לִבַּבְתִּנִי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה לִבַּבְתִּנִי, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לֵב אֶחָד הָיָה לָכֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם וּנְתַתֶּם לִי שְׁנֵי לְבָבוֹת. לִבַּבְתִּנִי בְּאַחַד מֵעֵינַיִךְ, בְּדַם הַפֶּסַח וּבְדַם הַמִּילָה, בְּאַחַד עֲנָק מִצַּוְּרֹנָיִךְ, זֶה משֶׁה הַמְיֻחָד וְהַגִּבּוֹר שֶׁבִּשְׁבָטַיִּךְ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לִבַּבְתִּנִי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֵב אֶחָד הָיָה לָכֶם בַּיָּם וּנְתַתֶּם לִי שְׁנֵי לְבָבוֹת, לִבַּבְתִּנִי בְּאַחַד מֵעֵינַיִךְ, שֶׁעֲמַדְתֶּם לְפָנַי עַל הַר סִינַי וַאֲמַרְתֶּם (שמות כד, ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע. בְּאַחַד עֲנָק מִצַּוְּרֹנָיִךְ, זֶה משֶׁה הַמְיֻחָד וְהַגִּבּוֹר שֶׁבִּשְׁבָטַיִךְ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לִבַּבְתִּנִי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֵב אֶחָד הָיָה לָכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר וּנְתַתֶּם לִי שְׁנֵי לְבָבוֹת, לִבַּבְתִּנִי בְּאַחַד מֵעֵינַיִךְ, בַּהֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ט, טו): וּבְיוֹם הָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. בְּאַחַד עֲנָק מִצַּוְּרֹנָיִךְ, זֶה משֶׁה הַמְעֻלֶּה בַּשְּׁבָטִים. אִית דְּאָמְרֵי נְשֵׁי דּוֹר הַמִּדְבָּר כְּשֵׁרוֹת הָיוּ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לְאוֹתוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה עָמְדוּ וְנִמְלְכוּ עַצְמָן וְלֹא נָתְנוּ כְּלוּם מִנִּזְמֵיהֶן לְמַעֲשֵׂה הָעֵגֶל, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ שֶׁהֵן אֲסוּרוֹת לָהֶן מִיָּד נָעֲלוּ דַּלְתוֹתֵיהֶן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לִבַּבְתִּנִי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לֵב אֶחָד הָיָה לָכֶם בַּמְרַגְּלִים וּנְתַתֶּם לִי שְׁנֵי לְבָבוֹת, זֶה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכָלֵב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לב, יב): בִּלְתִּי כָּלֵב בֶּן יְפֻנֶּה הַקְּנִזִּי וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן וגו' בְּאַחַד עֲנָק מִצַּוְּרֹנָיִךְ, זֶה משֶׁה הַמְיֻחָד וְהַגִּבּוֹר שֶׁבִּשְׁבָטַיִךְ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לִבַּבְתִּנִי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֵב אֶחָד הָיָה לָכֶם בַּשִּׁטִּים, וּנְתַתֶּם לִי שְׁנֵי לְבָבוֹת, לִבַּבְתִּנִי בְּאַחַד מֵעֵינַיִךְ, זֶה פִּנְחָס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קו, ל לא): וַיַּעֲמֹד פִּינְחָס וַיְפַלֵּל, וַתֵּחָשֶׁב לוֹ לִצְדָקָה. בְּאַחַד עֲנָק מִצַּוְּרֹנָיִךְ, זֶה משֶׁה.
“You have charmed me, my sister, my bride; you have charmed me with one of your eyes, with one bead of your necklace” (Song of Songs 4:9). “You have charmed me [libavtini], my sister, my bride; you have charmed me” – the Holy One blessed be He said: You had one heart [lev] in Egypt, but you [eventually] gave Me two hearts. “You have charmed me with one of your eyes” – with the blood of the paschal offering and the blood of circumcision; “with one bead of your necklace” – this is Moses, who was the most outstanding and mighty among your tribes. Another matter: “You have charmed me [libavtini], my sister, my bride” – the Holy One blessed be He said: You had one heart [lev] at the sea, but you [eventually] gave Me two hearts. “You have charmed me with one of your eyes” – as you stood before Me on Mount Sinai and said: “Everything that God spoke we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7); “with one bead of your necklace” – this is Moses, who was the most outstanding and mighty among your tribes. Another matter: “You have charmed me [libavtini]” – the Holy One blessed be He said: You had one heart [lev] in the wilderness, but you [eventually] gave Me two hearts. “You have charmed me with one of your eyes” – with the establishment of the Tabernacle, as it is stated: “On the day the Tabernacle was established, [the cloud covered the tabernacle]” (Numbers 9:15); “with one bead of your necklace” – this is Moses, who was the most outstanding and mighty among your tribes. Some say [the verse is referring to] the women of the generation of the wilderness, who were upright. When they encountered that incident they paused, considered the matter, and did not give any of their nose rings for the incident of the Golden Calf. When they heard that they were forbidden to their husbands they immediately locked their doors. Another matter: “You have charmed me [libavtini], my sister, my bride” – the Holy One blessed be He said: You had one heart [lev] with the scouts, but you gave Me two hearts. These are Joshua and Caleb, as it is stated: “Except Caleb son of Yefuneh the Kenizite, and Joshua son of Nun…” (Numbers 32:12). “With one bead of your necklace” – this is Moses, who was the most outstanding and mighty among your tribes. Another matter: “You have charmed me [libavtini], my sister, my bride” – the Holy One blessed be He said: You had one heart [lev] in the Shitim, but you gave Me two hearts. “You have charmed me with one of your eyes” – this is Pinḥas, as it is stated: “Pinḥas stood up to carry out judgment.… and it was considered righteousness for him” (Psalms 106:30–31). “With one bead of your necklace” – this is Moses.