Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1.17

קֹרוֹת בָּתֵּינוּ אֲרָזִים, רַבִּי מְנַחֲמָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה, אֲבָנִים שֶׁיָּשַׁן עֲלֵיהֶם יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ נַעֲשׂוּ תַּחְתָּיו כְּמִטָּה וְכִפְלוּמָה, וּמָה הַרְטָבָה הִרְטִיב מֵהֶן, קֹרוֹת בָּתֵּינוּ אֲרָזִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר, קֹרוֹת בָּתֵּינוּ אֲרָזִים, אֵלּוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַצַּדִּיקוֹת, הַנְּבִיאִים וְהַנְּבִיאוֹת שֶׁעָמְדוּ מִמֶּנּוּ.

“The beams of our houses are cedars, and our panels are cypresses” (Song of Songs 1:17). “The beams of our houses are cedars,” Rabbi Menaḥama [said] in the name of Rabbi Berekhya: The stones upon which Jacob our patriarch slept became like a bed and a duvet beneath him. What growth sprouted from it? “The beams of our houses are cedars.” Another matter, “the beams of our houses are cedars,” these are the righteous men and righteous women, the prophets and prophetesses, who descended from him.

רָהִיטֵנוּ בְּרוֹתִים, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, אֵין אָדָם נֶהֱנֶה מִן הַבְּרוֹת הַזֶּה, לָמָּה, שֶׁהִיא נִכְפֶפֶת, הִיא דַעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן (הושע יד, ט): אֲנִי כִּבְרוֹשׁ רַעֲנָן, אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁכָּפַפְתִּי לַעֲקֹר יִצְרָהּ שֶׁל עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, (הושע יד, ט): אֶפְרַיִם מַה לִּי עוֹד, מַה לִּי וּלְיִצְרָהּ שֶׁל עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. אֲנִי עָנִיתִי, אֲנִי עֻנֵּיתִי לוֹ, וַאֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ, לֹא אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ, לֹא אָמַרְנוּ לְךָ שִׁירָה, אֶלָּא הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁכָּפַפְתִּי לַעֲקֹר יִצְרָהּ שֶׁל עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר, רָהִיטֵנוּ בְּרוֹתִים, מָקוֹם שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים רְהוּטִים, בִּבְרוֹתִים, הֵיאַךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (מלכים א ו, טו): וַיְצַף אֶת קַרְקַע הַבַּיִת בְּצַלְעוֹת בְּרוֹשִׁים. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לִמְּדָה תּוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁיְהֵא אָדָם מְקָרֶה בַּאֲרָזִים וּמַרְהִיט בִּבְרוֹתִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: קֹרוֹת בָּתֵּינוּ אֲרָזִים רָהִיטֵנוּ בְּרוֹתִים.

“Our panels are cypresses.” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: A person does not benefit from this cypress. Why? Because it bends. This is [consistent with another] opinion, of Rabbi Yoḥanan, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “I am like a fresh cypress” (Hosea 14:9). It is I who bent over to eliminate the inclination of idol worship. “Ephraim: What more have I [to do with idols]” (Hosea 14:9). What do I have to do with the inclination of idol worship? “I respond [aniti]” (Hosea 14:9), I submitted [uneti] to Him: “I will gaze upon them [va’ashurenu]” (Hosea 14:9), did we not ashurenu? Did we not sing song [shira] to You? Rather, say: It is I who bent over to eliminate the inclination of idol worship. Another matter, “our panels [rahitenu] are cypresses,” the place where the priests would move quickly was [overlaid] with cypress, just as you say: “He overlaid the floor of the House with boards of cypress” (I Kings 6:15). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Torah taught proper conduct. A person should roof with cedars and floor with cypresses, as it is stated: “The beams of our houses are cedars, and our panels are cypresses.”