ויקרא רבה כ״גVayikra Rabbah 23

Section 1א׳

כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם (ויקרא יח, ג), הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שיר השירים ב, ב): כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים, רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַר קְרָא בְּרִבְקָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כה, כ): וַיְהִי יִצְחָק בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, אִם לְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִיא מִפַּדַן אֲרָם, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֲחוֹת לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי, אֶלָּא אָבִיהָ רַמַּאי וְאַנְשֵׁי מְקוֹמָהּ רַמָּאִין, וְצַדֶּקֶת הַזּוֹ יוֹצֵאת מִבֵּנָתַיִם, לְמָה הִיא דּוֹמָה לְשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים. רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר כְּתִיב (בראשית כח, ה): וַיִשְׁלַח יִצְחָק אֶת יַעֲקֹב וַיֵּלֶךְ וגו', כְּלָלָן כֻּלָּן בְּרַמָּאוּת.

“You shall not act in accordance with the practices of the land of Egypt in which you lived, and you shall not act in accordance with the practices of the land of Canaan where I am bringing you, and you shall not follow their statutes” (Leviticus 18:3). “In accordance with the practices of the land of Egypt” – that is what is written: “Like a lily among the thorns” (Song of Songs 2:2). Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted the verse regarding Rebecca, as it is stated: “Isaac was forty years old [when he took Rebecca, daughter of Betuel the Aramean, from Padan Aram, sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife]” (Genesis 25:20). If it is to teach that she was from Padan Aram, why does the verse state that she was the sister of Lavan the Aramean? Rather, her father was a deceiver [ramai] and the people of her locality were deceivers, and this righteous woman emerged from their midst. To what is she comparable? 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]” (Genesis 28:5), he included them all in deceit.

Section 2ב׳

רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַר קְרָא בִּגְאֻלַּת מִצְרַיִם, מַה שּׁוֹשַׁנָּה זוֹ כְּשֶׁהִיא נְתוּנָה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים הִיא קָשָׁה עַל בַּעֲלָהּ לְלָקְטָהּ, כָּךְ הָיְתָה גְּאֻלָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל קָשָׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִגָּאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברים ד, לד): אוֹ הֲנִסָּה אֱלֹהִים לָבוֹא לָקַחַת לוֹ גּוֹי מִקֶּרֶב גּוֹי וגו'. אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ עֲרֵלִים, אֵלּוּ מְגַדְּלֵי בְּלוֹרִית וְאֵלּוּ מְגַדְּלֵי בְּלוֹרִיּת, אֵלּוּ לוֹבְשֵׁי כִּלְאַיִם וְאֵלּוּ לוֹבְשֵׁי כִּלְאַיִם, אִם כֵּן לֹא הָיְתָה נוֹתֶנֶת מִדַּת הַדִּין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּגָּאֲלוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם לְעוֹלָם. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אִלּוּלֵי שֶׁאָסַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַצְמוֹ בִּשְׁבוּעָה לֹא נִגְאֲלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹלָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמות ו, ו): לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי ה', וְאֵין לָכֵן אֶלָּא שְׁבוּעָה, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (שמואל א ג, יד): וְלָכֵן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְבֵית עֵלִי. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה (תהלים עז, טז): גָּאַלְתָּ בִּזְרוֹעַ עַמֶּךָ, בִּטְרוֹנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן מִלָּבוֹא לָקַחַת לוֹ גּוֹי מִקֶּרֶב גּוֹי וְעַד (דברים ד, לד): מוֹרָאִים גְּדֹלִים שִׁבְעִים וּשְׁתַּיִם אוֹתִיּוֹת הֵן, וְאִם יֹאמַר לְךָ אָדָם שִׁבְעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אֱמֹר לוֹ הוֹצֵא מֵהֶן גּוֹי הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה מִן הַמִּנְיָן. אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין בִּשְׁמוֹ גּוֹאֲלָן, שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שִׁבְעִים וּשְׁתַּיִם אוֹתִיּוֹת.

Rabbi Elazar interpreted the verse regarding the redemption from Egypt. Just as the lily, when it is situated among the thorns, it is difficult for its owner to pick it, so was the redemption of Israel difficult before the Holy One blessed be He to perform. That is what is written: “Or has a god sought to come and take for himself a nation from the midst of a nation, [with tribulations, with signs, and with wonders, and with war, and with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fearsome deeds, like everything that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?]” (Deuteronomy 4:34). These and those were uncircumcised. These grew long locks of hair and those grew long locks of hair. These wore diverse kinds and those wore diverse kinds; therefore, the attribute of justice would not allow Israel to ever be redeemed. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Had it not been that the Holy One blessed be He had bound Himself with an oath, Israel would never have been redeemed. That is what is written: “Therefore [lakhen], say to the children of Israel, I am the Lord, [and I will take you out…I will rescue you…I will redeem you]” (Exodus 6:6). Lakhen is nothing other than an expression of oath, just as it says: “Therefore [lakhen], 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) – with force. Rabbi Yudan said: From “to come and take for himself a nation from the midst of a nation” until “with fearsome deeds” are seventy-two letters. Were a person to day to you that there are seventy-five, say to him: Remove the second [usage of the word] “nation [goy],” as it is not included in the tally. Rabbi Avin said: He redeems them with His name, as the name of the Holy One blessed be He is seventy-two letters.

Section 3ג׳

רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן אוֹמֵר, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ פַּרְדֵּס נָטוּעַ שׁוּרָה שֶׁל תְּאֵנִים וְשֶׁל גְּפָנִים וְשֶׁל רִמּוֹנִים וְשֶׁל תַּפּוּחִים, וּמָסַר לְאָרִיס וְהָלַךְ לוֹ, לְאַחַר יָמִים בָּא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהֵצִיץ בַּפַּרְדֵּס לֵידַע מֶה עָשָׂה, וּמְצָאוֹ מָלֵא חוֹחִין וְדַרְדַּרִין, הֵבִיא קַצָּצִים לְקֻצּוֹ, וְהֵצִיץ בְּאוֹתָן הַחוֹחִין וְרָאָה בוֹ שׁוֹשַׁנָּה אַחַת שֶׁל וֶרֶד, נְטָלָהּ וְהֵרִיחַ בָּהּ וְשָׁבַת נַפְשׁוֹ עֲלֵיהּ, אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּשְׁבִיל שׁוֹשַׁנָּה זוֹ יִנָּצֵל כָּל הַפַּרְדֵּס. כָּךְ כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל תּוֹרָה, לְאַחַר עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה דּוֹרוֹת הֵצִיץ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעוֹלָמוֹ לֵידַע מֶה עָשָׂה, וּמָצָא מָלֵא מַיִם בְּמַיִם, דּוֹר אֱנוֹשׁ מַיִם בְּמַיִם, דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל מַיִם בְּמַיִם, דּוֹר הַפְלָגָה מַיִם בְּמַיִם, וְהֵבִיא קַצָּצִים לְקוֹצְצוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים כט, י): ה' לַמַּבּוּל יָשָׁב וגו', רָאָה בוֹ שׁוֹשַׁנָּה אַחַת שֶׁל וֶרֶד, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּנְטָלָהּ וֶהֱרִיחָהּ, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶם עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, וְשָׁבַת נַפְשׁוֹ עָלָיו, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ (שמות כד, ז): נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל שׁוֹשַׁנָּה זוֹ יִנָּצֵל הַפַּרְדֵּס, בִּזְכוּת תּוֹרָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִנָּצֵל הָעוֹלָם.

Rabbi Azarya says in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: This is analogous to a king who had an orchard planted with rows of fig trees, of grapevines, of pomegranates, and of apples. He entrusted it to a sharecropper and went. Some time later, the king came and looked at the orchard to ascertain what it had produced. He found it filled with thorns and thistles. He brought hewers to chop it down and he looked at the thorns and saw among them a single rose. He took it and smelled it and he was placated. The king said: ‘Due to this rose, the entire orchard will be spared.’ So too, the entire world was created only for the sake of the Torah. After twenty-six generations, the Holy One blessed be He looked at His world to ascertain what it had accomplished and He found it filled with water upon water; the generation of Enosh, water upon water; the generation of the Flood, water upon water; the generation of the Dispersion, water upon water, and He brought hewers to chop it down, as it is stated: “The Lord sat at the Flood” (Psalms 29:10). He saw one rose – this is Israel. He took it and smelled it, at the moment that He gave them the Ten Commandments, and He was placated. At the moment that they said: “We will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7), the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Due to this rose, the entire orchard will be spared, due to the merit of Torah and Israel, the world will be spared.’