We find ourselves pondering just that in a fascinating discussion rooted in the verse from (Song of Songs 4:16): "Awake, north wind, and come, south wind; blow upon my garden, that its perfume will spread. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat his delicious fruits.”
This verse sparks a debate, recorded in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, about the nature of sacrifices offered by Noah and his descendants. Were they just olot (burnt offerings), or did they also offer shelamim (peace offerings)?
Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina lock horns over this very question. Rabbi Elazar argues that Noah's descendants offered both types of sacrifices. He brings forth several proofs. First, he points to Abel, whose offering included the chelvehen – the fats – suggesting peace offerings, where only the fats are burned (Genesis 4:4). Rabbi Yosei counters that chelvehen simply means "from the fattest among them."
Rabbi Elazar then cites (Exodus 24:5), which describes young Israelites offering both burnt offerings and peace offerings before the giving of the Torah – a time when they were, essentially, descendants of Noah. Rabbi Yosei parries, suggesting that the term shelamim here refers to the wholeness of the bodies, which were offered without the flaying and cutting required for standard burnt offerings.
Finally, Rabbi Elazar brings up Yitro (Exodus 18:12), who offered both a burnt offering and a peace offering. Rabbi Yosei cleverly sidesteps this by suggesting that there are two opinions: one that Yitro came before the giving of the Torah, and another that he came after. The former would support Rabbi Elazar's view, while the latter supports Rabbi Yosei's.
What does all this have to do with the north and south winds? According to Rabbi Yosei, the "north wind" that needs to "awake" represents the olah, the burnt offering, because it was slaughtered on the north side of the Temple Courtyard. The offering is "asleep" because the Israelites didn't offer them in Egypt. The "south wind," which needs to "come," signifies the shelamim, the peace offering, which was new.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa, and Rabbi Yehoshua, citing Rabbi Levi, find support for Rabbi Yosei's position in Leviticus. When discussing the burnt offering, the Torah states, "This is the law of the burnt offering; it is the burnt offering" (Leviticus 6:2), implying it was offered from the beginning. But when it comes to the peace offering, it says, "This is the law of the peace offering that one shall offer to the Lord" (Leviticus 7:11), suggesting it's something new, "from here forward."
Rabbi Elazar, however, interprets the verse allegorically. The "north wind" represents the exiles returning from the north, as (Jeremiah 31:7) prophesies. It also symbolizes Gog and Magog, who will awaken in the north and fall in the south (Ezekiel 39:2), and the messianic king, who will come from the north to build the Temple in the south (Isaiah 41:25).
Rabbi Huna, in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Rabbi Binyamin bar Levi, offers a beautiful vision of the future. In this world, the north and south winds don't blow together. But in the future, God will bring a unique wind that combines both, as (Isaiah 43:6) says: "I will say to the north: Give, and to the south: Do not withhold."
Finally, Rabbi Yoḥanan draws a lesson in etiquette from the verse: “Let my beloved come to his garden." He argues that a bridegroom should not enter the wedding canopy until the bride gives permission. The proof? The following verse begins, “I came to my garden, my sister, my bride,” implying that he entered only after receiving her consent. (Song of Songs 5:1)
So, what do we take away from this rich tapestry of interpretations? Perhaps it’s not just about whether Noah offered peace offerings. It’s about how we approach sacred texts, how we find meaning in the nuances of language, and how we connect ancient wisdom to our lives today. It's a reminder that even seemingly simple verses can hold layers of profound insight, waiting to be uncovered by thoughtful inquiry and passionate debate.
“Awake, north wind, and come, south wind; blow upon my garden, that its perfume will spread. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat his delicious fruits” (Song of Songs 4:16). “Awake, north wind, and come, south wind” – Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina: Rabbi Elazar said: The descendants of Noah sacrificed peace offerings. Rabbi Yosei said: The descendants of Noah sacrificed burnt offerings.161All agree that Noah and his descendants sacrificed burnt offerings, as this is explicit in the text (see, e.g., Genesis 8:20). The dispute is whether they also sacrificed peace offerings. Rabbi Elazar raised an objection to Rabbi Yosei: “Abel, too, brought from the firstborn of his flock and from the choicest of them [umeḥelvehen]” (Genesis 4:4).162The understanding is that Abel sacrificed offerings from which only the fats [ḥelev] are burned, i.e., peace offerings. What does Rabbi Yosei do with this? He says: From the fattest among them. Rabbi Elazar raised an objection to Rabbi Yosei: “He sent the young men of the children of Israel [and they offered up burnt offerings and they slaughtered peace offerings [shelamim] of oxen to the Lord]” (Exodus 24:5).163This verse explicitly states that they offered peace offerings, despite the fact that this took place before the giving of the Torah, when even the Israelites were considered no more than descendants of Noah (Etz Yosef). What does Rabbi Yosei do with this? Their bodies were whole [shelemim], without flaying and cutting.164This is in contrast to standard burnt offerings, which require flaying and cutting. Rabbi Elazar raised an objection: It is written: “Yitro took…a burnt offering and a peace offering” (Exodus 18:12), a burnt offering for the sake of a burnt offering and a peace offering for the sake of a peace offering.165The offerings were sacrificed properly. If an offering is sacrificed with the understanding that it is a different offering, e.g., if an animal designated as a burnt offering is sacrificed as a peace offering, one has not fulfilled one’s vow to bring the burnt offering. What does Rabbi Yosei do with this? He would say to you: Two amora’im disagree. One says: Yitro came after the giving of the Torah;166When there were both burnt offerings and peace offerings. the other says: Yitro came before the giving of the Torah. The one who said Yitro came before the giving of the Torah [must hold that] the descendants of Noah sacrificed peace offerings. The one who said: Yitro came after the giving of the Torah [holds that] the descendants of Noah sacrificed [only] burnt offerings. This supports Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina: “Awake, north wind, and come, south wind.” “Awake north wind” – this is the burnt offering, which is slaughtered in the north.167The north side of the Temple Courtyard. Why was the term “awake” addressed to it? [Because] it is something that was asleep and awakened.168The patriarchs sacrificed burnt offerings, but the Israelites did not sacrifice burnt offerings while they were in Egypt. “Come, south wind” – this is the peace offering, which is slaughtered in the south.169Unlike the burnt offering, the peace offering could be slaughtered anywhere in the Temple Courtyard. Why was the term “come” addressed to it? Because it was something new. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa, and Rabbi Yehoshua say in the name of Rabbi Levi: This verse, too, supports Rabbi Yosei. “This is the law of the burnt offering; it is the burnt offering” (Leviticus 6:2) that the descendants of Noah sacrificed initially. When it arrives at the peace offering, it says: “This is the law of the peace offering [that one shall offer to the Lord]” (Leviticus 7:11). It is not written here, “that they offered,” but rather, that they shall offer, from here forward. How does Rabbi Elazar interpret this verse: “Awake, north wind, and come, south wind”? When the exiles situated in the north will awaken and they will come and encamp in the south, just as it says: “Behold, I am bringing them from the land of the north, and I will gather them from the ends of the earth” (Jeremiah 31:7). When Gog and Magog, which are situated in the north, will awaken and come and fall in the south, just as it says: “I will lead you astray and I will entice you, and I will take you up” (Ezekiel 39:2). When the messianic king, who is situated in the north, will awaken and come build the Temple, which is located in the south, just as it says: “I have roused one from the north and he came” (Isaiah 41:25). “Blow upon my garden, that its perfume will spread” – Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Rabbi Binyamin bar Levi: Because in this world when the southern wind blows the northern wind does not blow, and when the northern wind blows the southern wind does not blow. However, in the future, the Holy One blessed be He will bring an unusual wind to the world, and it will lead two winds simultaneously and both will serve. That is what is written: “I will say to the north: Give, and to the south: Do not withhold” (Isaiah 43:6). “Let my beloved come to his garden” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Torah teaches you proper etiquette, that a bridegroom should not enter the wedding canopy until the bride gives him permission. What is the reason? “Let my beloved come to his garden.”170The next verse begins “I came to my garden, my sister, my bride,” which is an indication that he came only after receiving permission from his bride.
