The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

332 The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context
the priests and the Levites. The targumist is clearly thinking of contributions
from the community to support the schools. Jacob Mann
points out that 'the bogus Nasi Shem-Tov opened for himself a source
of revenue by imposing "tithes", i.e. fixed contributions, similar to
the..."fifths", levied by the Babylonian schools'. 19
6. The biblical 'fenced round' (sugah) suggested the rabbinic con-A
cept of a 'fence' (seyyag) round the Torah. Perhaps the rabbinic
injunction, 'tithes are a fence to wealth', was echoing in the back of
his mind. Hence: 'the Men of the Great Assembly ordained the tithes
as a fence (sayyegu).' Having got this far, it was easy for the targumist
to identify the 'rose' with the scholars, perhaps by linking shoshannim
with the verb shanah, 'to teach'.
Macro-Analysis
Matching this ingenious and disciplined micro-analysis of the biblical
text is a cogent and comprehensive macro-analysis. The targumist
offers a remarkably coherent reading of Shir ha-Shirim as a whole,
which imposes on the book a consistent and well-reasoned interpretation
from beginning to end. He follows the broad outlines of rabbinic
exegesis in seeing the Song as an allegory of God's relationship to
Israel. His distinctive contribution was to read it systematically as a
cryptic history of that relationship, starting with the exodus from
Egypt and concluding with the messianic age. He detected in Shir ha-
Shirim a rhythm in the relationship between the beloved and the
bride, a rhythm of fellowship, estrangement and reconciliation. He
saw that rhythm replicated in Israel's history, which moves through a
cyclical pattern of communion with God, terminated by sin and exile,
leading ultimately to repentance and return.
The Targum opens with a preamble (1.1-3), consisting of a version
of the Midrash of the Ten Songs and a benediction. The Midrash of
the Ten Songs ostensibly explains the opening words of the Song of
bar 'Ula, not because he was a kohen but because he was a man who studied the
law, in accordance with the verse: "Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in
Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be
encouraged in the law of the Lord" (2 Chron. 21.4).' I am indebted to Zeev Safrai
for drawing my attention to this Yerushalmi reference.
19. J. Mann, The Jews in Egypt and Palestine under the Fatimid Caliphs
(Oxford, 1920), I, p. 274 n.