The fragrance of holiness in every Jew

איתא במד' הדס מורה על שיש בהם ריח ואין בהם טעם.

It is brought in the Midrash that the hadas (myrtle) indicates those who have fragrance but no taste.

The Sefas Emes opens with the well-known Midrash on the arba minim: the hadas, which has scent but no flavor, represents those who possess good deeds but not Torah.

ואיתא כי הדסים רומזים על האבות.

And it is brought that the myrtles allude to the Avos.

On a deeper level, the hadas branches hint at the Avos — Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.

וזה הכח שנטעו האבות בנפשות בנ"י אפילו אותן שאינן בני תורה יש בהם ריח מצד האבות.

And this is the power that the Avos implanted in the souls of Bnei Yisrael — even those who are not "people of Torah" possess a fragrance by virtue of the Avos.

The Avos planted a spiritual inheritance in every Jew, so that even one lacking the "taste" of Torah still carries a "fragrance," a residual holiness from the Avos.

ותו איתא במד' חזית ע"פ לריח שמניך המצות שעשו האבות ריחות היו אבל אנו שמן תורק.

Furthermore it is brought in Midrash Chazis on the verse "for the fragrance of your goodly oils" (Shir HaShirim 1:3): the mitzvos that the Avos performed were "fragrances," but for us "your name is as oil poured forth."

The Avos' mitzvos were like a scent — anticipatory and from a distance — whereas after Matan Torah our mitzvos are the "oil" itself, the full substance.

והיינו שקודם קבלת התורה הרגישו האבות ריח מהתורה שעתידה להינתן אח"כ כי בחינת הריח הוא מרחוק.

That is, before the giving of the Torah the Avos sensed a "fragrance" of the Torah that was destined to be given afterward, for the aspect of fragrance is [perceived] from a distance.

Smell is a sense that works at a distance; the Avos, living before Matan Torah, could already "smell" the Torah that was yet to come.

ולכן מברכין על הבשמים במוצאי שבת קודש שישאר עכ"פ ריח מן השבת גם על ימי המעשה.

Therefore we make a blessing over the besamim (spices) at the conclusion of Shabbos Kodesh, so that at least a "fragrance" of Shabbos should remain even over the weekdays.

The havdalah besamim carry the "scent" of Shabbos into the coming week — a lingering fragrance of the kedushah that has departed.

וזה הריח נמצא עכ"פ בכל איש ישראל ממה שעתידין להיות בני עוה"ב שכל ישראל יש להם חלק לעוה"ב.

And this fragrance is found, at the very least, in every Jew, deriving from the fact that they are destined to be people of Olam Haba, for all of Yisrael have a portion in the World to Come.

Just as the Avos sensed the future Torah, every Jew carries the "fragrance" of his future share in Olam Haba, which all of Yisrael possess.

יכולין להרגיש הריח גם בעוה"ז:

They are able to sense the fragrance even in this world.

Because smell reaches across distance, a Jew can already perceive in olam hazeh the "scent" of the World to Come that awaits him.

Summary: The hadas — fragrance without taste — represents the spiritual inheritance the Avos planted in every Jew, so that even one without the "taste" of Torah carries its "fragrance." Just as the Avos could "smell" the Torah from afar before it was given, and havdalah besamim carry Shabbos's scent into the week, so every Jew can sense even now, in this world, the fragrance of his guaranteed portion in Olam Haba.