It all starts with a verse from the Song of Songs (5:15): “His calves [shokav] are pillars of marble [amudei shesh].”
But what do calves and marble pillars have to do with… well, anything? That's where the Rabbis step in!
The Midrash cleverly interprets this verse, using it as a springboard to discuss the very structure and meaning of the world and, more specifically, the Torah. The Etz Yosef commentary tells us that shokav, “his calves,” represents the world, particularly its marketplaces, the centers of civilization. Think of it: the bustling heart of society, supported by… pillars?
And what are these amudei shesh, these “pillars of marble”? The Midrash connects it to the six days of Creation, drawing a parallel to the verse "For in six [sheshet] days God made…” (Exodus 20:11). The very foundation of our world, the act of Creation itself, serves as the support.
Then comes the really beautiful part. The verse continues, "Set on sockets of fine gold.” What do these golden sockets represent? According to the Midrash, they are the matters of Torah, as it says: “They are more desirable than gold, than much fine gold” (Psalms 19:11). Torah, then, is the precious base upon which everything rests!
But there's another, even more profound, interpretation. These "sockets of fine gold" represent the way we interpret and understand the Torah. Rav Huna, in the name of bar Kappara, offers a powerful analogy: the passages of the Torah are best understood in relation to what comes before and what comes after. It's like a pillar with a base at the bottom and a capital at the top. You can’t fully appreciate the pillar without seeing how it connects to both the ground and the roof. The surrounding passages give context and meaning.
The Midrash then illustrates this point with examples from Leviticus. It connects the laws about planting fruit trees (Leviticus 19:24) with the laws about having relations with a servant (Leviticus 19:20). How are these related? The Midrash suggests that familiarity can lead to temptation. Someone who is constantly in another person's house might be tempted to take advantage of their maidservant. The Rabbis, in no uncertain terms, condemn those who take such liberties, with Rabbi Yudan, in the name of Rabbi Levi, saying that those who act permissively with maidservants are destined to be hanged by their heads in the future! A pretty stark warning, right? The verse in Psalms (68:22), “Indeed, God will shatter the heads of His enemies, hairy skulls of those walking in their guilt,” is invoked to underscore the severity of the sin.
The Midrash then connects the laws of orlah (forbidden fruit, Leviticus 19:23) with the prohibition against eating blood (Leviticus 19:26). The Holy One, blessed be He, essentially asks: "You wait three years for orlah, but you don't wait for your wife to observe her menstrual period? You wait three years for orlah, but you don't wait for your animal until its blood is squeezed out?" This highlights the importance of patience and adherence to all of God's commandments, not just the ones that are convenient.
Then we get a story about King Saul. The people were sinning by eating meat with the blood still in it. Saul, wanting to do what was right, commanded them to slaughter the animals properly. The Rabbis say he showed them a knife of a specific length (fourteen fingerbreadths, according to their calculations) to ensure the slaughtering was done according to protocol. But here's the kicker: later, during a battle with the Philistines, Saul and his son Jonathan were the only ones with swords! How did that happen? Rabbi Hagai, in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak, says an angel provided it. Other Rabbis say that God provided it. The Midrash connects this to Saul's dedication to building an altar to the Lord, suggesting that his righteousness was rewarded.
The passage ends with a beautiful reflection from Rabbi Shimon ben Lakonya. He contrasts the world we live in, where one person builds and another uses, one plants and another eats, with the future Messianic age. In that future world, as the prophet Isaiah says (65:22-23), “They will not build and have another inhabit, they will not plant and have another eat…they will not toil in vain…” Everyone will benefit from their own labor, and their descendants will be known among the nations (Isaiah 61:9).
So, what can we take away from all this? The Midrash teaches us that the Torah is not just a collection of laws and stories, but a living, breathing structure. It's a world supported by pillars of Creation, resting on sockets of golden wisdom. And it's up to us to build upon that foundation, to connect the pieces, and to create a world where everyone can share in the blessings of Torah.