, and he is of snow; “and fear” – this is Gavriel, and he is of fire. What is “with Him”? They are devoted [mushlamim] to Him; this one does not harm that one, and that one does not harm this one.
Not only does He go so far as to make peace between angel and angel, but even within one angel he makes peace, as he has five faces. That is what is written: “His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, [his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and his legs like burnished bronze, and the sound of his speech like the noise of a multitude]” (Daniel 10:6) – neither does this one extinguish that one, nor does that one extinguish this one.³³The lightning and the fire are against the beryl, which is translated as resembling the sea, and the great multitude is likewise an allusion to water.
It is written: “A river of fire flowed and emerged [from before Him]” (Daniel 7:10), and the firmament is of water, as it is stated: “He roofs His upper chambers with water” (Psalms 104:3). Neither does this one extinguish that one, nor does that one extinguish this one.
Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanan said: “He makes peace in His heights” (Job 25:2) – the sun has never seen the concave side of the moon.³⁴See Rosh HaShana 23b where the Gemara states that this is to prevent the moon from feeling bad.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There is no constellation that sees what preceded it, and there is no constellation that sees what is above it, only what is below it, like this person that descends a ladder, turned backwards.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The firmament is of water and the stars of fire, and they reside one with the other and they do not harm one another.
Even between the plagues He makes peace [shalom]. That is what is written: “There was hail and fire igniting [mitlakaḥat] within the hail” (Exodus 9:24). Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya: Rabbi Yehuda said: Bowls of hail filled with fire. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Fire and water intermingled one with the other. Rabbi Ḥanan said: The explanation of Rabbi Yehuda is that it is like the seed of a split pomegranate that can be seen from the outside. The explanation of Rabbi Neḥemya is that it is like this lantern of a lamp, in which water and oil are mixed as one, and it is kindled above them. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: What is mitlakaḥat? It means dies [maita] and regroups [umitkahala] to perform its mission in order to perform the will of its Creator. Rav Ada said: This is analogous to a king who had two powerful legions that would contend with one another. When a war involving the king came about, they made peace with one another and came and waged the king’s war. So, hail and fire contended with one another. When they saw the war of the Holy One blessed be He with Egypt, it is stated: “There was hail and fire igniting within the hail” – a miracle within a miracle. That is why it is stated: “At King Solomon [Shelomo]” (Song of Songs 3:11).
“At the crown with which his mother crowned him” (Song of Songs 3:11) – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: We have reviewed the entire Bible, and we have not found that Batsheva fashioned a crown for her son Solomon. Rather, “crown” – this is the Tent of Meeting, which is like this crown that is set with jewels and gems and is adorned with sky-blue, purple, and crimson wool, and fine linen. Rav Ḥoneya said: Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai asked Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Yosei, he said to him: ‘Did you, perchance, hear from your father, what is: “At the crown with which his mother crowned him”?’ He said to him: ‘Yes. It is analogous to a king who had an only daughter and he loved her excessively. He did not relent from loving her, to the extent he called her his sister. He did not relent from loving her to the extent he called her his mother. So, the Holy One blessed be He loved Israel. He called them: “My sister, my love, my faultless dove” (Song of Songs 5:2). He did not relent from loving them, to the extent he called them His mother. That is what is written: “Pay attention to Me, My people, and listen to Me, My nation [ule’umi]” (Isaiah 51:4); ule’imi is written.’³⁵Without a vav, meaning My mother. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai stood and kissed him on his head. He said to him: ‘Had I emerged into the world only to hear this explanation from your mouth, it would have been sufficient.’ Alternatively, “his mother [imo]” means his nation [umato].
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: When the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘They shall craft a Tabernacle for Me,’ he should have placed four poles upright and stretched the Tabernacle atop them. Rather, it teaches that the Holy One blessed be He showed Moses on high red fire, green fire, black fire, and white fire; He said to him: ‘In the form “that you are shown on the mountain”’ (Exodus 25:40).
Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Batzla: This is analogous to a king who had a magnificent garment fashioned with jewels. He said to a member of his household: ‘Fashion me one like this.’ He said to him: ‘My lord the king, am I able to craft one like it?’ He told him: ‘I in my glory, and you with your dyes.’³⁶Do your best to approximate the garment that you see. So, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘My God, am I able to craft like these?’ He said to him: ‘Like the form “that I [am showing you]”’ (Exodus 25:9), “with the sky-blue, the purple, and the crimson wool, and with the fine linen” (Exodus 38:23).
The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: If you craft what is above, below, I will abandon My supernal council and descend and constrict My Divine Presence into your midst below. Above, “seraphim standing” (Isaiah 6:2); below, “acacia wood standing” (Exodus 26:15). It is not written here: “Place acacia wood upright,” but rather, “standing,” as though placed among the hosts on high. That is what is written: “Seraphim standing above Him” (Isaiah 6:2). Just as above there are stars, so below³⁷In the Tabernacle. there are stars. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: It teaches that the gold hooks in the Tabernacle looked like the stars fixed in the firmament.
“On the day of his wedding” (Song of Songs 3:11) – this is Sinai. There was matrimony, as it is stated: “Sanctify them [vekidashtam]³⁸This is expounded to mean betrothal [kidushin]. today and tomorrow” (Exodus 19:10). “And on the day of the rejoicing of his heart” (Song of Songs 3:11) – this is the giving of the Torah, as it is stated: “He gave to Moses, when He concluded [kekhaloto] [speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the Testimony]” (Exodus 31:18). Kekhalato is written.³⁹Meaning: Like His bride.
Another matter: “On the day of his wedding” (Song of Songs 3:11) – this is the Tent of Meeting. “And on the day of the rejoicing of his heart” (Song of Songs 3:11) – this is the eternal Temple. From where is it derived that there was matrimony at the Tent of Meeting? It is as it is written: “On the day that Moses concluded [kalot] erecting the Tabernacle.” Kalat is written; on the day that the bride [kala] entered the wedding canopy.

“The two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom; Lot saw them, and rose to meet them, and he prostrated himself with his face to the ground” (Genesis 19:1).
“The two angels came to Sodom in the evening…” – “the ḥayot¹A kind of angel. were darting to [ratzo] and fro like the appearance of a flash” (Ezekiel 1:14). Rabbi Aivu said: Ratzot²The usual form of the verb, meaning running or darting. is not written here, but rather, ratzo³Which can also mean to desire. – they had a desire to perform their mission. “Like the appearance of a flash [habazak]” – Rabbi Yehuda in the name of Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Levi bar Parta: Like one who scatters [bozek] olive pomace⁴Which ignites easily. in an oven. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: [The ḥayot moved] as wind drives an [empty] wineskin. The Rabbis say: As wind drives the clouds. They [the angels] took their leave from Abraham at six hours and arrived in Sodom only in the evening?⁵Since they move so swiftly, they should have arrived there in a matter of seconds. The explanation is that they were angels of mercy, and they were tarrying, in the belief that perhaps He might find some merit for them.⁶As a result of Abraham’s intercessions. When He did not find any merit for them – “the two angels came to Sodom in the evening.”