Song of Songs Rabbah 2:15

¹“Catch foxes for us, little foxes that ruin the vineyards, as our vineyards are in bloom” (Song of Songs 2:15). “Catch foxes for us.” When [God] analogizes the kingdoms, He analogizes them only to fire; that is what is written: “I will direct My attention against them; they have emerged from the fire, but fire will consume them” (Ezekiel 15:7). But when He analogizes the Egyptians, he analogizes them with something that is consumed by fire. That is what is written: “It dwindled and extinguished like flax” (Isaiah 43:17). When He analogizes the kingdoms, He analogizes them only to silver and gold, is that not what is written: “That image, its head was of fine gold” (Daniel 2:32). When He analogizes the Egyptians, He analogizes them only to lead, as it is stated: “They sank like lead” (Exodus 15:10). When He analogizes the kingdoms, he analogizes them only to cedars, is that not what is written: “Behold, Assyria is a cedar in Lebanon” (Ezekiel 31:3); and it is written: “The tree that you saw that grew [and was strong, whose height reached to heaven]” (Daniel 4:17); and it is written: “I destroyed the Emorite from before them, [whose height was like the height of cedars]” (Amos 2:9). When He analogizes the Egyptians, He analogizes them only to straw, as it is stated: “He will consume them like straw” (Exodus 15:7). When He analogizes the kingdoms, He analogizes them only to beasts, as it is stated: “Four great beasts arose from the sea, each different from the other” (Daniel 7:3); and it is written: “The first was like a lion” (Daniel 7:4). When He analogizes the Egyptians, He analogizes them only to foxes, as it is stated: “Catch [ eḥezu ] foxes for us.” [The Egyptians] monitored them to cast them into the Nile. Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon said: The Egyptians were cunning; therefore He likens them to foxes. Just as the fox looks behind itself, so the Egyptians would look to their end and say: ‘How shall we destroy them? [If] we destroy them in fire, is it not already stated: “For the Lord will judge with fire”? (Isaiah 66:16). [If] we destroy them by the sword, is it not written: “And with His sword all flesh”? (Isaiah 66:16). Rather, let us destroy them in water, as the Holy One blessed be He has already taken an oath that He will never again bring a flood to the world, as it is written: “For this is for Me like the waters of Noah; [as I took an oath that the waters of Noah would no longer pass over the earth]”’ (Isaiah 54:9). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘By your lives, I will drag each and every one of you to his own flood,’ as it is stated: “They will be hurled [ yagiruhu ] to the sword [ ḥarev ]; they will be a portion for the foxes [ shualim ]” (Psalms 63:11).“They will be hurled to the sword [ ḥarev ],” these are the wicked, who will be dragged to the dry seabed. ] them with dry land [ ḥorev ], into the waters of the sea [ sha’al yam ]. “They will be a portion for the foxes,” let this portion be designated for the foxes. Rabbi Berekhya said: The first instance of foxes [ shualim ] is written full and the second defective; , and the second is written without a vav. However, it should be noted that traditionally the text appears with both words missing the vav . the foxes [ shualim ] will descend to the seabed [ shaal yam ]. so that it must be read shualim ¸ whereas the second time it does not include the vav so that it may be read shaalim , or sha’al yam . ²Rabbi Tanḥuma said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: It is written: “Who makes a way in the sea” (Isaiah 43:16); that is not a difficult feat. “And a path in mighty waters” (Isaiah 43:16); this is not a difficult feat. Rather, what is a difficult feat? “Who brings out chariots and horse, an army, and a mighty force” (Isaiah 43:17). Rabbi Yudan said: A great hunt and pursuit would begin from the archers. Each would push and chase the other, and [their horsemen] would drive them into the sea. Rabbi Ḥanan said: What did the virtuous and modest daughters of Israel do? They would take their sons and conceal them in burrows and the wicked Egyptians would take their small children and bring them into the Israelite houses and pinch them. They would cry and the Israelite baby would hear the sound of his counterpart crying and would cry with him. [The Egyptians] would then take them and cast them into the Nile. That is what is written: “Catch foxes for us, little foxes.” They monitored them to cast them into the Nile. How many babies did they cast into the Nile? Ten thousand, as it is stated: “[I rendered you] as numerous [ revava ] as the plants of the field” (Ezekiel 16:7). also means ten thousand. The midrash means that God replenished their numbers such that the ten thousand were replaced ( Matnot Kehuna ). Rabbi Levi said: Six hundred thousand, as Moses said: “Six hundred thousand men on foot is the people in whose midst I am” (Numbers 11:21). ). What would the Egyptians do? They would bring their children from their academies and would send them to their bathhouses and they would see which Israelite women were pregnant and they would make a note for themselves and return and say to their fathers: ‘So and so has three months, so and so has four months, or five months.’ According to their calculation, they would take them from their [mothers’] breasts and cast them into the Nile. That is what is written: “Catch foxes for us, little foxes.” “Seized us,” “killed us” is not written here, but rather “catch [ eḥezu ] us.” They monitored them to cast them into the Nile. ³Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Yudan said: “Little foxes,” these are Esau and his noblemen, just as it says: “Behold, I made you small among the nations” (Obadiah 1:2). Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: This is analogous to a province that would produce great swordsmen for the king. There was a certain woman there who gave birth to a puny son, and she would call her son: Tall and Quick. She said to them: ‘My son is tall and quick and you do not make him a great swordsman?’ They said to her: ‘If, in your eyes, he is tall and quick, in our eyes he is puniest of the puny.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘This wicked Esau, his father called him great [ gadol ],’ as it is stated: “He called Esau, his elder [ hagadol ] son” (Genesis 27:1). His mother called him great, as it is stated: “The garments of Esau, her elder [ hagadol ] son (Genesis 27:15). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘If, in your eyes, he is great, in My eyes, he is small,’ as it is stated: “Behold, I made you small among the nations” (Obadiah 1:2). And if he is great, the slaughterer corresponds to the bull. That is what is written: “There is a sacrifice for the Lord in Botzra and a great slaughter in the land of Edom” (Isaiah 34:6). “That ruin the vineyards,” this is Israel, as it is written: “For the house of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 5:7). “As our vineyards are in bloom,” just as it says: “There is no cluster to eat, or a first fruit that my soul desires” (Micah 7:1). Rabbi Berekhya said: “Little foxes,” these are the four kingdoms, as it is stated: “There are four upon earth that are little” (Proverbs 30:24). “That ruin the vineyards,” this is Israel, as it is written: “For the house of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 5:7). “As our vineyards are in bloom,” who caused our vineyards to be in bloom? “I sought from among them a man who builds a fence [and stands in the breach before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it,] but I did not find” (Ezekiel 22:30); were it not for Noah, Daniel, and Job.