שיר השירים, פרק ד׳, פסוק י׳

A profound bond of spiritual devotion rises far above any physical pleasure. The primary approach among commentators is that this praise highlights the sheer beauty of human love awakening toward God, an affection that surpasses all bodily desires [רלב״ג]. This devotion does not descend from above like prophecy, but rather springs from the ground up, born of human yearning and dedicated service. Through such intense love, the nation elevates itself to an intimate, equal standing with Him [מלבי״ם]. The immense power of this devotion is seen in the affection and dedication the Israelites have shown to God throughout their history [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This beauty found favor in God's eyes in every place where the Divine Presence rested, from Gilgal, Shiloh, Nov, and Gibeon, to the Temple in Jerusalem [רש״י, אבן עזרא]. It was equally forged during the foundational events of the Exodus; the blood of the Passover offering marked their separation from idolatry, elevating them to an intimate status, while the blood of circumcision brought them into the covenant as a bride [אלשיך]. Furthermore, this national beauty shines through righteous leadership that seamlessly blends study, action, and the teaching of Torah [ספורנו]. A distinction is even drawn between beauty, which radiates outward to influence others, and goodness, which enriches the individual within [צרור המור].

This deep love for God is considered far greater than the pleasures of wine. While wine often represents the physical heat of foreign fires, the devotion here is one of pure, divine, and spiritual enthusiasm [מלבי״ם]. Moreover, the pleasure of wine has strict limits, as drinking too much leads to drunkenness. This mirrors the human intellect in the current world, which is inherently bounded. In the future redemption, however, the nation's intellectual grasp of the divine will become boundless and truly good [צרור המור]. Others suggest that wine represents loud, external cries of prayer. In contrast, God desires the inner workings of the heart and the silent, private service of the individual [אלשיך]. Another perspective views this wine as the wine of Torah, serving as the ultimate source of wisdom [עזרא בן שלמה].

The resulting fragrance of oils and spices focuses on the lasting impact and results of this deep love. Oil represents a good name [רש״י], refined character traits [ספורנו], and the good deeds that make God's holiness known throughout the world [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. In the future, the fragrance of these good deeds will grow so powerful that it will reach the ends of the earth, inspiring the nations of the world to convert and serve God united together [צרור המור]. Even the simplest expressions of this devotion outshine the most complex and precious spices [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

These fragrant elements carry deeper spiritual layers. The oil can be seen as the Written Torah, which on its own might appear simple. However, when it is blended with the spices of the Oral Torah, its fragrance spreads, and its meaning becomes clear and widely accepted [תורה תמימה]. Spiritually, the oil represents the elevated understanding that comes from the Holy Spirit, which is far superior to the spices that merely represent human intellectual wisdom [מלבי״ם, עזרא בן שלמה]. Finally, the oil points to the literal anointing oil used to crown kings Saul and David. They earned this royal anointing because their ancestors from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah sacrificed themselves by silently jumping into the Red Sea. While the rest of the people merely cried out loudly to God, much like the loud nature of wine, the silent sacrifice of these tribes rose before God as a pleasing scent, greater than all the rest [אלשיך].