That image, that feeling, is captured beautifully in the ancient interpretations of the Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs. Let's delve into one fascinating piece from Shir HaShirim Rabbah.

Rabbi Huna uses the image of a lily among thorns to describe the Jewish people scattered in exile. Imagine a delicate lily, surrounded by sharp, prickly thorns. A harsh north wind blows, tilting the lily, and the thorns pierce it. Ouch! Yet, even in that painful position, the lily’s stalk remains directed upwards. Rabbi Huna says, that's us! Even when weighed down by taxes and hardship, our hearts are directed towards our Father in Heaven. “My eyes are always toward God,” as it says in Psalms (25:15). It’s a powerful image of resilience, isn't it?

But what about the future? What about the ultimate redemption? Rabbi Aivu takes the same lily image and spins it in a new, hopeful direction. He says, just as this lily among thorns is difficult to pluck, so too is Israel. The owner can't just reach in and grab it without getting hurt. So, what does he do? He brings fire and burns away the thorns surrounding it, and then he plucks the lily.

This, Rabbi Aivu suggests, is a metaphor for the future redemption. "The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob that those that surround him should be his adversaries" (Lamentations 1:17). The commentary mentions specific cities as examples: Ḥalamish to Naveh, Jericho to No’aron, Susitan to Tiberias, Kastra to Haifa, Lod to Ono. These were all gentile cities bordering Jewish cities. As Ezekiel (5:5) puts it, “This is Jerusalem, in the midst of the nations I have situated it.”

So, what happens in the future, when the end of days arrives? The Holy One, blessed be He, will bring fire and burn away what surrounds Jerusalem. As Isaiah (33:12) says, “Peoples will be burnings of lime, [cut thorns ignited with fire].” And what follows that fiery purification? "The Lord alone will lead him [and there is no foreign god with Him]" (Deuteronomy 32:12). The great Onkelos, who famously translated the Torah into Aramaic, explains that this means there will no longer be peoples who engage in idol worship.

It’s a powerful and, admittedly, a bit intense vision. The image of fire cleansing the way for redemption is a recurring theme in Jewish thought.

But what can we take away from these interpretations today? Perhaps it's this: even when surrounded by difficulties, even when pierced by the "thorns" of life, we can still direct our hearts upward. And perhaps, just perhaps, that persistent upward gaze will eventually clear the way for a brighter future, a future where the thorns are burned away, and the lily – representing the Jewish people – can be gently and safely gathered. What do you think?