1 I am come [back] into My garden, My sister, My bride (Song 5:1). R. Azariah, citing R. Judah bar R. Simon, told the parable of a king who became so angry at his wife that he deposed her and cast her out of his palace. After a time when he was willing to bring her back and restore her to her place, she said: Let him first renew for my sake his former practice [of accepting from my hand whatever I offered him], then let him bring me back and restore me to my place. Thus in the past [when the Holy One had withdrawn far from men into heaven], yet from above He would still accept their offerings, as it is said of Noah’s offering [From above] the Lord smelled the sweet odor (Gen. 8:21). Now, however, He will renew His ancient practice of accepting their offerings while close to them here on the earth below: I am come [below] into My garden, My sister, My Bride. Thus incidentally, according to R. Hanina, Torah teaches one good manners, as that a groom is not to enter the bridal bower until his bride gives him leave: Let my Beloved come into His garden (Song 4:16), and only after that I am come into My garden (Song 5:1). [With regard to God’s presence on earth at the beginning of time], R. Tanhum, the son-in-law of R. Eleazar ben Abina, citing R. Simeon ben Yosne, noted that Song does not say “I am come into a garden” but I am come into My Garden. [For gnni, “My garden”], read ginuni, “My bride’s bower,” My and man’s dwelling place where at the beginning of time the Divine Root was implanted—yes, originally the root of the Presence was fixed in the regions of the earth below. The verse They used to hear the voice of the Lord God as [Adam] would walk in the Garden (Gen. 3:8) proves God’s presence on the earth at the beginning of time, for, as R. Abba bar Kahana noted: The text does not really say “would walk in” but “walked away from” [and refers not to Adam] but to God who, [after Adam had sinned, was angered], yet in reluctance walked away from [him towards heaven]. Thereupon Adam and his wife were all but hid because, as R. Aibu explained, in that instant Adam was deposed from his high place and his stature was diminished to no more than a hundred cubits (komah). [As to who brings about God’s return to the earth], R. Isaac said: It is written The righteous shall inherit the earth, and dwell thereon in eternity (Ps. 37:29). And where will the wicked dwell? Are they to fly about in the air? The concern of the verse, however, is not the dwelling place of the righteous or the wicked: by shall . . . dwell thereon in eternity is meant that the righteous bring it about that the Eternal shall dwell on the earth. At the beginning of time, accordingly, the root of the Presence was fixed in the regions of the earth below. After Adam sinned, the Presence withdrew to the first heaven. The generation of Enosh arose: they sinned; the Presence withdrew from the first heaven to the second. The generation of the flood arose: they sinned; the Presence withdrew from the second heaven to the third. The generation of the dispersion of the races of man arose: they sinned; the Presence withdrew from the third heaven to the fourth. The Egyptians in the days of our father Abraham arose: they sinned; the Presence withdrew from the fourth heaven to the fifth. The Sodomites arose: they sinned; the Presence withdrew from the fifth heaven to the sixth. The Egyptians in the days of Moses arose: from the sixth heaven to the seventh. Over against these wicked men, seven righteous men arose and brought it about that the Presence came back to the earth. Our father Abraham arose: the merit he earned brought it about that the Presence came back from the seventh heaven to the sixth. Isaac arose: the merit he earned brought it about that the Presence came back from the sixth heaven to the fifth. Jacob arose: the merit he earned brought it about that the Presence came back from the fifth heaven to the fourth. Levi arose: the merit he earned brought it about that the Presence came back from the fourth heaven to the third. Kohath arose: the merit he earned brought it about that the Presence came back from the third heaven to the second. Amram arose: the merit he earned brought it about that the Presence came back from the second heaven to the first. Moses arose: the merit he earned brought it about that the Presence came back to the earth. Hence [the reference to Moses] in the verse It was on Israel’s bridal (klt) day that Moses brought to a conclusion (klwt) [the coming back to earth that God had begun in the days of Abraham] (Num. 7:1). 2 King Solomon made Himself a Pavilion (Song 3:9). By Pavilion is meant the Tabernacle; King Solomon (Selomoh) made Himself: that is, the King of the universe needing a means of private communication [with Israel] (has-sillum sello), made [it for] Himself. In explanation of the verse, R. Judah bar Il‘a’i told the parable of a king who had a young daughter. Before she was old enough to show the signs of puberty, he felt free to talk to her wherever he saw herwhether in the market, in alleys or in lanes, he felt free to talk to her. But after she came of age and showed the signs of puberty, he said: It does not suit the deference owed to my daughter that I speak to her in public. Make a pavilion for her, and I will speak to her in privacy within the pavilion. So [was it between God and Israel]. At the beginning When Israel was a child in Egypt, then in My love of him, I used to cry out [wherever I saw him], “O son of Mine” (Hos. 11:1). Thus it came about that the children of Israel saw Me in Egypt when I said I will go through the land of Egypt (Exod. 12:12); they saw Me at the Red Sea, when Israel saw the great Hand (Exod. 14:31); they saw Me at Sinai when, according to Scripture, The Lord spoke with you face to face (Deut. 5:4). But once they accepted the Torah and hence were regarded by Me as a people come of age, I said, It no longer suits the deference owed to My children that I speak to them in public. Make ye the Tabernacle for Me, and then I shall speak to them [in privacy] from within the Tabernacle. Thus Scripture: And when Moses went into the Tent of Meeting that He might speak with him, etc. (Num. 7:89). The requirement that the pavilion be made of [cedar] wood of Lebanon (Song 3:9) parallels “And thou shalt make the boards of the Tabernacle of shittim cedars standing upright” (Exod. 26:15). The statement that He made the pillars thereof of silver (Song 3:10) parallels “The hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver” (Exod. 27:10). The phrase The top thereof of gold (Song 3:10) parallels “And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold” (Exod. 26:29). The phrase The covering of it of purple (Song 3:10) parallels “[To cover] the Holy of Holies thou shalt make a veil of blue and purple” (Exod. 26:31). What, then, parallels the term love in the statement The inside thereof being inlaid with love (Song 3:10)? While R. Yudan took the term to mean merit of study of Torah and merit of righteous men, R. Azariah, citing R. Judah bar R. Simon, asserted that by love is meant the Presence. For, according to R. Abba bar Kahana, the verse And there I will meet with thee (Exod. 25:22) proves that even the Tabernacle area that was west of the Ark-cover was not devoid of the Presence. A heathen put the following question to Rabban Gamaliel: Why did the Holy One reveal Himself to Moses in a thorn bush? Rabban Gamaliel replied: Had He revealed Himself high in a carob tree or high in a fig tree, what would you have said? [Would you not have argued that He shunned the lowly thorn bush]? As it is, you see that no place on earth is devoid of the Presence. R. Joshua of Silnin said in the name of R. Levi: With what is the Tent of Meeting to be compared? With a cave situated on the edge of the sea. When the sea rises and floods it, the cave, of course, is filled by the sea, yet the sea is not diminished. Likewise, the Tent of Meeting was filled with the splendor of the Presence, an event, according to Scripture, which took place when On [Israel’s] bridal day Moses brought to a conclusion [the coming back to earth that God had begun in the days of Abraham] (Num. 7:1). 3 Go forth, O younglings whose name Zion indicates that you bear a sign (cywn) (Song 3:11): O sons of Israel, you who for My sake bear the sign of circumcision, the sign upon head and face of hair unshaved, and the sign of fringes on the corners of your garments, gaze upon King Solomon (Selomoh) ()—upon the King of the universe who has the power to make peace (hislim) by making His creations surrender to one another and even by making Himself surrender (has-sillum sello). The words Upon King Solomon (Selomoh) mean that the sons of Israel are bidden to gaze upon the King of the universe who has the power to make His creations surrender (hislim) to His creaturesHe made fire surrender to Abraham; He made the sword’s edge surrender to Isaac; He made an angel surrender to our father Jacob. Or the words Upon King Solomon (Selomoh) mean that the sons of Israel are bidden to gaze upon the King of the universe who [without enforcing surrender] makes peace (salom) among His creatures. In reference to this comment R. Johanan cited [Merciful] dominion and fear are [at peace] with Him (Job 25:2), and, in keeping with R. Jacob of Kefar Hanan’s identification of [Merciful] dominion as Michael and fear as Gabriel, asserted that the words are [at peace] with Him imply the surrender of both angels to God so that one does not injure the other. R. Johanan said further: [All things in creation are at peace with Him (Job 25:2) because He has given each one its specific place]. Thus the sun has never seen the black, unshining face of the moon; no planet rises out of its turn before another; no planet beholds the one above it, for all the planets revolve, so R. Levi said, as on a spiral stairway. With regard to the verse Who layest the beams of Thine upper chambers in the waters, who makest the flaming fires Thy ministers (Ps. 104:2– 3), R. Simeon ben Yohai taught: The firmament is water, and the stars are fire, yet they dwell with each other and do no harm one to the other. The firmament is water, the ministering angel is fire, yet they live with each other and do no harm one to the other. R. Abin added: Nor is the peace between one angel and another the end of the matter! For each angel is himself part fire and part water, and between the two He makes peace. Indeed the verse [The angel’s] body was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as torches of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a roaring multitude (Dan. 10:6) indicates that within each angel there are five elements all different from one another, yet not one harms the others. [That hostile elements can even work together is illustrated by the verse] So there was hail, and fire flashing continually amidst the hail (Exod. 9:24). R. Judah’s explanation of this verse was that phials made of hail and filled with fire [came down]. R. Nehemiah said: Fire and hail, mingling, were made to work together. R. Judah’s explanation, said R. Hanin, brings to mind the pomegranate within whose pulp the seeds are visible; while R. Nehemiah’s explanation, R. Hanin went on to say, brings to mind a crystal lamp wherein equal amounts of water and oil work together to keep the flame of the wick burning above the water and oil. In the verse just cited, namely, So there was hail and fire mtlkht (Exod. 9:24), what is the precise meaning of mtlkht? R. Judah bar Simon, dividing the word into two, said: Both the fire and the hail were resolved to die (myta) in their determination (lhkt) to carry out God’s charge [that they work together for Him]. R. Aha illustrated their action by the parable of a king who had two fierce legions that were hostile to each other, but when the king’s own war had to be fought, they made peace with each other [and fought for him]. So, too, fire and hail are hostile to each other, yet when the war of the Holy One had to be fought in Egypt “It came to pass that hail and fire resolved to die . . . [for Him]” (Exod. 9:24)—a double miracle [for each of the two willingly surrendered its own being to the other]. In comment upon the verse Even upon the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him in the day of his espousals (Song 3:11), R. Isaac said: We went through all of Scripture, from first to last, and did not find that Bathsheba had made a crown for her son Solomon. Hence it must be concluded that by the Crown is signified the Tent of Meeting because, like a crown, it is topped with blue, purple, and scarlet. [Seeking another explanation, however], R. Simeon ben Yohai, according to R. Hunya, asked R. Eleazar bar R. Jose: Have you perhaps heard from your father an interpretation of the verse Even upon the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him? R. Eleazar replied: The verse may be understood by the parable of a king who had a daughter whom he loved inordinately. He did not stop calling her endearing names until he had called her “my sister”; even then, he did not stop his endearment of her but went on to call her “my mother.” So at first, in His endearment of Israel, the Holy One called her “My daughter”—Hearken, O daughter, and consider (Ps. 45:11). He did not stop His endearment of her but went on to call her “My sister”—My sister, My bride (Song 5:1). Even then He did not stop His endearment of her but went on to call her “My mother,” as is indicated by the verse Attend unto Me, O My people, and give ear unto Me, O My nation (Isa. 51:4), where u-le-’ummi, “My nation,” is spelled defectively so that it may read u-le-’immi, “My mother.” [Upon hearing this interpretation of Even upon the crown, etc.], R. Simeon ben Yohai rose, kissed R. Eleazar on the brow, and said to him: Had I come and heard nothing but this interpretation, I would have been content. R. Joshua of Silnin taught in the name of R. Levi that when the Holy One said to Moses: “Make the Tabernacle for Me,” Moses might simply have brought four poles and stretched skins over them to form the Tabernacle. Since he did not do so, we may infer from the verse cited below that while Moses was on the Mount, the Holy One showed him red fire, green fire, black fire, white fire, and said to him: Make the Tabernacle for Me [in these fiery colors]. Moses asked the Holy One: Master of universes, where am I to get red fire, green fire, black fire, and white fire? The Holy One replied: AFTER the pattern which is being shown thee in the Mount (Exod. 25:40). In the name of R. Levi also, [in further reference to the building of the Tabernacle], R. Berechiah cited the parable of a king who appeared before his steward in a garment covered entirely with precious stones and said to him: Make one like this for me. The steward replied: My lord king, how am I to get the materials with which to make a garment covered entirely with precious stones? The king replied: Follow the pattern with whatever materials you have, and I will still reign in my glory. Even so the Holy One said to Moses: If you pattern the Tabernacle here below after the one in heaven above, I will leave My heavenly counselors, come down, and so shrink My presence as to fit into your midst below. Even as Seraphim stand (Isa. 6:2) above, so the Tabernacle’s boards of shittim cedars stand (Exod. 26:15) here below. Even as the stars are above, so the Tabernacle’s clasps are here below, a parallel which proves, according to R. Hiyya bar Abba, that the Tabernacle’s golden clasps looked like stars fixed in the firmament. By the words In the day of His espousals (Song 3:11) is meant the day of God’s betrothal of Israel [at Sinai]; and by the words in the day of the gladness of His heart is meant the day He entered the Tent of Meeting. Or by the words In the day of His espousals is meant the day He entered the Tent of Meeting; and by the words in the day of the gladness of His heart is meant His gladness at Israel’s building of the eternal Habitation. Hence it is said It was on [Israel’s] bridal day that Moses brought to a conclusion [God’s coming back to earth, etc.] (Num. 7:1). 4 [Yet, as Scripture affirms, He comes and goes as He likes— indeed, His power is endless]: Who ascends up into heaven, and descended? Who gathers the wind in His fists? Who binds the waters in His garment? Who raises up all those who have come to their end upon the earth? What is His name, and what is His son’s name, if thou knowest? (Prov. 30:4). Who ascends up into heaven? The Holy One, of whom it is written “God ascends amidst [man’s trembling, a trembling like] the tremolo (teru‘ah) [of the shofar that bespeaks man’s fear of God’s judgment]” (Ps. 47:6). And descended? “And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai” (Exod. 19:20). Who gathers the wind? “In His hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10). Who binds the waters? “He bindeth up the waters in His thick clouds” (Job 26:8). Who raises up all those who have come to their end upon the earth? “The Lord killeth, and maketh alive” (Sam. 2:6). What is His name? His name is “Rock”; His name is “Shaddai”; His name is “Lord of Hosts.” And what is His son’s name? His son’s name is “Israel, My first-born” (Exod. 4:22). In further comment [the verses are taken as referring successively to different kinds of men. Thus] the first part of the first verse is read Who ascends up into heaven and brings down? and is taken to be asking: Who is he whose prayer goes up to heaven and causes rain to come down? The man who bestows his tithes in generous fistfuls; it is he who causes dew and rain to come down upon the world. Who gathers the wind in his fists? Who binds the waters in his garment? Who raises up all that betokens an end of the earth? In other words, who is the one [whose actions are fruitless], whose prayer does not go up to heaven and does not cause rain to come down? The man who does not bestow his tithes in generous fistfuls: it is he who keeps the heavens from bringing dew and rain to the world. In another comment the questions are taken to refer to Elijah: Who hath ascended up into heaven? Elijah, as is said “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (Kings 2:11). And descended? “The angel of the Lord said to Elijah: “Go down with him; be not afraid” (Kings 1:15). Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? [Elijah, who said]: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, liveth . . . there shall not be dew nor rain these years” (Kings 17:1). Who hath bound the waters? Elijah, who “took his mantle and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided” (Kings 2:8). Who hath raised up all those who have come to their end upon the earth? Elijah, who said: “See, thy son liveth” (Kings 17:23). In another comment the questions are taken to refer to Moses: Who hath ascended up into heaven? Moses, as is said “And Moses went up unto God” (Exod. 19:3). And descended? “And Moses went down from the Mount” (Exod. 19:14). Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? [Moses]: “As soon as I am gone out of the city, I shall spread forth my hands unto the Lord” (Exod. 9:29). Who hath bound the waters in a garment? [Moses, at whose bidding] “The floods stood upright as a heap” (Exod. 15:8). Who hath established all the ends of the earth? Moses, by means of the Tent of Meeting. For the verse It was on the day that Moses brought to a conclusion the setting up of the Tabernacle (Num. 7:1), signifies that through the Tabernacle the stability of the earth was achieved. As R. Joshua ben Levi, citing R. Simeon ben Yohai, pointed out: The text does not simply say “setting up of the Tabernacle,” but actually says setting up of [another] along with the Tabernacle. What was the “other” set up along with the Tabernacle? It was the earth that was set up with it. Until the Tabernacle was set up, the earth was unstable. After the Tabernacle was set up, the earth became stable. Hence Scripture: It was on the day that Moses brought to a conclusion the setting up of [another] along with the Tabernacle (Num. 7:1). 5 Further comment on the word klt in the verse It was on the day that Moses brought to a conclusion (klt) (Num. 7:1). Comment above on klt has pointed to its defective spelling as permitting it to be read kallat meaning “bridal,” and hence referring to the day that [Israel] entered the bridal chamber as God’s bride. In what follows, however, klt is read in the sense of “brought to an end.” As to what was brought to an end, R. Eleazar and R. Samuel bar Nahmani differ. R. Eleazar said: The verse It was on the day that Moses brought to an end (Num. 7:1) refers to the day he ended his daily setting up of the Tabernacle, concerning which we have the following Baraita: On each of the [seven] days [of the priests’ investiture] Moses used to set up the Tabernacle, bringing his offerings therein each and every morning and then taking it apart; on the eighth day, however, Moses set it up but did not take it apart. That Moses thought it necessary to set up the Tabernacle in the light of day, implies, according to R. Ze‘era, that the altar’s being set up the night before did not qualify it for offerings to God on the following day. R. Samuel bar Nahmani disagreed with R. Eleazar, saying: On the eighth day also Moses set it up and took it apart. Whence do we know that the taking apart of the Tabernacle occurred daily? From the verse It was on the day that Moses brought to an end the setting up of the Tabernacle (Num. 7:1) which suggests, as R. Ze‘era pointed out, that the daily setting up had come to an end [and hence that the daily taking apart had also come to an end]. In regard to this same verse, R. Eleazar and R. Johanan had a difference of opinion. R. Eleazar took the words It was on the day that Moses brought to an end (Num. 7:1) as proving it was on this day that demons came to an end in the world. And his proof ? The verse There shall no evil thing befall thee, neither shall any demon come nigh by reason of thy Tent (Ps. 91:10)50—in short, once the Tent of Meeting was set up, demons came to an end in the world. But R. Johanan said: Why need I draw such proof at such a remove in Scripture when I may draw it from the passage in hand? The Lord bless thee, and keep thee (Num. 6:24)—keep thee from demons, of course. R. Johanan also differs with R. Simeon ben Lakish, for R. Johanan took the words It was on the day that Moses brought to an end as proving it was on this day that enmity came to an end in the world. Until the Tabernacle was set up, there was enmity, jealousy, rivalry, wrangling, and dissension in the world. But after the Tabernacle was set up, love, affection, friendship, mercy, and peace were bestowed upon the world. And the proof? The verse He will speak peace unto His people . . . when [by means of the Tabernacle, God’s] glory is made to dwell in our Land (Ps. 85:9–10). But Simeon ben Lakish said: Why draw such an implication at such a remove in Scripture when I may draw it from the passage in hand? The Lord . . . give thee peace (Num. 6:26) immediately precedes It was on the day that Moses brought to an end the setting up of the Tabernacle (Num. 7:1). for, as R. Joshua [ben Levi], citing R. Simeon ben Yohai, pointed out: The text does not simply say “setting up of the Tabernacle,” but actually says setting up of [another] along with the Tabernacle. What was the “other” set up along with the Tabernacle? It was the earth that was set up with it. Until the Tabernacle was set up, the earth was unstable. After the Tabernacle was set up, the earth became stable. 6 Moses . . . had anointed it and sanctified it (Num. 7:1). After saying had anointed it and sanctified it, for what purpose does Scripture go on to say in the same verse had anointed them and sanctified them ()? According to R. Aibu, R. Tahalifa of Caesarea and Resh Lakish differ in their explanations. One said: After Moses had anointed each vessel in the Tabernacle one at a time, he then anointed all of them together. The other disagreed, saying: The addition of the phrase he anointed them means that Moses’ anointing of the vessels one at a time was an anointing for the world as we know it and that his anointing them all together was an anointing for the world-to-come. A like repetition occurs in the verse Thou shalt . . . couple the Tent together (Exod. 26:11), which is preceded by thou shalt couple the curtains (Exod. 26:6). R. Yudan, R. Levi, and R. Tahalifa of Caesarea took sides against Resh Lakish in their interpretation of the verses. One side said: After coupling each group of five curtains into two sets, Moses was to couple the two sets, [thus bringing the Tent together]. The other side took the second verse to mean “thou shalt couple the curtains together . . . and it shall be one” ()—that is, the dimensions of the Tabernacle’s curtains will remain one and the same for ever, just as the one anointing of the Tabernacle’s vessels will endure for ever. 7 The princes of Israel . . . offered. They were named princes (Num. 7:2) [because as officers appointed by the Egyptians they let themselves be beaten] with rods [to protect the Israelites put in their charge]. These are they that were over [the Israelites] that were numbered ()— that is, these princes were presently put in charge of [Israel’s] four standards in the wilderness. And [the princes] brought their offering before the Lord, six wagons, etc. (Num. 7:3), corresponding to the six days of creation; six, corresponding to the six orders of the Mishnah; six, corresponding to the six Matriarchs: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah. According to R. Johanan, the six correspond to the six commandments which a king is bound to obey: He shall not multiply wives to himself (Deut. 17:17); he shall not multiply horses to himself (Deut. 17:16); neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold (Deut. 17:17); thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a gift (Deut. 16:19). In further comment, the six correspond to the six steps of the king’s throne. What significance did each step have? When the king set foot on the first step as he was going up to his seat, a herald came forth and cried: He shall not multiply wives to himself. When the king set foot on the second step as he was going up to his seat, a herald came forth and cried: He shall not multiply horses to himself. When the king set foot on the third step, a herald came forth and cried: Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. When he set foot on the fourth step, a herald came forth and cried: Thou shalt not wrest judgment. When he set foot on the fifth step, a herald came forth and cried: Thou shalt not respect persons. When he set foot on the sixth step, a herald came forth and cried: Neither shalt thou take a gift. And when he was about to sit down, after having set foot on the seventh step, he was told: Know before Whom you are about to sit down. And the top of the throne was round behind (Kings 10:19) means, according to R. Aha, that the throne resembled the seat of Moses:⁠a And there were arms on either side of the throne by the place of the seat How was the throne decorated? A golden scepter was suspended behind it, and on top of the scepter was a dove. In the dove’s mouth there was a crown of gold, and when the king sat under it on the seat of the throne, the crown all but touched his head. Finally, the six wagons are taken to correspond to the six firmaments. But are there not seven firmaments? [The seventh firmament], R. Abin explained, is where the King resides and as royal property [is not to be counted with this world’s property]. 8 [The wagons the princes brought are described as] cab (Num. 7:3), a word which can be read variously as follows: read as cab, “lizard,” it signifies that the outer surface of the wagons’ frames was as delicately reticulated as the skin of a lizard; [as cb‘, “decorated”], it signifies that the wagons were gaily decorated; [as cb’, “equipped”], it signifies that the wagons were fully equipped; and finally, [as cbh, “bent”], it signifies, taught R. Nehemiah, that the body of the wagons was shaped like a bent bow. And twelve oxen: a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox (): that is, every two princes together brought one of the wagons, and [the prince] of each and every Tribe brought one ox apiece. And they offered [the oxen] before the Tabernacle (Num. 7:3). [Whereupon God said to Moses: Purchase (Num. 7:5) on behalf of the congregation. That is, the oxen were to become the property of the congregation so that they could be used for pulling the Tabernacle. If they had not become the property of the congregation, then the princes, despite their good will in dedicating the oxen to the Tabernacle, would have been guilty of violating the regulation, “He who dedicates things unblemished for the Temple’s maintenance violates a positive as well as a negative command” (Tos Tem 1:13). To make the oxen the property of the congregation], the princes had the oxen assessed for their monetary value, and then having given the amount of the assessment to the congregation, sold the oxen to the congregation. In reference to the words which just precede Purchase (Num. 7:5), namely, Thereupon the Lord told Moses to say (Num. 7:4), what was Moses told to say? According to R. Hoshaia, the Holy One told Moses: Go out and speak soothing words of praise, words of cheer, to the princes [who are distraught because up to now they have contributed nothing to the building of the Tabernacle]. At the same time Moses was distraught, but for a different reason. He said: The holy spirit must have departed from me, and having come to rest upon the princes, [inspired them to bring the wagons and the oxen]. Whereupon the Holy One said: “Moses, if I had wanted the princes to bring their offerings, I would have asked you to tell them so. But what I now tell you is Purchase; it is of them (Num. 7:5): The idea of offerings came from the ‘them’ [referred to elsewhere in Scripture, and not from the princes].” Who, then, are meant by “them”? The Tribe of Issachar who gave the idea to the princes, the Tribe of whom Scripture says, And of the children of Issachar came men who had understanding of the times (Chron. 12:33). What is meant by the times? The right times for doing what should be done, according to R. Tanhuma; intercalary days and months, according to R. Jose bar Kacri. Concerning the Tribe of Issachar, Chronicles goes on: the heads of them were two hundred (), that is, over the years the Tribe of Issachar was to provide two hundred heads of courts of justice. And all their brethren were at their commandment implies that their brethren in Israel were to conduct themselves in keeping with the practical advice given them by Issachar. It was the Tribe of Issachar, then, [and not the holy spirit] which said to the princes: “This Tent of Meeting that you see being made—how is it to move about? Is it to fly in the air? Make wagons for it and carry its parts therein.” [Though Moses was reassured for himself], he now became fearful [in the princes’ behalf], saying: One of the wagons may break down, or one of the oxen may die, and the offering of the princes will thereby come to naught. The Holy One said to Moses: They shall be to do the service of the Tent of Meeting (Num. 7:5)—that is, these oxen shall be given being which abides, and they will remain alive for a long, long time. How long did these oxen remain alive? R. Yudan in the name of R. Samuel bar Nahman, and R. Hunya in the name of Bar Kappara, said: In Gilgal they sacrificed the oxen (Hos. 12:12) [some forty years later]. “Where did they finally offer them?” R. Abba bar Kahana asked and then answered: “In Nob they offered them.” But according to R. Abbahu, they offered them in Gibeon. And according to R. Hama bar R. Hanina, they offered them in the eternal Habitation. R. Levi suggested that R. Hama bar Hanina’s proof was the verse King Solomon offered a sacrifice of the oxen (Chron. 7:5), where it is not written “a sacrifice of oxen,” but a sacrifice of the oxen—that is, a sacrifice of the oxen that the princes had brought for carrying the Tabernacle. For in R. Meir’s name it is taught: Until the time of Solomon the oxen remained alive, had no offensive odor or appearance, had not grown old—indeed, had no disease whatever. Now cannot we draw an inference from the oxen’s remaining alive? These oxen, made to cleave to no more than the task of conveying the Tabernacle about—if being which abides was given to them, so that they remained alive for many, many years, how much more and more is given to Israel who cleave to the Holy One! But ye that cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day (Deut. 4:4).