Midrasch zu Wajikra 20:2

1) (Vayikra 20:2) ("And to the children of Israel you shall say: A man, a man, of the children of Israel, and of the stranger who sojourns in Israel, who gives of his seed to the Molech, he shall die; the people of the land shall stone him with a stone.") "And to the children of Israel you shall say": "And to the children of Israel you shall speak," "Say to the children of Israel," "Speak to the children of Israel," "Command the children of Israel," "And you command the children of Israel": R. Yossi says: The Torah spoke in the language of man, in many forms, and all require expounding: "Israel" — as stated; "stranger" — these are the proselytes; "who sojourns" — to include the wives of the proselytes. "in Israel" — to include women and servants.

2) If so, why is it written "a man, a man"? To include gentiles who cohabit with the arayoth of the nations (i.e., with those whom they consider arayoth), that they are to be punished according to the laws of the nations (i.e., by the sword); and who cohabited with the arayoth of Israel, that they are to be punished according to the laws of Israel.

3) who gives of his seed to the Molech": and not to other varieties (of idolatry). "who gives of his seed to the Molech": What is the intent of this? (i.e., Is it not already written (Vayikra 18:21) "And from your seed you shall not give, etc."?) (For) if from there, I might think that even if he (himself) passed (him through fire) and did not give him (to the priest of Molech to do so), he would be liable; it is, therefore, written (for emphasis) "who gives of his seed." I might think that even if he gave, but did not pass, he is still liable; it is, therefore, written (Vayikra 18:21) "And from your seed you shall not give to pass to the Molech." I might think he would be liable even if he did not pass him through fire; it is, therefore, written (Devarim 18:10) "There shall not be found among you one who passes his son or daughter through fire" "passing"-"passing" for an identity (gezeirah shavah) — Just as "passing" here is for the Molech, so "passing" there; and just as "passing" there is through fire, so, "passing" here. In sum: There must be giving, and passing, through fire, to the Molech.

[(Exod. 30:12): WHEN YOU TAKE A CENSUS.] What is written <just> before this lection (in Exod. 30:10)? AARON SHALL MAKE ATONEMENT UPON ITS HORNS (i.e., the horns of the incense altar) <ONCE A YEAR>.¹³Tanh., Exod. 9:6; PRK 2:7. When Israel sinned, the Holy One said to Moses: Go and make atonement for them. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, did you not say this: ONCE A YEAR? The Holy One said to him: Go and restore them. R. Abbin the Levite said: Moses said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, out of all the peoples that you have in your world, you only charge me concerning Israel. (Lev. 20:2:) AND UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL YOU SHALL SAY. (Exod. 30:31:) UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL YOU SHALL SPEAK. To what is the matter comparable?¹⁴Tanh., Exod. 9:8. To a King who had purple garments.¹⁵Gk.: porphurai. Now he had a certain purple cloak which he cherished more than all of them. So he commanded his servant and said to him: Shake it out; fold it up. He also said to him: Set your mind on it. He said to him: My Lord King, of all your purple garments you have only commanded me concerning this one. He said to him: Because I wore this one when I first became king, I therefore cherish it more than all these <other> garments of mine. In such a way did the Holy One speak, when <Moses> said to him: For what reason did you command me more concerning Israel than all the <other> peoples which are in the world? He said to him: For what reason? Because they were the first to make me king, <when they did so> by the sea. (Exod. 15:18:) THE LORD SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER.

4) "he shall die": at the hands of beth-din. Whence is it derived that if beth-din lack the power to do so, the people of the land may assist them"? From "the people of the land shall stone him." Variantly: "the people of the land" — the people for whose sake the land was created. R. Gamliel says: the people who are destined to inherit the land by carrying out those things. "shall stone him" — unclad. "with a stone": If he dies through one stone, it sufficed.

Moses cried out: My master, You did not command me about even one of the seventy nations, only concerning Israel: When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, Unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, And unto the children of Israel thou shalt say, Command the children of Israel, Speak unto the children of Israel. You commanded me to do this only to the children of Israel. He replied to him: I did so because they are dearer to me than all the nations. They are My treasure, I love them and have chosen them, as it is said: And the Lord hath chosen thee to be his own treasure out of all peoples (Deut. 14:2). Observe how precious they are that they are mentioned five times in a single verse: I have given the Levites—they are given to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel, through the children of Israel coming nigh unto the Sanctuary (Num. 8:19).

"and you shall stone them with stones": I might think, with many stones; it is, therefore, written (Vayikra 20:2) "with a stone." I might then think, with one stone. It is, therefore, written "with stones." How is this to be resolved? If he is not killed with the first stone, he is killed with the second.