Song of Songs Rabbah 1:12

¹“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. Rather, a treatise ascended in their hand from the Diaspora, and they taught in its regard that He skipped the incident of the calf for them and the act of the Tabernacle preceded it. 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, 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. Rabbi Tavyomei said: While Jacob our patriarch was lying [ mesev ] in his bed, ]” 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). 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? 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 dyers 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. They came and asked Rav Ḥananya, colleague of the Rabbis, and he said to them: Do not deviate from the custom of your ancestors. ²Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: “While the king was at his feast,” while the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, was at His feast, in the firmament—He arrived early, as it is stated: “It was on the third day when it was morning” (Exodus 19:16). [This is analogous] to a king who decreed: On such and such day I will enter the province. The residents of the province slept through the night and when the king arrived, he found them asleep. He positioned trumpets, horns, and a shofar, the governor of that province awakened them and brought them out to meet the king, and the king walked before them until he reached his palace. So too, the Holy One blessed be He arrived early, as it is stated: “It was on the third day when it was morning,” and it is written: “For on the third day, the Lord will descend before the eyes of the entire people” (Exodus 19:11). Israel slept through that entire night because sleep during [the season of] Shavuot is pleasant and the night is short. Rabbi Yudan said: Not even a flea stung them. The Holy One blessed be He came and found them asleep. He began positioning trumpets; that is what is written: “It was on the third day when it was morning, there was thunder and lightning” (Exodus 19:16), and Moses was awakening them and taking them out to meet the King of kings the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Moses took the people out of the camp toward God” (Exodus 19:17). The Holy One blessed be He was walking before them until He reached Mount Sinai, as it is written: “The entire Mount Sinai was smoking [because the Lord had descended]” (Exodus 19:18). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is why He taunted them through Isaiah, as it is stated: “Why have I come and there is no man, I called and there is no one to answer? Is My hand insufficient for redemption?” (Isaiah 50:2). ³Rabbi Yudan said: While Hezekiah and his entourage were partaking of their Paschal offerings in Jerusalem, the Holy One blessed be He had already come earlier that night, as it is stated: “It was on that night that an angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians” (II Kings 19:35). Rabbi Abahu said: While Moses and the Israelites were reclining and partaking of their Paschal offerings in Egypt, the Holy One blessed be He had already come earlier, as it is stated: “It was at midnight, and the Lord smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:29). According to the opinion of Rabbi Abahu it should have said: My stench released its odor. It teaches that the odor of that blood was intolerable, but the Holy One blessed be He provided them with a fine fragrance from the spices of the Garden of Eden and their souls desired to partake of it. They said to him: ‘Moses our master, give us something to eat.’ Moses said to them: ‘This is what the Holy One blessed be He said to me: “No foreigner shall partake of it”’ (Exodus 12:43). They rose and separated the foreigners that were in their midst. Their soul desired to partake. They said to him: ‘Moses our master, give us something to eat.’ Moses said to them: ‘This is what the Holy One blessed be He said to me: “And any man’s slave, purchased with silver: you shall circumcise him, then he shall partake of it”’ (Exodus 12:44). They rose and circumcised their slaves. Their soul desired to partake. They said to him: ‘Give us something to eat.’ He said to them: ‘This is what the Holy One blessed be He said to me: The principle is: “All uncircumcised men shall not partake of it”’ (Exodus 12:48). Immediately, each and every one of them placed his sword on his thigh and circumcised himself. Who circumcised them? Rabbi Berekhya said: Moses was the circumciser, Aaron uncovered, and Joshua gave them to drink. Some say: Joshua was the circumciser, Aaron uncovered, and Moses gave them to drink; that is what is written: “At that time, the Lord said to Joshua: Make flint knives for yourself and circumcise the children of Israel again, a second time” (Joshua 5:2). Why “a second time”? From here [it may be derived] that he had circumcised them the first time. Immediately, “Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the children of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins” (Joshua 5:3). What is “at the Hill of the Foreskins”? Rabbi said: It teaches that they made that hill out of foreskins.