Parshah Rabbit Hole - Toldos: An Olfactory Tour Through Torah

"[a field] of Apples." Some explain that apples means the fragrance of citrons.

What was that tree [of knowledge] from which Adam and Eve ate? ...

...Rabbi Abba of Akko said it was a citron. That is what is written: “The woman saw that the tree was good for eating…” (Genesis 3:6). Go out and see which is the tree whose wood has a taste like its fruit, and you will find only the citron.

"And Rivkah took the best clothes of her eldest son Esau" (Beresheet 27:15). These are the garments Esau took from Nimrod. They are the precious garments from Adam, which came to the hands of Nimrod, who used them when he hunted, as it is written, "He was a mighty hunter before Hashem" (Beresheet 10:9). And Esau went into the field, where he fought with and killed Nimrod, removing the garments from him.

Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: From where is it derived that one recites a blessing over scent? As it is stated: “Let every soul praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6). He explains the verse: What is it from which the soul derives benefit and the body does not derive benefit from it? You must say: That is scent. Even over items from which only the soul derives benefit, one must recite a blessing and praise God.

You must say: That is scent etc.,. Smell is one of the five senses which are found in every living creature, even those that do not have neshamos (souls). And it makes sense to explain [the Gemara as meaning] that the sense of smell is more spiritual than the other four senses, meaning that it is more connected to the neshama, because the sense of smell is experienced by inhaling air from outside the body into the body where the neshama benefits from it and not the body. It is possible that an animal - which has no neshama, but rather only posesses a spirit of life - although it has a sense of smell, it does not experience pleasure from it because it does not have a neshama.

From below - passes gas audibly

One who sneezes. Rashi explains this as passing gas b'kol (audibly). in Madanei Melech it says "and it seems to me that this would exclude one who passes gas without a sound." This requires examination. Why would it matter [whether the passing of gas is accompanied by a sound or not]? In the Lublin Edition (of the Talmud) it says "passes gas b'kal (easily)"... meaning that it was not an accident.

There is a story of a Chassid who visited a Chacham. The Chassid saw that the Chacham head spread his tallis over the holy books. The Chassid asked: "Why did you spread your tallis over the books?" The Chacham responded: "Because I am sick and have constipation. When I pass gas it eases my discomfort and I do so constantly. And if I did not constantly pass gas the gas would cause great pain to my heart, and it would be dangerous for me. And so I spread my clothes like this over the books." [The Chassid] said to him: Nevertheless, you should distance yourself [from the books] a distance of four cubits." [The Chacham] responded: Why? "Once the curtain was rolled up [and the Tent of Meeting was prepared for travel], zavim and lepers were permitted to enter" (Taanit 21:b). The Chassid replied: "Nevertheless, you should distance yourself." The Chacham said to him: I can only distance myself this far, and more than that would be dangerous for me." The Chassid said to him: "If it is impossible I will not force you to distance."

Rabbi Zeira says that the source is from here: The verse states concerning the occasion when Isaac blessed Jacob: “And he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said: See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed” (Genesis 27:27). Do not read “his garments [begadav]”; rather, read: His traitors [bogedav], meaning that even traitors and sinners among the Jewish people have qualities “as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed.”

Rav Ḥana bar Bizna says that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida says: Any fast that does not include the participation of some of the sinners of the Jewish people is not a fast, as the smell of galbanum is foul and yet the verse lists it with the ingredients of the incense.