“His cheeks are like a bed of spices, growths of spices; his lips are lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh” (Song of Songs 5:13). “His cheeks are like a bed of spices” – Rabbi Yannai said: In the days of my youth, we were two groups, and we would go out to engage in Torah study in the street. The reasoning said by this [group] would not be said by that [group].65Just a bed of spices may contain different kinds of spices, each with its distinctive aroma and taste, so too, the groups of students would see things differently (Etz Yosef).
“Growths of spices” – just like in growths of spices there are all kinds of spices, so too, a Torah scholar must be full of Bible, Mishna, Talmud, halakhot, and aggadot. Priests and Levites are from Jacob.66The descendants of Jacob fill a variety of roles, just as there are different kinds of spices. “His lips are lilies” – this is a Torah scholar who is well versed in his studies. “His lips are lilies, dripping with flowing [over] myrrh” – this is a Torah scholar who is not well versed in his studies, whose lips are dripping with myrrh.67He makes mistakes, or must work hard to determine the correct answer.
Myrrh is interpreted as a reference to something bitter [mar] (Matnot Kehuna). Nevertheless, he reviews [over] and then clarifies his studies.