כִּ֘י ה֤וּא אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ עַ֣ם מַ֭רְעִיתוֹ וְצֹ֣אן יָד֑וֹ הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אִֽם־בְּקֹל֥וֹ תִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃
װאָרום ער איז אונדזער גאָט, און מיר דאָס פֿאָלק פֿון זײַן פֿיטערונג, און די שאָף פֿון זײַן האַנט;װען איר װאָלט הײַנט צוהערן צו זײַן קָול!
Shir HaShirim Rabbah
“It is the sound of my beloved knocking” – by means of Moses when he said: “Moses said: So said the Lord: At about midnight, I will emerge in the midst of Egypt” (Exodus 11:4). “Open for me” – Rabbi Yasa said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: My children, open for Me one opening of repentance like the eye of the needle, and I will open for you openings that wagons and carriages enter through it.
Rabbi Tanḥuma, Rabbi Ḥunya, and Rabbi Abbahu [said] in the name of Reish Lakish: It is written: “Desist, and know that I am God…” (Psalms 46:11) – the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: Desist from your evil actions and know that I am God. Rabbi Levi said: Were Israel to repent even one day, they would be redeemed immediately and the son of David would come immediately. What is the reason? “For He is our God, and we are the people of His flock and the sheep under His hand; today, if you heed His voice” (Psalms 95:7). Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Levi say: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: Desist from your wicked actions and repent in the blink of an eye, “and know that I am God.”15Earnest repentance, even for a very short time, will lead to redemption, which will itself cause widespread recognition of God.
“My sister [aḥoti]” – as they were stitched [nitaḥu] to Me in Egypt with the blood of the paschal offering and the blood of circumcision. That is what is written: “I passed you and saw you wallowing in your blood, and I said to you, in your blood you shall live” (Ezekiel 16:6) – this is the blood of the paschal offering. “I said to you, in your blood you shall live” – this is the blood of circumcision (Ezekiel 16:6).
“My love [rayati]” – as they fell in love [sheriu] with Me at the sea and said: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2), “the Lord will reign for ever and ever” (Exodus 15:18). “My dove” – at Mara, as from there they were commanded and became distinctive through all the mitzvot, acts of charity, and good deeds, like the dove that is distinctive.16A dove recognizes its mate, distinguishing it from among the other doves. That is what is written: “There He instituted for it statutes and ordinances” (Exodus 15:25). “My faultless [tamati]” – My wholehearted ones [tamuti], as they were wholehearted with Me at Sinai, and said: “Everything that the Lord said, we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).
Rabbi Yannai said: My twin [teomati], as it were; I am not greater than it and it is not greater that I am.17God is as assiduous regarding the honor of the righteous of Israel as He is of His own honor. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: My twin [teomati], just as with twins, if one has a headache his counterpart feels it. So too, as it were, the Holy One blessed be He says: “I am with him in times of trouble” (Psalms 91:15).
“For my head is filled with dew” – on the basis of: “The earth quaked, the heavens dripped” (Psalms 68:9). “My locks, drops of night” – on the basis of what is stated: “The clouds dripped water” (Judges 5:4).
Rabbi Tanḥuma, Rabbi Ḥunya, and Rabbi Abbahu [said] in the name of Reish Lakish: It is written: “Desist, and know that I am God…” (Psalms 46:11) – the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: Desist from your evil actions and know that I am God. Rabbi Levi said: Were Israel to repent even one day, they would be redeemed immediately and the son of David would come immediately. What is the reason? “For He is our God, and we are the people of His flock and the sheep under His hand; today, if you heed His voice” (Psalms 95:7). Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Levi say: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: Desist from your wicked actions and repent in the blink of an eye, “and know that I am God.”15Earnest repentance, even for a very short time, will lead to redemption, which will itself cause widespread recognition of God.
“My sister [aḥoti]” – as they were stitched [nitaḥu] to Me in Egypt with the blood of the paschal offering and the blood of circumcision. That is what is written: “I passed you and saw you wallowing in your blood, and I said to you, in your blood you shall live” (Ezekiel 16:6) – this is the blood of the paschal offering. “I said to you, in your blood you shall live” – this is the blood of circumcision (Ezekiel 16:6).
“My love [rayati]” – as they fell in love [sheriu] with Me at the sea and said: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2), “the Lord will reign for ever and ever” (Exodus 15:18). “My dove” – at Mara, as from there they were commanded and became distinctive through all the mitzvot, acts of charity, and good deeds, like the dove that is distinctive.16A dove recognizes its mate, distinguishing it from among the other doves. That is what is written: “There He instituted for it statutes and ordinances” (Exodus 15:25). “My faultless [tamati]” – My wholehearted ones [tamuti], as they were wholehearted with Me at Sinai, and said: “Everything that the Lord said, we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).
Rabbi Yannai said: My twin [teomati], as it were; I am not greater than it and it is not greater that I am.17God is as assiduous regarding the honor of the righteous of Israel as He is of His own honor. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: My twin [teomati], just as with twins, if one has a headache his counterpart feels it. So too, as it were, the Holy One blessed be He says: “I am with him in times of trouble” (Psalms 91:15).
“For my head is filled with dew” – on the basis of: “The earth quaked, the heavens dripped” (Psalms 68:9). “My locks, drops of night” – on the basis of what is stated: “The clouds dripped water” (Judges 5:4).
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
R. Alexandri said: "R. Joshua b. Levi raised the following contradiction: It is written: (Ib. 60, 22) "I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time." Hasten and in its time contradict each other, i.e., if they will be worthy, I will hasten it, and if not, they must wait till the appointed time will come." R. Alexandri said again: "R. Joshua b. Levi raised the following contradiction: It is written (Dan. 7, 13) Behold with the clouds of heaven came one like a son of man, … and it is also written: (Zech. 9, 9) Lowly, and riding upon an ass [hence he is poor]?" i.e., If they will be worthy, he will come with the clouds of heaven, and if not, he will come upon an ass." King Sabur said to Samuel: "You say that your Messiah will come upon an ass; let me send him the best horse of my stable." And he answered: "Do you possess a horse of a hundred colors as the ass of the Messiah?" R. Joshua b. Levi met Elijah standing at the entrance of the cave of R. Simon b. Jochai and asked him: "Will I have a share in the world to come?" And he answered: "If it will be the will of this Lord." R. Joshua b. Levi said: "I have seen two persons and the voice of the third have I heard." I then questioned them: 'When will the Messiah appear?' And they answered: 'Go and ask Messiah himself.' 'But where is he to be found?' 'At the gate of Rome.' 'And what is the sign [to recognize him]?' 'He goes among poor people afflicted with wounds. All the afflicted poor open the bandages of all their wounds, fix them and then dress them. And he opens one bandage, fixes the wound and dresses it, and then goes on to the next one, for the reason that when he might be called, there should be no delay [till all the wounds are dressed]. I went to him, and said: 'Peace be to thee, my master and teacher.' And he answered: 'Peace be with thee, bar Levi.' I asked him: 'When will the master appear?' He answered: 'This day.' I then went back to Elijah, and he questioned me as to what the Messiah said to me, and I told him that he said: 'Peace be with thee, bar Levi.' Elijah then said: 'I can assure you [now] of a share for thyself and for thy father in the world to come.' 'But he made a fool of me,' I said to Elijah, 'for he said that he will come this day.' And Elijah answered: 'The expression, this day, means as in (Ps. 95) Yea, this day, if you will hearken to his voice.' "
Shemot Rabbah
Rabbi Levi said: If Israel observes Shabbat properly, even one day, the son of David25The Messiah. will come. Why? Because it is equivalent to all the mitzvot. Likewise it says: “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the flock of His hand; today, would you only heed His voice” (Psalms 95:7). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Even though I set a limit for the end, and it will come whether they repent or do not repent, it will come only at its time. If they repent, even one day, I will bring it not at its appointed time. That is, “today, would you only heed His voice.” Just as we saw that for all the mitzvot, the son of David comes, for the observance of one day of Shabbat, the son of David comes, because Shabbat is equivalent to all mitzvot.
Rabbi Elazar bar Avina said: We find in the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings that Shabbat is equivalent to all the mitzvot. In the Torah, from where is it derived? From the fact that when Moses forgot to tell them the mitzva of Shabbat, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Until when do you refuse to observe My commandments…” (Exodus 16:28). What is written thereafter? “See that the Lord has given you the Shabbat” (Exodus 16:28). In the prophets, from where is it derived? From that which is stated: “The house of Israel defied Me in the wilderness, they did not follow My statutes” (Ezekiel 20:13). What is written thereafter? “They desecrated My Shabbats” (Ezekiel 20:13). In the Writings, from where is it derived? From that which is stated: “You came down upon Mount Sinai and spoke to them [from heaven and gave them upright ordinances and laws of truth, good statutes and mitzvot]” (Nehemiah 9:13). What is written thereafter? “You informed them of Your holy Shabbat” (Nehemiah 9:14). The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you merit to observe Shabbat, I consider it for you as though you observed all the mitzvot of the Torah. If you desecrate it, I consider it for you as though you desecrated all the mitzvot.’ Likewise, it says: “Who keeps the Shabbat from its desecration and prevents his hand from performing any evil” (Isaiah 56:2).
When a person observes the Shabbat, he issues a decree and the Holy One blessed be He fulfills it, as it is stated: "If you restrain your walking because of the Sabbath” (Isaiah 58:13). What is written thereafter? “Then you will delight in the Lord” (Isaiah 58:14), just as it says: “Delight in the Lord, and He will grant you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4). Moreover, everything that you eat in this world is only from the profits, but the principal remains for the World to Come, as it is stated: “I will feed you the inheritance of Jacob your forefather, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 58:14).
Rabbi Elazar bar Avina said: We find in the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings that Shabbat is equivalent to all the mitzvot. In the Torah, from where is it derived? From the fact that when Moses forgot to tell them the mitzva of Shabbat, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Until when do you refuse to observe My commandments…” (Exodus 16:28). What is written thereafter? “See that the Lord has given you the Shabbat” (Exodus 16:28). In the prophets, from where is it derived? From that which is stated: “The house of Israel defied Me in the wilderness, they did not follow My statutes” (Ezekiel 20:13). What is written thereafter? “They desecrated My Shabbats” (Ezekiel 20:13). In the Writings, from where is it derived? From that which is stated: “You came down upon Mount Sinai and spoke to them [from heaven and gave them upright ordinances and laws of truth, good statutes and mitzvot]” (Nehemiah 9:13). What is written thereafter? “You informed them of Your holy Shabbat” (Nehemiah 9:14). The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you merit to observe Shabbat, I consider it for you as though you observed all the mitzvot of the Torah. If you desecrate it, I consider it for you as though you desecrated all the mitzvot.’ Likewise, it says: “Who keeps the Shabbat from its desecration and prevents his hand from performing any evil” (Isaiah 56:2).
When a person observes the Shabbat, he issues a decree and the Holy One blessed be He fulfills it, as it is stated: "If you restrain your walking because of the Sabbath” (Isaiah 58:13). What is written thereafter? “Then you will delight in the Lord” (Isaiah 58:14), just as it says: “Delight in the Lord, and He will grant you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4). Moreover, everything that you eat in this world is only from the profits, but the principal remains for the World to Come, as it is stated: “I will feed you the inheritance of Jacob your forefather, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 58:14).