ויקרא רבה י״אVayikra Rabbah 11

Section 1א׳

וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי (ויקרא ט, א), רַב אַהֲבָה בַּר כַּהֲנָא פָּתַח (משלי ט, א ד): חָכְמוֹת בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ, טָבְחָה טִבְחָהּ וגו' שָׁלְחָה נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ וגו' מִי פֶתִי וגו', רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בַּר אִלְעָאי פָּתַר קְרָא בִּבְרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, חָכְמוֹת בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ (משלי ג, יט): ה' בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ. (משלי ט, א): חָצְבָה עַמּוּדֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה, אֵלּוּ שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כ, יא): כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים וגו' (בראשית ב, ג): וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. טָבְחָה טִבְחָה, (בראשית א, כד): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ. מָסְכָה יֵינָהּ, (בראשית ב, ט): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם. אַף עָרְכָה שֻׁלְחָנָהּ, (בראשית ב, יא): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְּשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע. שָׁלְחָה נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ תִקְרָא, זֶה אָדָם וְחַוָּה. (משלי ט, ג): עַל גַּפֵּי מְרֹמֵי קָרֶת, שֶׁהֱסִיטָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְקָרָא אוֹתָן אֱלָהוּת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ג, ה): וִהְיִיתֶם כֵּאלֹהִים, אַחַר כָּל הַשֶּׁבַח הַזֶּה מִי פֶּתִי יָסֻר הֵנָּה, הֵן הִנִּיחוּ דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְהָלְכוּ אַחַר דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ, בִּשְׁבִיל כָּךְ (משלי ט, ד): חֲסַר לֵב אָמְרָה לוֹ (בראשית ג, יט): כִּי עָפָר אַתָּה וְאֶל עָפָר תָּשׁוּב.

“It was on the eighth day; Moses summoned Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel” (Leviticus 9:1). “It was on the eighth day.” Rav Ahava bar Kahana began: “Wisdom has built her house, [has hewed her seven pillars]; She has prepared her meat, [mixed her wine, also set her table]. She has sent her young women; [she will call upon the heights of the city]: Whoever is a simpleton, [let him turn from here; he who lacks heart, she speaks to him]” (Proverbs 9:1–4). Rabbi Yirmeya bar Ilai interpreted the verse regarding the creation of the world. “Wisdom has built her house,” this is the Holy One blessed be He, in whose regard it is written: “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom” (Proverbs 3:19). “Has hewed her seven pillars,” these are the seven days of Creation, as it is stated: “For in six days [the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in it, and He rested on the seventh day]” (Exodus 20:11), “God blessed the seventh day” (Genesis 2:3). “She has prepared her meat” – “God said: Let the earth produce [living creatures]” (Genesis 1:24). “Mixed her wine” – “God said: Let the water…be gathered” (Genesis 1:9). “Also set her table” – “God said: Let the earth sprout grass, vegetation-yielding seed” (Genesis 1:11). “She has sent her young women; she will call” – this is Adam and Eve. “Upon the heights of the city,” as the Holy One blessed be He elevated them and called them godlike. That is what is written: “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). After all this praise, “whoever is a simpleton, let him turn from here,”– they forsook the will of the Holy One blessed be He and followed the will of the serpent. That is why: “He who lacks heart, she speaks to him” – “you are dust and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19).

Section 2ב׳

רַבִּי יוֹנָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר יִרְמְיָה פָּתַר קְרָיָא בְּגוֹג לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, חָכְמוֹת בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ, זֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי כד, ג): בְּחָכְמָה יִבָּנֶה בָּיִת. חָצְבָה עַמּוּדֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה, אֵלּוּ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שֶׁל גּוֹג, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא כָּל אוֹתָן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים מַסִּיקִין יְדוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל חֲרָבוֹת וִידוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל רְמָחִים וִידוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל סַכִּינִין, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (יחזקאל לט, ט): וְיָצְאוּ ישְׁבֵי עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִעֲרוּ וְהִשִּׂיקוּ בְּנֶשֶׁק וּמָגֵן וְצִנָה בְּקֶשֶׁת וּבְחִצִּים וּבְמַקֵּל יָד וּבְרֹמַח וּבִעֲרוּ בָהֶם אֵשׁ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, וְאוֹתָן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הֵן הֵן פְּרָטָגַמְיָא שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, וְסִימָנָךְ דַּעֲבֵיד פְּרָטָגַמְיָא אָכֵיל מַשְׁתּוֹתָא. טָבְחָה טִבְחָה, (יחזקאל לט, יח): בְּשַׂר גִּבּוֹרִים תֹּאכֵלוּ. מָסְכָה יֵינָהּ (יחזקאל לט, יח): וְדַם נְשִׂיאֵי הָאָרֶץ תִּשְׁתּוּ. אַף עָרְכָה שֻׁלְחָנָהּ (יחזקאל לט, כ): וּשְׂבַעְתֶּם עַל שֻׁלְחָנִי סוּס וָרֶכֶב. שָׁלְחָה נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ תִקְרָא, זֶה יְחֶזְקֵאל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל לט, יז): כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהִים אֱמֹר לְצִפֹּר כָּל כָּנָף וּלְכֹל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה.

Rabbi Yona, in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Yirmeya, interpreted the verse regarding Gog in the future. “Wisdom has built her house” – this is the Temple. That is what is written: “With wisdom a house is built” (Proverbs 24:3). “Has hewed her seven pillars” – these are the seven years of Gog, as Rabbi Yona said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: All those seven years they will kindle fires with the handles of swords, the handles of spears, and the handles of knives. That is what is written: “The inhabitants of the cities of Israel will go out and kindle and burn with weapons, and buckler and shield, with bow and with arrows, with a club and with a spear, and they will kindle fires with them for seven years” (Ezekiel 39:9). Those seven years will be a precursor for the righteous in the future. Your symbol is: One who eats in the pre-wedding feast will eat in the wedding feast. “She has prepared her meat” – “the flesh of the mighty you will eat” (Ezekiel 39:18). “Mixed her wine” – “the blood of the princes of the earth you will drink” (Ezekiel 39:18). “Also set her table” – “You will be satiated at My table with horses and chariots” (Ezekiel 39:20). “She has sent her young women; she will call,” this is Ezekiel, as it is stated: “So said the Lord God: Say to every winged bird and all the beasts of the field: [Gather and come, assemble yourselves from all around to My feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast upon the mountains of Israel, and you will eat flesh and drink blood]” (Ezekiel 39:17).

Section 3ג׳

בַּר קַפָּרָא פָּתַר קְרָיָא בַּתּוֹרָה, חָכְמוֹת בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ, זוֹ תּוֹרָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי ב, ו): כִּי ה' יִתֵּן חָכְמָה (משלי ח, כב): ה' קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ. חָצְבָה עַמּוּדֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה, אֵלּוּ שִׁבְעָה סִפְרֵי תּוֹרָה. וְלֹא חֲמִשָּׁה הֵן, בַּר קַפָּרָא עָבֵיד מֵרֵישֵׁיהּ דְּוַיְדַבֵּר (במדבר א, א): עַד (במדבר י, לה): וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן חַד. מִן וַיְהִי עַד (במדבר י, לו): וּבְנֻחֹה חַד. וְעַד סֵיפֵיהּ, חַד, הֲרֵי שִׁבְעָה. טָבְחָה טִבְחָהּ, אֵלּוּ הָעֳנָשִׁים. מָסְכָה יֵינָהּ, אֵלּוּ קַלִּין וַחֲמוּרִין וּגְזֵרוֹת שָׁווֹת. אַף עָרְכָה שֻׁלְחָנָהּ, אֵלּוּ הָעֲרָכִין. שָׁלְחָה נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ תִקְרָא, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. עַל גַּפֵּי מְרֹמֵי קָרֶת, שֶׁהֱסִיטָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְקָרָא אוֹתָן אֱלָהוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פב, ו): אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם וגו', אַחַר כָּל הַשֶּׁבַח הַזֶּה (משלי ט, ד): מִי פֶּתִי יָסֻר הֵנָּה, הֵן הִנִּיחוּ דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמְרוּ לָעֵגֶל (שמות לב, ד): אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּשְׁבִיל כֵּן חֲסַר לֵב אָמְרָה לוֹ (תהלים פב, ז): אָכֵן כְּאָדָם תְּמוּתוּן.

Bar Kappara interpreted the verse regarding the Torah. “Wisdom has built her house” – this is the Torah, as it is written: “For the Lord grants wisdom” (Proverbs 2:6), [and] “The Lord made me at the beginning of His way” (Proverbs 8:22). “Has hewed her seven pillars,” these are the seven books of the Torah. But are they not five? Bar Kappara renders from the beginning of: “And He spoke” (Numbers 1:1) until: “it was when the Ark traveled” (Numbers 10:35), one; from “it was” (Numbers 10:35) until “when it rested” (Numbers 10:36) another; and [from the following verse] until its end, another. That is seven. “She has prepared her meat” – these are the punishments. “Mixed her wine” – these are the a fortiori inferences and the verbal analogies. “Also set [arkha] her table,” these are the valuations [arakhin]. “She has sent her young women; she will call,” this is Israel. “Upon the heights of the city,” as the Holy One blessed be He elevated them and called them godlike. That is what is written: “I had said: You are godlike…” (Psalms 82:6). After all this praise, “whoever is a simpleton let him turn from here” – they forsook the will of the Holy One blessed be He, and said to the calf: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4).. That is why: “He who lacks heart, she speaks to him” – “indeed, as men you will die” (Psalms 82:7).