That’s kind of the idea behind Midrash.
Midrash, if you're not familiar, is this incredible way of interpreting Jewish texts, digging deep to uncover hidden meanings and connections. It’s not just about understanding the literal words, but about exploring the stories between the lines. And Midrash Tehillim – our source for today – focuses specifically on the Book of Psalms, Tehillim in Hebrew.
So, what happens when Midrash turns its attention to Zion, to Jerusalem?
Psalm 48 tells us to "Surround Zion and encircle her, count her towers." But what does that really mean? Is it just a nice poetic image? Midrash Tehillim takes that verse and runs with it, offering a fascinating glimpse into a future Jerusalem, a rebuilt and glorious city.
Rav Nachman, a prominent sage, chimes in, quoting Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 1:9: "What has been is what will be." It’s a cyclical view of history. Just as God redeemed Israel from Egypt with glorious clouds and carried them "on eagles' wings" (Exodus 19:4), so too will He redeem them again. Isaiah 60:8 echoes this, asking, "Who are these that fly like a cloud?" It's a beautiful image of redemption, of a return that mirrors the Exodus.
But the Midrash doesn't stop at poetic imagery. It gets specific.
How many gardens will there be in Jerusalem? How many towers? The answer? A thousand and five hundred! And the cisterns? A thousand and sixteen thousand! It's a mind-boggling vision of abundance, a city overflowing with life and resources. These huge numbers aren't just about quantity, but about expressing the sheer, unimaginable scale of the future redemption.
Rav Nachman again reminds us, "What has been is what will be." Just as Israel sang a song and the waters rose for them in the past, so too will it be in the future. Psalm 87:7 promises, "Singers and dancers will say, 'All my springs are in you.'" Think of the joy, the music, the sheer exuberance of that moment!
And the pools? A thousand and sixteen thousand… in the valleys! And the gates? Twelve for each tribe! It's a city designed for all of Israel, a place of homecoming and unity. "Surround Zion and encircle her," the Psalm urges.
What’s so striking about this Midrash is how grounded it is, even in its wildest flights of fancy. It’s not just about abstract spiritual concepts, but about the tangible details of a rebuilt Jerusalem. Gardens, towers, cisterns, pools, gates – it's a city teeming with life, a place where the physical and the spiritual are intertwined.
This passage in Midrash Tehillim isn't just a prediction of the future. It's a call to action. It's an invitation to imagine a world of redemption, a world of abundance, a world where the echoes of the past resonate with the promises of the future. It’s a reminder that even in the face of challenges, we can always look forward to a brighter tomorrow, a renewed Zion.