Today, we're diving deep into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, specifically section 4, to uncover some fascinating insights about intention, reward, and the enduring nature of good deeds.
The passage opens with a beautiful line, "You are fair, my love, like Tirtza." But it's not just about physical beauty. The Rabbis interpret "Tirtza" as connected to the Hebrew word rotza, meaning "when you wish." It suggests that true beauty lies in the wholehearted fulfillment of God's will. And when that desire is genuine, you don't need external guidance. : haven’t you felt most fulfilled when acting from a place of pure intention, without needing someone to tell you what to do?
A key example is the story of the princes in (Numbers 7:3), who brought wagons and oxen as offerings for the Tabernacle. Nobody told them to do this! "They brought their offering before the Lord: six covered wagons [and twelve oxen…]," the verse tells us. This spontaneous generosity is seen as so significant that the six wagons are even connected to the six firmaments. Now, you might be thinking, "Wait, aren't there seven firmaments?" Good catch! Rabbi Avun explains that the seventh, where God rests, isn't counted in the same way. Similarly, the six wagons correspond to six earths – Eretz, arka, adama, gei, tziya, neshiya, tevel – but tevel, the world judged with righteousness as we find in (Psalm 98:9), stands apart. We also find connections to the six orders of the Mishna, the six days of Creation, and even the six matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Zilpa, and Bilha. The number six seems to hold a special significance here.
The wagons themselves are described as "covered" (tzav). This wordplay leads to a series of interpretations: like canopies, colored (tzeva), arranged in order (like an army, tzava), and protected by the Levites. Nehemiah teaches that the wagons were covered to prevent the sacred vessels inside from breaking. This attention to detail, this care for the holy, speaks volumes about the princes' devotion.
And what about the oxen? "A wagon for every two princes, and an ox for each," we read. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) emphasizes that these weren't purchased; each prince contributed an ox and a wagon. "They brought them before the Tabernacle," meaning they gave them to the entire community. God's response? According to Rabbi Hoshaya, God essentially says, "I ascribe to you [merit] as though I needed [something] in which to hold my world, and you brought it to me." Wow.
But this act of spontaneous generosity raises a question for Moses. He wonders if the Divine Spirit has left him and now rests on the princes, or if a new prophet has arisen with new instructions. God reassures him, saying, "Take from them, and they shall be" (Numbers 7:5). Rabbi Simon explains that the idea originated with the princes themselves, thanks to the wise counsel of the tribe of Issachar, known for their understanding of the times. As it says in I (Chronicles 12:33), "From the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding of the times…to know what Israel should do." Rabbi Tanhuma connects this to astrology, while Rabbi Yosei bar Kasrai links it to intercalation (adjusting the calendar). They were also known for their medical knowledge and produced two hundred heads of Sanhedrins (the supreme rabbinic court) (courts of law). Their decisions, we're told, were so authoritative that they were considered like halakha (Jewish law) transmitted to Moses from Sinai!
Moses, still concerned, worries that the oxen might die or the wagons break, invalidating the princes' offering and disrupting the Tabernacle service. God's response is powerful: "They shall be" (Numbers 7:5). This means that their offering will endure forever.
So, how long did these offerings last? Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Huna, citing bar Kapara, say they lasted until Gilgal, as alluded to in (Hosea 12:12). Different opinions are offered – Rabbi Avun says Nov, Rabbi Abba says Givon, Levi says Shilo. The Rabbis argue they were sacrificed in the permanent Temple, citing King Solomon's offering in II (Chronicles 7:5). Rabbi Hama points out that the verse uses the definite article, zevaḥ habakar – "a feast offering of the cattle" – implying a specific set of cattle: the ones from (Numbers 7:7-8).
But Rabbi Meir takes it a step further. He says that even now, those oxen endure, unblemished, unaged, and healthy! He uses an a fortiori argument: if God granted these animals, dedicated to the Tabernacle, eternal existence, how much more so will He grant eternal life to Israel, who cleave to Him? As (Deuteronomy 4:4) states, "But you, who cleave to the Lord your God, all of you live today."
What’s the takeaway? This passage reminds us that sincere intentions, spontaneous acts of generosity, and unwavering devotion have a lasting impact. It’s not just about following rules; it’s about acting from a place of deep connection and love for God. And those actions, like the oxen and wagons of the princes, can endure far beyond our own lifetimes, echoing through eternity. It makes you wonder: what "oxen" and "wagons" are we offering to the world, and how will they resonate for generations to come?
Another matter, “you are fair, my love, like Tirtza,” when you wish [at rotza]. When you wish,8When you wish to wholeheartedly fulfill My will. you need not seek to learn from anyone. Who said to them to bring wagons and cattle to bear the Tabernacle? Was it not of their own accord that they brought them? That is what is written: “They brought their offering before the Lord: six covered wagons [and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two princes and an ox for each; they brought them before the Tabernacle]” (Numbers 7:3), corresponding to the six firmaments. But are they not seven? Rabbi Avun said: Where the king rests under his canopy [is not counted among the rest]. Six corresponding to six earths: Eretz, arka, adama, gei, tziya, neshiya, tevel;9These are seven terms used in the Bible to refer to the earth. However, since tevel is singled out as uniquely governed by God’s righteousness, it is not included with the others. and it is written: “He will judge the world [tevel] with righteousness” (Psalms 98:9). Six corresponding to the six orders of Mishna; six corresponding to the six days of Creation; six corresponding to the six matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Zilpa, and Bilha. “Covered [tzav],” like canopies; tzav, colored;10This is due to the similarity between the word tzav and the word color (tzeva). tzav, arranged in order;11This is due to the similarity between the word tzav and the word tzava, army, which indicates ordered rows of soldiers. tzav, that the hosts [tzava] of Levites stood over them. It was taught in the name of Neḥemya: They were like covered wagons, so the service vessels would not [fall and] break. “And twelve oxen,” corresponding to the twelve princes: “A wagon for every two princes, and an ox for each” (Numbers 7:3), this teaches that they did not purchase them with money; rather, this one brought an ox and this one brought an ox, this one brought a wagon and this one brought a wagon. “They brought them before the Tabernacle,” this teaches that they gave them to the congregation. “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying” (Numbers 7:4). What is “saying”? The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Go out and say to them words of praise and consolation.’ Rabbi Hoshaya said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I ascribe to you [merit] as though I needed [something] in which to hold my world, and you brought it to me.’ At that moment, Moses was afraid. He said in his heart: Perhaps the Divine Spirit has left me, and has rested on the princes, or perhaps a different prophet arose and introduced this halakha.12Moses was commenting on the fact that he had not been commanded to tell the princes to make this donation, but clearly God was very pleased with it. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, had I said to them that they should bring [these items], I would have told you to tell them; however, “take from them, and they shall be”’ (Numbers 7:5). What is “take from them”? These matters originated with them. Who gave them the counsel? Rabbi Simon said: It was the tribe of Issachar. They said to them: ‘This Tabernacle that you are crafting, does it float in the air? Craft wagons for it upon which it may be carried.’ That is why the verse praises the tribe of Issachar, as it is stated: “From the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding of the times” (I Chronicles 12:33). What is “of the times”? Rabbi Tanḥuma said: For astrology. Rabbi Yosei bar Kasrai said: For intercalation. “To know what Israel should do” (I Chronicles 12:33), as they knew how to cure skin disease. “Their leaders were two hundred” (I Chronicles 12:33), these are the two hundred heads of Sanhedrins13This refers to the twenty-three person courts that presided in each major city. that the tribe of Issachar produced. “And all their brethren at their command” (I Chronicles 12:33), this teaches that all their brethren would agree with their [decisions in] halakha, like halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. At that moment, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, perhaps one of the oxen will die, or one of the wheels will break and the offering of the princes would be invalidated, resulting in the Tabernacle service being abrogated?’ Immediately, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Take from them, and they shall be to perform…” (Numbers 7:4-5). “They shall be”—I will grant them existence so that they will live and endure in the world for ever and ever. Until when did they endure? Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of bar Kapara: Until the Gilgal; that is what is written in Hosea: “In Gilgal they slaughtered oxen, their altars are like heaps upon the furrows of the field” (Hosea 12:12). Where did they sacrifice them?14This question assumes that they were not sacrificed in Gilgal, as stated above. Alternatively, the midrash means that the merit of these offerings lasted until Israel worshipped idolatry in Gilgal, and the oxen were actually sacrificed afterward (see Etz Yosef). Rabbi Avun said: They sacrificed them in Nov. Rabbi Abba said: They sacrificed them in Givon. Levi said: They sacrificed them in Shilo. The Rabbis say: They sacrificed them in the permanent Temple. Rabbi Ḥama said: The source for the Rabbis is as it is written: “King Solomon slaughtered a feast offering of…cattle [zevaḥ habakar]” (II Chronicles 7:5). Zevaḥ bakar is not written, but rather, zevaḥ habakar.15It is written with the definite article, so that it reads in a literal sense “a feast offering of the cattle.” Which cattle? You must say: “The two wagons and the four cattle” (Numbers 7:7), and it is written: “the four wagons and the eight cattle” (Numbers 7:8). Rabbi Meir says: They endure [even] now, and they have not become blemished, they have not grown old, and they have not become tereifa, but rather, they are alive and well. The matters may be inferred a fortiori: If the oxen that were assigned by man to the Tabernacle service, [God] granted them existence to live and endure for ever and ever, Israel, which cleaves to He who endures forever, all the more so, as it is stated: “But you, who cleave to the Lord your God, all of you live today” (Deuteronomy 4:4).
