Midrasch zu Ijow 14:4

(Numb. 19:2:) “This is the statute of the Torah.” This text is related (to Job 14:4), “Who can produce something clean out of something unclean; is it not One?”³²English translations usually translate these last four words as NO ONE. [Who], for example, [produced] Abraham out of Terah, Hezekiah out of Ahaz, Josiah out of Amon, Mordecai out of Shimei, Israel out of the nations of the world, the world to come out of this world?³³Numb. R. 19:1; PRK, 4:1. [So] who did so? Who commanded so? And who decreed so? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Neg. 8:2),³⁴Cf. ibid. 8:3, 6-9. “If one has a bright spot the size of a bean, he is unclean”³⁵The traditional Mishnah text here does not specifically declare such a one unclean, although the uncleanness may be inferred, especially when the passage is read in connection with Lev. 13:2-3.; [yet] if it has burst out all over him, he is clean. Who did so? Who decreed so? Who commanded so? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Hul. 4:3), “In the case of the woman whose fetus died within her belly, if [a midwife] inserted her hand [into the womb] and touched it, the midwife is unclean for seven days, but the woman remains clean until the fetus comes forth. And so it is that while the dead person is in the house, the house is clean; when he comes forth from it, he makes it unclean.” Who did this? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Parah 4:4; Hul. 29b), “All who are occupied with the [rite of the red] cow from beginning to end render [their] clothes unclean, while the [cow] herself makes [what is unclean] clean.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “I have enacted a statute for you; I have issued a decree! So you are not authorized to transgress against my decree.”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 19:2): THIS IS THE STATUTE OF THE TORAH. This text is related (to Job 14:4): WHO CAN PRODUCE SOMETHING CLEAN OUT OF SOMETHING UNCLEAN? IS IT NOT <THE HOLY> ONE?⁴²English translations usually translate these last four words as NO ONE. <Who>, for example, <produced> Abraham out of Terah, Hezekiah out of Ahaz, Josiah out of Amon, Mordecai out of Shimei, Israel out of the nations of the world, [the world to come out of this world].⁴³Tanh., Numb. 6:3; Numb. R. 19:1; PRK, 4:1. So who did so? Who commanded so? And who decreed so? Was it not one being? Was it not the One Unequaled in the World (i.e., the Holy One)? We have learned elsewhere [(in Neg. 8:2):⁴⁴Cf. ibid. 8:3, 6-9. IF ONE HAS A BRIGHT SPOT THE SIZE OF A BEAN, he is unclean …⁴⁵The traditional Mishnah text here does not specifically declare such a one unclean, although the uncleanness may be inferred, especially when the passage is read in connection with Lev. 13:2-3.; IF IT HAS BURST OUT ALL OVER HIM, HE IS CLEAN. Who did so? Who decreed so? Who commanded so? Was it not the One Unequaled in the World? We have learned elsewhere] (in Hul. 4:3): IN THE CASE OF THE WOMAN WHOSE FETUS DIED WITHIN HER BELLY, IF {SHE} [A MIDWIFE] INSERTED HER HAND <INTO THE WOMB> AND TOUCHED IT, THE MIDWIFE IS UNCLEAN FOR SEVEN DAYS, BUT THE WOMAN REMAINS CLEAN UNTIL THE FETUS COMES FORTH. And so it is that while the dead person is in the house, the house is clean; when he comes forth from it, he makes it unclean. Who did this? Was it not the One Unequaled in the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Parah 4:4; Hul. 29b): ALL WHO ARE OCCUPIED WITH THE <RITE OF THE RED> COW FROM BEGINNING TO END RENDER <THEIR> CLOTHES UNCLEAN, while the <cow> herself makes <what is unclean> clean. Thus the Holy One has said: I have enacted a statute for you; I have issued a decree! So you are not authorized to transgress against my decree.

... Teach us, oh master – may one light a lamp for personal use from the Channukah lights? Our masters taught us – R’ Acha said in the name of Rav ‘it is forbidden to light a lamp to use from the Channukah lights, but one may light a Channukah light from a Channukah light.’ From where did they learn that it is permissible to light a Channukah light (from it)? R’ Yaakov ben Aba said, they learned it from the menorah that was in the Holy of Holies, as our rabbis taught that if one found they had gone out, they should be cleaned out and re-lit from those that are still lit. (Tamid 3) If we would relight an extinguished lamp of the menorah, which was placed in the innermost sanctum, from the lamps still burning all the more so it is permissible to light a Channukah light from the lights still burning.’ The Holy One said, just as in this world lamps were lit in the Holy of Holies, so too I will do when I rebuild Jerusalem. From where do we know this? From the words of the prophet “And it shall come to pass on that day, that I will search Jerusalem with candles…” (Tzephaniah 1:12)

Job said (in Job 14:4), “Who can produce something clean out of something unclean, no one.” After the Holy One, blessed be He, permitted the cow and forbade the camel, who could declare clean or declare unclean? Who has done so? Is it not the One? Is it not the singular One of the world? Come and see: Originally at the creation of the world, everything was permitted, as stated (in Gen. 9:3), “as with the green grass, I have given you everything.” And it states (in Gen. 1:31), “And God saw everything that He had done, and behold, it was good.” Then after Israel stood by Mount Sinai, He increased Torah and commandments for them in order to give them a good reward. But if so, why did He not so command the first Adam? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “When I ordained an easy commandment for him, he transgressed against it. How could he fulfill all these commandments? On the very day on which it was commanded, on that day he transgressed against it. He was unable to remain obedient to the command for a single hour. How did the Holy One, blessed be He, create Adam? R. Judah ben Pedayah said, “[Twelve hours make up the day.] In the first hour the first Adam arose in the thought of the Holy One, blessed be He, [with a view] to creation.⁴⁵PRK 23:1; PR 46:2; M. Pss. 92:3; Lev. R. 29:1; cf. Sanh. 38b; ARN, A, 1; PRE 11. In the second He consulted with the ministering angels and said (in Gen. 1:26), ‘Let us make man in our image.’ In the third He gathered his dust. In the fourth He kneaded him. In the fifth He shaped him. In the sixth He stood him up as a golem. In the seventh He blew breath into him. In the eighth He brought him into the Garden of Eden. In the ninth He commanded him, ‘Eat of this, and do not eat of that.’ In the tenth [Adam] sinned. In the eleventh he was judged. In the twelfth he was expelled.” Thus you must conclude that he did not remain obedient to the commandment for even a single hour. R. Judah ben Pedayah said, “Would that someone remove the dust from your eyes, O first Adam, you who could not persevere in your temptation for even a single hour, while here your children are keeping all the commandments which were given to them and persevering in them!”⁴⁶Gen. R. 21:7; cf. Lev. R. 25:2. One of them rises to plant, till, weed, prune, take pains to irrigate, and see the fruits of his plantings when they produce first fruits. Then he folds his hands and does not taste them, in order to fulfill what is stated (in Lev. 19:23), “three years it shall be [forbidden] to you….” But in the case of the first Adam, it was told him, “Eat of this, and do not eat of that,” and he was not able to remain obedient to the commandment for a single hour. Instead (according to Gen. 3:6), “then she also gave some to her husband, and he ate,” but [when] your children were commanded to eat this and not to eat that, [they remained obedient to those commandments]. And [this obedience is] especially [evident] when someone from Israel takes a bovine, an ox, or a lamb, slaughters it ritually, skins it, washes it, and inspects its health. When it is found to be unfit, he holds back and does not eat it. Ergo (in II Sam. 22:31 = Ps. 18:31, cont.), “the word of the Lord is pure.” For that reason, the first Adam was not commanded, because it was revealed to the Holy One, blessed be He, that he could not remain obedient to many commandments; as behold, he was commanded [only] one commandment, and he did not persevere with it. But in the case of Israel, when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them many commandments, they observed them. He therefore expanded the Torah and commandments for them, and said to them (in Lev. 11:2-7), “These are the creatures that you may eat…. These, however, you may not eat…: the camel […]; the rock badger […]; the hare […]; and the pig.” Another interpretation of (Lev. 11:4-7). The camel (rt.: gml) represents the kingdom of Babylon, since it is stated (in Ps. 137:8), “O Daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, fortunate is the one who repays you the recompense (rt.: gml) [with which you recompensed (rt.: gml) us].” The rock badger represents the kingdom of Media, since it made Israel into a corner and ownerless (as in Esth. 3:6), “to exterminate, to kill and to destroy all [the Jews]…”;⁴⁷The exact relation of the rock badger (ha’arnevet) to Media is unclear. One possibility is suggested by Lev. 11:6, according to which the rock badger has marks of both uncleanness and cleanness. Lev. R. 13:5 reports two versions of such an interpretation. The Rabbis interpreted this mix to mean that Media produced a righteous as well as a wicked person (perhaps Haman and Mordecai or Haman and Darius the Mede of Dan. 11:1). According to R. Judah b. R. Simon, the last Darius was clean on the side of his mother Esther and unclean on his father’s side. and likewise, the name of Ptolemy’s wife was rock badger (arnevet). The hare alludes to Greece, since it brought low the Torah from the mouth of the prophets.⁴⁸Probably because prophecy ceased under Greek rule; but according to Lev. R. 13:5, “hare” alludes to the Greek kingdom, because Ptolemy’s mother was named “Hare.” Cf. yMeg. 1:11 (71d), according to which the Greek translators of Lev. 11:6 emended “hare” to “short-legged one” for the same reason. Cf. also Meg. 90b, according to which it was Ptolemy’s wife who was named Hare. In actuality the person named “Hare” (Gk.: Lagos) was Ptolemy’s father. As it is stated (in Amos 8:11), “Behold days are coming says the Lord, God, and I will send a hunger…”; and it is written (in Amos 8:12), “And they shall wander from sea to sea….” How is this? In the future to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will issue a proclamation: Whoever has been engaged in such and such a commandment may come and receive his reward. Then the gentiles also will say, “Give us our reward, for we have performed a commandment.” The Holy One, blessed be He, [however] has said, “Whoever has observed the [commandments of the] Torah may come and receive his reward.”

Job said (in Job 14:4): WHO CAN PRODUCE SOMETHING CLEAN OUT OF SOMETHING UNCLEAN? NO ONE. After the Holy One permitted the cow and forbade the camel, who could declare clean or declare unclean?⁵⁶Tanh., Lev. 3:8. Who has done so? No one. Not a single person in the world. Come and see: Originally at the creation of the world, everything was permitted, as stated (in Gen. 9:3): AS WITH THE GREEN GRASS, I HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING. Then after Israel stood by Mount Sinai, he increased Torah and commandments for them in order to give them a good reward. But if so, why did he not so command the first Adam? The Holy One said: When I ordained an easy commandment for him, he transgressed against it. How could he fulfill all these commandments? On the very day on which it was commanded, on that day he nullified and transgressed against them (sic).⁵⁷Cf. the parallel in Tanh., Lev. 3:8, which reads here: “Transgressed against it.” He was unable to remain obedient to the command for a single day. How < did his disobedience happen >?⁵⁸Cf. the traditional Tanhuma, which reads: “How did the Holy One create the human?” R. Judah ben Pedayah said: Twelve hours make up the day. In the first hour the first Adam arose in the thought of the Holy One < with a view > to creation.⁵⁹PRK 23:1; PR 46:2; M. Pss. 92:3; Lev. R. 29:1; cf. Sanh. 38b; ARN, A, 1; PRE 11. In the second he consulted with the ministering angels. In the third he gathered his dust. In the fourth he kneaded him. In the fifth he shaped him. In the sixth he stood him up as a golem. In the seventh he blew breath into him, as stated (in Gen. 2:7): AND HE BLEW INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE. In the eighth he brought him into the Garden of Eden. In the ninth he commanded him: Eat of this, and do not eat of that. In the tenth he sinned. In the eleventh he was judged. In the twelfth he was expelled. Thus you must conclude that he did not remain obedient to the commandment for even a single hour. R. Judah ben Pedayah said: Would that someone remove the dust from your eyes, O First Adam, you who could not persevere in your temptation for even a single hour, while here your children are keeping all the commandments which were given to them and persevering in them!⁶⁰Gen. R. 21:7; cf. Lev. R. 25:2. One of them rises to plant, till, weed, prune, take pains to irrigate, and see the fruits of his plantings when they produce first fruits. Then he folds his hands and does not taste them, in order to fulfill what is stated (in Lev. 19:23): THREE YEARS < IT SHALL BE] FORBIDDEN [TO YOU]…. But in the case of the first Adam, it was told him: Eat of this, and do not eat of that. [It is so stated (in Gen. 2:16–17): YOU MAY FREELY EAT OF ANY TREE IN THE GARDEN; BUT AS FOR THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE < OF GOOD AND EVIL, YOU MAY NOT EAT OF IT >…. ] He did not remain obedient to the commandment for a single hour. [Instead (according to Gen. 3:6), THEN SHE ALSO GAVE SOME TO HER HUSBAND, AND HE ATE.] But [when] your children were commanded to eat this and not to eat that, [they remained obedient to those < commandments >]. And < this obedience is > especially < evident > when someone from Israel takes a bovine, an ox, or a lamb, slaughters it ritually, skins it, washes it, and inspects its health. When it is found to be unfit, he holds back and does not eat it. Ergo (in II Sam. 22:31 = Ps. 18:31 [30], cont.): THE WORD OF THE LORD IS PURE. [For that reason, the first Adam was not given commandments, because it was revealed to the Holy One that he could not remain obedient to them; but in the case of Israel, when the Holy One gave them many commandments, they accepted them and said (in Exod. 24:7): ALL THAT THE LORD HAS SPOKEN WE WILL CARRY OUT AND OBEY. He therefore warned them (in Lev. 11:2–4:) THESE ARE THE CREATURES THAT YOU MAY EAT…. THESE, HOWEVER, YOU MAY NOT EAT.]

This is the ordinance - As it is said verse (Job:14): Who gave (brought forth) purity to one who is impure? , such as Abraham from Terah, Hezekiah from Achaz, etc , Israel from the nations of the world, the world to come from this world. Who did so, who commanded so, who decreed it so, if not The One! (the world's only!) ....! There we learned (Parah 4:4): those who occupy themselves with the Parah from beginning to end, impurify their clothes, but it makes clothes Pure. God said: I carved a law (into the fabric of creation), a decree i made, you have no ability to transgress (override) My law!