We're diving into Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a Midrash – a collection of rabbinic teachings – on the Song of Songs. Specifically, we're looking at verse 7:8, "This, your stature, is likened to a date palm, and your breasts to clusters." Sounds innocent enough, right? But the Rabbis saw something deeper.
Rabbi Honya, quoting Rabbi Dosa bar Tevet, tells us that God created two yetzer hara (יֵצֶר הָרַע) – two evil inclinations – in the world: the inclination towards idolatry and the inclination towards licentiousness. Think of them as those little devils on your shoulders, constantly whispering temptations. Now, here's the kicker: the inclination toward idolatry, according to this teaching, has already been eradicated. But the one toward licentiousness? Still very much present.
The idea is that anyone who can overcome the urge towards licentiousness is given credit as if they had overcome both inclinations. Rabbi Yehuda uses the analogy of a snake charmer who neutralizes the large snake but leaves the small one. Overcoming the small one is seen as equivalent to overcoming both. It's a fascinating way to think about the challenges we face.
So, when was this inclination towards idolatry eradicated? That's where opinions diverge. Rabbi Benaya says it was during the time of Mordechai and Esther. The Rabbis, however, argue it was during the time of Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya – you might know them better by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three who were thrown into the fiery furnace.
The Rabbis challenge Rabbi Benaya, asking if an individual could truly eradicate such a force. Rabbi Benaya counters, were Mordechai and Esther just individuals? He backs this up with a quote from Rabbi Tanhuma, Rabbi Meyasha, and Rabbi Yirmeya in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Kahana, citing Esther 4:3. The verse describes a multitude in sackcloth and ashes, showing that Mordechai and Esther weren't alone in their righteousness.
But the Rabbis stick to their guns. Rabbi Pinchas and Rabbi Hilkiya, quoting Rabbi Shmuel, point to Ezekiel 6:9: "Your survivors will remember Me among the nations where they were taken captive." These survivors, they say, are Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya, who survived the fiery furnace, demonstrating the power of their devotion.
The text then quotes Hosea 14:9, where God asks, "Ephraim: What do I have to do with idols anymore?" The Midrash interprets this as Israel declaring their rejection of idolatry.
But if the inclination towards idolatry was truly eradicated, why did the Jewish people face such peril during the time of Haman, as recounted in the Book of Esther? The Rabbis and Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai offer different explanations. The Rabbis say it was because Israel engaged in idol worship. Rabbi Shimon says it was because they ate food cooked by gentiles. He argues that all of Israel is responsible for one another, quoting Leviticus 26:37: "They will stumble over one another," meaning one in the iniquity of his counterpart.
Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Levi, says that Israel acted falsely with God in two key moments. At Sinai, when receiving the Torah, they spoke devotion but their hearts weren't fully in it, as Psalm 78:36-37 says, "But they beguiled Him with their mouth and lied to Him with their tongue…their heart was not steadfast toward Him." In Babylon, during Nebuchadnezzar's reign, they were loyal in their hearts but not outwardly, when forced to bow to idols.
This brings us back to Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya. According to the Rabbis, Nebuchadnezzar designated twenty-three people from each nation, including twenty-three from Israel, to bow down to an idol. Only Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya refused. Rabbi Shimon offers a different version: Nebuchadnezzar designated only three people from each nation, and Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya, the three from Israel, stood firm.
The story continues with them consulting Daniel and then Ezekiel. Ezekiel initially tells them that God won't stand by them, quoting Ezekiel 20:3: "As I live, I will not acquiesce to you." Ezekiel weeps, lamenting the fate of the remnant of Judah. But Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya remain steadfast, declaring that whether God delivers them or not, they will not worship the idol.
Then, God reveals Himself to Ezekiel, saying He will stand by them, but that Ezekiel should say nothing. The three disperse among the people, declaring their defiance. This is why, the text suggests, people take oaths and say, "To the One who established the world on three pillars," referring either to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or to Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya.
Finally, the Midrash returns to the original verse: "This, your stature, is likened to a date palm [tamar]." Just as Tamar was decreed to be burned but wasn't, so too, Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya were decreed to be burned but were saved. The fire, according to Rabbi Elazar, was transformed into a planet, while Rabbi Shmuel bar Neḥemya says it became like the radiance of the heavens.
What does all this mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that the battles we fight, both internal and external, are often more complex than they seem. The struggles against temptation, against societal pressure, against compromising our values – these are ongoing, and sometimes, the greatest victories are the ones no one sees. The story of Hananya, Mishael, and Azarya is a powerful testament to the strength of conviction, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. And maybe, just maybe, it suggests that overcoming our own "small snakes" can be a victory of truly epic proportions.