Song of Songs Rabbah 3:6

¹“Who is this ascending from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all the powders of the merchant?” (Song of Songs 3:6). “Who is this ascending from the wilderness,” its ascent was in the wilderness; its removal was in the wilderness; its death was in the wilderness, just as it says: “In this wilderness they will cease to exist” (Numbers 14:35). Torah [was given] from the wilderness, the Tabernacle from the wilderness, Sanhedrin from the wilderness, priesthood from the wilderness, Levites from the wilderness, royalty from the wilderness, as it is stated: “You will be for Me a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6); and all the fine gifts that the Holy One blessed be He gave to Israel were from the wilderness. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: In the wilderness they loaded, and in the wilderness they unloaded. Prophecy is from the wilderness. That is, its ascent is from the wilderness. ²“Like columns of smoke.” Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra: When Israel was wandering from journey to journey, the pillar of cloud would descend and the pillar of fire would ascend, and the smoke from the arrangement of wood [on the altar] would ascend like two sparks of fire. They would emerge from between the two staves of the Ark and burn before them snakes, fiery serpents, and scorpions. The nations of the world would see and say: ‘They are gods and all their actions are performed with fire.’ Due to their terror of Israel, fear and trembling would beset them. That is what is written: “Terror and fear will beset them” (Exodus 15:16). “Beset them” is not written, but rather “will beset them”—from here and on. “Perfumed with myrrh,” this is our patriarch Abraham. Just as myrrh is the first of all the spices, so too, Abraham our patriarch was the first of all the righteous. Just as myrrh, anyone who gathers it, his hands have a bitter residue, so too, Abraham our patriarch would embitter and torment himself with suffering. Just as myrrh emanates its fragrance only in fire, so Abraham divulged his good deeds only in the fiery furnace. 38:13). “And frankincense,” this is our patriarch Isaac, who was sacrificed like a handful of frankincense on the altar. “With all the powders of the merchant,” this is Jacob our patriarch, whose bed was unflawed and no waste was found among them. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Just as there are all kinds of spices in the peddler’s box, so too, priesthood is from Jacob, and Levites and royalty from Jacob. Isaac, Abraham gave him everything that was his, as it is stated: “Abraham gave everything that was his to Isaac” (Genesis 25:5). However, all of Jacob’s wares were only from the dust that was beneath his feet. ], as the verse states: “A man wrestled [ vaye’avek ] with him there” (Genesis 32:25). See Genesis 32:25–30. ( Matnot Kehuna ). Rabbi Yudan said two [statements]. Rabbi Yudan said: All the wares with which Israel engages and is successful in this world are due to the merit of that dust of Jacob our patriarch. Rabbi Yudan said another: All the merchandise that Israel produces and succeeds with in this world are due to the merit of that dust of Jacob our patriarch. Rabbi Azarya said two [statements]: All the wars in which Israel engages and succeeds are due to the merit of that dust of Jacob our patriarch. Rabbi Azarya said another: All the Torah that Israel performs in this world is due to the merit of Jacob our patriarch. Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Simon [said] in the name of Rabbi Abahu: That dust, the Holy One blessed be He took it and placed it under His throne of glory. That is what is written: “The Lord, his way is in the tempest and in the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet” (Nahum 1:3). ³Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥelbo: It is written: “A man wrestled with him” (Genesis 32:25). We do not know who was dominated by whom; whether the angel was dominated by Jacob or Jacob was dominated by the angel, except from what is written: “He said: Release me, as dawn has broken” (Genesis 32:27). The angel said to Jacob: ‘Release me, as the time for my lauding has arrived.’ Thus, the angel was dominated by Jacob. In what guise did he appear to him? Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: He appeared to him in the guise of Esau’s guardian angel. That is what is written: “For I have therefore seen your face like seeing the face of an angel” (Genesis 33:10). [Jacob] said to [Esau]: ‘Your face is like that of your angel.’ This is analogous to a king who had a tamed lion and a wild dog. What did the king do? He brought the lion and incited it against his son. He would say: If the dog comes upon my son, my son will say: If I overcame the lion will I not be able to overcome the dog? So too, when the nations of the world come upon Israel, the Holy One blessed be He says to then: ‘Your guardian angel was not able to withstand their ancestor, will you be able to overcome them?’ Rabbi Huna said: He appeared to him as a herdsman; this one had flocks and that one had flocks, this one had camels and that one had camels. He said to him: ‘Cross mine and I will cross yours.’ 77:3 and with the continuation of the midrash here ( Etz Yosef ). After Jacob our patriarch crossed his, he said: ‘Let us return and see, perhaps we forgot something.’ Once he returned, “a man wrestled with him.” Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great and Rabbi Shimon ben Rabbi were engaged in commerce and were dealing silk fabric. They entered Tyre and engaged in their labor. When they exited the city gates, they said: ‘Let us return and see, perhaps we forgot something.’ They returned and found a bundle of silk fabric. They said: This matter is from Jacob our grandfather, as it is written: “A man wrestled with him.” The Rabbis say: He appeared to him as an arch robber; this one had flocks and that one had flocks, this one had camels and that one had camels. He said to him: Cross mine and I will cross yours. The angel crossed Jacob’s flocks in the blink of an eye. Our patriarch Jacob was crossing the flocks of the angel, and he was returning and finding other flocks all that night. What did Jacob our patriarch do? Rabbi Pinḥas said: At that moment, Jacob wrapped a soft woolen scarf around his neck. He said to him: ‘Sorcerer, sorcerer, you are a wizard, but wizardry is not effective at night.’ Rabbi Huna said: At that moment the angel said: ‘Shall I not inform him with whom he is dealing?’ What did he do? He placed a finger on a rock and it began bursting into flames. [Jacob] said to him: ‘With this you are seeking to frighten me? I am constituted entirely from it,’ as it is stated: “The house of Jacob will be fire” (Obadiah 1:18). Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Esau’s guardian angel: ‘Are you standing against him? He is coming against you with five amulets in his hand: His merit, the merit of his father, the merit of his mother, the merit of his grandfather, and the merit of his grandmother. Assess yourself relative to him, as you are unable to stand even against his own merit.’ Immediately, “he saw that he could not overcome him” (Genesis 32:26). Rabbi Levi said: He saw in the Divine Presence that he could not overcome him. [This is analogous] to an arch robber who was struggling with the son of a king. He lifted his eyes and saw that his father the king was standing over him, and he submitted to him. So too, when the angel saw the Divine Presence standing over Jacob, he submitted before him. That is what is written: “He saw that he could not overcome him.” Rabbi Levi said: He saw in the Divine Presence that he could not overcome him. “He touched the socket of his thigh” (Genesis 32:26), the righteous men and the righteous women and the prophets and the prophetesses who were destined to emerge from him and his sons. What is that? It is the generation of persecution. “The socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated [ vateka ]” (Genesis 32:26), Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Eliezer says: He smoothed it. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rav Asi: He fractured it like [one splits] a fish. Rabbi Naḥman bar Yaakov said: He dislocated it, just as you say: “My soul was alienated [ vateka ] from her” (Ezekiel 23:18). ⁴Rabbi Yoḥanan interpreted the verse: “Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all the powders of the merchant” regarding the incense of the house of Avtinas, 5:1; Yoma 3:11. and this is one of the eleven spices that they would place in it. Rav Huna interpreted it: “The Lord said to Moses: Take spices for you” (Exodus 30:34), that is two; “stacte, onycha, and galbanum” (Exodus 30:34), that is five; “spices” (Exodus 30:34), if you say that this is two, but did it not already say “spices”? “Each part shall be equal” (Exodus 30:34), these are five corresponding to the five, that is ten. “And pure frankincense” (Exodus 30:34), these are eleven spices. From here the Sages examined and found that only these eleven spices are ideal for incense. It is taught: The house of Avtinas were experts in the preparation of the incense, in the blending of the incense, and it would generate a column of smoke, but they were unwilling to teach it. The Sages sent and brought craftsmen from Alexandria who were expert in the preparation of the incense, but were not expert in generating a column of smoke. That of the house of Avtinas would rise and ascend like a cluster until the rafters, and would then spread and descend like a rod. ). That of [the craftsmen from] Alexandria would spread and descend downward immediately. When the matter became known to the Sages, they said: ‘Everything that the Holy One blessed be He created, He created only for His glory, as it is stated: “Everything that is called by My name, for My glory I created it”’ (Isaiah 43:7), and they restored the house of Avtinas to its position. They sent for them, but they did not want to come until they doubled their wages. They had been receiving twelve maneh each day and they then received twenty-four maneh , in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yuda says: They had been receiving twenty-four maneh each day and they then received forty-eight maneh . 38a). They said to them: ‘Why did you see fit not to teach?’ They said: ‘We have a tradition from our ancestors that the Temple is destined to be destroyed, and we did not wish to teach so that they would not become accustomed to offering it before their idols in the manner that we do so before the Holy One blessed be He.’ Regarding this matter, they are commended; moreover, no woman from among them or child from among them ever went out perfumed. And when they would marry a woman from another place they would make an agreement with her that she would never perfume herself, so that Israel would not say that they were perfuming themselves from the blending of the incense, to fulfill what is stated: “You shall be vindicated before God and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22), and it says: “you will find grace and good favor in the eyes of God and man” (Proverbs 3:4). Rabbi Akiva said: Shimon ben Loga related to me: I and a child from the descendants of the house of Avtinas were gathering herbs in the field, and I saw that he cried and laughed. I said to him: ‘My son, why did you cry?’ He said to me: ‘Due to the honor of my patrilineal home that has been diminished.’ ‘Why did you laugh?’ He said to me: ‘Because it is preserved and designated for the righteous, and ultimately, the Holy One blessed be He is destined to bring joy to His children in the near future.’ What did you see?’ He said to me: ‘Is this not a substance that generates a column of smoke before me?’ I said to him: ‘Show me.’ He said to me: ‘We have a tradition to never show it to any person.’ They said: Not many days elapsed in the world until that child died. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri said: One time I was walking along the way and I found a certain elder of the house of Avtinas who had in his hand a scroll [containing a list] of spices. I said to him: ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said to me: ‘When they were discreet, the members of my patrilineal house would pass the scrolls one to another, but now, here it is for you, but be careful with it, as it is a scroll of spices.’ When I came and related the matters before Rabbi Akiva, his tears flowed. He said to me: ‘From now on, we are no longer permitted to denounce them.’ ). ⁵The house of Garmu were experts in preparation of the showbread and its removal from the oven, but they were unwilling to teach it. The Sages sent and brought craftsmen from Alexandria who were expert in preparation of the showbread, but they were not expert in its removal from the oven. The house of Garmu would ignite the oven toward the outside and [the bread] was removed toward the inside, but these would ignite toward the inside and would bake toward the outside. Some say that it would become moldy. When the matter became known to the Sages, they said: ‘Everything that the Holy One blessed be He did, He did only for His sake,’ as it is stated: “Everything done by the Lord is for His own sake” (Proverbs 16:4), and they restored the house of Garmu to its position. They sent for them, but they did not want to come until they doubled their wages. They had been receiving twelve maneh each day and they then received twenty-four maneh , in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: They had been receiving twenty-four maneh each day and now forty-eight maneh . 38a). They said to them: ‘Why did you see fit not to teach?’ They said: ‘Our patrilineal house knew that the Temple is destined to be destroyed and perhaps an unworthy person will learn [how to produce the showbread] and will go engage in idol worship with it.’ Regarding this matter, they are commended; moreover, no bread from fine flour was ever found in the possession of their sons and daughters, so Israel would not say that they are sustained by the showbread, to fulfill what is stated: “You shall be vindicated before God and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22), and it says: “you will find grace and good favor in the eyes of God and man” (Proverbs 3:4). All of them found a response to their words except for the house of Kamtzar, who did not find an answer. 38b). It was considered advantageous for the name of God to be written in this way so as not to be incomplete for even a small amount of time. They said to them: ‘Why did you see fit not to teach?’ They were silent and did not respond with an answer. Because they sought to increase their glory and diminish the glory of the Omnipresent, their glory diminished and the kingdom of Heaven remains in its place. Moreover, they have no descendant or offspring among Israel. Regarding the first ones, it is stated: “The memory of the righteous is for a blessing” (Proverbs 10:7), and regarding these it is stated: “and the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7). From here, ben Azzai said: From your own they will give you, by your name they shall call you, and in your place they shall seat you, and there is no forgetfulness before the Onmipresent. No person touches what is prepared for another. And one reign does not overlap with another even one hairbreadth. ⁶Hugras ben Levi knew how to sing better than his brethren, but he did not want to teach it. They said about Hugras ben Levi, when he would open his mouth in song, he would insert his thumb into his mouth, his other thumb in the ground, and insert fingers between the two sides of his upper lip and raise his voice in a pleasant tune. He would produce all kinds of sounds until all his brethren the Levites would recoil and turn their heads back. Pinḥas the dresser dressed a general and collected his wages. ). ⁷“Who is this ascending…,” it is speaking of Elisheva daughter of Aminadav. They said: Elisheva daughter of Aminadav saw five celebrations on one day; she saw her brother-in-law become king, her brother [become] a prince, her husband High Priest, and her two sons deputy High Priests, and Pinḥas, her grandson, the priest anointed for war. When her sons entered to sacrifice, they came out burnt, and her celebration was transformed to mourning. Immediately she became like columns of smoke. When Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon died, his generation would read in his regard: “Who is this ascending from the wilderness…from all the powders of the merchant.” What is “from all the powders of the merchant”? Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon was an expert in Bible, Mishna, preaching, and composing ritual poetry.