As the rose among the thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters.

Excerpt

Rabbi Hizqiya opened one of his discourses with the following exordium: It is written: “As the rose among the thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters.” What does the word rose designate? It designates the “community of Israel.” Just as the rose is red and white, so the community of Israel is at times subject to severity and at times to mercy; and just as the rose has thirteen petals, so the community of Israel is surrounded by thirteen paths of mercy.

Source Zohar I, Préliminaires, §1 · 📖 Read the full passage

✨ To meditate on today

According to the Zohar, the rose among the thorns stands for the community of Israel: red and white, it knows severity and mercy in turn, yet it remains surrounded by thirteen paths of mercy like thirteen petals; these thirteen paths recall the thirteen attributes of God’s goodness revealed to Moses. Today, even amid the “thorns” of your day, look for thirteen small kindnesses received or given, and count them like petals.

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