Today, we're diving into Bamidbar Rabbah 11, a section of a Midrash, a collection of rabbinic commentaries on the Book of Numbers, and we'll find some surprising and hopeful insights.

The passage starts with a beautiful line from the Song of Songs (2:9): "My beloved is like a gazelle or a fawn [ofer ha’ayalim]…" Rabbi Yitzḥak sees this as Israel speaking to God. They're saying, "Master of the universe, You came to us first!" It’s a reciprocal love story.

The gazelle image is striking. Just as a gazelle leaps, so too, the text suggests, did God "leap and bound" towards Israel. The Midrash maps this onto key moments in the Exodus story: from Egypt to the sea, and from the sea to Sinai. In Egypt, God says, "I will pass in the land of Egypt…" (Exodus 12:12). At the sea, the Israelites proclaim, “this is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2). At Sinai, "He said: The Lord came from Sinai" (Deuteronomy 33:2). It's like God is actively pursuing a relationship, making these incredible movements to be close to us.

The text then shifts to the image of a "fawn." Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina clarifies that ofer ha'ayalim means a fawn, not just any type of deer. A young, vulnerable creature. The verse continues, "Behold, he is standing behind our wall" (Song of Songs 2:9). This "wall," we learn, is the wilderness of Sinai. "Watching from the windows" (Song of Songs 2:9) refers to when "the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai…" (Exodus 19:20). And "Peering through the cracks" (Song of Songs 2:9) symbolizes "God spoke all these matters…" (Exodus 20:1). Finally, "My beloved spoke up and said to me" (Song of Songs 2:10) – "I am the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:2). This is such an intimate portrayal of revelation!

But there's more. Rabbi Yitzḥak offers another interpretation of the gazelle image: just as a gazelle appears and then is concealed, so too, the initial redeemer, Moses, appeared and was then concealed. Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, says that the ultimate redeemer, the Messiah, will follow a similar pattern.

How long was Moses concealed? Rabbi Tanḥuma says three months, based on Exodus 5:20. And the Messiah? Rabbi Tanḥuma, in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Hoshaya, says forty-five days. This is derived from the Book of Daniel (12:11-12), where the numbers 1290 and 1335 appear. The difference of 45 days represents a period of concealment before a reappearance.

Where will people be during those forty-five days? Some say the Judean desert, others the wilderness of Siḥon and Og. Those who follow the redeemer will endure hardship, eating "roots of the broom tree and saltwort leaves" (Job 30:4). But those who don't will be killed. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon adds a hopeful note: after the forty-five days, God will provide manna, just like in the desert after the Exodus. This is tied to Hosea 12:10 and Deuteronomy 16:6, linking the future redemption to the past. It’s a powerful promise of sustenance and renewal after a period of testing.

The Midrash then returns to the fawn image, connecting it to the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem, which is said to never be destroyed because the Divine Presence resides in the west. "Watching from the windows" is linked to the merit of the patriarchs, while "peering through the cracks" is linked to the merit of the matriarchs. There’s a distinction, a nuance, between these merits. God promises, "As I live… that you will don all of them like jewelry, and you will tie them like a bride" (Isaiah 49:18).

Yet another interpretation surfaces: just as a gazelle leaps from place to place, so too does God leap from synagogue to synagogue, blessing Israel. This is supported by Exodus 20:21, "In every place I mention My name, [I will come to you and I will bless you]." This blessing is attributed to the merit of Abraham.

The text then delves into the story of Abraham and the three angels (Genesis 18:1). God appears to Abraham, who is sitting after his circumcision. God tells him to remain seated, making him a "paradigm" for his descendants. When Jews enter synagogues and study halls and recite the Shema, they sit, while God "stands [nitzav] in the assembly of the Almighty" (Psalms 82:1) – always ready to answer prayers, as Isaiah 65:24 promises.

The passage further explores the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:27). Israel desires God's direct blessing, not just the priests' intermediary blessing. God reassures them that He stands with the priests, blessing them directly. The priests’ outstretched hands become windows and cracks through which God's blessing shines.

Finally, the Midrash unpacks the seven blessings God gave to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3), linking them to the seven times "that it was good" is written in the Creation story. These blessings are: "I will render you a great nation," "I will bless you," "I will make your name great," "you will be a blessing," "I will bless those who bless you," "one who curses you, I will curse," and "all the families of the earth will be blessed in you."

These blessings, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish suggests, are reflected in the opening blessings of the Amidah prayer: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob. We conclude with "The Shield of Abraham," highlighting Abraham's unique role.

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ze’eira adds that Abraham's blessing precedes God's, as we recite "Shield of Abraham" before "Who revives the dead." And "You will be a blessing [berakha]" means you will be a "pool [berekha]" – purifying the impure and drawing people closer to God.

The Midrash emphasizes that God created Abraham as a new entity, enabling him to be fruitful and multiply. Abraham questioned how he could become a great nation when Noah had already produced seventy nations. God's response? The nation that Abraham would produce would be the one "For who is a great nation" (Deuteronomy 4:7) – a nation defined by its relationship with God.

Rabbi Pinḥas HaKohen bar Ḥama says that Abraham became a great nation when the Israelites left Egypt, received the Torah, and entered the Land of Israel. Moses recognized that they had become the nation God promised.

Rabbi Berekhya points out that travel can diminish procreation, expenditure, and reputation. But God's blessings ensured that Abraham would not suffer these losses. And Rabbi Eliezer explains that God delegated the power of blessing to Abraham. However, Abraham, like a wise sharecropper, deferred the ultimate blessing to God, who blessed Isaac after Abraham's death. Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob blessed the twelve tribes. From then on, the priests would bless the people, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham.

So, what can we take away from this intricate tapestry of interpretations? Maybe it's this: the relationship between God and Israel is a dynamic, ever-evolving dance. It involves moments of closeness and distance, revelation and concealment. But through it all, the promise of redemption, of blessing, remains constant. And perhaps, like Abraham, we too are called to be pools of blessing, drawing others closer to the Divine Presence. What do you think?