גַּם־בְּרוֹשִׁ֛ים שָׂמְח֥וּ לְךָ֖ אַרְזֵ֣י לְבָנ֑וֹן מֵאָ֣ז שָׁכַ֔בְתָּ לֹֽא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה הַכֹּרֵ֖ת עָלֵֽינוּ׃
Pati ang mga puno ng sipres ay nagagalak dahil sa iyo, at ang mga sedro ng Lebanon, na nagsasabi: “Mula nang ikaw ay nahiga, wala nang mamumutol na umaakyat laban sa amin.”
Eikhah Rabbah
“The ways of Zion are in mourning, without Festival pilgrims; all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh; her maidens are forlorn, and she is embittered” (Lamentations 1:4).
“The ways of Zion are in mourning.” Rav Huna said: Everything seeks to fulfill its role.95The reference here is to fulfilling its role by finding its mate (Matnot Kehuna). There was an incident involving a certain trained female dog that climbed to the top of a crag in order to mate with a male dog.96The trained dog would not generally climb in such a dangerous area, but it exposed itself to this danger in order to mate. Rabbi Ami said: Even cedars seek to fulfill their roles. Know [that this is so], for there were no cedars in Babylon, but when Nebuchadnezzar ascended to here, he uprooted cedars from here and replanted them in Babylon. When he died they rejoiced over his downfall. That is what is written: “Cypresses, too, rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, [since you have been laid down, the woodcutter does not come against us]” (Isaiah 14:8).97The cedars wanted to propagate in their native land rather than be cut down and transported elsewhere. Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa said: Even the roads seek to fulfill their role. That is what is written: “The ways of Zion are in mourning, without Festival pilgrims.” Without wooden huts and without dignitaries is not written here, but rather, “without Festival pilgrims.”
“All her gates are desolate,” as there was no one entering or exiting through them. “Her priests sigh,” as there was no one to give them the priestly gifts, just as it says: “He shall give to the priest the foreleg, the jaw, and the maw” (Deuteronomy 18:3). Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Rabbi Simon said: “Her maidens are forlorn [nugot],” these are the Torah scholars, who were as beautiful as maidens and they became like wax [kadonag].98Just as wax melts away, their hearts melted in their sorrow (Matnot Kehuna). Rabbi Shmuel said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: These are the dignitaries who were as beautiful as maidens and became like forlorn young women [nugot].
Alternatively, “her maidens are forlorn,” as this one would come and violate her and that one would come and violate her until they greatly aggravated her wound. “And she is embittered,” she is embittered due to her nakedness.
“The ways of Zion are in mourning.” Rav Huna said: Everything seeks to fulfill its role.95The reference here is to fulfilling its role by finding its mate (Matnot Kehuna). There was an incident involving a certain trained female dog that climbed to the top of a crag in order to mate with a male dog.96The trained dog would not generally climb in such a dangerous area, but it exposed itself to this danger in order to mate. Rabbi Ami said: Even cedars seek to fulfill their roles. Know [that this is so], for there were no cedars in Babylon, but when Nebuchadnezzar ascended to here, he uprooted cedars from here and replanted them in Babylon. When he died they rejoiced over his downfall. That is what is written: “Cypresses, too, rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, [since you have been laid down, the woodcutter does not come against us]” (Isaiah 14:8).97The cedars wanted to propagate in their native land rather than be cut down and transported elsewhere. Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa said: Even the roads seek to fulfill their role. That is what is written: “The ways of Zion are in mourning, without Festival pilgrims.” Without wooden huts and without dignitaries is not written here, but rather, “without Festival pilgrims.”
“All her gates are desolate,” as there was no one entering or exiting through them. “Her priests sigh,” as there was no one to give them the priestly gifts, just as it says: “He shall give to the priest the foreleg, the jaw, and the maw” (Deuteronomy 18:3). Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Rabbi Simon said: “Her maidens are forlorn [nugot],” these are the Torah scholars, who were as beautiful as maidens and they became like wax [kadonag].98Just as wax melts away, their hearts melted in their sorrow (Matnot Kehuna). Rabbi Shmuel said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: These are the dignitaries who were as beautiful as maidens and became like forlorn young women [nugot].
Alternatively, “her maidens are forlorn,” as this one would come and violate her and that one would come and violate her until they greatly aggravated her wound. “And she is embittered,” she is embittered due to her nakedness.
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses ascended to God. The Lord called to him from the mountain, saying: So you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell to the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:3).
“Moses ascended to God” – that is what is written: “You ascended on high; you took captives” (Psalms 68:19). What is “ascended”? You were exalted.1The term “ascended” is understood in the spiritual sense, but not that Moses physically ascended to heaven. You struggled with angels on high.2Moses debated with the angels as to whether the Torah should be given to human beings (see Shabbat 88b).
Another matter: “You ascended on high” – that there was no creature who prevailed on high like Moses prevailed. Rabbi Berekhya said: The length of the tablets was six handbreadths. As it were, there were two handbreadths in the hand of the One who spoke and the world came into being, two handbreadths in the hand of Moses, and two handbreadths separated between the two hands.
Another matter: “You ascended on high; you took captives” – the way of the world is that one who enters a province takes an item to which the residents of the province do not direct their attention, but Moses ascended on high and took the Torah, to which everyone directed their attention. That is, “you ascended on high; you took captives.” Is it, perhaps, that because he took it captive he took it for free?3Did Moses perhaps take it without effort or hardship? The verse states: “You received gifts among men” (Psalms 68:19) – it was given to him as an acquisition.4The word for “you received [lakaḥta]” is often translated as, “you acquired.” The implication is that just as one must work to acquire something, Moses had to work hard to receive the Torah. Was he, perhaps, obligated to give Him money? The verse states: “gifts”; it was given to him as a gift.
At that moment, the ministering angels sought to harm Moses. The Holy One blessed be He made the image of Moses’s face similar to Abraham. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Are you not ashamed before him? Is he not that one to whom you descended and ate in his house?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘The Torah was given to you due only to the merit of Abraham,’ as it is stated: “You received gifts among men [adam]” (Psalms 68:19). The adam stated here is no one other than Abraham, as it is stated: “The greatest man [adam] among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15).5This is expounded as a reference to Abraham (Soferim 21:9). That is, “Moses ascended to God.”
“Moses ascended to God” – that is what is written: “You ascended on high; you took captives” (Psalms 68:19). What is “ascended”? You were exalted.1The term “ascended” is understood in the spiritual sense, but not that Moses physically ascended to heaven. You struggled with angels on high.2Moses debated with the angels as to whether the Torah should be given to human beings (see Shabbat 88b).
Another matter: “You ascended on high” – that there was no creature who prevailed on high like Moses prevailed. Rabbi Berekhya said: The length of the tablets was six handbreadths. As it were, there were two handbreadths in the hand of the One who spoke and the world came into being, two handbreadths in the hand of Moses, and two handbreadths separated between the two hands.
Another matter: “You ascended on high; you took captives” – the way of the world is that one who enters a province takes an item to which the residents of the province do not direct their attention, but Moses ascended on high and took the Torah, to which everyone directed their attention. That is, “you ascended on high; you took captives.” Is it, perhaps, that because he took it captive he took it for free?3Did Moses perhaps take it without effort or hardship? The verse states: “You received gifts among men” (Psalms 68:19) – it was given to him as an acquisition.4The word for “you received [lakaḥta]” is often translated as, “you acquired.” The implication is that just as one must work to acquire something, Moses had to work hard to receive the Torah. Was he, perhaps, obligated to give Him money? The verse states: “gifts”; it was given to him as a gift.
At that moment, the ministering angels sought to harm Moses. The Holy One blessed be He made the image of Moses’s face similar to Abraham. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Are you not ashamed before him? Is he not that one to whom you descended and ate in his house?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘The Torah was given to you due only to the merit of Abraham,’ as it is stated: “You received gifts among men [adam]” (Psalms 68:19). The adam stated here is no one other than Abraham, as it is stated: “The greatest man [adam] among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15).5This is expounded as a reference to Abraham (Soferim 21:9). That is, “Moses ascended to God.”