(שמות ב׳:א׳) וַיֵּלֶךְ אִישׁ מִבֵּית לֵוִי וַיִּקַּח אֶת בַּת לֵוִי. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח, (שיר השירים א׳:א׳) שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה. תָּנָא, כְּשֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ, עָלָה בְּחֵפֶץ לְפָנָיו, וּבָרָא אֶת הַשָּׁמָיִם בִּימִינוֹ וְהָאָרֶץ בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ, וְעָלָה בְּחֵפֶץ לְפָנָיו, לִנְהוֹג הַיּוֹם וְהַלַּיְלָה. וּבָרָא הַמַּלְאָכִים הַמְמוּנִים בְּחַסְדּוֹ, בַּיּוֹם. (נ"א לומר שירה ביום זמן החסד) וּבָרָא הַמַּלְאָכִים הַמְמוּנִים לוֹמַר שִׁירָה בַּלַּיְלָה. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים מ״ב:ט׳) יוֹמָם יְצַוֶּה יְיָ' חַסְדּוֹ וּבַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹה עִמִּי. אֵלּוּ מִיָּמִין, וְאֵלּוּ מִשְּׂמֹאל, אֵלּוּ מַקְשִׁיבִים שִׁירַת הַיּוֹם, שִׁירָתָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל קָדוֹשׁ. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, אוֹתָם שֶׁאוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה בַּלַּיְלָה, מַקְשִׁיבִים שִׁירָתָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּיּוֹם, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (שיר השירים ח׳:י״ג) חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵךְ. AND THERE WENT A MAN OF THE HOUSE OF LEVI AND TOOK TO WIFE A DAUGHTER OF LEVI. R. Eleazar discoursed on the verse, “The Song of Songs of Solomon” (S.S. 1, I). He said: ‘We have learnt that when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to create the world, He was pleased to create the heaven with His right hand, and the earth with His left. He was also pleased to make a division of day and night, and He created angels appointed by His grace to chant hymns of praise by day, and others by night for the night watches. Thus it is said: “The Lord commandeth his grace in the daytime, and in the night his song with me” (Ps. 42, 9). The former stand on the right hand, and the latter on the left, the latter hearkening to the song of the day and the former to the song of the night: and the singing they hear is the song of Israel, the holy. ‘ R. Isaac said: ‘Those that sing by night listen to the song of Israel by day, as it is written: “The companions hearken to thy voice” (S.S. 8, 16).’

אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כַּת אַחַת, כְּלוּלָה מִשָּׁלֹשׁ כִּתּוֹת, אוֹמֶרֶת שִׁירָה בַּלַּיְלָה. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (משלי ל״א:ט״ו) וַתָּקָם בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ. Said R. Simeon: ‘The angels of one degree with three divisions sing at night, and in darkness still their songs are heard, as it says, “She riseth while it is yet night, and giveth food to her household, and a portion to her maidens” (Prov. 31, 15).’

אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, עֲשָׂרָה דְּבָרִים נִבְרָאוּ בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן, מֵהֶם מִדַּת לַיְלָה, וּמֵהֶם מִדַּת יוֹם, וְעַל מִדַּת לַיְלָה כְּתִיב, וַתָּקָם בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (איוב ט״ז:ט׳) אַפּוֹ טָרַף. וּכְתִיב, (מיכה ה׳:ז׳) וְטָרַף וְאֵין מַצִּיל. וְחֹק לְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר (שמות ט״ו:כ״ה) חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט. (תהילים קמ״ז:י״ט) חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו. (תהלים פ"א) כִּי חֹק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא מִשְׁפַּט וְגוֹ'. מִכָּאן שְׁמִדַּת הַדִּין שׁוֹלֶטֶת בַּלַּיְלָה. R. Eleazar continued: ‘On the first day ten things were created, and of these ten some belong to the day and its ways, and some to the night and the ways of the night.

וְתָנָא, אֵלּוּ הָאוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה בַּלַּיְלָה, אֵלּוּ הֵם שָׂרִים עַל כָּל בַּעֲלֵי שִׁיר. וּכְשֶׁפּוֹתְחִין הַחַיִּים שִׁירָה, מוֹסִיפִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים כֹּחַ, לָדַעַת וּלְהַכִּיר וּלְהַשִּׂיג מַה שֶּׁלֹּא הִשִּׂיגוּ. שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, מוֹסִיפִין כֹּחַ בְּהַאי שִׁירָה. It is also known and believed that those angels who sing by night are the leaders of all other singers; and when on earth we living terrestrial creatures raise up our hearts in song, then those supernal beings gain an accession of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, so that they are enabled to perceive matters which even they had never before comprehended.’

אָמַר רִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה, אַשְׁרֵי הַזּוֹכֶה לָדַעַת בְּאוֹתוֹ שִׁיר, דְּתַנְיָא הַזּוֹכֶה בְּאוֹתוֹ שִׁיר, יָדַע בְּעִנְיָנֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְהַחָכְמָה, וְיַאֲזִין וְיַחֲקוֹר וְיוֹסִיף כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה בַּמֶּה שֶׁהָיָה, וּבַמֶּה שֶׁעָתִיד לִהְיוֹת, וּבָזֶה זָכָה שְׁלמֹה לָדַעַת. Said R. Nehemiah: ‘Blessed is he who is worthy to perceive such singing, for, as we know and have been taught, he who is deemed worthy to comprehend this song becomes adept in doctrine and obtains wit to discern what has been and what will be. Solomon was found worthy of such knowledge,

דְּתָנֵי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דָּוִד עָלָיו הֲשָׁלוֹם, יָדַע בָּזֶה, וְתִקֵּן שִּׁירִים וְתוּשְׁבָּחוֹת הַרְבֵּה, וְרָמַז בָּהֶם הָעֲתִידוֹת לָבוֹא, וְהוֹסִיף כֹחַ וּגְבוּרָה בְּרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ. יָדַע בְּעִנְיָינִי הַתּוֹרָה וְהַחָכְמָה, וְאִזֵּן וְחִקֵּר וְהוֹסִיף כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה בְּלָשׁוֹן הַקּוֹדֶשׁ. for thus taught R. Simeon: “David, peaoe be on him, was cognizant of it, and so could compose hymns and songs, many in number, in which he hinted concerning future events. He also became richly endowed with power in the holy spirit, understood matters appertaining to the Torah and to Divine wisdom, and obtained a mastery of the holy tongue.

וּשְׁלמֹה זָכָה יוֹתֵר בְּאוֹתוֹ הַשִּׁיר, וְיָדַע הַחָכְמָה, וְאִזֵּן וְחִקֵּר וְתִקֵּן מְשָׁלִים הַרְבֵּה, וְעָשָׂה סֵפֶר מֵאוֹתוֹ הַשִּׁיר מַמָּשׁ, וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב, (קהלת ב׳:ח׳) עָשִׂיתִי לִי שָׁרִים וְשָׁרוֹת. כְּלוֹמַר, קָנִיתִי לִי לָדַעַת שִׁיר, מֵאוֹתָן הַשִּׁירִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, וַאֲשֶׁר תַּחְתָּם. וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב, שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים, כְּלוֹמַר, שִׁיר, שֶׁל אוֹתָם שָׁרִים שֶׁל מַעְלָה. שִׁיר, שֶכּוֹלֵל כָּל עִנְיְינֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְהַחָכְמָה, וְכֹחַ וּגְבוּרָה, בְּמַּה שֶׁהָיָה, וְעָתִיד לִהְיוֹת, שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים שֶׁל מַעְלָה מְשׁוֹרְרִים. Solomon, however, was gifted with a still greater knowledge of that song: he penetrated into the essence of wisdom, and so he wrote many proverbs and made a book of the song itself. This is the meaning of his words, “I gat me men singers (sharim) and women singers” (Eccl. 2, 8); that is to say, he acquired the knowledge of the hymn sung by heavenly and terrestrial beings. And on account of this he called his book “The Song of Songs”: the song of the supernal songs, the song containing all mysteries of the Torah and of Divine wisdom; the song wherein is power to penetrate into things that were and things that will be; the song sung by the supernal princes (sharim=sarim).’

אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אֵלּוּ הַשָׁרִים, עָמְדוּ, עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד לֵוִי, אֲבָל מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד לֵוִי וְאֵילָךְ אָמְרוּ שִׁיר. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנּוֹלַד מֹשֶׁה וְנִמְשַׁח אַהֲרֹן, וְנִתְקַדְּשוּ הַלְּוִיִּם, נִשְׁלָם הַשִּׁיר, וְעָמְדוּ עַל מִשְׁמְרוֹתָם. Said R. Eleazar: ‘Those heavenly princes stood in expectation until Levi was born; as soon as he was born they began to sing; as soon as Moses was born and Aaron was anointed high priest and the Levites were sanctified, the singing was perfected and the singers remained at their service.’

אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, לָמָּה נִקְרְאוּ הַשָׁרִים שֶׁל מַטָּה לְוִיִּים, עַל שֶׁנִּלְוִים וְנֶחְבָּרִים לְמַעְלָה כְּאֶחָד. וְהָשּׁוֹמֵעַ, נִלְוָה וְנִדְבָּק נַפְשׁוֹ לְמַעְלָה. וְעַל כֵּן אָמְרָה לֵאָה, (בראשית כ״ט:ל״ד) יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי אֵלַי. רִבִּי תַּנְחוּם אָמַר, שֶבַּכֹּל נִלְוָה זֶרַע לֵוִי עִם הַשְּׁכִינָה, בְּמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם, וּבְכָל זַרְעוֹ אַחֲרָיו, וְהֵם הַנִּלְוִים אֶל ה' לְשָׁרְתוֹ. Said R. Judah: ‘Why are the singers here below called Levites? Because they are joined closely (lava= to be joined to) to and united with (the singers) above in absolute unison. He who hears their singing, his soul is also joined closely to the upper world. Therefore Leah said (at the birth of Levi): “Now this time my husband will be joined unto me” (Gen. 29, 34).’ Said R. Tanhum: ‘The seed of Levi is always joined to the Shekinah: in Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and in all his descendants.

תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָמְדוּ הַמְּשׁוֹרְרִים לְמַעְלָה, לא עָמְדוּ עַל מִשְׁמַרְתָּם, עַד שֶׁנּוֹלְדוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה הָאַחִים: מֹשֶׁה, אַהֲרֹן, וּמִרְיָם. תִּינַח מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, מִרְיָם לָמָּה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (קהלת ב') וְשָׁרוֹת. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמות ט״ו:כ״א) וַתַּעַן לָהֶם מִרְיָם. Observe that when the supernal singers desired to minister, they could not actually perform their function before the brothers Moses and Aaron and their sister Miriam were born.

תָּאנָא, בְּאוֹתָה שָׁעָה שֶׁנּוֹלַד לֵוִי, נְטָלוֹ הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּבְחָרוֹ מִכָּל אֶחָיו וְהוֹשִׁיבוֹ בָּאָרֶץ, וְהוֹלִיד לִקְהָת, וּקְהָת הוֹלִיד לְעַמְרָם, וְהוּא הוֹלִיד לְאַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם. פֵּירַשׁ מֵאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהֶחזִירָהּ, בְּאוֹתָה שָׁעָה הָיוּ הַמְשׁוֹרְרִים שֶׁל מַעְלָה עוֹמְדִים וּמְשׁוֹרְרִים, גָּעַר בָּהֶם הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְנִשְׁתָּכַּךְ הַשִּׁיר, עַד שֶׁנָּטָה קַו יְמִינוֹ, וְהוֹשִיט לְעַמְרָם. We have a tradition that when Levi was born, the Holy One, blessed be He, took him and chose him from among all his brethren, and settled him in the land. He then begat Kehat, who begat Amram, who begat Aaron and Miriam. Amram separated himself from his wife and then took her again. At that hour the heavenly singers began to chant, but the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked them, and the chanting ceased, until He stretched out the line of His right hand (the attribute of Grace) towards Amram.

מַאי טַעְמָא נִקְרָא עַמְרָם. שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ עַם רָם עַל כָּל רָמִים, וְלֹא נִזְכַּר שְׁמוֹ. מַאי טַעְמָא לֹא נִזְכַּר שְׁמוֹ. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי אֲבָהוּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבְּצִנְעָא הָלַךְ, וּבְצִנְעָא חָזַר לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַכִּירוּ בּוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיֵּלֶךְ אִישׁ, וְלָא נֶאֱמַר וַיֵּלֶךְ עַמְרָם בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא. וַיִּקַּח אֶת בַּת לֵוִי, אַף הִיא בְּצִנְעָא חָזְרָה, וְלֹא נִזְכְּרָה שְׁמָהּ. Why was he called Amram? Because a people, higher than all the high ones (‘am ram=high people), descended from him. And yet his name is not expressly mentioned (in connection with the birth of Moses). Why so? Because he secretly went away from his wife and secretly returned, so that no one should notice him. Wherefore it is written: “And there went a man”; it does not say “Amram”. Likewise does it say: “And took to wife a daughter of Levi”; she also returned secretly, wherefore her name is not mentioned.’