Herbal Judaism Eden Village Camp | Summer 2016 | Yahodut/Herbal

"A lily among the thorns," (Song of Songs 2:2). Rav Azariah said in the name of Rav Judah son of Rav Simon, cited a parable of a king who had an orchard planted with a row of figs, a row of grapevines, a row of pomegranate tress, and a row of apple trees. The king turned the orchard over to a keeper and went away. After a while, the king came back and inspected the orchard to see how it had done, and found it overgrown with thorns and thistles. So he summoned woodcutters to raze the orchard. But when he saw there a rose colored lily, he picked it up and breathed in its fragrance, and his spirit was calmed. The king said, 'Because of this lily, let the entire orchard be spared." So too, all the world was created because of Torah. After 26 generations the Holy One came to inspect the world and found it filled with water in water. The generation of Enosh was water in water. The generation of the Flood was water in water. The generation of the Dispersion was water in water. He brought woodcutters to raze, as it is written 'God brought the flood' (Ps. 29). He saw in it one rose colored lily, Israel. And held it and breathed its fragrance in the moment He gave them the Ten Sayings, and His mind was at peace. At the moment they said 'we will do and we will hear;, the Holy One said: 'Because of this lily the orchard will be spared'. Because of the merit of Torah and Israel the world will be spared.