His Head Is Finest Gold and the Raven Who Feeds the Torah Scholar

"His head is finest gold, etc." (Song of Songs 5:11). "His head" — this is the Torah, as it is said, "The LORD made me the beginning of His way, etc." (Proverbs 8:22). "Finest gold" — these are the words of Torah, as it is said, "more desirable than gold, than much fine gold" (Psalms 19:11), things that were created from "in the beginning," engraved in finest gold. For Rabbi Chunya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: Two thousand years did the Torah precede the creation of the world. And what is the reason? "Then I was beside Him as a nursling, and I was His delight day by day" (Proverbs 8:30); and a day of the Holy One, blessed be He, is a thousand years, as it is written, "For a thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday when it has passed" (Psalms 90:4). "His locks" — this is the ruling of the lines. "Black as a raven" — these are the letters. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua: by whom are they upheld? By one who blackens (rises early) and darkens (stays late) over them. Whence sustenance? "Who prepares for the raven its prey?" (Job 38:41). Rabbi Shmuel bar Immi said: words of Torah require blackening and darkening (early rising and late staying). Rabbi Shmuel bar Immi said: Know that it is so, for behold, because Elijah, may he be remembered for good, blackened and darkened over them, did He not already appoint for him ravens with bread and meat, as it is written, "And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening" (1 Kings 17:6)? Rabbi Shmuel bar Immi said: words of Torah require blackening and darkening. Whence sustenance? "Who prepares for the raven its prey?" — if a person does not become cruel toward his sons and toward the members of his household like the raven, he is not worthy of words of Torah. Rav Assi had a matter, and he saw a certain raven. It made a nest, made eggs, made chicks. It took them and put them in a single pot and shut their entrance for three days. After three days he opened their entrance to know what they were doing. He found them producing dung, and their dung produced gnats, and they were flying and they were eating. And he read concerning them this verse: "Who prepares for the raven its prey, etc." Rabbi Yochanan said: the throat (chanting) of Torah is only at night, as it is written, "Arise, cry out in the night" (Lamentations 2:19). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: by day and by night, as it is written, "And you shall meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish was expounding a verse, and when he reached this verse, "She rises while it is yet night" (Proverbs 31:15), he would say: well did Rabbi Yochanan teach me. He turned back and said: you see — my learning shines in my face, both for that which is of the night and of the day.