json/Midrash/Aggadah/Midrash Rabbah/Shir HaShirim Rabbah/English/Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology.json

{
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Shir HaShirim Rabbah",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org",
    "versionTitle": "Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology",
    "status": "locked",
    "license": "CC-BY",
    "versionTitleInHebrew": "רבי מייק פוייר, לקט ירושלים",
    "shortVersionTitle": "Rabbi Mike Feuer",
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    "languageFamilyName": "english",
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    "direction": "ltr",
    "heTitle": "שיר השירים רבה",
    "categories": [
        "Midrash",
        "Aggadah",
        "Midrash Rabbah"
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    "text": [
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                "“…O daughters of Jerusalem…” (Song of Songs 1:5) The Rabbis say: don’t read it as ‘daughters (b’not) of Jerusalem’ but rather as ‘builders (bonot) of Jerusalem.’ This refers to the Great Sanhedrin of Israel who sat and made them understand (mvinin) every question and judgment. Another explanation. ‘O daughters of Jerusalem’ R’ Yochanan said: in the future Jerusalem will become the metropolis of all the countries, and be drawn to her for her glory, as it is written “Ashdod with her towns (bnoteha) and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages…” (Joshua 15:47) Until Lesha (comp. Genesis 10:19) This is the opinion of R’ Yochanan, because R’ Yochanan said: It is written “…and I shall give them to you for daughters (b’not), but not from your covenant.” (Ezekiel 16:61) What does ‘for daughters’ mean? For villages. ‘But not from your covenant,’ not from your dowry, but from Mine. R’ Bibi said in the name of R’ Reuven: “Sing you barren woman…” (Isaiah 54:1) Should she sing? She is barren! Rather, sing you barren woman because you have not born children for Gehinnom. R’ Berachia said in the name of R’ Shmuel bar Nachman: Israel is compared to a woman. Just as a woman takes a tenth of her father’s possessions and leaves, so Israel inherited the lands of the seven peoples who are one-tenth of the seventy nations. And since Israel inherited like a woman, they sang a song in the feminine, as it says “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song (shirah) to the Lord…” (Exodus 15:1) But in the time to come they will inherit all the possessions of their father like a man, this is what is written “…from the eastern side to the western side, for Judah; one portion,” (Ezekiel 48:7) Dan has one portion, Asher has one portion. All of them are so, and they are all written in the masculine, as it says “Sing to the Lord a new song (shir chadash)…” (Psalms 96:1) It doesn’t say a new song in the feminine (shirah chadashah) but rather in the masculine (shir chadash). R’ Berachia and R’ Yehoshua ben Levi: why is Israel compared to a woman? Just as a woman loads and unloads, loads and unloads, and then unloads but does not load again, so to Israel is enslaved and redeemed, enslaved and redeemed but then they are redeemed and never enslaved again. In this world, because their pain is like that of a woman in labor, they sing a song before Him in the feminine form. In the world to come their pain will not be like that of a woman in labor and they will sing their song in the masculine, as it is written “On that day, this song (hashir) shall be sung…” (Isaiah 26:1)"
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                "R’ Yodan said: before Hezekiah and his supporters had eaten their Passover sacrifice in Jerusalem, the Holy One had already preceded them on that night, as it says “And it came to pass on that night that an angel of the Lord went out and slew one hundred eighty-five thousand of the camp of Assyria…” (Kings II 19:35)\n"
            ]
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                "R’ Huna explained the verse as referring to the kingdoms. Just as a rose placed among the thorns, when a north wind blows and bends it to the north and the thorn pricks it, nevertheless its heart remains aligned upward, so too Israel - even though they are sucked dry by crop taxes and monetary taxes their heart is still aligned toward their Father in Heaven, as it says “My eyes are always to God…” (Psalms 25:15) R’ Ibo explained the verse as referring to the future redemption. Just as this rose placed among the thorns is hard for its owner to pick, and what does he do? He brings fire, burns all around it and afterwards picks it. So too “…the Lord has commanded concerning Jacob [that] his adversaries shall be round about him…” (Lamentations 1:17) Like Chalamish in relation to Gavoh, Yericho in relation to No’adan, Susitan in relation to Tiveria, Castera in relation to Chaifa, Lod in relation to Ono, this is what is written “This is Jerusalem; in the midst of the nations I have placed it…” (Ezekiel 5:5) In the future when the end comes, what will the Holy One do? He will bring fire and burn everything outside of it, as it is written “And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime…” (Isaiah 33:12) What is written there? “The Lord alone guided them…” (Deuteronomy 32:12)"
            ],
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            [
                "“Sustain me with flagons of wine (ashishot)” (Shir HaShirim 2:5) with two fires (aishot) – with the fire above and the fire below. Another explanation: ‘sustain me with flagons of wine,’ with two fires – the written Torah and the Oral Torah. Another explanation: ‘sustain me with flagons of wine,’ with many fires – with the fire of Avraham, and Moriah and the burning bush, and the fire of Eliyahu and that of Chananya, Mishael and Azaria…"
            ],
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                "Another explanation. “My beloved answered and said to me…” (Song of Songs 2:10) He answered me through Daniel and said to me through Ezra. What did He say to me? “Arise, my beloved, my fair one…For behold, the winter has passed…” (Song of Songs 2:10-11) This refers to the seventy years that Israel was in exile. “…the rain is over and gone.” (ibid.) These are the fifty-two years from when the Temple was destroyed until the kingdom of the Chaldeans was uprooted. Wasn’t that seventy years?! R’ Levi said: take away eighteen years that the echo of the Divine voice was breaking through and saying to Nevuchadnezzar ‘evil servant that went up and destroyed the House of your master because the sons of your master do not listen to Him!’ “The blossoms have appeared in the land…” (Song of Songs 2:12) Like Mordecai and his friend, Ezra and his friends. “…the time of singing has arrived…” (ibid.) The time has come for the foreskin to be pruned, the time has come for the wicked to be shattered, as it says “The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked…” (Isaiah 14:5) The time has come for the Babylonians to be destroyed, the time has come for the Holy Temple to be rebuilt, as it says “And saviors shall ascend Mt. Zion…” (Ovadiah 1:21) and it is written “The glory of this last House shall be greater than the first one…” (Chaggaih 2:9) “…and the voice of the turtledove (tor) is heard in our land.” (Song of Songs 2:12)  R’ Yochanan said: The voice of a good guide (tayar) is heard in our land. Which is this? This is the voice of Cyrus, as it is written “So said Cyrus, the king of Persia, 'All the kingdoms of the earth…Who is among you of all His people…” (Ezra 1:2-3) “The fig tree has put forth its green figs…” (Song of Songs 2:13) These are the baskets of first-fruits. “…and the vines with their tiny grapes have given forth their fragrance…” (ibid.) These are the drink offerings."
            ]
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                "“…your nose is as the tower of Lebanon…” (Shir HaShirim 7:5) This refers to the Holy Temple. Just as the nose is placed at the highpoint of a person, so too the Holy Temple is placed at the highpoint of the world. Just as the majority of decorations are hung from the nose, so to the priests, levites and kings are from Yaakov. ‘as the tower of Lebanon.’ As it says “…this good mountain and the Lebanon.” (Devarim 3:25) R’ Teviyumi said ‘it bleaches out (malbin) the sins of Israel like snow, as it says “…If your sins prove to be like crimson, they will become white as snow…” (Yeshayahu 1:18) R’ Shimon bar Yochai says ‘because all hearts (levavot) rejoice in it, as it says “The fairest of branches, the joy of the entire earth- Mount Zion…” (Tehillim 48:3) The Rabbis say ‘because “…and My eyes and My heart (libi) shall be there at all times.” (Melachim I 9:3) “…facing towards Damascus.” (Shir HaShirim 7:5) R’ Yochanan said ‘in the future, Jerusalem will spread out until it reaches the gates of Damascus, as it says “The prophecy of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach.”’ (Zechariah 9:1) What is Hadrach? This is an argument between R’ Yehudah and R’ Nechemia. R’ Yehudah says ‘it is a place called Hadrach.’ R’ Yosi ben Dormaskit said to him ‘by the Temple service! I am from Damascus and there is a place there called Hadrach!’’ R’ Nechemia said ‘this refers to the King Messiah who is severe (chad) and soft (rach). Severe to the nations and soft with Israel.’ Another explanation. Hadrach refers to the King Messiah who in the future will guide (hadrich) all the people of the world in return before the Holy One. \"And Damascus is His resting place…” (ibid.) And is Damascus His resting place?! His resting place is only in the Holy Temple, as it says “This is My resting place forever…” (Tehillim 132:14) He said to him ‘in the future, Jerusalem will spread out on every side until it reaches the gates of Damascus, and the exiles will come and rest beneath her in order to fulfill what it says \"And Damascus is His resting place…” (Zechariah 9:1) How does R’ Yochanan explain the verse “…and the city shall be built on its mound…” (Yirmiyahu 30:18)? Like this fig tree, which is narrow at the bottom and wide above, so Jerusalem will be in the future  - spreading out on all sides with the exiles coming to rest beneath her to fulfill what is written “For right and left shall you prevail…” (Yeshayahu 54:3) This refers to length, from where do we learn width? The scripture says “…from the tower of Hananel until the king's wine-cellars.” (Zechariah 14:10) R’ Zachai Raba said ‘until the pits of Ripa, until the wine vats dug out by the King, king of kings, the Holy One.’ We have the width and breadth, from where do we learn height? “And it became wider and it wound higher and higher to the cells…” (Yechezkel 41:7) It was taught: in the future Jerusalem will spread out and grow upwards until it reaches the Throne of Glory, until she says ‘the place is too narrow for me.’ R’ Yosi son of R’ Yirmiyah said ‘we still have not learned the source of Jerusalem’s praiseworthiness. We learn it from her walls, as it says “But I will be for it-says the Lord-a wall of fire around, and for glory I will be in its midst.” (Zechariah 2:9)\n"
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                "... Another explanation. “…for love is as strong as death…” (Song of Songs 8:6) The love with which the generation of persecution loved the Holy One, as it says “For it is for Your sake that we are killed all the time…” (Psalms 44:23) “…zeal is as strong as the grave…” (Song of Songs 8:6) In the future the Holy One will have a great jealousy on behalf of Zion, as it is written “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy…” (Zechariah 8:2) “…its coals are coals of fire of a great flame!” (Song of Songs 8:2) R’ Berachia said: like the fire above – where the fire does not extinguish the water nor the water extinguish the fire."
            ]
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