He suggests that between each commandment, the very parshiyot (portions) and details of the Torah are inscribed. It's like saying there's a hidden river flowing beneath the surface of the text.
And Rabbi Yoḥanan clearly valued this insight. The text in Shir HaShirim Rabbah tells us that whenever Rabbi Yoḥanan would reach the verse "Set with beryl" while explaining scripture, he would acknowledge the wisdom of Rabbi Yehoshua's nephew.
But what does "Set with beryl" even mean in this context? Well, the text uses the Hebrew word for beryl, tarshish, to make an analogy. It says that tarshish is like the Talmud, which is like the Great Sea. Just as it says: “To Tarshish” (Jonah 1:3), when Jonah attempted to flee to Tarshish, which was a significant sea voyage away.
Think of ocean waves, galim in Hebrew. Ḥananya uses this image, too. Just as between large waves, there are smaller, rippling waves, so too, between each major commandment, there are countless smaller details and insights. All of Torah flows into the sea of Talmud! This idea echos Ecclesiastes 1:7: “All the streams go to the sea.”
And what about the phrase, "His belly is a slab of ivory?" According to this midrash, it refers to the book of Leviticus. Just as the belly is central, with the heart on one side and the legs on the other, so too Leviticus sits in the middle of the Torah, with two books on either side.
Furthermore, "a slab of ivory" suggests that you can craft many things from it. Similarly, the book of Leviticus contains numerous mitzvot (commandments), details, a fortiori inferences (arguments from the lesser to the greater), and specific laws related to sacrificial offerings, like pigul (offerings disqualified by improper intent) and notar (offerings left over after their designated time).
So, what's the takeaway here? It's a reminder that the Torah isn't just a dry list of rules. It's a living, breathing text, filled with layers of meaning and connection. It encourages us to delve deeper, to look between the lines, and to appreciate the richness of Jewish tradition. It's in those details, those "smaller waves," that we often find the most profound wisdom.