Song of Songs Rabbah 8:10

¹“Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon; he gave the vineyard to the guards; a man would bring for its fruit a thousand silver pieces” (Song of Songs 8:11). “Solomon had a vineyard” – this is Israel, as it is stated: “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). “Solomon [ Shlomo ] had” – the King [of whom it may be said] that peace [ shalom ] is His. “At Baal Hamon” – hamon baal , . for they streamed [ hamu ] after the Baal, just as you say: “They worshipped the Be’alim and the Ashtarot” (Judges 10:6). Therefore the hordes [ hamonot ] beset them. He positioned guards over them. “A man would bring for its fruit a thousand silver pieces” – He brought a man upon His fruit, and he found there a thousand righteous men impeccable in Torah and good deeds. Another matter: “A vineyard [ kerem ]” – this is Israel, as it is stated: “I brought you to a fruitful [ karmel ] land” (Jeremiah 2:7), “a land that the Lord your God cares for” (Deuteronomy 11:12). “Solomon [ Shlomo ] had” – the King [of whom it may be said] that peace [ shalom ] is His. “At Baal Hamon” – for they streamed [ hamu ] after the multitudes of hordes of kingdoms. That is what is written: “I saw among the spoils a fine Babylonian garment” (Joshua 7:21). Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak said: A Babylonian cloak. What was Babylon doing here? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: It was [from] the king of Babylon, and he acquired in Jericho. One would send dates to the other, and one would send gifts to the other. That is to say that any king who did not have a representative in the Land of Israel did not perceive himself as a king. “He gave the vineyard to the guards” – this is Nebuchadnezzar. “A man would bring for its fruit a thousand silver pieces” – He brought a man upon His fruit, and he gathered from them a thousand righteous men impeccable in Torah and good deeds. That is what is written: “The craftsmen and the smiths one thousand” (II Kings 24:16). The craftsmen were a thousand, and the smiths were a thousand; the Rabbis say: Both together were a thousand. ²Another matter: “Vineyard” – this is the Sanhedrin, as we learned there: Rabbi Yishmael testified three matters before the Sages in the vineyard of Yavne. 2:4. Were they sitting in a vineyard? Rather, this is the Sanhedrin, which was configured in rows like a vineyard. “At Baal Hamon” – hamon baal , for they streamed [ hamu ] after the Baal. Therefore the hordes [ hamonot ] beset them, and multitudes of angels followed them. That is what is written: “The kings [ malkhei ] of hosts flee [ yidodun ], they flee” (Psalms 68:13). Rabbi Yudan [said] in the name of Rabbi Aivu: It is not written there: “angels [ malakhei ] of hosts,” but rather “kings [ malkhei ].” These are the kings of the angels. Even Mikhael and even Gavriel flee again and again. Rabbi Yudan said: “ Yidodun ” – they were casting [ memadedin ] letters from among them, just as you say: “They cast [ yadu ] lots over My people” (Joel 4:3). Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Simon said: They prodded them is interpreted to mean they prodded [ yedadun ]. while going, they prodded them while returning. Rabbi Aḥava son of Rabbi Ze’eira said: He had them racing, just as it says: “Why are you running, my son…” (II Samuel 18:22). What is, “while the fair one at home divides the spoils” (Psalms 68:13)? The fair one in the home, this is the Torah, and you are giving it to him, and it is going to distribute the spoils? Another matter: “The fair one at home” (Psalms 68:13) – fair one at home, will you distribute the spoils below? The fair one at home, this is Moses, as it is stated: “In all My house he is loyal” (Numbers 12:7); and you give it to him, and he will distribute it as spoils below? Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Aḥa [said] in the name of Rabbi Alexandri: It is written: “Lord, our Master, how mighty is Your name throughout the world that You set Your glory in the heavens” (Psalms 8:2). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: It is not written here, “You set Your glory,” but rather, “that [ asher ] You set Your glory.” Your glory is in it; Your happiness [ ishurakh ] is that Your Torah remain in Heaven. He said to them: ‘Its essence will not be achieved in your midst.’ Rabbi Yudan said: [This is analogous] to one who had a son with severed fingers. What did he do? He took him to a master weaver to teach him his craft. He began looking at his fingers. He said: The entire essence of this craft is acquired only by means of the fingers. How can this one learn it? That is, its essence will not be achieved in your midst: So too, when the Holy One blessed be He sought to give the Torah to Israel, the ministering angels were prodding Israel away and they were prodding themselves before the Holy One blessed be He and saying: It is Your happiness, it is Your glory, it is Your honor that Your Torah remain in Heaven. He said to them: Its essence will not be achieved in your midst. It is written in it: “If a woman's blood flows for many days” (Leviticus 15:25). Is there a woman among you? That is, its essence will not be achieved in your midst. Moreover, it is written in it: “A person who dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14); is there death among you? That is, its essence will not be achieved in your midst. That is why the verse praises [Moses]: “You ascended On High, you took captives. [You received gifts among men]” (Psalms 68:19). Rabbi Aḥa said: These are the halakhot that are practiced among people, e.g., zavim , zavot , menstruating women, and birthing mothers. That is, its essence will not be achieved in your midst. The Rabbis say: [This is analogous] to a king who married off his daughter outside his province. The residents of his province said to him: ‘Our lord the king, it is your praise, and it is proper, that your daughter be with you in the province.’ He said to them: ‘Why do you care?’ They said to him: ‘Perhaps tomorrow you will go to her and live near her [in order to be] with her due to your love for her.’ He said to them: ‘I will marry off my daughter outside the province, but I will live with you.’ So too, when the Holy One blessed be He said to give the Torah to Israel, the ministering angels said to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, “that You set Your glory” (Psalms 8:2), it is Your happiness, it is Your glory, it is Your praise that Your Torah remain in Heaven.’ He said to them: ‘Why do you care?’ They said to Him: ‘Perhaps tomorrow you will rest Your Divine Presence on the lower worlds.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘I give My Torah in the lower worlds, but I reside in the upper worlds. I am giving My daughter with her marriage contract in another province, to be honored with her husband with her beauty and her pleasantness, as she is the daughter of a king and they will respect her, but I will reside with you in the upper worlds.’ Who articulated this? Habakkuk, as it is stated: “His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth” (Habakkuk 3:3). Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: Every place that the Holy One blessed be He rested His Torah, He rested His Divine Presence. Who articulated this? David. That is what is written: “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted, His glory across earth and heaven” (Psalms 148:13) – first over the earth and thereafter over the heavens.