"While the king was reclining at his board"
Rabbi Yitzchak opens with the first of three interpretations of "While the king was reclining at his board."Rabbi Tanchum concludes this section by explaining that every nation has a minister above, and the rise of one minister coincides with the fall of another. Thus, when God gave dominion to the minister of Egypt, he gained dominion only because of Yisrael.
The ultimate intent behind the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai to Moses is accomplished for each reader, and the world, through the power of these heavenly verses.
The Torah, viewed through the lens of Kabbalah, is an awesome instrument of power designed to uproot and banish every one of our negative desires and reactive traits that are embedded in our nature. In truth, a man does not possess the power to accomplish this profound task on his own. Rather, our accountability and acknowledgment of the various wicked aspects of our character is the effort we must exert. Once we identify and accept responsibility for these reprehensible characteristics, the Light of the Torah is free to cleanse them from our being.
As we connect to this particular passage, the reader should self-reflect on all of his nefarious qualities. Recall moments of intolerance, envy, anger, insensitivity, narrow-mindedness, jealousy, rage, impatience, selfishness, and self-indulgence. The more difficult and painful it is to admit these misdeeds, the more powerful is the result you will achieve. This action will allow the Zohar to purge the underlying traits that caused these reactive moments in the first place. The foul fragrances and darkness that arise from such behavior dissipate forever. The heavenly fragrances of the Torah now permeate our entire existence.
282. Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion saying: "While the king was reclining at his board, my nard sent forth its fragrance" (Shir Hashirim 1:12). "While the king," refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, as is written, "Thus says Hashem, the King of Yisrael" (Yeshayah 44:6), and, "And he was King in Yeshurun" (Devarim 33:5). "While the King was reclining at his board," MEANS between the wings of Cherubs THAT WERE ON THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY. "My nard gave forth its fragrance," MEANS THEY CAUSED THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, to depart from among them, AND "GIVES FORTH ITS FRAGRANCE" MEANS THEIR BAD ODOR!
282. רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, עַד שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ בִּמְסִבּוֹ נִרְדִּי נָתַן רֵיחוֹ. עַד שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ: דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הה"ד, כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ' מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּכְתִיב וַיְהִי בִישׁוּרוּן מֶלֶךְ. בִּמְסִבּוֹ: בֵּין כַּנְפֵי הַכְּרוּבִים. נִרְדִּי נָתַן רֵיחוֹ, דְּגָרְמוּ לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מִבֵּינֵיהוֹן.
283. Another explanation of : "While the King was reclining at his board," meaning while the Holy One, blessed be He, was still giving the Torah to Yisrael, as it is written, "And he was there with Hashem forty days and forty nights" (Shemot 34:28). While he was still writing the Torah for Yisrael, they abandoned their good fragrance and said, "These are your Elohim, Yisrael" (Shemot 32:4). THE MEANING OF "SENT FORTH" IS 'ABANDONED.'
283. ד"א, עַד שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ בִּמְסִבּוֹ, בְּעוֹד דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה יָהִיב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִּיב וַיְהִי שָׁם עִם ה' אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה לֶחֶם לֹא אָכַל וְגוֹ.' בְּעוֹד דַּהֲוָה כְּתִיב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שָׁבְקוּ רֵיחֵיהוֹן טָב, וְאָמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
284. Another explanation of, "While the King was reclining at His board." While the Holy One, blessed be He, was still descended on Mount Sinai to give the Torah to Yisrael, "my nard sent forth its fragrance," MEANING, LITERALLY, THAT IT GAVE ITS GOOD FRAGRANCE. It is written THAT THEY SAID, "Will we do, and obey" (Shemot 24:7).
284. ד"א עַד שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ בִּמְסִבּוֹ, בְּעוֹד דַּהֲוָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָחִית עַל טוּרָא דְּסִינַי, לְמִיהַב אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, נִרְדִּי נָתַן רֵיחוֹ, דִּכְתִּיב נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע.