Midrash sa Isaias 27:2: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tehillim, Bamidbar Rabbah & Shir HaShirim Rabbah

These words: This is what the verse stated, "Have I not written you thirds with counsels (moatsot) and knowledge" (Proverbs 22:20). The numerical equivalent of counsels is six hundred and six. [That,] and the seven commandments that the Sons of Noach were commanded, is six hundred and thirteen. And so [too,] does it state (Isaiah 5:1), "my beloved had a vineyard in a fertile corner": "A vineyard" - that is Israel, as it is stated (Isaiah 27:2), "a vineyard of wine, sing to it." "And he separated it" (Isaiah 5:2) - with Avraham, that he cast away the residue from him, such as Yishmael. "And he cleared it of stones" - with Yitschak, that he took Esav away from him. "And he planted it with choice vines" - that is Yaakov, as all of the plantings that came out from him were good and desirable, like this choice vine which is completely good. And this is [the meaning of] "all of it was true seed" (Jeremiah 2:21). Choice vine (sorek) has a numerical equivalent of six hundred and six, [together with] the seven commandments of the Children of Noach - behold, that is six hundred and thirteen. It is written (Proverbs 3:19), "The Lord established the earth with wisdom" - and there is no wisdom besides Torah. And what is its name? Confidant (Amon), as it is written (Proverbs 8:30), "And I was a confidant with Him." And it was not called Torah until it was given at Sinai. The numerical equivalent of Torah comes to six hundred and eleven. And the two that are subtracted from six hundred and thirteen are the two that were given by the mouth of the Almighty. And this is what is stated by the verse, "God spoke one, I heard two" (Psalms 62:12). This is [the meaning of] "Moshe commanded us the Torah" (Deuteronomy 33:4) - Moshe commanded us [commandments] according to the numerical equivalent of Torah. And the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded us the [remaining] two, as I explained in Parshat Vayishma Yitro. And it is an inheritance for Yaakov, and not for the [other] nations of the world, as it is stated (Psalms 147:19), "He tells His words to Yaakov, His statutes and His judgments to Israel, He did not do this with any nation." And it is written about it, "each day," as it is stated (Proverbs 8:30), "And I was a confidant with Him and I was His delight each day." And a day is not less than a thousand years, as it is stated (Psalms 90:4), "As a thousand years in Your eyes is like the day, yesterday." Upon what was it written before it was given? If upon silver and gold, gold and silver had not been created. Rather it was written on the forearm of the Holy One, blessed be He. And so every man [should] understand and fathom with his mind and his intelligence to contemplate the Torah day and night - as it is written (Joshua 1:8), "and you shall contemplate about it day and night" - and good deeds. And it is as the Sages said: The world is half guilty and half meritorious - if one comes and commit sins such that the sins outweigh the merits, it comes out that the world becomes guilty through him; but if the transgressions are of equal weight to the merits and one comes and performs one commandment, the merits will outweigh the transgressions. Happy is he who brings merit to the world! And if he has not learned as is fitting him, let him do his actions with faithfulness. Elihayu, may his memory be blessed, said, "I was once walking on the way and I found a man, and he was mocking me and taunting me. I said to him, 'What [can] you answer on the day of judgement, since you have not studied Torah.' He said, 'I have what to answer - it is [because of] the understanding and intelligence and heart that were not given to me from the Heavens.' I said to him, 'What is your craft?' He said to me, 'I am a trapper of birds and fish.' I said to him, 'Who gave you knowledge and heart to take flax and spin it and weave it to make traps, and to catch fish and birds with them and to sell them?' He said to me, 'It is the understanding and the knowledge that were given to me from the Heavens.' I said to him, 'To take flax and to weave and spin and catch fish and birds you were given understanding and intelligence; but to acquire the Torah, they were not given to you? Behold, it is written (Deuteronomy 30:14), "But the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it."' [So] he immediately thought in his heart and raised his voice in crying. I said to him, 'My son, Let it not be bad to you, as all those that come to the world are rebuked once they come and are pulled away from Torah, as it is stated (Isaiah 19:9), "And embarrassed will be the workers of flax, the combers and weavers of holes."' And it is about him and those similar to him, and those that do like his deeds. And the last word is the fear of the Lord; and those that do it with faithfulness - his craft will be counted and he is fitting for life in the world to come.'"

R. Levi said in the name of R. Simeon the son of Lakish: Observe that Scripture states: I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit; his raiment was as white snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool (Dan. 7:9). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: When shall I take revenge upon the peoples of the world? Will it be immediately after they have performed some minor precept before Me? No! It will be at the time Till thrones were placed. That is, when the vineyards have ripened and the grapes are ready to be turned into wine. Then shall I tread upon it and you shall sing to Me. In that day sing ye of her: A vineyard of foaming wine (Isa. 27:2).

To the conductor over the Gittith. This refers to what is said in the scripture (Joel 4:13) "Send forth the sickle, for the harvest is ripe." Rabbi Pinchas said in the name of Rabbi Chelkia, "To whom was it said, 'Send forth the sickle?' The angels said to God, and Rabbi said to Israel. We do not sing about the harvest or the vintage, but about the Gittith (as it is written) [Psalms 8:1], 'For the Gittith.' The harvest refers to Babylon (Jeremiah 51:33) 'The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is trodden.' The vintage refers to Media, as it is said (Zechariah 9:13) 'For I have bent Judah as my bow, I have filled the bow with Ephraim.' Redemption was found in the four languages during the harvest, in the vintage, and in childbirth. If a person passes over them at the wrong time, he loses them, and even their owners do not benefit from them at all. This is what is written (Joel 4:13) "Send forth the sickle, for the harvest is ripe." In the harvest (Jeremiah 49:9) "If grape-gatherers came to you." In childbirth (Micah 5:2) "Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth." In the balsam (Song of Solomon 8:14) "On the mountains of spices." Similarly, it is said (Joel 4:13) "Come down; for the press is full, the fats overflow." Everyone sees the Gittith. Joel speaks about it as it is said (Joel 4:13) "Send forth the sickle." Isaiah speaks about it as it is said (Isaiah 27:2) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that a vineyard of wine, red and good, shall be planted." Asaph speaks about it as it is said (Psalms 81:1) "For the Gittith." David speaks about it as it is said, "To the conductor over the Gittith."