Commentary for Song of Songs 1:12

While the king was at his table. The congregation of Yisroel replies and says, “All this is true. You bestowed good upon me, but I repaid You with evil, for while the King was still at the table of His wedding banquet...”⁴⁷At Mount Sinai.

When the Glory resided upon its throne, this being the revelation at Sinai, the shekhinah said: My nard gave forth its fragrance. Israel desired to view God eye to eye, stating: “It is our desire to see our King!” They received a positive answer, as it is written: “He said to Moses: ‘Ascend to God’” [Exod. 24:1]. And it says: “they gazed upon God” [Exod. 24:11].

My spikenard gave out its fragrance. This expression is instead of [saying], “gave forth its stench.” When the Divine Presence was still at Sinai, I sinned with the [golden] calf; Scripture describes it with an expression of love, “gave out its fragrance,” and it did not write, “stank,” or “became putrid,” because Scripture speaks euphemistically. (See Rashi in Maseches Shabbos, Chapter “Rabbi Akiva”⁴⁸88b. who states the reason for not writing “stank” or “ became putrid” is because of love. However according to the Tosafists explanation there, the reason that “gave out” is written instead of “abandoned its fragrance,” is because of love. However, it is not written, “stank,” or “ became putrid,” even without that reason, but because of euphemism.)