Leviticus Rabbah 19

¹“And a woman, if her bloody discharge will flow many days not at the time of her menstruation, or if it will flow beyond her menstruation; for all the days of the discharge of her impurity she shall be like during the days of her menstruation; she is impure” (Leviticus 15:25). “And a woman, if her bloody discharge will flow many days,” this is what the verse said: “His head is the finest gold; [his locks are curls, black as a raven]” (Song of Songs 5:11). “His head [ rosho ],” this is Torah, as it is written: “The Lord made me at the beginning [ reshit ] of His way” (Proverbs 8:22), as Rav Huna said in the name of Reish Lakish: The Torah preceded creation of the world by two thousand years, as it is stated: “I was with Him, as a protégé; [I was a delight day after day]” (Proverbs 8:30), and the day of the Holy One blessed be He is one thousand years, as it is stated: “For one thousand years in Your eyes [are like yesterday]” (Psalms 90:4). “The finest gold,” these are matters of Torah, as it is stated: “They are more desirable than gold, than quantities of fine gold” (Psalms 19:11). Matters that were created from the beginning were engraved in the finest gold. “His locks are curls [ taltalim ],” this is the scoring. “Black [ sheḥorot ] as a raven [ kaorev ],” these are the strokes of the letters – this is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Yehoshua says: In whom are the piles [of halakhot ] sustained? It is in one who begins early [ mashḥir ] and ends late [ maariv ] in their [study]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Ami said: Matters of Torah require beginning early and ending late, as it is stated: “Who prepares for the raven its prey, [when its young cry to God, wandering without food]?” (Job 38:41). Learn from Elijah. Through his beginning early and ending late in Torah, did I not already appoint ravens for him, as it is stated: “The ravens would bring him bread and meat….” (I Kings 17:6). From where would they bring it to him? It was from the table of Yehoshafat. Rabbi Shmuel bar Ami said: Matters of Torah require beginning early and ending late. From where will sustenance come? “Who prepares for the raven its prey, [when its young cry to God, wandering without food]?” So too, if a person does not become cruel to his body, to his children, and to his household, like this raven, he will not merit matters of Torah. Rabbi Asi was inquisitive. He saw a certain raven. It prepared a nest, produced eggs, produced fledglings. He took them and placed them in a new pot and sealed it over them for three days. After three days, he opened it to see what they were doing. He found that they had produced excrement, the excrement produced gnats, and [the ravens] were flying above them and eating them. He read this verse in their regard. “Who prepares for the raven its prey, [when its young cry to God, wandering without food]?” Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The song of Torah is only at night, as it is stated: “Arise, sing out at night” (Lamentations 2:19). Reish Lakish said: During the day and at night, as it is stated: “You shall ponder it day and night” (Joshua 1:8). Reish Lakish was interpreting verses and when he would arrive at these verses: “She rises while it is yet night” (Proverbs 31:15), [and] “Arise, sing out at night” (Lamentations 2:19), he said: Rabbi Yoḥanan taught me well. He then said: Do you not see how my Torah study shines on my face? Why? It is because it is during the day and at night. ²Rabbi Ḥanin of Tzippori interpreted the verse regarding a mound of dirt. One who is foolish, what does he say? Who can remove this? One who is clever, what does he say? I will remove two basketsful today, two basketsful tomorrow, until I remove it all. So too, one who is foolish says: Who can study the Torah? Nezikin is thirty chapters, is thirty chapters. One who is clever, what does he say? I will study two halakhot today and two halakhot tomorrow, until I study all the Torah in its entirety. Rabbi Ami said: “Wisdom is lofty to a fool” (Proverbs 24:7). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: [This is analogous] to a loaf that is suspended in the air in a house. One who is foolish says: Who can take this down? One who is clever says: Did another not suspend it? He brings two reeds and attaches them to one another and takes it down. So too, one who is foolish says: Who can learn all the Torah that is in the heart of the Sage? One who is clever says: Did he not learn it from another? Rather, I will study two halakhot today and two tomorrow until I study all the Torah in its entirety. Rabbi Levi said: [This is analogous] to a perforated basket whose owner hired workers to fill it. One who is foolish, what does he say? What am I accomplishing? I fill it from here and it flows out from there. One who is clever, what does he say? Do I not receive a salary for each and every barrel? So too, one who is foolish, what does he say? What do I accomplish by studying Torah and forgetting it? One who is clever, what does he say? Does the Holy One blessed be He not give reward for effort? Rabbi Ze’ira said: Even matter that you see as dots [ kotzim ] in the Torah, they are heaps upon heaps [ tilei tilim ]; they have the capability to destroy the world and to render it a mound [ tel ], just as it says: “It shall be an eternal mound, it shall not be rebuilt” (Deuteronomy 13:17). Rabbi Alexandri bar Ḥagai said Rabbi Alexandri Kerova: If all the nations of the world were to assemble to whiten one wing of the raven, they would be unable to do so. So too, if all the nations of the world were to assemble to uproot one matter from the Torah, they would be unable to do so. From whom do you learn this? It is from Solomon. Because he sought to uproot one letter from the Torah, a prosecutor arose. Who prosecuted him? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The yod of yarbeh prosecuted him. Rabbi Shimon taught: The book of Deuteronomy ascended and prostrated itself before the Holy One blessed be He. It said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, Solomon has uprooted me and rendered me an invalid document, as any document in which two or three matters are invalidated from it, it is completely invalidated. King Solomon sought to uproot a yod from me. It is written: “He shall not amass wives for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:17), but he amassed for himself. “He shall not amass horses for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:16), but he amassed horses for himself. “And silver and gold he shall not amass” (Deuteronomy 17:17), but he amassed silver and gold for himself.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to it: ‘Go; Solomon and one hundred like him will be void, and a yod from you will never be void.’ Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Aḥa: The yod that the Holy One blessed be He took from the name of Sarah, He divided it in two and gave half to Abraham and half to Sarah. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: The yod of Sarah ascended and prostrated itself before the Holy One blessed be He. It said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, You uprooted me from the name of that righteous woman.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to it: ‘Go; in the past you were in the name of a female at the end of the word, but now, I will place you in the name of a male at the beginning of the word.’ That is what is written: “Moses called Hoshea bin Nun, Joshua [ Yehoshua ]” (Numbers 13:16). “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one [ eḥad ]” (Deuteronomy 6:4); if you render the dalet a reish , you destroy the world in its entirety. “For you shall not prostrate yourself to another [ aḥer ] god” (Exodus 34:14); if you render the reish a dalet , you destroy the world in its entirety. “You shall not profane [ yeḥalelu ] My holy name” (Leviticus 22:32); if you render the ḥet a heh , it will result in you destroying the world in its entirety. “Let all who breathe, praise [ tehalel ] the Lord, Halleluya” (Psalms 150:6); if you render the heh a ḥet , you destroy the world. “They have denied the Lord” (Jeremiah 5:12); if you render the bet a kaf , you destroy the world. “They have betrayed the Lord [ baHashem ]” (Hosea 5:7); if you render the bet a kaf , you destroy the world. “There is none sacred like the Lord [ kaHashem ]” (I Samuel 2:2); if you render the kaf a beit , you destroy the world. “There is none besides You [ ein biltekha ]” (I Samuel 2:2); Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Everything erodes [ bala ], but You do not erode. Ein biltekha , none outlasts You [ ein levalotekha ]. ³Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon interpreted the verse regarding Torah scholars. One verse says: “Black like ravens” and one verse says: “His appearance is like Lebanon, choice like cedar” (Song of Songs 5:15), and it is written: “Their appearance is like torches, they dash like lightning” (Nahum 2:5). Rather, these are Torah personalities, who appear ugly and black in this world, but in the future, “their appearance is like torches.” Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak interpreted the verse regarding the portions of the Torah. Even though they appear as though they are too ugly and black to recite them in public, e.g., the halakhot of discharges, leprosy, a menstruating woman, and a woman who has given birth, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘They are pleasant to Me,’ as it is stated: “The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord…” (Malachi 3:4). Know that it is so, as the portion regarding the male who experiences a discharge and the female who experiences a discharge were not stated as one; rather, this one by itself, and that one by itself. “Any man, when he has a discharge from his flesh” (Leviticus 15:2). “And a woman, if her bloody discharge will flow…” (Leviticus 15:25). ⁴Rabbi Kohen began: “Through slothfulness the ceiling sags [and through idleness of the hands the house leaks]” (Ecclesiastes 10:18). Because Israel was slothful from encamping before Mount Sinai in dispute, “the ceiling sags,” – “the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20); “He bent the heavens and descended” (Psalms 18:10). “And through idleness of the hands,” because Israel was idle from encamping in dispute, “the house leaks,” “the clouds, too, dripped water” (Judges 5:4). Another matter, “through slothfulness the ceiling sags,” because Israel was slothful in repenting during the days of Jeremiah, “the ceiling sags” – “He uncovered the covering of Judah” (Isaiah 22:8); He exposed what was concealed. “And through idleness of the hands,” because they were idle from repenting during the days of Jeremiah, “the house leaks” – “for, behold, the Lord commands, and He will shatter the great house into smithereens and the small house into fragments” (Amos 6:11). This shattering into smithereens is unlike the shattering into fragments. This shattering into smithereens, there are slivers from it, while the shattering into fragments, there are no slivers from it. They are not identical. Another matter, “through slothfulness the ceiling sags” – because a person is too slothful to cover his head properly, “the ceiling sags,” he becomes congested with a head cold. “And through idleness of the hands,” because a person is idle and does not dry his body properly, “the house leaks,” he develops infections. Rabbi Abahu interpreted the verse regarding a woman. Because a woman is too slothful to cover herself properly, “the ceiling sags,” that is what is written: “And he uncovered her nakedness, he has probed her source and she has exposed the source of her blood” (Leviticus 20:18). “And through idleness of the hands,” because a woman is idle and does not examine herself at her proper time, “the house leaks,” she will be inundated with blood. That is what is written: “And a woman, if her bloody discharge will flow many days.” Tavita, the maidservant of Rabban Gamliel, was examining barrels [of wine]. When she had a sensation, she sat. He said to her: ‘Are they sour?’ She said to him: ‘No.’ When he understood, he said: ‘Alas, the wine is lost!’ She said to him: ‘For each and every barrel I would examine myself, and I had a sensation only with this one.’ He said to her: ‘May the tranquility of your soul be given to you, just as you gave the tranquility of my soul to me.’ ⁵Another matter, “and a woman, if her bloody discharge will flow many days” – that is what the verse said: “For many days, Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without Torah” (II Chronicles 15:3). Who prophesied this verse? Azarya ben Oded the prophet said: ‘Days are destined to befall Israel “without the true God,” as the attribute of justice will not be implemented in the world.’ “Without a teaching priest,” as the high priesthood is destined to be abolished. “And without Torah,” as the Sanhedrin is destined to be abolished. When that generation heard this, their hands weakened. A Divine Voice emerged and said: “Strengthen weak hands” (Isaiah 35:3). Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Yudan said: “Strengthen weak hands,” hands that appeared as though they are weak. “And support failing knees” (Isaiah 35:3), that appear as though they are failing. Rabbi Pinḥas said: “Strengthen weak hands,” as you have weakened yourselves with your wicked deeds. “And support failing knees,” as you have failed through your wicked deeds. “Say to the impetuous [ lenimharei ] of heart” (Isaiah 35:4), Rabbi Hoshaya Rabba said: To the brokenhearted, as it is stated: “They will destroy [ yemaharu ] its wall” (Nahum 2:6). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Like those who seek to hasten the end, as it is stated: “She hastened [ vatemaher ] and lowered her jug” (Genesis 24:18). “Be strong, do not fear” (Isaiah 35:4) – Because Israel was saying: “My tears have been my bread day and night, when they say to me all day long: Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:4), a Divine Voice emerged and said to them: “Behold, your God will come with vengeance” (Isaiah 35:4). The One who is destined to give the nations of the world their just deserts, “the retribution of God, He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4). “For many days, Israel” (II Chronicles 15:3) – were they, in fact, many days? Rather, because they were days of suffering, he characterized them as many. Similarly, “Many days passed and the word of the Lord was with Elijah, in the third year, saying” (I Kings 18:1) – Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Ḥelbo in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Three months in the first [year], three months in the last, and twelve months in the middle; that is eighteen months. Were they, in fact, many days? Rather, they were days of suffering; therefore, he characterized them as many. Similarly, “It was during those many days” (Exodus 2:23); were they, in fact, many days? Rather, it is because they were days of suffering. Similarly, “many days, one hundred and eighty days” (Esther 1:4); were they, in fact, many days? Rather, it is because they were… And this verse, “And a woman, if her bloody discharge will flow many days…” – Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: “Days,” two; “many,” three. From then on, she is not a menstruant, but rather, afflicted. “The menstruant in her menstruation” is not written here, but rather, “one who is afflicted [ hadava ] in her menstruation” (Leviticus 15:33). Rabbi Simlai said: The Holy One blessed be He inflicted great suffering on this woman, who, after she observes the day of discharge, sits and observes seven days of menstruation. The Torah calls her a menstruant [ nidda ]; “one who is afflicted in her discharge” is not written here, but rather, “one who is afflicted in her menstruation.” Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: If this woman, because she withdraws for two or three days, the Torah calls her nidda , we, who have withdrawn from the House of our sanctity and our glory for numerous days and numerous years, numerous epochs and numerous eras, all the more so. ⁶Another matter, “and a woman, if her bloody discharge will flow.” Who fulfilled the mitzva of [separating from a woman at the time of her] discharge? It was Yekhonyahu son of Yehoyakim. They say that when Nebuchadnezzar ascended to destroy Jerusalem, he ascended and encamped at Daphne at Antioch, and the Great Sanhedrin descended to greet him. They said to him: ‘Has the time arrived for this house to be destroyed?’ He said to them: ‘No. But Yehoyakim rebelled against me. Give him to me and I will go.’ They came to Yehoyakim and said to him: ‘Nebuchadnezzar wants you.’ He said to them: ‘Is this how one acts? Does one disregard one life in favor of another life? Do [you] disregard my life in order to sustain your lives? It is written: “You shall not deliver a slave to his master”’ (Deuteronomy 23:16). They said to him: ‘Did your ancestor not do so to Sheva ben Bikhri?’ Since he did not heed them, they rose, took him, and lowered him to [Nebuchadnezzar]. How did they lower him? Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Eliezer ben Rabbi Natan said: They lowered him alive, just as it says: “They placed him in a cage with hooks [ baḥaḥim ]” (Ezekiel 19:9); “alive [ baḥayim ]” is written. Rabbi Shimon said: They lowered him to him dead, just as it says: “So that his voice would be heard no longer” (Ezekiel 19:9). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: I will uphold the statement of both of them. They lowered him alive, but he was delicate and he died at their hands. What did Nebuchadnezzar do to him? Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: He took him and brought him around to all the cities of Judah, and he sat and judged him in a show trial and executed him. He tore open a donkey and placed him in it. That is what is written: “He will be buried in the burial of a donkey” (Jeremiah 22:19). Rabbi Neḥemya said: He took him and brought him to all the cities of Israel and executed him. He would cut from him [pieces of flesh the size of] olive bulks and cast them to the dogs. That is what is written: “He will be buried in the burial of a donkey.” Where is a donkey buried, is it not in the innards of a dog? It is he whom the prophet castigates and says: “The rest of the matters of Yehoyakim, and everything that he did” (II Kings 24:5). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There were three amora’im ; one said that he wore diverse kinds, one said that he pulled his foreskin, one said that he had a tattoo engraved on his flesh. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is that he consorted with his mother, his daughter-in-law, and his father’s wife, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The truth of the matter is that he entered the entrance through which he had emerged. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is that he settled biraniyot in Jerusalem. What are biraniyot ? Empty [ bairan ] and bound [ tzairan ], as he would kill the husbands, ravage the wives, and place their money in the royal treasury. That is what is written: “He ravished its widows” (Ezekiel 19:7). Once Nebuchadnezzar killed him, he crowned his son, Yekhonya, in his stead and descended to Babylon. All the citizens of Babylon emerged to laud him. They said to him: ‘What did you do?’ He said to them: ‘Yehoyakim rebelled against me. I killed him and crowned his son Yekhonya in his stead.’ They said to him: ‘The parable says: Do not raise a good puppy from a bad dog, and a bad puppy from a bad dog, all the more so.’ Immediately, he heeded them and ascended and encamped at Daphne at Antioch. The Great Sanhedrin descended to greet him. They said to him: ‘Has the time arrived for this house to be destroyed?’ He said to them: ‘No. However, the one whom I crowned, give him to me and I will go on my way.’ They went and said to Yekhonya: ‘Nebuchadnezzar wants you.’ What did he do? He stood and collected all the keys to the Temple and ascended to the rooftop. He said: ‘Master of the universe, since we did not merit to be treasurers before You; until now we have been faithful custodians before You, from here on, here are Your keys before You.’ Two amora’im ; one said,a sort of fiery hand descended and took them from him, and one said, from the moment that he threw them, they did not descend again. What were the youths of Israel doing? They were ascending to their rooftops and falling and dying. That is what is written: “A prophecy of the Valley of Vision: What, indeed, is with you, that you all went up to the roofs?” (Isaiah 22:1). What did Nebuchadnezzar do? He took him and incarcerated him in prison. Anyone who was incarcerated in his days would never emerge from there, based on: “Who never released his prisoners homeward” (Isaiah 14:17). Yehoyakhin was exiled and the Great Sanhedrin was exiled with him. That is what is written: “Is [this man Konya] a despised, shattered idol [ ha’etzev ]?” (Jeremiah 22:28). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Like this bone [ ka’etzem ] with marrow, that once you shatter it, it is not good for anything…until “She’altiel” (I Chronicles 3:17). The Holy One blessed be He consulted [ shaal ] with His supernal court and they annulled His oath. At that moment, the Great Sanhedrin convened to deliberate and said: In our day, the kingdom of the House of David will cease, in whose regard it is written: “His throne will be as the sun before Me” (Psalms 89:37). What shall we do? Let us go and appease Gadelet, and Gadelet [will appease] the queen, and the queen [will appease] the king. They went and appeased Gadelet, and Gadelet, the queen, and the queen, the king. What was the name of Nebuchadnezzar’s wife? Rav Huna said: Her name was Shemiram. Rabbi Avin said: Her name was Shemiramot. The Rabbis say: Her name was Shemiraam, because she was born in thunder. When Nebuchadnezzar came to consort with her, she said to him: ‘You are a king; is Yekhonya not a king? You seek your position; does Yekhonya not seek his position?’ Immediately he issued a decree and they gave him his wife. How did they lower her to him? Rabbi Shabetai said: They lowered her to him through the skylights. The Rabbis say: They opened the roof and lowered her to him. When he came to consort with her, she said to him: ‘I saw [blood] like a red rose.’ He withdrew from her. Immediately, she went, counted, became purified, and immersed. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘In Jerusalem you did not fulfill the mitzva of discharge, but now you are fulfilling it, as it is stated: “You too, for the blood of your covenant, I have released your prisoners from the pit” (Zechariah 9:11). You remembered that blood of Sinai; therefore, “I have released your prisoners.”’ Rabbi Shabetai said: He did not move from there until the Holy One blessed be He granted him atonement for him of all his iniquities. Regarding that moment it says: “All of you is fair, my love, and there is no blemish in you” (Song of Songs 4:7). A Divine Voice emerged and said to them: “Return, wayward children, I will heal your deviances” (Jeremiah 3:22).