“Who is that ascending from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother was in travail with you; there she who bore you was in travail” (Song of Songs 8:5). “Who is that ascending from the wilderness” – [Israel’s] ascent was from the wilderness, its decline was from the wilderness, and its death was from the wilderness. That is what it says: “In this wilderness they will expire, and there they will die” (Numbers 14:35).

“Leaning [mitrapeket] upon her beloved” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Because it will resolve sections of the Torah and issues of kingdom in the future.5Mitrapeket when rearranged is a portmanteau of matir perek – resolves a section. In the future, Israel will resolve all questions relating to Torah, and will reestablish its monarchy. “Under the apple tree I roused you” – Pelatyon of Rome expounded and said: Mount Sinai was detached and positioned in the supernal heavens, and Israel was situated beneath it, as it is stated: “You approached and stood beneath the mountain” (Deuteronomy 4:11).

Another matter: “Under the apple tree I roused you” – this is Sinai. Why is it likened to an apple tree? Just as the apple tree produces fruit in the month of Sivan, so too, the Torah was given in Sivan. Alternatively, “under the apple tree I roused you” – why not a nut tree or a different tree?

Each tree typically grows its leaves first and then its fruit, but the apple tree grows its fruit first and then grows its leaves. Similarly, Israel put performing before hearing, as it is stated: “We will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).6Although translated here as “heed,” the term nishma can be translated “hear.” The point here is that Israel committed to following God’s commands even before hearing what they were.

The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you accept My Torah upon yourself, fine, but if not, I will lower this mountain upon you and kill you.’ “There your mother was in travail with you” – was it there that she was in travail? Rabbi Berekhya said: This is analogous to one who went to a dangerous place and was saved. His friend encountered him and said to him: ‘Did you pass through that dangerous place?

How much danger you experienced! It is as though you were now borne by your mother. How much suffering you experienced! Now it is as though you were created as a new creation.’

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: “There [your mother] was in travail [ḥibela]” and there she had collateral taken from her [ḥubela]; “was in travail” – at the moment that they said: “Everything that the Lord spoke we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). She had collateral taken from her – at the moment that they said to the calf: “This is your God, Israel” (Exodus 32:4), they had collateral taken.

Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The weapon that was given to Israel at Ḥorev had the ineffable name etched upon it.7This is stated in explanation of the adornment mentioned in the verse: “The children of Israel were stripped of their adornment from Mount Ḥorev” (Exodus 33:6). When they sinned it was taken from them. Rabbi Aivu and the Rabbis: Rabbi Aivu said: It was peeled on its own. The Rabbis say: An angel descended and peeled it.

Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said: Wretched is the bride who sins under the wedding canopy. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They lost the good counsel that was given them at Sinai, as it is stated: “You hollowed all my counsel” (Proverbs 1:25), and counsel is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “Counsel and resourcefulness are mine” (Proverbs 8:14). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: It is written: “At Ḥorev you provoked [hiktzaftem] the Lord” (Deuteronomy 9:8).

The Holy One blessed be He said: I came to bless you and found your palate pierced and unable to hold a blessing, as it is stated: “Moses saw the people that it was parua (Exodus 32:25), and parua means nothing other than hollowed, just as you say: “You hollowed [vatifre’u] all my counsel” (Proverbs 1:25). Rabbi Levi said: You made the Holy One blessed be He as though He was mourning over you. There are places that call the house of mourning the house of wrath [beit ketzofa].