1. Hebrew Bible, Exodus, 34.28 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 25| 34.28. "וַיְהִי־שָׁם עִם־יְהוָה אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה לֶחֶם לֹא אָכַל וּמַיִם לֹא שָׁתָה וַיִּכְתֹּב עַל־הַלֻּחֹת אֵת דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים׃", | 34.28. "And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covet, the ten words.", |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 18.8 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 25, 26| 18.8. "וַיִּקַּח חֶמְאָה וְחָלָב וּבֶן־הַבָּקָר אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּתֵּן לִפְנֵיהֶם וְהוּא־עֹמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם תַּחַת הָעֵץ וַיֹּאכֵלוּ׃", | 18.8. "And he took curd, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.", |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 50.12, 78.24 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 25| 50.12. "אִם־אֶרְעַב לֹא־אֹמַר לָךְ כִּי־לִי תֵבֵל וּמְלֹאָהּ׃", 78.24. "וַיַּמְטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם מָן לֶאֱכֹל וּדְגַן־שָׁמַיִם נָתַן לָמוֹ׃", | 50.12. "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the world is Mine, and the fulness thereof.", 78.24. "And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, And gave them of the corn of heaven.", |
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4. Josephus Flavius, Jewish War, 2.148 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 26 | 2.148. Nay, on theother days they dig a small pit, a foot deep, with a paddle (which kind of hatchet is given them when they are first admitted among them); and covering themselves round with their garment, that they may not affront the Divine rays of light, they ease themselves into that pit, |
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| 5. Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies, 3.59.3 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 26 |
6. Anon., Deuteronomy Rabbah, 11.4 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 25| 11.4. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה, אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא משֶׁה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּאָה הַתּוֹרָה וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה, זוֹ הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהּ (דברים ד, מד): וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם משֶׁה לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. (דברים לג, א): אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ משֶׁה זֶה משֶׁה, (דברים ד, מד): אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טו, ג): ה' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה. וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר (קהלת ד, יב): וְהַחוּט הַמְשֻׁלָּשׁ לֹא בִמְהֵרָה יִנָּתֵק. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה, אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא, אִם אֱלֹהִים לָמָּה אִישׁ, וְאִם אִישׁ לָמָּה אֱלֹהִים, אֶלָּא, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה הֻשְׁלַךְ לַיְאוֹר שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם אִישׁ, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁנֶּהְפַּךְ לְדָם הָאֱלֹהִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרַח מִלִּפְנֵי פַּרְעֹה אִישׁ, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁשִּׁקְּעוֹ אֱלֹהִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָלָה לָרָקִיעַ אִישׁ, וּמַהוּ אִישׁ, לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁכֻּלָּן אֵשׁ. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּרַד מִן הָרָקִיעַ אֱלֹהִים, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות לד, ל): וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָלָה לָרָקִיעַ אֱלֹהִים, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין הַמַּלְאָכִים אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין, אַף הוּא לֹא אוֹכֵל וְלֹא שׁוֹתֶה, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לד, כח): וַיְהִי שָׁם עִם ה' וגו'. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַהוּ אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים, אָמַר רַב אָבִין מֵחֶצְיוֹ וּלְמַטָּה אִישׁ, מֵחֶצְיוֹ וּלְמַעְלָה הָאֱלֹהִים. | |
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7. Babylonian Talmud, Yoma, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 25| 75b. לחם ששאלו כהוגן ניתן להם כהוגן מכאן למדה תורה דרך ארץ שלא יאכל אדם בשר אלא בלילה והאמר אביי האי מאן דאית ליה סעודתא לא לאכלי' אלא ביממא כעין יממא קא אמרינן אמר רב אחא בר יעקב בתחלה היו ישראל דומין כתרנגולים שמנקרין באשפה עד שבא משה וקבע להם זמן סעודה,(במדבר יא, לג) הבשר עודנו בין שיניהם וכתיב (במדבר יא, כ) עד חדש ימים הא כיצד בינונים לאלתר מתו רשעים מצטערין והולכין עד חדש ימים,וישטחו אמר ריש לקיש אל תקרי וישטחו אלא וישחטו מלמד שנתחייבו שונאיהן של ישראל שחיטה שטוח תנא משמיה דרבי יהושע בן קרחה אל תיקרי שטוח אלא שחוט מלמד שירד להם לישראל עם המן דבר שטעון שחיטה אמר רבי וכי מכאן אתה למד והלא כבר נאמר (תהלים עח, כז) וימטר עליהם כעפר שאר וכחול (הים) עוף כנף,ותניא רבי אומר (דברים יב, כא) וזבחת כאשר צויתיך מלמד שנצטוה משה על הושט ועל הקנה על רוב אחד בעוף ועל רוב שנים בבהמה אלא מה תלמוד לומר שטוח מלמד שירד להם משטיחין משטיחין,כתיב לחם וכתיב שמן וכתיב (שמות טז, לא) דבש אמר רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא לנערים לחם לזקנים שמן לתינוקות דבש,כתיב שליו וקרינן סליו אמר רבי חנינא צדיקים אוכלין אותו בשלוה רשעים אוכלין אותו ודומה להן כסילוין,א"ר חנן בר רבא ד' מיני סליו הן ואלו הן שיכלי וקיבלי ופסיוני ושליו מעליא דכולהו שיכלי גריעא דכולהו שליו והוי כציפורתא ומותבינן לה בתנורא ותפח והוה מלי תנורא ומסקינן ליה אתליסר ריפי ואחרונה אינה נאכלת אלא ע"י תערובת,רב יהודה משתכח ליה בי דני רב חסדא משתכח ליה בי ציבי רבא מייתי ליה אריסיה כל יומא יומא חד לא אייתי אמר מאי האי סליק לאיגרא שמעיה לינוקא דקאמר (חבקוק ג, טז) שמעתי ותרגז בטני אמר שמע מניה נח נפשיה דרב חסדא ובדיל רבה אכיל תלמידא,כתיב (שמות טז, יד) ותעל שכבת הטל וכתיב (במדבר יא, ט) וברדת הטל אמר רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא טל מלמעלה וטל מלמטה ודומה כמו שמונח בקופסא,דק מחוספס אמר ר"ל דבר שנימוח על פיסת היד רבי יוחנן אמר דבר שנבלע במאתים וארבעים ושמונה אברים מחוספס טובא הוי אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מחספס כתיב,תנו רבנן (תהלים עח, כה) לחם אבירים אכל איש לחם שמלאכי השרת אוכלין אותו דברי ר"ע וכשנאמרו דברים לפני רבי ישמעאל אמר להם צאו ואמרו לו לעקיבא עקיבא טעית וכי מלאכי השרת אוכלין לחם והלא כבר נאמר (דברים ט, ט) לחם לא אכלתי ומים לא שתיתי אלא מה אני מקיים אבירים לחם שנבלע במאתים וארבעים ושמונה אברים,אלא מה אני מקיים (דברים כג, יד) ויתד תהיה לך על אזניך (ויצאת שמה חוץ) דברים שתגרי אומות העולם מוכרין אותן להם,ר"א בן פרטא אומר אף דברים שתגרי אומות העולם מוכרין להן מן מפיגן אלא מה אני מקיים ויתד תהיה לך על אזניך לאחר שסרחו אמר הקב"ה אני אמרתי יהיו כמלאכי השרת עכשיו אני מטריח אותם שלש פרסאות,דכתיב (במדבר לג, מט) ויחנו על הירדן מבית הישימות עד אבל השטים ואמר רבה בר בר חנה לדידי חזי לי ההוא אתרא והויא תלתא פרסי ותנא כשנפנין אין נפנין לא לפניהן ולא לצדדיהן אלא לאחוריהן,(במדבר יא, ו) ועתה נפשנו יבשה אין כל אמרו עתיד מן זה שתיפח במעיהם כלום יש ילוד אשה שמכניס ואינו מוציא,וכשנאמרו דברים לפני ר' ישמעאל אמר להם אל תקרי אבירים אלא איברים דבר שנבלע במאתים וארבעים ושמונה איברים אלא מה אני מקיים ויתד תהיה לך על אזניך בדברים שבאין להם ממדינת הים,דבר אחר לחם אבירים אכל איש | 75b. However, b bread, /b which is essential, b they asked for appropriately. /b Therefore, it b was given to them appropriately, /b in the morning, when there was time to prepare it. The Gemara comments: b From here, the Torah teaches etiquette, that /b it is proper b to eat meat only at night, /b as Moses said to the children of Israel: “This shall be, when the Lord will give you in the evening meat to eat” (Exodus 16:8). The Gemara asks: b But didn’t Abaye say /b that b someone who has a meal should eat it only in the day? /b The Gemara answers: b We mean to say: Like day. /b It is not necessary to eat the food in the daytime, as long as one can see what he eats. b Rabbi Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: At the beginning, the Jewish people were like chickens pecking at the garbage; /b any time there was food they grabbed it and ate it, b until Moses came and set specific times to eat, /b as the verse implies. He set mealtimes for them in the morning and in the evening.,It was stated with regard to the quail: b “While the meat was yet between their teeth, /b before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people” (Numbers 11:33), which means that they died immediately. However, it also states: “You shall not eat it for only one day…but for b an entire month /b until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you” (Numbers 11:19–20). b How /b can b these /b texts be reconciled? b The average people died immediately, /b but b the wicked continued to suffer /b in pain b for a month /b and then died.,The verse states: b “And they spread them [ i vayishteḥu /i ] /b out for themselves round about the camp” (Numbers 11:32). b Reish Lakish said: Do not read it /b as b i vayishteḥu /i . Rather, /b read it as b i vayishḥatu /i . /b This b teaches that /b the b enemies of the Jewish people, /b a euphemism for the Jewish people themselves, b were liable to /b receive the punishment of b slaughter /b due to their demand. The verse states: b “Spread out [ i shato’aḥ /i ]” /b (Numbers 11:32). A i tanna /i b taught in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa: Do not read it /b as b i shato’aḥ /i but /b as b i shaḥot /i . /b This b teaches that /b other food b fell for the Jewish people /b along b with the manna. /b The food was something b that requires ritual slaughtering [ i sheḥita /i ], /b referring to birds. b Rabbi /b Yehuda HaNasi b said: And do you learn /b this b from here? /b Do we need to alter the word for this purpose? b Isn’t it already stated /b explicitly: b “And he rained meat upon them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas” /b (Psalms 78:27)?, b And it was taught /b in a related i baraita /i : b Rabbi /b Yehuda HaNasi b says: /b The verse states: b “Then you shall slaughter /b of your herd and of your flock which the Lord has given you, b as I have commanded you” /b (Deuteronomy 12:21). b This teaches that Moses was commanded in /b the laws of ritual slaughter to cut the b gullet and the windpipe /b in the neck. b And with a bird /b one must cut through b the majority /b of b one /b pipe, b and with an animal /b one must cut through b the majority of /b both pipes. Moses was commanded these laws along with the other details of slaughtering. According to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the word i shatoaḥ /i does not teach us about ritual slaughter. b Rather, what /b is the meaning when b the verse states: i Shatoaḥ /i ? /b It b teaches that /b the manna b fell in layers [ i mashtiḥin /i ] /b in a straight row.,With regard to the manna, b it is written “bread” /b (Exodus 16:4), b and it is written “oil” /b (Numbers 11:8), b and it is written “honey” /b (Exodus 16:31). How can we reconcile these verses? b Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: For the youth /b it was like b bread, for the elderly /b it was like b oil, /b and b for the children /b it was like b honey. /b Each received what was appropriate.,The Gemara comments further: The word quail b is written i shlav /i , /b with the letter i shin /i , b but we read /b it as b i slav /i , /b with the letter i samekh /i . What does this teach us? b Rabbi Ḥanina said: The righteous eat it in peace [ i shalva /i ], /b based on the written form of the word; whereas b the wicked eat it, and it seems to them like thorns [ i silvin /i ], /b based on the way the word is read.,Furthermore, with regard to the quail: b Rav Ḥa bar Rava said: There are four types of quail and these are they: i Sikhli /i , and i kivli /i , and i pasyoni /i , and i slav /i . The best /b tasting b of all /b is the b i sikhli /i . The worst of all /b is the b i slav /i . /b The Gemara relates how tasty even the quail was that the Jews ate in the desert: b It was /b as small b as a sparrow, and they would place it in the oven /b to roast, b and it expanded until it filled the /b entire b oven. They would place it upon thirteen loaves /b of bread, and even the b last /b loaf on the bottom b could be eaten only /b when b mixed with other food, /b due to all the fat it had absorbed from the quail.,It is told that b Rav Yehuda found /b quail b among his barrels of wine, /b and b Rav Ḥisda found /b quail b among logs of wood /b in his storeroom. b Every day Rava’s sharecropper brought him /b a quail that he found in his fields. b One day, he did not bring /b him one because he failed to find any. Rava b said /b to himself: b What is this, /b why is today different? b He went up to the roof /b to think about it. b He heard a child say /b the verse: b “When I heard, my innards trembled, /b my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble where I stand; that I should wait for the day of trouble when he comes up against the people that he invades” (Habakkuk 3:16). Rava b said: Learn from this that Rav Ḥisda has died. /b I am therefore not worthy to receive the quail anymore, since it is on b account of the teacher /b that b the student eats. /b When Rav Ḥisda was alive, Rava received the quail due to Rav Ḥisda’s merit; now that he had died, Rava was not worthy to receive the quail.,§ Furthermore, with regard to the manna b it is written: “And when the layer of dew lifted, /b behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground” (Exodus 16:14), indicating that the dew covered the manna. b And it is written: /b “ b And when the dew fell /b upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it” (Numbers 11:9), meaning that the manna fell on top of the dew. How can these verses be reconciled? b Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: /b There was b dew above and dew below, /b with the manna in between, b and /b the manna b appeared as if /b it were b placed in a box [ i kufsa /i ] /b of dew.,The verse describes the manna as b “a fine flaky [ i meḥuspas /i ] /b substance” (Exodus 16:14). b Reish Lakish said: /b i Meḥuspas /i means it was b a substance that dissolved [ /b i maḥ /i b ] on the palm [ /b i pas /i b ] of the hand. /b Since it was so fine, it dissolved upon contact. b Rabbi Yoḥa said: It was a substance that was absorbed in /b all b 248 limbs, /b the numerical equivalent of the word i meḥuspas /i . The Gemara expresses surprise at this: If one calculates the value of the letters in the word b i meḥuspas /i , /b it b is more, /b totaling 254. b Rabbi Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: i Meḥuspas /i is written /b in the Torah without the letter i vav /i . Therefore, the total is exactly 248., b The Sages taught: /b The Torah states: “And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and He gave them of the grain of heaven. b Man did eat the bread of the mighty [ i abirim /i ]” /b (Psalms 78:24–25). “Bread of the mighty” is b bread that the ministering angels eat; /b this is the b statement of Rabbi Akiva. When these words were said before Rabbi Yishmael, he said to them /b to b go and tell Akiva: Akiva you have erred. Do the ministering angels eat bread? It is already stated /b about Moses, when he ascended on high: b “Bread I did not eat and water I did not drink” /b (Deuteronomy 9:9). If even a man who ascends on high does not need to eat, certainly the ministering angels do not need to eat. b Rather, how do I establish /b the meaning of the word b i abirim /i ? /b It can be explained as b bread that was absorbed into /b all b 248 limbs [ i eivarim /i ], /b so that there was no waste.,The Gemara asks: b But /b if so, b how do I establish /b the verses: b “And you shall have a spade among your weapons, /b and it shall be that when you relieve yourself outside, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back and cover your excrement” (Deuteronomy 23:14) and “You shall have a place also outside the camp b where you can relieve yourself /b ” (Deuteronomy 23:13). From here we learn that there was waste in their bowels, as they had to leave the camp to relieve themselves. The Gemara explains: This waste was not a byproduct of the manna; it was from food b items that the gentile merchants sold them. /b , b Rabbi Elazar ben Perata /b disagrees and b says: The manna caused even items that the gentile merchants sold them to be /b completely b digested, /b so that even other food that they ate produced no waste. b But /b then b how do I establish /b the verse: b “And you shall have a spade among your weapons”? After they sinned, /b the manna was not as effective. b The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: I /b initially b said /b that b they would be like ministering angels /b who do not produce waste; b now I will trouble them to walk three parasangs /b to leave the camp in order to relieve themselves.,How do we know that the Israelite camp was three parasangs? b As it is written: “And they camped by the Jordan from Beth-Jeshimoth to Abel-shittim” /b (Numbers 33:49), b and Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: I saw that site and it was three parasangs /b in length. b And /b a i baraita /i b taught: When /b the Jews b relieved themselves /b in the desert, b they did not relieve /b themselves b ahead of themselves, /b i.e., in the direction of their travel, b nor to the side /b of the camp, b but behind /b the camp, in a place that they had already traveled. Consequently, those near the front of the camp had to walk a distance of three parasangs from their homes to leave the camp.,Furthermore, with regard to the manna, the verse states Israel’s complaint: b “But now our soul is dry, there is nothing at all; /b we have nothing beside this manna to look to” (Numbers 11:6). b They said: This manna will eventually swell in our stomachs /b and kill us; b is there /b anyone b born of a woman who ingests /b food b but does not expel /b waste? This supports the Gemara’s claim that the manna did not create waste., b When these words were said before Rabbi Yishmael, he said to them: Do not read /b it as b i abirim /i . Rather, /b read it as b i eivarim /i , /b limbs. The manna was b something that was absorbed by 248 limbs. But, how do I establish “And you shall have a spade among your weapons”? From the /b food b items that came to them from overseas lands. /b Rabbi Yishmael disagrees with Rabbi Elazar ben Perata with regard to the effect the manna had on the digestion of other foods., b Alternatively, “Man [ i ish /i ] did eat the bread of the mighty” /b (Psalms 78:25); |
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| 8. Anon., Protevangelium of James, 8.1, 13.2 (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 26 |
| 9. Ambrosiaster, Quaestiones Veteris Et Novi Testamenti, 20 (4th cent. CE - 4th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 26 |
10. Anon., Numbers Rabba, 21.16 (4th cent. CE - 9th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 25| 21.16. אֶת קָרְבָּנִי לַחְמִי לְאִשַּׁי (במדבר כח, ב), אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, אֱמֹר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שֶׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְקָרְבָּנוֹת, כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ שֶׁלִּי הוּא, הַבְּהֵמָה שֶׁאַתֶּם מַקְרִיבִים אֲנִי בָּרָאתִי אוֹתָהּ, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים נ, יב): אִם אֶרְעַב לֹא אֹמַר לָךְ, אֵין לְפָנַי אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת רַחֲמִים כְּתִיב בִּי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לד, ו): וַיַּעֲבֹר ה' עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא ה' וגו', וְיֵשׁ רַחֲמָן מוֹסֵר מְזוֹנוֹתָיו לְאַכְזָרִי, הֱוֵי אִם אֶרְעַב לֹא אֹמַר לָךְ. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֶשֶׂר בְּהֵמוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת מָסַרְתִּי לָךְ שָׁלשׁ הֵן בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ וְשֶׁבַע אֵינָן בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ, וְלֹא הִטְרַחְתִּי עָלֶיךָ שֶׁתְּהֵא מְחַזֵּר בֶּהָרִים לְהָבִיא קָרְבָּן מֵאֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵינָן בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ, לֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֶלָּא מֵהַגְּדֵלִים עַל אֲבוּסְךָ, הֱוֵי אִם אֶרְעַב לֹא אֹמַר לָךְ. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק כְּתִיב: אֶת קָרְבָּנִי לַחְמִי, וְכִי יֵשׁ לְפָנָיו אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, לְמֹד מִמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת (תהלים קד, ד): מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לֹהֵט, מֵהֵיכָן נִזּוֹנִין, רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מִזִּיו שְׁכִינָה הֵם נִזּוֹנִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז, טו): בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ כְּתִיב (במדבר כח, ו): עֹלַת תָּמִיד הָעֲשֻׂיָה בְּהַר סִינַי, אִם תֹּאמַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְפָנַי אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, לְמֹד מִמּשֶׁה רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב בּוֹ (שמות לד, כח): וַיְהִי שָׁם עִם ה' אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה לֶחֶם לֹא אָכַל וגו', אִלּוּ הָיָה לְפָנַי אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָה הָיָה אוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה, הֱוֵי אִם אֶרְעַב לֹא אֹמַר לָךְ. | 21.16. "16 Another interpretation of (Numb. 27:16) “Let the Lord, appoint”: A parable: A king saw an orphan woman [and] sought to take her for him as a wife. He sent to seek her. She said, “I am not worthy to marry the king.” He sent to seek her seven times, but she did not allow it. In the end she married him. After a time, the king was angry with her and sought to divorce her. She said, “I did not seek to be married to you; you sought me. Since this is so and you have decreed to divorce me and to take another, do not do to that one like what you did to me.” So is it with the Holy One, blessed be He: R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, tried for seven days to persuade Moses from the midst of the burning bush, but Moses replied, (in Exod. 4:13), ‘Send please, whomever you will send’; (ibid. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before.’ This indicates seven days. After time, the Holy One, blessed be He persuaded him; and he went as His agent; and He did all of those miracles through him. In the end, He said to him (in Numb. 20:12), ‘You shall not bring.’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, (as in Deut. 3:24), “You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness, etc.” Since this is so [and] You have decreed against me, do not do like what You did to me to the one that will go in. Rather (as in Numb. 27:17), ‘Who shall go out before them and come in before them.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (in Numb. 27:18) “Take Joshua bin Nun.” And Moses did [it] with a generous eye, as stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” A parable: A king said to one of his household, “Give so and so a i seah /i of wheat.” He went and agave him two i seah /i . He said to him, “One i seah /i is from the king and one i seah /i is from me.” So did the Holy One, blessed be He say to Moses (in Numb. 27:18), “And lay your hand upon him” – one hand. What did he do? (In Numb 27:23) “He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him,” to fulfill that which is stated (Prov. 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” Therefore (as in Prov. 27:18), “He who tends a fig tree will enjoy its fruit.” And why is the Torah compared to a fig tree? Since [the fruit of] most trees – the olive tree, the grapevine, the date palm – is gathered [all] at once, but the fig tree is gathered a little [at a time]. And so too is the Torah. Today he studies a little and tomorrow he studies much; as it is not taught in a year, nor in two. (Numb. 27:18) “A man with the spirit of God with him”: Since you said (in Numb. 27:16), “’The God of the spirits of all flesh,’ since You know each and every one, one should be appointed who knows how to proceed with each and every one of them according to his temperament”; [so then (in Numb 27:18, cont.),] “and lay your hand upon him,” like one who lights a candle from a candle. (Numb 27:20) “Invest him with your majesty,” like one who pours from one vessel to another vessel. Concerning that which I said to you (in Numb. 36:9), “So the inheritance will not move around from one tribe to another,” this glory will not move from the house of your father, as even Joshua who will arise in your place (according to Numb. 27:19), “shall stand in front of Elazar the priest” (nephew of Moses).", |
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| 11. Anon., Apocalypse of Abraham, 12.2 Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 25 |
| 12. Anon., Pesiqta De Rav Kahana, 6.1 Tagged with subjects: •defecation, impurity of Found in books: Van der Horst (2014), Studies in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, 25 |
