צְרוֹר הַמֹּר דּוֹדִי לִי, מַהוּ צְרוֹר הַמֹּר, רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַר קְרָיָה בְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, מָה הַמּוֹר הַזֶּה רֹאשׁ לְכָל מִינֵי בְּשָׂמִים, כָּךְ אַבְרָהָם רֹאשׁ לְכָל הַצַּדִּיקִים. מָה הַמּוֹר הַזֶּה אֵין רֵיחוֹ מֵפִיחַ אֶלָּא בָּאוּר, כָּךְ אַבְרָהָם לֹא נוֹדְעוּ מַעֲשָׂיו עַד שֶׁהֻשְׁלַךְ לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ. וּמָה הַמּוֹר הַזֶּה כָּל מִי שֶׁלִּקְּטוֹ יָדָיו מִתְמַרְמְרוֹת, כָּךְ אַבְרָהָם מְמָרֵר עַצְמוֹ וּמְסַגֵּף עַצְמוֹ בְּיִסּוּרִים. בֵּין שָׁדַי יָלִין, שֶׁהוּא מֻתְאָם בֵּין שְׁכִינָה לְמַלְאָךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יח, ב): וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם. וַיַּרְא בַּשְּׁכִינָה, וַיָּרָץ בַּמַּלְאָךְ.
“A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, lying between my breasts” (Song of Songs 1:13). “A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me.” What is “a bundle of myrrh”? Rabbi Azarya in the name of Rabbi Yehuda interpreted the verse regarding Abraham our patriarch. Just as this myrrh is the first of all the kinds of spices, so too, Abraham was the first of all the righteous. Just as this myrrh, its fragrance diffuses only through fire, so too Abraham, his actions became known only after he was cast into the fiery furnace. Just as this myrrh, anyone who gathers it his hands become bitter, so too Abraham would embitter himself and torment himself with suffering. “Lying between my breasts,” as he is positioned between the Divine Presence and an angel, as it is stated: “He saw and he ran toward them” (Genesis 18:2). “He saw,” the Divine Presence; “he ran,” to the angel.