(Devarim 32:14) "Cream from the herd and milk from he flock": as in the days of Solomon, viz. (I Kings 5:3) "ten fattened oxen, twenty oxen from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, etc." "with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan and he-goats": as in the days of the ten tribes, viz. (Amos 6:4) "eating the fattened sheep of the flock and calves from inside the stall." "with wheat (as fat as) the fat of kidneys": as in the days of Solomon, viz. (I Kings 5:2) "And Solomon's provision for one day was, etc." "and the blood of the grape did you drink (as choice) wine": as in the days of the ten tribes, viz. (Amos 6:6) "who drink wine out of bowls."
Variantly: "He made him ride on the high places of the earth": This refers to the Temple, which is higher than the rest of the world, viz. (Devarim 17:8) "then you shall arise and go up to the place" (the Temple), and (Isaiah 2:3) "And many peoples will go and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd, to the Temple of the G-d of Jacob." "and he ate the shoots of the field": the baskets of bikkurim (the first-fruits). "and He gave him to seek honey from the rock": the oil libations. "Cream from the herd and milk from the flock with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan and he-goats": the sin-offering, the burnt-offering, peace-offerings, the guilt-offering, the thank-offering, and lower order offerings. "with wheat (as fat as) the fat of kidneys": the meal-offerings. "and the blood of the grape did you drink (as choice) wine": the wine libations.
Variantly: "He made him ride on the high places of the earth": Torah, viz. (Proverbs 5:22) "The L-rd acquired me (Torah) the beginning of His way." "and he ate the shoots of the field": Scripture. "and He gave him to seek honey from the rock": Mishnah. "and oil from the flint of the rock": Talmud. "cream from the herd and milk from the flock with fat of rams and rams of the breed of Bashan and he-goats": a fortiori arguments, gezeiroth shavoth (identities), intercalations, and gematrioth (numerical equivalents). "with wheat (as fat as) the wheat of kidneys": halachoth, the essence of Torah. "and blood of the grape did you drink (as choice) wine": aggadoth, which "pull" a man's heart, like wine.
Variantly: "He made him ride on the high places of the earth": this world. "and he ate the shoots of the field": the four exiles. "and He gave him to suck honey from the rock": as it is written (Psalms 20:14) "The boar of the forest ravages it" (Israel). "and oil from the flint of the rock": The reference is to the "oppressors," who have seized upon Eretz Yisrael and from whom it is as difficult to extract a perutah (small coin) as from a rock, viz. (Ibid.) "and the crawler of the field feeds on it." In the future, Israel will inherit their possessions, which will be as sweet to it as honey and oil.
Variantly: "cream of the herd": These are their (the nations') nobles and generals. "with fat of lambs": their officers. "and rams": their atheists. "of the breed of Bashan": their centurions, that "attack" between their teeth. "and he-goats": their assessors. "with wheat (as fat as) the fat of kidneys": their matrons. "and He gave him to suck honey from the rock, and oil from the flint of the rock.": Israel, who in the future will inherit their possessions, which will be as sweet to it as oil and honey.
Variantly: "with wheat (as fat as) the fat of kidneys": Each wheat (stalk in Eretz Yisrael is destined to produce (the quantity of) two kidneys of a large ox, fourteen litras by the litra of Sepphoris. And do not wonder at that. Look at the turnip heads. A fox once denned in the head of a turnip, which when it (the turnip) was weighed, was found to be sixty litra by the litra of Sepphoris. And it once happened in Shichin (near Sepphoris) with a mustard stalk of three shoots, that (the bast of) one shoot, when it was stripped, sufficed to roof a potter's hut, and which, when pounded, was found to contain nine measures of mustard. R. Shimon b. Chalafta said: There was a cabbage stalk in our field, which I would ascend and descend as I would a ladder.
Variantly: "and the blood of the grape will you drink as wine": You will not weary yourself with treading and harvesting, but you will bring it in a wagon and stand it in a corner and drink from it as one would drink from a nipple.
(דברים לב יד) חֶמְאַת בָּקָר וַחֲלֵב צֹאן, זֶה הָיָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מ״א ה ג): ״עֲשָׂרָה בָקָר בְּרִיאִים וְעֶשְׂרִים בָּקָר רְעִי וּמֵאָה צֹאן״. עִם חֵלֶב כָּרִים וְאֵילִים, זֶה הָיָה בִּימֵי עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ו ד): ״וְאֹכְלִים כָּרִים מִצֹּאן וַעֲגָלִים מִתּוֹךְ מַרְבֵּק״. עִם חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה, זֶה הָיָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מ״א ה ב): ״וַיְהִי לֶחֶם שְׁלֹמֹה לְיוֹם אֶחָד שְׁלֹשִׁים כֹּר סֹלֶת״. וְדַם עֵנָב תִּשְׁתֶּה חָמֶר, זֶה הָיָה בִּימֵי עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ו ו): ״הַשֹּׁתִים בְּמִזְרְקֵי יָיִן״.
(Devarim 32:14) "Cream from the herd and milk from he flock": as in the days of Solomon, viz. (I Kings 5:3) "ten fattened oxen, twenty oxen from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, etc." "with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan and he-goats": as in the days of the ten tribes, viz. (Amos 6:4) "eating the fattened sheep of the flock and calves from inside the stall." "with wheat (as fat as) the fat of kidneys": as in the days of Solomon, viz. (I Kings 5:2) "And Solomon's provision for one day was, etc." "and the blood of the grape did you drink (as choice) wine": as in the days of the ten tribes, viz. (Amos 6:6) "who drink wine out of bowls."
דָּבָר אַחֵר: יַרְכִּיבֵהוּ עַל בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ, זֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁגָּבוֹהַּ מִכָּל הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז ח): ״וְקַמְתָּ וְעָלִיתָ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם״, וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה ב ג): ״וְהָלְכוּ עַמִּים רַבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל הַר ה׳״. וַיֹּאכַל תְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי, אֵלּוּ סַלֵּי בִּכּוּרִים. וַיֵּנִקֵהוּ דְבַשׁ מִסֶּלַע וְשֶׁמֶן מֵחַלְמִישׁ צוּר, אֵלּוּ נִסְכֵּי שֶׁמֶן. חֶמְאַת בָּקָר וַחֲלֵב צֹאן עִם חֵלֶב כָּרִים, זוֹ חַטָּאת וְעוֹלָה וּשְׁלָמִים תּוֹדָה וְאָשָׁם וְקָדָשִׁים קַלִּים. עִם חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה, אֵלּוּ סְלָתוֹת. וְדַם עֵנָב תִּשְׁתֶּה חָמֶר, אֵלּוּ נִסְכֵּי יַיִן.
Variantly: "He made him ride on the high places of the earth": This refers to the Temple, which is higher than the rest of the world, viz. (Devarim 17:8) "then you shall arise and go up to the place" (the Temple), and (Isaiah 2:3) "And many peoples will go and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the L-rd, to the Temple of the G-d of Jacob." "and he ate the shoots of the field": the baskets of bikkurim (the first-fruits). "and He gave him to seek honey from the rock": the oil libations. "Cream from the herd and milk from the flock with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan and he-goats": the sin-offering, the burnt-offering, peace-offerings, the guilt-offering, the thank-offering, and lower order offerings. "with wheat (as fat as) the fat of kidneys": the meal-offerings. "and the blood of the grape did you drink (as choice) wine": the wine libations.
דָּבָר אַחֵר יַרְכִּבֵהוּ עַל בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ, זוֹ תּוֹרָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ח כב): ״ה׳ קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ״. וַיֹּאכַל תְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי, זֶה מִקְרָא. וַיֵּנִקֵהוּ דְבַשׁ מִסֶּלַע, זוֹ מִשְׁנָה. וְשֶׁמֶן מֵחַלְמִישׁ צוּר, זֶה תַּלְמוּד. חֶמְאַת בָּקָר וַחֲלֵב צֹאן עִם חֵלֶב כָּרִים, אֵלּוּ קַלִּים וַחֲמוּרִים וּגְזֵרוֹת שָׁווֹת וְדִינִים וּתְשׁוּבוֹת. עִם חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה, אֵלּוּ הֲלָכוֹת שֶׁהֵן גּוּפָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. וְדַם עֵנָב תִּשְׁתֶּה חָמֶר, אֵלּוּ הַגָּדוֹת שֶׁהֵם מוֹשְׁכוֹת לִבּוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם כַּיַּיִן.
Variantly: "He made him ride on the high places of the earth": Torah, viz. (Proverbs 5:22) "The L-rd acquired me (Torah) the beginning of His way." "and he ate the shoots of the field": Scripture. "and He gave him to seek honey from the rock": Mishnah. "and oil from the flint of the rock": Talmud. "cream from the herd and milk from the flock with fat of rams and rams of the breed of Bashan and he-goats": a fortiori arguments, gezeiroth shavoth (identities), intercalations, and gematrioth (numerical equivalents). "with wheat (as fat as) the wheat of kidneys": halachoth, the essence of Torah. "and blood of the grape did you drink (as choice) wine": aggadoth, which "pull" a man's heart, like wine.
דָּבָר אַחֵר יַרְכִּיבֵהוּ עַל בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ, זֶה הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פ יד): ״יְכַרְסְמֶנָּה חֲזִיר מִיָּעַר״. וַיֹּאכַל תְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי, אֵלּוּ אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת. וַיֵּנִקֵהוּ דְבַשׁ מִסֶּלַע וְשֶׁמֶן מֵחַלְמִישׁ צוּר, אֵלּוּ מְצִיקִים שֶׁהֶחֱזִיקוּ בָהּ בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהֵם קָשִׁים לְהוֹצִיא מֵהֶם פְּרוּטָה כְּצוּר, לְמָחָר הֲרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹרְשִׁים נִכְסֵיהֶם וְהֵם עֲרֵבִים עֲלֵיהֶם כְּשֶׁמֶן וְכִדְבַשׁ.
Variantly: "He made him ride on the high places of the earth": this world. "and he ate the shoots of the field": the four exiles. "and He gave him to suck honey from the rock": as it is written (Psalms 20:14) "The boar of the forest ravages it" (Israel). "and oil from the flint of the rock": The reference is to the "oppressors," who have seized upon Eretz Yisrael and from whom it is as difficult to extract a perutah (small coin) as from a rock, viz. (Ibid.) "and the crawler of the field feeds on it." In the future, Israel will inherit their possessions, which will be as sweet to it as honey and oil.
חֶמְאַת בָּקָר, אֵלּוּ הַפִּיטָקִים וְהֶגְמוֹנִים שֶׁלָּהֶם. עִם חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת, אֵלּוּ כְּלִירִיקִים שֶׁלָּהֶם. וְאֵילִים, אֵלּוּ קִינְטְרוֹנִים שֶׁלָּהֶם. בְּנֵי בָשָׁן, אֵלּוּ בְּנִיפִיקְרִין הַמּוֹצִיאִים מִבֵּין שִׁנַּיִים. וְעַתּוּדִים, אֵלּוּ סְנוּקְלִיטִים שֶׁלָּהֶם. עִם חֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה, אֵלּוּ מַטְרוֹנְיָאוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם. וְדַם עֵנָב תִּשְׁתֶּה חָמֶר, לְמָחָר הֲרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹרְשִׁים נִכְסֵיהֶם וַעֲרֵבִים לָהֶם כְּשֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ.
Variantly: "cream of the herd": These are their (the nations') nobles and generals. "with fat of lambs": their officers. "and rams": their atheists. "of the breed of Bashan": their centurions, that "attack" between their teeth. "and he-goats": their assessors. "with wheat (as fat as) the fat of kidneys": their matrons. "and He gave him to suck honey from the rock, and oil from the flint of the rock.": Israel, who in the future will inherit their possessions, which will be as sweet to it as oil and honey.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה עֲתִידָה כָּל חִטָּה וְחִטָּה שֶׁתְּהֵא כִּשְׁתֵּי כְלָיוֹת שֶׁל שׁוֹר גָּדוֹל מִשְׁקַל אַרְבָּעָה לִיטְרִים בְּצִפּוֹרִי. וְאִם תָּמֵהַּ אַתָּה עַל הַדָּבָר, הִסְתַּכֵּל בְּרָאשֵׁי לְפָתוֹת. מַעֲשֶׂה וְשָׁקְלוּ רֹאשׁ שֶׁבַּלֶּפֶת שְׁלֹשִׁים לִיטְרִים בְּצִפּוֹרִי. וּמַעֲשֶׂה וְקִנֵּן שׁוּעָל בְּרֹאשׁ הַלֶּפֶת. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּשִׁיחִין בְּקֶלַח שֶׁל חַרְדָּל שֶׁהָיוּ בוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה בַּדִּים, וְנִפְשַׁח אֶחָד מֵהֶם וְסִכְּכוּ בוֹ סֻכַּת יוֹצְרִים, וַחֲבְטוּהוּ וּמָצְאוּ בוֹ תִּשְׁעָה קַבִּים חַרְדָּל. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא: קֶלַח שֶׁל כְּרוּב הָיָה בְתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי, וְהָיִיתִי עוֹלֶה וְיוֹרֵד בּוֹ כְּעוֹלֶה וְיוֹרֵד בְּסֻלָּם.
Variantly: "with wheat (as fat as) the fat of kidneys": Each wheat (stalk in Eretz Yisrael is destined to produce (the quantity of) two kidneys of a large ox, fourteen litras by the litra of Sepphoris. And do not wonder at that. Look at the turnip heads. A fox once denned in the head of a turnip, which when it (the turnip) was weighed, was found to be sixty litra by the litra of Sepphoris. And it once happened in Shichin (near Sepphoris) with a mustard stalk of three shoots, that (the bast of) one shoot, when it was stripped, sufficed to roof a potter's hut, and which, when pounded, was found to contain nine measures of mustard. R. Shimon b. Chalafta said: There was a cabbage stalk in our field, which I would ascend and descend as I would a ladder.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְדַם עֵנָב תִּשְׁתֶּה חָמֶר, שֶׁלֹּא תְּהוּ יְגֵעִים לֹא לִדְרֹךְ וְלֹא לִבְצֹר אֶלָּא אַתָּה מְבִיאָהּ בָּעֲגָלָה וְזוֹקְפָהּ בַּזָּוִית וּמִסְתַּפֵּק וְהוֹלֵךְ וְשׁוֹתֶה מִמֶּנָּה כְּשׁוֹתֶה מִן הַפִּיטָס.
Variantly: "and the blood of the grape will you drink as wine": You will not weary yourself with treading and harvesting, but you will bring it in a wagon and stand it in a corner and drink from it as one would drink from a nipple.