Midrasch zu Wajikra 22:1

1) (Vayikra 22:1-2) ("And the L–rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and to his sons that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they not profane My holy name, which they make holy to me; I am the L–rd.") "and that they separate themselves ("veyinozru"): "nezirah" connotes separation, as it is written (Ezekiel 14:7) "who separates himself ("veyinazer") from Me and brings up his idols," and (Isaiah 1:4) "They have turned back" ("nazoru acher") (i.e., separated). "from the holy things of the children of Israel": They are liable for piggul [inappropriate intention), nothar (viz. Isaiah 19:6), and uncleanliness in respect to the offerings of the children of Israel, but not in respect to the offerings of gentiles. "the holy things of the children of Israel": This tells me only of the holy things of the children of Israel. Whence do we derive the same for their own holy things? From "which they make holy to Me" — to include all (holy things).

2) Whence is it derived that our verse is speaking of (a Cohein) who has become tamei? "Profanation" is written here, and it is written elsewhere (Vayikra 22:9) (in respect to eating terumah). Just as "profanation" there refers to tumah, so, "profanation" here refers to tumah. And just as "profanation" there is punishable by death) at the hands of Heaven), so, "profanation" here is punishable by death. And just as for "profanation" there, there is (no) placation, so, for "profanation" here there is no placation. R. Yehudah says: It is written here "I am the L–rd," and, below, (Vayikra 22 verse 3) "I am the L–rd." Just as there, the context is kareth ("cutting off"), here, too, it is kareth.

Another interpretation (of Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed [and bears a male]”: If the woman comes first, she bears a male; if the man comes first, [she bears] a female.⁸Ber. 60a; Nid. 31ab; see above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 8:18; cf. Sifra to Lev. 22:1-9, (217: Emor, Parashah 4). R. Abbin the Levite said, “The text has given you a clue (in vs. 5), ‘If she bears a female’ (with no mention of her giving her seed). If the man comes first, a female is produced; [if] the woman comes first, a male is produced. Thus it is stated (in vs. 2), ‘When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.’” R. Hiyya bar Abba said, “Therefore, the male is dependent (for his procreation) upon the woman; and the female, upon the man. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:20-23), ‘Behold Milcah, she also has borne sons to your brother Nahor, Uz his first-born and Buz his brother…. And Bethuel brought forth Rebekah.’ It also says (in I Chron. 2:48-49), ‘Maacah, the concubine of Caleb bore [Sheber] and Tirhanah. She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea. And the daughter of Caleb] was Achsah.’ Thus females are dependent (for procreation) upon the man; and the males, upon the woman. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 12:2), ‘When a woman emits her seed.’” R. Ayyevu said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, performs a miraculous act with a person. When a person is put in a hot water for [only] a single day, is not his life struggling [to survive] because of it? But when an infant is put in its mother's belly for nine months,⁹According to Lev. R. 14:3, a woman’s womb is at boiling temperature. the Holy One, blessed be He, protects it.” Our masters have said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has performed a miraculous act with this person. When the person is put in a bath tub¹⁰Gk.: embate. for one day, does not his life fail because of it? But when the infant is put in its mother's womb for nine months, its life does not fail because of it. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, is performing a miraculous act with it (i.e., with the infant).” Job said (in Job 36:3), “I will fetch (‘S’) my knowledge from afar.” Now Job saw people, with a woman ('shh) giving birth to a man,¹¹‘ShH and ‘S’ are more alike in Hebrew than the transliterations show. In the unpointed text S (sin) and Sh (shin) are the same letter. Also a final H (he) sounds so much like a final ‘(alef) that Rabbinic Hebrew sometimes conflates the two. Thus the midrash understands Job 36:3 to mean that the WOMAN in Lev. 12:2 was Job’s KNOWLEDGE FROM AFAR. and also the ship (of Prov. 31:14) sails in the midst of the waters inch by inch.¹²The image suggests Prov. 31:14, according to which the heroic wife is LIKE MERCHANT SHIPS; SHE BRINGS HER FOOD FROM AFAR. So Enoch Zundel in his commentary, ‘Ets Yosef, here on Tanh., Lev. 4:3. Now he was surprised over these things and said (in Job 36:3), “I (like the woman of Prov. 31:14) will fetch my knowledge from afar.” R. Judah [bar Simon] said, “A woman's two haunches become like two haunches of stone, in order that she may have strength when she gives birth. As thus it is stated (in Exod. 1:16), ‘look at the birthstool (literally, the pair of stones).’” R. Meir said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, performs a miraculous act with the infant. How? Before the woman bears, she retains blood; after she gives birth, the blood departs to the breasts and becomes milk. Then the infant nurses on them.” R. Abba bar Kahana said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, performs a miraculous act with the infant. How? When the funda (i.e., pouch)¹³The Latin word means “moneybag”. is full with its mouth down, the coins are scattered; but the woman has her funda [with its opening] down, and the fetus is retained.” Another interpretation: An animal walks about with the fetus in the midst of its belly; but a woman walks about erect with the fetus in the midst of her belly, and the Holy One, blessed be He, preserves it.