אֲנִי חֲבַצֶּלֶת הַשָּׁרוֹן, אָמְרָה כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי הִיא וַחֲבִיבָה אָנִי, אֲנִי שֶׁחִבְּבַנִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִשִּׁבְעִים אֻמּוֹת. חֲבַצֶּלֶת הַשָּׁרוֹן, שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי לוֹ צֵל עַל יְדֵי בְּצַלְאֵל, דִּכְתִיב (שמות לז, א): וַיַּעַשׂ בְּצַלְאֵל אֶת הָאָרֹן. הַשָּׁרוֹן, שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לְפָנָיו שִׁירָה עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה, דִּכְתִיב (שמות טו, א): אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
“I am a rose of Sharon" (Song of Songs 2:1).
“I am a rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved [ḥaviva]. It is I whom the Holy Blessed One loved more than seventy nations. “A rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon,” I made God a shelter [tzel] by means of Betzalel, as it is written: “Betzalel crafted the Ark” (Exodus 37:1). “Of Sharon,” as I recited song [shira] before God by means of Moses, as it is written: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang” (Exodus 15:1).
(89) When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with God, he would hear the voice addressing him from above the cover that was on top of the Ark of the Pact between the two cherubim; thus God spoke to him.
הָנִיחָא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר עַנְנֵי כָבוֹד הָיוּ. אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר סוּכּוֹת מַמָּשׁ עָשׂוּ לָהֶם, מַאי אִיכָּא לְמֵימַר? דְּתַנְיָא: ״כִּי בַסּוּכּוֹת הוֹשַׁבְתִּי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, עַנְנֵי כָבוֹד הָיוּ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: סוּכּוֹת מַמָּשׁ עָשׂוּ לָהֶם.
This works out well according to the one who said that they were clouds of glory. However, according to the one who said they established for themselves actual booths, what can be said? As it is taught: “I made the children of Israel to reside in sukkot” (Lev 23:43); they were clouds of glory, acc to Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiva says: They established for themselves actual sukkot.
for dread of Israel had fallen upon them.
(39) He spread a cloud for a cover,
and fire to light up the night.
באברהם הוא אומר (בראשית י״ח:ד׳) "והשענו תחת העץ", והקב"ה פרש לבניו שבעה ענני כבוד, שנאמר (תהלים קה) "פרש ענן למסך ואש להאיר לילה".
Of Abraham it is written (Genesis, Ibid. 4) "And recline under the tree," and the Holy One Blessed be He spread out for his children seven clouds of glory," as it is written (Psalms 105:39) "He spread out a cloud for shelter and a fire to illumine the night."
and abide in the protection of Shaddai—
(ד) כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ כֹּהֵן, תּוֹרֵם מִן הַיָּפֶה. וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין כֹּהֵן, תּוֹרֵם מִן הַמִּתְקַיֵּם. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, לְעוֹלָם הוּא תוֹרֵם מִן הַיָּפֶה:
(4) Wherever there is a priest, one must give terumah from the very best, and where there is no priest, one must give terumah from that which lasts longest. Rabbi Judah says: he should always give only from the very best.