68. THE CHILD said, Holy sages, do you wish for dainty dishes without battle or a table of war utensils and dishes of war, or do you wish to praise the King in complete battle gear, since the table does not rise without battle. Rabbi Elazar said, Beloved and precious holy son, this is the way we wish; we strive with all these battle gear. We know how to do battle by sword, by bow, by lance, by sling stones. But you are a child. You have not seen yet how mighty men wage battle.

242. That is why IT IS WRITTEN: "And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones" (Devarim 21:21). This refers to the rest of the nations who were aiming and hurling stones at them. They knocked down the walls and smashed the towers. ALL THIS does not benefit them at all, BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT PREVAIL AGAINST YISRAEL. When Moses heard this, he wrote this passage.

391. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE PUNISHMENT for incest IS LEPROSY? It is written REGARDING INCEST: "Therefore Hashem will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion" (Yeshayah 3:17). It is written REGARDING LEPROSY: "And for a swelling, and for a scab..." (Vayikra 14:56). AS IT REFERS TO LEPROSY, HERE TOO IT REFERS TO LEPROSY. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT ONE CONTRACTS LEPROSY for thievery? Because it is written: "'I have now produced it,' says Hashem Tzva'ot, and it shall enter into the house of the thief...and shall consume it with the timber of it and the stones of it..." (Zecharyah 5:4). What is it that destroys timbers and stones - leprosy, as it is written: "And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and its timber" (Vayikra 14:45).

434. At the top of that crown, there are four rows to four directions - NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST - which are ROWS OF towers, as it says, "Banks (also: 'towers') of fragrant flowers" (Shir Hashirim 5:13). What is "fragrant?" It is as it says, "With all powders of the merchant" (Ibid. 3:6). On each tower are three portals, set with fine stones around each side. This crown shines with engravings of precious gold of Ophir for the glory of the King, as it is written: "I will make men more rare than fine gold; and mankind, than the pure gold of Ophir" (Yeshayah 13:12).

468. "Who can count the dust of Jacob." HE ASKS: What is the dust below IN THE LEVEL OF JACOB? Rabbi Shimon says, It is written about it: "His sword makes them as dust" (Yeshayah 41:2). Who is His sword? It is known THAT IT IS MALCHUT, as it is written: "The sword of Hashem is filled with blood" (Yeshayah 34:6), BECAUSE MALCHUT IS CONSIDERED "THE SWORD OF HASHEM." Dust refers to the place from which Adam was created, as it is written: "And Hashem Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground" (Beresheet 2:7). From that dust emerge many legions and many camps, many levels, many law investigators, many arrows, many projectile stones and many spears, swords and weapons. "Who can count" is as it says, "Is there any number to His armies?" (Iyov 25:3).

489. "He shall pour the water out of his bucket" (Ibid. 7). THIS IS like a man who had fine hands, beautiful in appearance. One person passed by, a man of the evil eye, gazed at these hands, grasped them and began to praise them, saying, How beautiful they are, how pretty. Look at the fingers cut out in the highest form of beauty. Then he is, Who shall give these hands to dwell among precious stones and expensive purple garments, AND BE in his house to use them and they shall be stored in his vault.