It’s a powerful human experience, and surprisingly, it's one that Jewish tradition ascribes to God.
We find this idea explored in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs. The verse in question is Song of Songs 6:5: “Avert your eyes from me, as they excite my arrogance. Your hair is like a flock of goats that streams down from Gilad.” Now, on the surface, this sounds like a somewhat...odd compliment. But let's dive deeper.
Rabbi Azarya, quoting Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, offers a striking analogy. Imagine a king, furious with his queen, banishes her from the palace. Overcome with shame, she hides her face behind a pillar just outside the gates. When the king passes and sees her suffering, he can’t bear it. He cries out, "Remove her from before me, as I am unable to bear [her suffering]!"
This, the midrash suggests, is how God feels when the Jewish people are in distress. When a rabbinical court convenes, declares fasts, and the people earnestly participate, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says, "I am unable to bear it." God can't stand to see our suffering, and so, in His mercy, He alleviates it, perhaps ending the drought or hardship that prompted the fast in the first place.
But what about the phrase, "As they excite my arrogance?" It sounds...harsh. But here, "arrogance" isn't about pride in a negative sense. Rather, it speaks to God's power and dominion. The midrash explains that it was the merit of the righteous that caused God to extend His hand and redeem Israel from Egypt. They "excited His arrogance" by prompting Him to display His might.
There’s more. According to the midrash, when the rabbinical court decrees fasts and the children fast, God again says, "I am unable to bear it." But this time, "As they excite my arrogance" means that they crowned Me as king over them and proclaimed, "The Lord will reign for ever and ever" (Exodus 15:18). Through their devotion, they reaffirm God's sovereignty.
And when the elderly fast, God again feels their pain too keenly. "As they excite my arrogance [hirhivuni]," means they accepted God's kingdom at Sinai, declaring, "Everything that the Lord says we will perform and we will heed" (Exodus 24:7). It's a powerful moment of collective commitment. The midrash then connects this to Psalm 87:4, "To those of my acquaintance, I mention Rahav and Babylon…". Here, Rahav, like hirhivuni, is understood as a term for exaltedness or kingship.
Rabbi Pinḥas, in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina bar Pappa, takes it even further. He cites Psalm 68:19: "Even the rebellious You captured to dwell over, Lord God." Even among those who stray, God rests His Divine presence. Why? Because of that foundational promise: "Everything that the Lord says we will perform and we will heed."
Finally, the midrash addresses the curious line, "Your hair is like a flock of goats." Now, goats weren't exactly symbols of beauty. The midrash suggests that "just as the goat is contemptible...so, too, Israel was contemptible in Shittim," referring to the episode in Numbers 25:1 where "Israel was living in Shittim, [and the people began to engage in licentiousness with the daughters of Moav]." Even in moments of weakness and transgression, the connection remains.
So, what does all this tell us? It paints a picture of a God who is deeply invested in our lives, who feels our pain, and who responds to our devotion. It's a reminder that even when we falter, the covenant endures. And perhaps most profoundly, it suggests that our actions – our fasts, our prayers, our commitment to living ethically – have a real and tangible impact on the Divine. It's a powerful and humbling thought, isn’t it?