Why Leviticus Is the Belly-Heap of Wheat and Israel Counted

"Your belly is a heap of wheat" (Song of Songs 7:3). Rabbi Yohanan said: "A heap of wheat" — this is Torat Kohanim (the Book of Leviticus), which is wholly sin offerings and guilt offerings: "It is a sin offering," "It is a guilt offering." And it is set in the middle of the Torah, and all of it is sin offerings and guilt offerings. Thus, "Your belly is a heap of wheat," and so forth. Resh Lakish said: Why is it likened to wheat? Rather, just as these grains of wheat all come up by measure, so were Israel, all of them coming up by number — the elders, and the pious, and the sages, and all Israel coming up by number.