Fragrance: The Aroma of the Torah
On Shavuot, we read that the Torah was given with thunder, lightning, smoke, shaking ground, and a shofar blast. How do we experience the Torah with all our senses today?
Song of Songs 5:13
His cheeks are like beds of spices, banks of perfume, his lips are like lilies.
ืฉืืจ ืืฉืจืื ื:ืื
ืึฐืึธืึธื ืึผึทืขึฒืจืึผืึทืช ืึทืึผึนืฉืึถื ืึดืึฐืึผึฐืืึนืช ืึถืจึฐืงึธืึดืื ืฉืึดืคึฐืชืึนืชึธืื ืฉืืึนืฉืึทื ึผึดืื ื ึนืึฐืคืึนืช ืืึนืจ ืขึนืึตืจ:
BT Shabbat 88b
Rabbi Yehoshuah ben Levi said: What does it mean: “His cheeks are beds of spices?” (Song of Songs 5:13) With every single utterance that came from the mouth of the Holy Blessed One, the whole world was filled with [the fragrance of] spices. And since the first utterance filled it, where did the second utterance go? The Holy Blessed One took the wind from God’s storehouse and brought around each [fragrance], one by one, as it is stated: “His lips are like lilies. They drip flowing myrrh.” (ibid.) Do not read “shoshanim” [lilies], rather “sheshonim” [repeat].
ืชืืืื ืืืื ืฉืืช ืคื ื
ืืืืจ ืจืื ืืืืฉืข ืื ืืื: ืืื ืืืชืื ืืืื ืืขืจืืืช ืืืฉื – ืื ืืืืจ ืืืืืจ ืฉืืฆื ืืคื ืืงืืืฉ ืืจืื ืืื ื ืชืืื ืื ืืขืืื ืืืื ืืฉืืื. ืืืืื ืฉืืืืืืจ ืจืืฉืื ื ืชืืื, – ืืืืืจ ืฉื ื ืืืืื ืืื? – ืืืฆืื ืืงืืืฉ ืืจืื ืืื ืืจืื ืืืืฆืจืืชืื, ืืืื ืืขืืืจ ืจืืฉืื ืจืืฉืื, ืฉื ืืืจ ืฉืคืชืืชืื ืฉืืฉื ืื ื ืืืคืืช ืืืจ ืขืืจ, ืื ืชืงืจื ืฉืืฉื ืื ืืื ืฉืฉืื ืื.
Sefat Emet on Bemidbar / Shavuot
In any case, every creature can sense the frangrance of Torah, just like in: “the whole world was filled with [the fragrance of] spices” (BT Shabbat 88b). This means that even those who were unable to receive the core of Torah could absorb its good fragrance, as is the case with “one who enters a spice store” [with many spices and is required to say the blessing on smelling spice (Shulhan Arukh OH 217:1)]. So too, when the Holy Blessed One descended to give Torah to Israel, everyone received the fragrance of Torah.
ืฉืคืช ืืืช ืืืืืจ – ืฉืืืขืืช
ืืืืืื ืืจืืืฉื ืื ืืืจืืืื ืจืื ืชืืจื ืืืืืชื ืฉื ืชืืื ืืขืืื ืืืื ืืฉืืื ืคื’ ืืคืืื ืื ืฉืื ืื’ ืืืื ืืงืื ืขืืงืจ ืชืืจื ืจืื ืืื ืงืื ืืืืืชื ืื ืื ืก ืืื ืืชื ืฉื ืืืฉื ืื’. ืืื ืื ืืฉืืจื ืืงืืืฉ ืืจืื ืืื ืืืชื ืชืืจื ืืืฉืจืื ืงืืื ืืืื ืจืื ืชืืจื.