This Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), or interpretive commentary on the Book of Numbers, opens with a verse about the nazir, someone who takes a vow to abstain from certain pleasures, like cutting their hair or drinking wine: "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When a man or a woman will articulate to take the vow of a nazirite, to abstain for the Lord" (Numbers 6:2).
But then, things take a poetic turn. The Midrash immediately connects this verse to a passage from the Song of Songs: "His calves are pillars of marble, set on sockets of fine gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice like cedars" (Song of Songs 5:15). What's the link? What do marble calves have to do with a vow of abstinence?
The Midrash sees the "calves" (shokav) as representing the world itself, echoing the desire of the Holy One, blessed be He, to create, as it says, "And his desire (tshukato) is for me” (Song of Songs 7:11). The completion of creation, "the heavens and the earth…were completed (vaykhulu)" (Genesis 2:1), is also interpreted as an expression of longing, drawing a parallel to the verse "My soul longs, indeed it yearns (kaleta)" (Psalms 84:3).
So, the very act of creation is tied to a sense of divine longing and desire. And these "pillars of marble" symbolize the six days of creation, the foundation of which rests on three pillars: wisdom, understanding, and knowledge (Proverbs 3:19–20). According to the Midrash, "wisdom" is the fear of the Lord (Job 28:28), "knowledge" is knowing one's Creator (Hosea 4:1, (Jeremiah 9:2)3), and "understanding" is the sea itself.
But the Midrash doesn't stop there. It connects the "appearance like Lebanon" to the reward of a penitent, a baal teshuva, someone who turns away from evil. As Hosea says, "I will heal their waywardness (meshuvatam)…his glory will be like the olive tree and his fragrance like Lebanon" (Hosea 14:5,7). And the "choice like cedars" refers to the righteous, those who fear and know their Creator, like "a cedar in Lebanon" (Psalms 92:13).
Then, the Midrash beautifully portrays God's "palate" as sweet, using verses from Amos and Ezekiel to illustrate God's desire for us to seek Him and live, for the wicked to repent and turn from their ways. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish adds that true repentance involves regretting the wickedness. Rabbi Yoḥanan even goes so far as to say that God transforms past transgressions into merits, referencing (Psalms 45:9).
But the sweetness of God's "palate" isn't just for us. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman tells us that the nations of the world initially rejoiced when they heard God rebuking Israel, thinking He would destroy them. But when they heard the compassionate nature of the rebuke – "If your sins will be like scarlet, they will be whitened as snow" (Isaiah 1:18) – they were ashamed.
Rabbi Azarya and Rav Aḥa, in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan, offer another perspective: when Israel heard "I am [the Lord your God]" (Exodus 20:2) at Sinai, their souls nearly left them. God then sweetened the speech, making it palatable, as (Psalms 29:4) says: "The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is majestic."
So what about this seemingly random placement of the nazir next to the laws of jealousy (sotah)?
Here, the Midrash connects the dots. The sotah is a woman suspected of adultery, who undergoes a ritual to determine her guilt or innocence. The Rabbis suggest that when the sotah was given the water to drink, the people were reminded of the dangers of wine, saying, "Wine causes a lot [of problems]." Just as it checks her, so it checks him." This leads people to abstain from wine. Thus, the laws of the nazir, who abstains from wine, are juxtaposed with the laws of the sotah. The Midrash suggests a powerful lesson: witnessing the consequences of transgression can inspire us to choose a path of abstinence and holiness.
As Rabbi Levi points out, "All of the actions of Israel are distinct from the nations of the world" in various aspects of life (Leviticus 20:26), from plowing to sowing to reaping (Deuteronomy 22:10, (Leviticus 19:19), Leviticus 19:9).
Ultimately, this passage from Bamidbar Rabbah reminds us that everything is interconnected. The Torah isn't just a collection of laws; it's a tapestry woven with threads of longing, desire, repentance, and the constant invitation to draw closer to the Divine. It is a call to see the hidden connections, to find meaning in the seemingly random, and to recognize the sweetness of a God who yearns for our return. And maybe, just maybe, to consider what small act of abstinence might bring us closer to that Divine presence.
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When a man or a woman will articulate to take the vow of a nazirite, to abstain for the Lord” (Numbers 6:2). “When a man or a woman will articulate…” – that is what is written: “His calves are pillars of marble, set on sockets of fine gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice like cedars” (Song of Songs 5:15). “His calves [shokav],” this is the world that the Holy One blessed be He desired to create, just as it says: “And his desire [tshukato] is for me” (Song of Songs 7:11). From where is it derived that He says so? It is as it is stated: “The heavens and the earth…were completed [vaykhulu]” (Genesis 2:1). Vaykhulu is nothing other than an expression of desire, as it is stated: “My soul longs, indeed it yearns [kaleta]…” (Psalms 84:3). “Pillars [amudei] of marble [shesh],” as He established [shehe’emid] the entire act of Creation in six [shisha] days, as it is stated: “For in six days the Lord made [the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them]” (Exodus 20:11); these are the three matriarchs1The heavens, the earth, and the sea. from which everything was created. “Set on sockets of fine gold,” as their foundation was three excellent matters, unparalleled in the world. That is what is written: “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, established the heavens with understanding. With His knowledge, the depths were breached” (Proverbs 3:19–20); this is the sea. “Wisdom,” is the fear of the Lord, just as it says: “Behold, the fear of the Lord, it is wisdom, and turning away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). “Knowledge,” this is one who knows his Creator, just as it says: “There is no knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1), and it says: “Contemplating and knowing Me” (Jeremiah 9:23). “His appearance is like Lebanon,” this is the reward of a penitent [baal teshuva], who is characterized as turning away from evil. In his regard the verse said: “I will heal their waywardness [meshuvatam]…his glory will be like the olive tree and his fragrance like Lebanon” (Hosea 14:5,7). “Choice [bachur] like cedars,” this is one who fears and knows his Creator, who is called righteous. In his regard, the verse said: “The righteous man flourishes like a palm tree; like a cedar in Lebanon he grows tall” (Psalms 92:13). And it says: “And chose [uvachor] him from all the tribes of Israel [to be a priest for Me]” (I Samuel 2:28). And it says: “Happy is the one You choose [tivchar] to bring near” (Psalms 65:5). “His palate is sweet” (Song of Songs 5:16), this is the Holy One blessed be He. See what it says: “For so said the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek Me and live” (Amos 5:4). Do you have a palate sweeter than that? “As I live, the utterance of the Lord God, I surely do not desire the death of the wicked person…” (Ezekiel 33:11). Do you have a palate sweeter than that? “And when the wicked person repents…[he will live]” (Ezekiel 33:19). Do you have a palate sweeter than that? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Provided that he regrets the wickedness. How so? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: If there was a man who was absolutely wicked all his days, and ultimately he became absolutely righteous, in his regard, the verse says: “The wickedness of the wicked person, he will not stumble on it [on the day that he repents for his wickedness]” (Ezekiel 33:12). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Moreover, all the transgressions that he violated, the Holy One blessed be He enumerates them as merits. That is what is written: “Myrrh, aloes, and cassia [ketziot] were on all your garments [bigdotayikh]” (Psalms 45:9). All the betrayals [begidot] that you betrayed Me, they are like myrrh and aloes when they are truncated [ketziot]. And it says: “Because of them he will live” (Ezekiel 33:19). Another matter, “his palate is sweet” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: In three places, the nations of the world heard that the Holy One blessed be He was rebuking Israel, and they rejoiced, but ultimately they departed shamefacedly. These are they: “Go now let us reason together [venivakheḥa] says the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18). They2The nations of the world. said: ‘Now he will eradicate the enemies of Israel3This is a euphemism for Israel. from the world. Is it possible for these to contend [lehitvake’aḥ] with their Creator?’ When He said to them:4To Israel. “If your sins will be like scarlet, [they will be whitened as snow]” (Isaiah 1:18), they5The nations of the world. said: ‘Is this the rebuke? He is seeking merely to ease the tension with them.’ Similarly, “Hear, mountains, the Lord’s quarrel…[as the Lord has a quarrel with His people, and with Israel He will contend]” (Micah 6:2). They said: ‘Now he will eradicate the enemies of Israel from the world. Is it possible for these to contend with their Creator?’ When He said to them: “My people, what did I do to you, and how did I exhaust you? Testify against Me” (Micah 6:3), they said: ‘Is this the rebuke? He is seeking merely to ease the tension with them.’ Similarly, “The Lord has a quarrel with Judah, and will reckon with Jacob [according to his ways; according to his exploits, He will recompense him]” (Hosea 12:3). They said: ‘Now he will eradicate the enemies of Israel from the world. Is it possible for these to contend with their Creator?’ When He said to them: “In the womb, he was at his brother’s heels, [and with his strength he strove with God]” (Hosea 12:4), they said: ‘Is this the rebuke? He is seeking merely to ease the tension with them.’ Rabbi Yudan bar Rabbi Shimon said: This is analogous to a widow who complained about her son.6She complained to the judge. She saw the judge sentencing with fire, with tar, and with lashes. She said: ‘If he judges my son with these sentences, he will kill him.’ She was afraid. When he finished his matters, he said to her: ‘What did he do to you?’ She said to him: ‘When he was in my womb, he would kick me.’ He said to her: ‘Is this a transgression?’ So, Jacob in the womb was at his brother’s heels. Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Simai: The God of Jacob accorded him honor. Another matter, “his palate is sweet,” Rabbi Azarya and Rav Aḥa in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: When Israel heard: “I am [the Lord your God]” (Exodus 20:2) at Sinai, their souls departed from them. The speech7The metaphor is that God created "speech,” which is what Israel heard. That "speech" spoke to God. returned to the Holy One blessed be He. It said before Him: ‘You are living, Your Torah is living. You sent me to the dead, they are all dead.’ At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He then made the speech more palatable for them. “The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is majestic” (Psalms 29:4). Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: For the lads, "the voice of the Lord is mighty," for the feeble, “the voice of the Lord is majestic.” Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The Torah restored their souls to them, as it is stated: “The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul” (Psalms 19:8). “All of Him is delightful” (Song of Songs 5:16) – Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: The way of the world is that a laborer works with the homeowner and he pays him his salary for having sullied himself in mortar. But the Holy One blessed be He cautions Israel and says to them: ‘Do not sully yourselves with evil matters and I will give you your reward.’ That is what is written: “Do not render yourselves abominable by means of any swarming creature that swarms...For I am the Lord…” (Leviticus 11:43–44). What is “I am the Lord”? I am trustworthy to pay a reward. Is that not remarkable? That is, “all of Him is delightful.” Rabbi Tanḥum ben Rabbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: It is written: “Sanctify My Sabbaths” (Ezekiel 20:20). How do you sanctify it? It is with food, with drink, and with a clean garment. What is written in its regard? “And they will be a sign between Me and you, to know that I am the Lord your God” (Ezekiel 20:20). “I am the Lord,” I am trustworthy pay you a reward. That is, “all of Him is delightful.” “This is my beloved” (Song of Songs 5:16), just as it says: “I have distinguished you from the peoples to be Mine” (Leviticus 20:26). Rabbi Levi said: All of the actions of Israel are distinct from the nations of the world; in their plowing, in their sowing, in their reaping, in their gathering, in their threshing, in their granaries, in their wine presses, in their shaving, and in their counting. In their plowing, “do not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deuteronomy 22:10). In their sowing, “your field, you shall not sow with diverse kinds” (Leviticus 19:19). In their reaping, “you shall not complete reaping the corner of your field” (Leviticus 19:9). In their gathering, “And you forget a sheaf in the field, [you shall not return to take it]” (Deuteronomy 24:19). In their threshing, “you shall not muzzle an ox in its threshing” (Deuteronomy 25:4). In their granaries, in their wine presses, “the fullness of your crop and the outpouring of your liquids, you shall not delay” (Exodus 22:28).8See Shemot Rabba 31:8. In their shaving, “the corner of their beard they shall not shave” (Leviticus 21:5). In their counting, Israel counts by the moon and the nations of the world count by the sun. “When you take a census [of the children of Israel]…” (Exodus 30:12). “Take a census of…” (Numbers 1:2). “To be Mine,” (Leviticus 20:26), you are Mine. That is, “this is my beloved.” “And this is my companion” (Song of Songs 5:16), Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina and Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Abahu said: That He adds companions for me. How so? It is written: “I have distinguished you from the peoples” (Leviticus 20:26); like one who selects the good from the bad: he selects and then selects again9He checks whether he overlooked something good and did not remove it. as, typically, one who selects the bad from the good does not then select again.10He no longer checks the bad that he removed from the good. So, the Holy One blessed be He waits for the nations of the world; perhaps they will repent, and He will draw them near under His wings. Another matter, “his calves [shokav] are pillars of marble…” – “his calves,” this is the Torah, as it is stated: “And an elixir [veshikui] for your bones” (Proverbs 3:8). “Pillars of marble” – why are matters of Torah likened to pillars? It is because they are the pillars of the world, as it is stated: “If not My covenant of day and night, I would not have set the statutes of heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 33:25).11See Rashi on Shabbat 33a. Rabbi Huna said in the name of bar Kappara: Just as these pillars have capitals above them and bases beneath them, so the portions of the Torah, they are expounded [with respect to the verses] before them and after them. Expounded before them, like this: “When you will come into the land and plant any [fruit] tree, [you shall regard its fruit as forbidden…]” (Leviticus 19:23). What is written before that? “If a man lies carnally with a woman [who is a slave…]” (Leviticus 19:20). What does one have to do with the other? It is, rather, that a person who goes and joins his friend in his plantings, since he is entering and exiting inside his friend’s house, he is suspect regarding his friend’s maidservant. Just as a person separates himself from orla fruits,12These are the fruits that grow during the first three years after the tree is planted, and are forbidden. so, those who corrupt themselves with maidservants are separated from the upright on the Day of Judgment. As Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Those who were accustomed to allow themselves maidservants in this world, are destined to be hanged by the crowns of their heads in the future, as it is stated: “Indeed, God will shatter the heads of His enemies, hairy skulls” (Psalms 68:22). He says: Am I not liable to bring a guilt offering? “He walks in his guilt” (Psalms 68:22), this man will continue to walk in his guilt. How are they expounded after them? “Three years it shall be forbidden for you; it shall not be eaten” (Leviticus 19:23). What is written thereafter? “You shall not eat with the blood” (Leviticus 19:26). What does one have to do with the other? Rather, the Holy One blessed be He said: For orla you wait three years but for your wife you do not wait for her to be purified from her menstruation? For orla you wait three years but for your animal you do not wait until its blood is squeezed out?13Namely, until it dies. See Sanhedrin 63a. Who fulfilled the mitzva of the blood? Saul fulfilled the mitzva of the blood, as it is stated: “They told Saul, saying: Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood…Saul said: Disperse among the people and say to them: Let each man bring [his bull to me, and each man his sheep, and you shall slaughter with this and eat, and you shall not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood]” (I Samuel 14:33–34). What is “you shall slaughter with this [bazeh]”? The Rabbis said: He showed them a knife, how much the measure of its length should be. It is the numerical value of bazeh: beit – two, zayin – seven, heh – five, that is fourteen fingerbreadths. He said: In accordance with this protocol, you shall slaughter and eat. When did the Holy One blessed be He repay him? It was on the day of war, as it is stated: “It was on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of all the people who were with Saul and Yonatan, but was found with Saul and with Yonatan his son” (I Samuel 13:22). Who provided it for him? Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: The angel provided it for him. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He provided it for him. It was a sword, measure for measure. What is written? “Saul built an altar to the Lord; [with this one he commenced14This can be read to mean that Saul was the first to build an altar. to build an altar to the Lord]” [I Samuel 14:35). Did his predecessors not build several altars? Noah built an altar, Abraham built an altar, Isaac built an altar, Jacob built an altar, Moses built an altar, Joshua built an altar, and you say: “With this one he commenced to build an altar to the Lord”? Rabbi Yosei said: He began among kings. Rabbi Yudan said: Because he devoted himself with all his soul regarding the matter of slaughter, which is a prerequisite for the altar; therefore the verse ascribed to him as though he commenced to build an altar. Similarly, the portion of the nazirite is expounded before it and after it. How so after it? “This is the law of the nazirite…” (Numbers 6:21). What is written thereafter? “So, shall you bless the children of Israel… (Numbers 6:23). What does one have to do with the other? Rather, this is what the Holy One blessed be He commanded: Just as the nazirite does not taste wine, you, too, shall not taste wine when you are blessing Israel. Therefore, “so shall you bless” is written in the context of the nazirite. That is why the priests do not lift their hands15They do not recite the Priestly Benediction. during the afternoon prayer, due to drunkenness.16Wine was drunk regularly at meals, and a priest who drank wine may not recite the Priestly Benediction. How is it expounded before it? “When a man or a woman will articulate [to take the vow of a nazirite]” (Numbers 6:2). What is written before? “This is the law of jealousies” (Numbers 5:29). What does one have to do with the other? Rather, when they would give the sota to drink, they would say to her: ‘Wine causes a lot.’ All Israel is standing there, men and women. If she was impure, “her belly will distend [and her thigh will fall]” (Numbers 5:27). Just as it checks her, so it checks him.17The man with whom she committed adultery. Israel, the men and the women, who would see, would come to their houses and say: ‘Woe unto so-and-so man and so-and-so woman who drank wine, became drunk, violated a transgression, and died. I take an oath that I will never drink wine so it will not befall me like him.’ The women say likewise. That is why they were juxtaposed one to another. The Holy One blessed be He said: If a person abstains from wine, this is his law: “When a man or a woman will articulate…” Alternatively, just as the nazirite is separated from wine, so the sota is separated from other women, to her detriment.
