And believe it or not, there's an ancient teaching that uses a similar image to describe the Jewish people's relationship with… well, pretty much everything.
It all starts with a lily. Rabbi Ḥanina son of Rabbi Abba, in Vayikra Rabbah 23, offers a beautiful interpretation of our situation using this delicate flower as a metaphor. Imagine this lily growing among thorns. A north wind blows, bending it southward, and a thorn pricks it. Then, a south wind comes along, bending it northward, and another thorn pricks it! Ouch. Sounds familiar. But here's the key: despite being buffeted by winds and pricked by thorns, its core – its essence – is always directed upward.
Rabbi Ḥanina sees this as a parallel to the Jewish people. Even when forced to endure hardships – paying levies, engaging in forced labor – our hearts remain directed toward our Father in Heaven. We might be bent and bruised, but our spiritual compass always points true. Where do we see this resilience? As the verse says, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He draws my feet out of the net” (Psalms 25:15). It’s a constant turning back, a constant hope.
But the lily metaphor doesn't end there. Rabbi Aivu offers another interpretation, this time focusing on the future redemption. Picking a lily surrounded by thorns isn't easy. You can't just reach in without getting hurt. So what's the solution? You bring fire and burn away the thorns. A little drastic, perhaps, but it gets the job done!
Rabbi Aivu connects this to the verse, “The Lord has commanded for Jacob that his besiegers surround him” (Lamentations 1:17). He then gives examples of cities situated near each other: Ḥalamish for Naveh, Jericho for Naaran, Susita for Tiberias, Gastera for Haifa, Lod for Ono. In each pair, the first city was populated by wicked gentiles who would persecute the Jews living in the second. It's a vivid picture of constant pressure and threat. Vayikra Rabbah tells us this is what is written: “This is Jerusalem, I have placed it in the midst of the nations” (Ezekiel 5:5).
So, what happens in the future, when the end of days arrives? According to Rabbi Aivu, the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring fire and burn around Jerusalem, clearing away those thorns once and for all. This echoes the verse, “The peoples will be burnings of lime” (Isaiah 33:12). And what about Israel in all of this? "The Lord will guide them alone" (Deuteronomy 32:12).
It’s a powerful image, isn’t it? The lily, a symbol of beauty and purity, surrounded by the harsh realities of life. Whether it's personal struggles or the challenges faced by an entire people, the message is clear: even when surrounded by thorns, there is hope, there is resilience, and there is a path to redemption. We may bend, we may even break a little, but the core of our being, our connection to something greater, remains steadfast. And perhaps, just perhaps, that's the most beautiful thing of all.