Today, we’re diving into a fascinating interpretation of a verse from the Song of Songs – Shir HaShirim – that explores just this idea: the contrast between foul odor and sweet fragrance, and what it reveals about our relationship with the Divine.
The verse in question is (Song of Songs 1:12): "While the king was at his feast, my nard released its fragrance." Now, the Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Song of Songs, unpacks this verse in some truly surprising ways. It's a classic example of midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), where the Rabbis find layers of meaning within the text, connecting it to other parts of the Torah and to Jewish history.
The discussion starts with a debate between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir takes a rather…unflattering view. He suggests that "While the king was at his feast" – meaning while the King of Kings was at His feast in the heavens – Israel released a foul odor by worshipping the Golden Calf. Ouch. He connects it to the verse in (Exodus 32:4): "This is your god, Israel!" It's a harsh assessment, painting a picture of betrayal and spiritual corruption.
But Rabbi Yehuda pushes back. "Enough, Meir," he says, "one does not expound Song of Songs disparagingly!" He insists that Song of Songs is meant to praise Israel. Instead, Rabbi Yehuda suggests that the "fine fragrance" refers to the moment before Mount Sinai, when Israel declared, "Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will obey" (Exodus 24:7). So, instead of a stench, we have a sweet aroma of commitment and faith.
It's a powerful contrast, isn't it? The same verse, interpreted in two radically different ways, highlighting the potential for both spiritual failure and profound connection with God.
The midrash then takes an interesting turn. It suggests that a "treatise" – an ancient tradition recorded in a text from Babylon – reveals that God actually skipped the story of the Golden Calf in the Torah's narrative order. That is, the building of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) is described before the sin of the Golden Calf. Why? To show that even when Israel stumbled, they were still beloved in God's eyes. This is why, the midrash suggests, the verse speaks of fragrance rather than stench. It's a beautiful idea – divine love and forgiveness prevailing even in the face of human failing.
The discussion continues with Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Berekhya offering their own interpretations. Rabbi Eliezer connects the verse to the fiery revelation at Mount Sinai, citing (Deuteronomy 4:11): "The mountain was burning with fire." Rabbi Akiva sees it as referring to the moment "the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai" (Exodus 24:16). Rabbi Berekhya even suggests it refers to Moses himself, while he was still on Mount Sinai, as he is called King in (Deuteronomy 33:5). Each interpretation adds another layer to the richness of the verse.
And it doesn't stop there! Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov and the Rabbis debate whether the angel Mikhael or God Himself rescued Abraham from the fiery furnace. Rabbi Tavyomei connects the "feast" to Jacob's deathbed, where the Divine Spirit shone upon him as he blessed his sons. Each interpretation weaves together different moments in Jewish history, finding echoes of the Song of Songs verse in unexpected places.
Finally, the midrash delves into practical details. Rav Nahman asks where Jacob got the cedar wood he used to build things in Egypt. Rabbi Levi reveals that the long wooden bars needed for the Tabernacle (Mishkan) were hidden away since the time of Jacob! These details bring the story down to earth, reminding us that even the most sacred moments are grounded in the everyday. He even tells us that the acacia trees in Magdala were forbidden to use due to their sanctity, as they were used to create the Ark.
What I find so compelling about this passage is how it demonstrates the power of interpretation. The Rabbis weren't afraid to grapple with difficult questions, to offer competing perspectives, and to find meaning in even the smallest details. They saw the Torah not as a static text, but as a living conversation, a source of endless wisdom and inspiration.
So, the next time you encounter a seemingly simple verse, remember the Rabbis of the Shir HaShirim Rabbah. Ask yourself: what other layers of meaning might be hidden within? What connections can I make to my own life and experiences? And how can I find the fragrance of the Divine even in the midst of the… well, let's just say, less fragrant moments?
“While the king was at his feast, my nard released its fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:12). “While the king was at his feast,” Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Meir says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Israel released a foul odor and said to the calf: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). Rabbi Yehuda said to him: ‘Enough, Meir, one does not expound Song of Songs disparagingly, but rather, favorably, as Song of Songs was given only in praise of Israel. What is: “While the king was at his feast”? While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Israel released a fine fragrance before Mount Sinai, and said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will obey” (Exodus 24:7). According to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, it should have said: My stench released its odor.268Since the verse was referring to the Golden Calf, it should have referred to stench rather than the fragrance of the sweet-smelling nard. Rather, a treatise ascended in their hand from the Diaspora,269The midrash is citing an ancient tradition recorded in a treatise that was transported from Babylon during the Return to Zion to build the second Temple. and they taught in its regard that He skipped the incident of the calf for them and the act of the Tabernacle preceded it.270The sin of the Golden Calf (Exodus chap. 32) should have been recorded in the Torah immediately following the events of the revelation at Sinai. Instead, it is preceded by the commandments concerning the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus chapters 25–31), to indicate that even when Israel sinned, they were still beloved in the eyes of the God. Therefore, the verse characterizes their odor as nard. Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Eliezer says: “While the king was at his feast,” while the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Mount Sinai was already enveloped in flames, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11). Rabbi Akiva says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, already, “the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 24:16). Rabbi Berekhya says: While Moses was at his feast in the firmament,271While he was still on Mount Sinai. as he is called king, as it is stated: “He became king in Yeshurun, when the heads of the people were assembled” (Deuteronomy 33:5), already, “God spoke all these matters saying” (Exodus 20:1). Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov and the Rabbis, Rabbi Eliezer says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Mikhael, the great prince, had already descended from the heavens and rescued Abraham our patriarch from the fiery furnace. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He descended and rescued him, as it is stated: “I am the Lord who took you out of Ur of the Chaldeans” (Genesis 15:7). When did Mikhael descend? It was in the days of Ḥanaya, Mishael, and Azarya.272Mikhael is identified as the angel who descended to rescue Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya from the fiery furnace (see Daniel 3:25). Rabbi Tavyomei said: While Jacob our patriarch was lying [mesev] in his bed, 273The expression “at his feast [bimsibo]” in the verse is interpreted as a reference to Jacob lying on his deathbed. the Divine Spirit gleamed in him, and he said to his sons: “God will be with you” (Genesis 48:21). He said to them: ‘He is destined to rest His Divine Presence in your midst.’ Rav Naḥman said: It is written: “Israel and everything that he had traveled and came to Beersheba” (Genesis 46:1). Where did he go? He went to chop down the cedars that Abraham our patriarch had planted in Beersheba, as it is stated: “He planted a tamarisk in Beersheba” (Genesis 21:33).274Jacob chopped them down in order to take them to Egypt. Rabbi Levi said: It is written: “The central bar inside the planks extending from end to end” (Exodus 26:28). The bar was thirty-two cubits long. From where did they have it in their possession at that moment?275Where did they get such a long piece of wood in the wilderness, just when they needed it to build this part of the Tabernacle? It teaches that they were hidden with them from the days of Jacob our patriarch. That is what is written: “And everyone with whom acacia wood was found” (Exodus 35:24); “acacia wood was found,” is not written here, but rather, “with whom…it was found”—from the outset. Rabbi Levi bar Ḥiyya said: They chopped them down in Magdala of the dyers276This was the name of a place in the Land of Israel. and took them with them down to Egypt. They had no knots and no cracks. There were acacia trees in Magdala and the custom was to prohibit [using] them due to the sanctity of the Ark.277Even in the times of the Sages of the midrash, acacia trees grew in Magdala, but due to the tradition that the wood eventually used for the Ark and the rest of the Tabernacle had been cut from there, the people of Magdala would not make use of the acacia trees. They came and asked Rav Ḥananya, colleague of the Rabbis, and he said to them: Do not deviate from the custom of your ancestors.
