“His calves [shokav] are pillars of marble [amudei shesh]” (Song of Songs 5:15). Shokav – this is the world.22The world, and particularly civilization, are represented by its marketplaces [shevakim] (Etz Yosef). Amudei shesh, as it is founded upon the days of Creation, as it is written: “For in six [sheshet] days God made…” (Exodus 20:11). “Set on sockets of fine gold” (Song of Songs 5:15), these are the matters of Torah, just as it says: “They are more desirable than gold, than much fine gold” (Psalms 19:11).
Another matter, “set on sockets of fine gold,” these are the portions of the Torah that are expounded with reference to what precedes them and what follows them. To what are they comparable? Rav Huna said in the name of bar Kappara: Like a pillar that has a base at the bottom and a capital at the top, so the portions of the Torah are expounded with reference to what precedes them and what follows them.23The preceding and following passages are like the base and capital of a pillar.
The pillar can only be appreciated fully when viewed together with the base and the capital. They are expounded with reference to what precedes them: “When you will come into the land and plant any food tree” (Leviticus 19:24), and it is written: “A man, if he lies carnally with a woman” (Leviticus 19:20). How does this relate to that? Rather, when one weeds with [another person] he becomes like a member of his household.
As a result of him coming and going in his house, he is suspected regarding his maidservant. He says: ‘Do I not incur liability to bring a sin offering, do I not incur liability to bring a guilt offering? I will bring a sin offering, I will bring a guilt offering.’24He minimizes his sin by reasoning that he merely becomes liable to bring an offering, and he will do so. As Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Those who act permissively regarding maidservants in this world are destined to be hanged by the tops of their heads in the future.
That is what is written: “Indeed, God will shatter the heads of His enemies, hairy skulls of those walking in their guilt” (Psalms 68:22). What is “walking in their guilt”? All the people will say: Let that person walk in his guilt, let that person walk in his guilt.25Everyone will disassociate from the sinner, just as people stay away from fruit that is orla. They are expounded with reference to what follows them, as it is stated: “For three years they shall be forbidden for you” (Leviticus 19:23), and it is written: “You shall not eat over the blood” (Leviticus 19:26).
How does this relate to that? The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘You wait three years for orla, but you do not wait for your wife to observe her menstrual period? You wait three years for orla, but you do not wait for your animal until its blood is squeezed out?’ Who fulfilled the mitzva of the blood?
“They told Saul, saying: Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord [by eating over the blood]…Saul said: Disperse among the people…and you shall slaughter them bazeh [and eat]…” (I Samuel 14:33–34). What is “bazeh”? The Rabbis say: He showed them a knife fourteen fingerbreadths long, bet – two, zayin – seven, heh – five.26This totals fourteen. He said to them: ‘In accordance with this protocol you shall be slaughtering and eating.’
When did the Holy One blessed be He repay him? One must say that it was on the day of the Philistine war. That is what is written: “It was on the day of battle that neither sword [nor spear] was found” (I Samuel 13:22). Was it not found?
But it says: “But was found [with Saul and with Yonatan his son]” (I Samuel 13:22). Who provided it to him? Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: An angel provided it to him. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He provided it to him.
It is written: “Saul built an altar to the Lord; with this one he commenced to build an altar” (I Samuel 14:35). How many altars did the ancients build? Noah [built] one, Abraham one, Isaac one, Jacob one, Moses one, Joshua one, and you say: “With this one he commenced”? Rather, “with this one he commenced” to be the first among kings.
Some say: Because he invested himself in this matter, the verse ascribed to him as though he was the first to build an altar to the Lord. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakonya said: In this world a person builds and another uses it, one plants trees and another eats. However, in the future, what is written: “They will not build and have another inhabit, they will not plant and have another eat…they will not toil in vain…” (Isaiah 65:22–23), and it is written: “Their descendants will be known among the nations” (Isaiah 61:9).