Мидраш к Шир ха-ширим 2:2

“Like a lily among the thorns, so is my love among the girls” (Song of Songs 2:2).
“Like a lily among the thorns,” Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted the verse regarding Rebecca, as it is stated: “Isaac was forty years old, and he took Rebecca, daughter of Betuel the Aramaean of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramaean, [to be his wife]” (Genesis 25:20). If it is to teach that she was from Padan Aram, why does the verse state: “Sister of Laban the Aramean”?¹⁴Why does the verse emphasize that her father was an Aramean and her brother was an Aramean and that she was from Padan Aram? Rather, her father was a swindler [ramai], her brother was a swindler, and the people of her area were swindlers, and this righteous woman emerged from their midst. To what is she comparable? It is to a “lily among the thorns.”
Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Simon: It is written: “Isaac sent Jacob and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban son of Betuel the Aramean,” thereby including all of them in swindling.¹⁵By mentioning “Aramean” at the end of the verse, it implies that all those mentioned in the verse were swindlers. Yet Jacob did not learn from their corrupt ways (Etz Yosef).

Rabbi Eliezer interpreted the verse regarding the redemption from Egypt. Just as this lily, when it is situated among the thorns, is difficult for its owner to pluck it, so too, the redemption of Israel was difficult for the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Or has a god sought to come and take for himself a nation from the midst of a nation…?” (Deuteronomy 4:34). Rabbi Yehoshua said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanan: It is not written here: “A nation from the midst of a people,” or “a people from the midst of a nation,” but rather, “a nation from the midst of a nation,” as these were uncircumcised and those were uncircumcised, these grew their hairlocks and those grew their hairlocks,¹⁶The reference is a to a hairstyle that was common among gentiles, known as belorit, in which they would grow a long lock of hair from the backs of their heads. these wore garments of diverse kinds and those wore garments of diverse kinds.¹⁷The Israelites and Egyptians appeared quite similar to each other in appearance and in lifestyle. If so, the attribute of justice would never have allowed Israel to be redeemed from Egypt. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Had the Holy One blessed be He not bound Himself with an oath, Israel would never have been redeemed from Egypt. That is what is written: “Therefore, say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord and I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt” (Exodus 6:6). “Therefore” is nothing other than an oath, just as it says: “Therefore, I have taken an oath to the house of Eli” (I Samuel 3:14). Rabbi Berekhya said: “With Your arm, You redeemed Your people” (Psalms 77:16), by force.¹⁸You overcame the attribute of justice by force.
Rabbi Yudan said: From “to come and take for himself a nation” until “awesome deeds” (Deuteronomy 4:34) there are seventy-two letters.¹⁹In the Hebrew text. If a person will tell you seventy-five, say to him: Exclude from them the second [mention of the word] nation [goy], which is not included in the tally. Rabbi Avin said: He redeemed them with His name, as the name of the Holy One blessed be He consists of seventy-two letters. ²⁰The second nation is Egypt, which is not included in the name of God.

Rabbi Azarya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda that Rabbi Simon said: This is analogous to a king who had an orchard, and they descended and planted a row of fig trees, a row of grapevines, a row of pomegranate trees, and a row of apple trees. He entrusted it to a sharecropper and went. Some time later, the king came and peered at the orchard to ascertain what he had done, and he found it filled with thorns and briars. He brought cutters to cut it down,²¹He was going to cut down the entire orchard. but he saw a rose in it and smelled it, and he was placated. The king said: Because of this rose, the orchard will be saved. So too, the world was created only for Israel. After twenty-six generations passed, the Holy One blessed be He peered at His world to ascertain what it had done, and He saw that it was water in water. The generation of Enosh was obliterated with water.²²See Bereishit Rabba 23:6. The Generation of the Flood was obliterated with water; the Generation of the Dispersion, in water. He brought cutters to cut it, as it is stated: “The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood” (Psalms 29:10).²³He sat in judgment. He saw a rose, this is, Israel; He took it and smelled it when Israel assented to the Ten Commandments, and He was placated. When Israel said: “We will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7), the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Due to this rose, the orchard will be spared; due to the merit of the Torah and those who engage in its study, the world will be spared.’

Rabbi Ḥanan of Tzippori interpreted the verse regarding acts of kindness. The way of the world is that ten men enter into a house of mourning and none of them is able to open his mouth to recite the blessing of the mourners.²⁴Many people are not fluent in this blessing. One opens his mouth and recites the blessing of the mourners; to what is he comparable? To “a lily among the thorns.” The way of the world is that ten men enter the house of the wedding feast and none of them is able to open his mouth to recite the blessing of the bridegrooms. One opens his mouth and recites the blessing of the bridegrooms; to what is he comparable? To “a lily among the thorns.” The way of the world is that ten men enter the synagogue and none of them is able to recite aloud the blessings before Shema and pass before the ark.²⁵To repeat the Amida prayer as the leader of the prayer service. One of them recites aloud the blessings before Shema and passes before the ark; to what is he comparable? To “a lily among the thorns.”
Rabbi Elazar went to a certain place. They said to him: ‘Recite aloud the blessings before Shema.’ He said to them: ‘I am not wise.’ [They said:] ‘Pass before the ark.’²⁶Again he demurred, claiming that he did not know how. They said: ‘Is this Rabbi Elazar? Is this the one whom they praise? They call him “our master” for nothing.’ He turned pale and he went to his teacher Rabbi Akiva. [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘Why do you look ill?’ He related the incident to him and he said to him: ‘Would my master like to teach me?’ He said to him: ‘Yes,’ and he taught him. Sometime later he went [back] to that place. They said to him: ‘Recite aloud the blessings before Shema for us.’ He recited for them. ‘Pass before the ark.’ He passed. They said: ‘Rabbi Elazar has been fortified,’ and they called him Rabbi Elazar the strong. Rabbi Yona would teach his students the blessing of the bridegrooms and the blessing of the mourners so that they would be prepared in every circumstance.

Rabbi Huna interpreted the verse regarding the kingdoms.²⁷The kingdoms within which the Jewish people are scattered in exile. Just as a lily, when it is situated among the thorns, a north wind emerges, tilts it northward, and the thorn pierces it, but, nevertheless, its stalk is directed upward; so, too, Israel, even though taxes and levies are collected from them, their heart is directed toward their Father in Heaven, as it is stated: “My eyes are always toward God” (Psalms 25:15).
Rabbi Aivu interpreted the verse regarding the future redemption.²⁸Literally, tomorrow’s redemption. Just as this lily, when it is situated among the thorns, it is difficult for its owner to pluck it; what does he do? He brings fire and burns [the thorns] around it and then plucks it. So too, “The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob that those that surround him should be his adversaries” (Lamentations 1:17), like Ḥalamish to Naveh, Jericho to No’aron, Susitan to Tiberias, Kastra to Haifa, Lod to Ono.²⁹All of these were gentile cities that were adjacent to Jewish cities. That is what is written: “This is Jerusalem, in the midst of the nations I have situated it” (Ezekiel 5:5). In the future, when the end of days will arrive, what will the Holy One blessed be He do? He will bring fire and burn around it. That is what is written: “Peoples will be burnings of lime, [cut thorns ignited with fire]” (Isaiah 33:12). What is written there? “The Lord alone will lead him [and there is no foreign god with Him]” (Deuteronomy 32:12).³⁰There will no longer be peoples who engage in idol worship (Onkelos).

Rabbi Avun said: Just as this lily, when a hot wind passes over it, it is shriveled [and] when dew emerges, it blossoms; so too, as long as the shadow of Esau exists, [Israel] appears shriveled in this world. When the shadow of Esau has passed, Israel blossoms and develops. That is what is written: “I will be like dew to Israel, it will blossom like a lily” (Hosea 14:6). Just as this lily continues to exist due to its fragrance,³¹It has value even when it shrivels up as long as it retains its fragrance (see Matnot Kehuna; Etz Yosef). so Israel continues to exist due to mitzvot and good deeds. Just as this lily is only for its fragrance, so too, the righteous were created only for the redemption of Israel. Just as this lily is placed on the table of kings from beginning to end,³²Of the meal. so too Israel, they are in this world and they are in the World to Come. Just as this lily is conspicuous among the grasses, so Israel is conspicuous among the nations of the world, as it is stated: “All who see them will recognize them” (Isaiah 61:9). Just as this lily is designated for Shabbatot and festivals, so, Israel is designated for the future redemption.
Rabbi Berekhya said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Go say to Israel: My children, when you were in Egypt, you were like a lily among the thorns. Now that you are entering the land of Canaan, be like a lily among the thorns, pay attention that you will not emulate the practices of these or the actions of those.’ That is what is written: “You shall not emulate the practices of the land of Egypt in which you lived, and you shall not emulate the practices of the land of Canaan where I am bringing you …” (Leviticus 18:3).

And Jacob called unto his sons (Gen. 49:1). May it please our master to teach us whether the one who leads the congregation in prayer may respond “Amen” after the priests. Thus did our sages teach us: The person who leads the congregation in prayer is not permitted to respond “Amen” after the priests.¹²He might become confused by the interruption and err in his prayers (see Bava Batra 34a). He might also be considered inferior to the priests. The fact that the person who leads the congregation in prayer may not respond “Amen” after the priest proves how precious he is to the Holy One, blessed be He. R. Hanan said: When ten men enter a synagogue, the one who recites the prayers preceding the Shema is called a lily among the thorns (Song 2:2).