כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ בֵּ֣ין הַחוֹחִ֔ים כֵּ֥ן רַעְיָתִ֖י בֵּ֥ין הַבָּנֽוֹת׃
Like a lily among thorns,
So is my darling among the maidens.
So is my darling among the maidens.
כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים. שֶׁמְּנַקְּבִין אוֹתָהּ, וְתָמִיד הִיא עוֹמֶדֶת בְּנוֹיָהּ וְאַדְמִימוּתָהּ, "כֵּן רַעְיָתִי בֵּין הַבָּנוֹת", מְפַתּוֹת אוֹתָהּ לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם לִזְנוֹת כְּמוֹתָם אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, וְהִיא עוֹמֶדֶת בֶּאֱמוּנָתָהּ:
As a rose among the thorns. Which prick it, but it constantly retains its beauty and its redness, “so is my beloved among the daughters.” They entice her [i.e., Bnei Yisroel] to pursue them, to stray, as they do, after other gods, but she remains steadfast in her faith.
Rashi is saying that the beauty of the rose does not get negatively influenced by the surroundings
like the midrash says by Rivka...
like the midrash says by Rivka...
כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים, רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַר קְרָיָה בְּרִבְקָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כה, כ): וַיְהִי יִצְחָק בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בְּקַחְתּוֹ אֶת רִבְקָה בַּת בְּתוּאֵל הָאֲרַמִּי מִפַּדַן אֲרָם אֲחוֹת לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי וגו', אִם לְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִיא מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֲחוֹת לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי, אֶלָּא אָבִיהָ הָיָה רַמַּאי, אָחִיהָ הָיָה רַמַּאי, וְאַנְשֵׁי מְקוֹמָהּ רַמָּאִין, וְהַצַּדֶּקֶת הַזֹּאת יָצְאָה מִבֵּינוֹתָם, לְמָה הִיא דּוֹמָה כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים. רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר כְּתִיב (בראשית כח, ה): וַיִּשְׁלַח יִצְחָק אֶת יַעֲקֹב וַיֵּלֶךְ פַּדֶּנָה אֲרָם אֶל לָבָן בֶּן בְּתוּאֵל הָאֲרַמִּי, וְכָלַל כֻּלָּם לִרְמִיּוּת.
“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”? 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.
“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”? 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.