Mishnah
Mishnah

Midrash for Zevachim 5:11

Midrash Tanchuma

"And it was on the day that Moses had finished to erect the tabernacle" (Numbers 7:1). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Song of Songs 4:16), "Awake, O north wind" - these are the burnt-offerings that are slaughtered in the north [end of the altar], as our rabbis taught (Mishnah Zevachim 5:4), "The burnt-offerings are sacrifices of higher sanctity, their slaughter is in the north." "Come, O south wind" - these are the peace-offerings that are slaughtered in the south. "Blow upon my garden, that its perfume may spread" - this is the incense. "Let my beloved come to his garden" - Rabbi Abahu said, "The Torah teaches proper conduct (derekh erets), that a groom should not enter the room until the bride gives him permission." "And enjoy its luscious fruits" - these are the sacrifices. Another interpretation: "I have come to my garden, my sister bride" - [there is a relevant] parable about a king who said to his people to build him a palace and they built it. The people of the province were standing at the entrance of the palace and yelling and saying, "When will the king enter the palace?" What did the king do? He entered secretly. He [then] sent a proclamation in front of him, saying, "Do not yell, as I have already come to my palace. So [too,] did Israel say, "Let my beloved come to his garden." What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He sent and said to them,"Why are you afraid? I have already "Come to my garden" (Song of Songs 5:1) Rabbi Shimon ben Asini said, "It is not written, 'I have come to a garden,' here, but rather, 'I have come to my garden' - to that garden that I left, as stated (Genesis 3:8), 'They heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden, etc.'" "I have plucked my myrrh and spice" - this is the incense. "Eaten my honey and honeycomb" - these are sacrifices of higher sanctity and sacrifices of lower sanctity. "Drunk my wine and my milk" - these are the libations. Another interpretation: "I have plucked my myrrh and spice, eaten my honey and honeycomb, drunk my wine and my milk" - these are the three things that the chieftains did improperly and the Holy One, blessed be He, accepted [nonetheless], and these are them: An individual is not to offer incense, and each one of them brought incense, as stated, "a ladle of ten gold [shekel-weights] full of incense. And that an individual is not to bring a sin-offering unless [the sin] is known to him, and each chieftain brought [for] that which was known to him, as stated, "one goat for a sin-offering." And a sacrifice of an individual does not override [the prohibitions of] Shabbat. And the sacrifice of the chieftain of the tribe of Ephraim overrode the Shabbat, as it is stated (Numbers 7:48), "On the seventh day, the chieftain of the Children of Ephraim. "Eat, friends; drink and get drunk, beloved ones" - this is Israel who are called friends, as stated (Psalms 122:8), "For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will speak peacefully of you." Another interpretation: "Let my beloved come to his garden (gano)" - do not read [it] as gano, but rather as geenuno (bridal chamber). When? "And it was on the day that Moses had finished (kallot)." Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi, "[It is] on the day that the bride enters the wedding canopy with the groom. Hence it is written, "It was on the day [that Moshe] finished (kallat, which means bride)," lacking (the letter, vav).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse