וְהָיָ֗ה כָּל־הַנּוֹתָר֙ בְּבֵ֣יתְךָ֔ יָבוֹא֙ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֣ת ל֔וֹ לַאֲג֥וֹרַת כֶּ֖סֶף וְכִכַּר־לָ֑חֶם וְאָמַ֗ר סְפָחֵ֥נִי נָ֛א אֶל־אַחַ֥ת הַכְּהֻנּ֖וֹת לֶאֱכֹ֥ל פַּת־לָֽחֶם׃ (ס)
Der übrig bleibt in deinem Hause, wird kommen, sich vor ihm zu bücken um ein Geldalmosen und ein Stück Brot und wird sprechen: Füge mich doch hinzu bei einem der Priesterämter, dass ich ein Stück Brot esse.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
Hezekiah said: "A man's prayer is not heard unless he considers himself as soft-hearted as flesh, [but not hard like a rock]; for it is said (Is. 66, 23) And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to the other new moon, and that from one Sabbath to the other Sabbath, should all flesh come to prositorious act in this world, it proceeds him in trate themselves before Me, Saith the Lord." R. Zera said: "Concerning flesh it is written (Lev. 13, 18) It is healed but concerning man the word 'healed' is not written." R. Jochanan said: "The word Adam means Aphar (dust), daam blood, and mass gall; Bossor (flesh) means busha (disgrace), scrucha (smell) and Zima (worms). According to others it means: Busha (disgrace) (grace), and Rima (worms), for it for it is written with a Shin. R. Ashi said: "Everyman who possesses haughtiness will wane in reputation, as it is said (Ib. 14, 56) And for a swelling for a rising and the word S'eth (rising) refers to haughtiness, as it is said (Is. 2, 14) And over all the high mountains (nissa'ah) and over all the exalted hills and sapachas (swelling) refers to nothing else but an ill-considered thing, as it is said (I Sam. 2, 36) And he will say, 'Attach me, (Safcheni) I pray thee, unto one of the priestly officers that I may eat all bread.'" R. Joshua b. Levi said: "Come and see how greatly are the humble-spirited considered before the Holy One, praised be He, for at the time the Temple was in existence if a man brought a burnt-offering sacrifice, he received the reward of a burnt-offering, and if one brought a meal-offering he received the reward of a meal-offering, but a man who who possesses a humble spirit is considered by Scripture as if he had brought all kinds of sacrifices, as it is said (Ps. 51, 19) The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit. And not only this but even his prayer is not rejected, as it is said further A broken and contrite heart, O God wilt Thou not despise."
Sifra
4) (Vayikra 13:2) ("A man, if there be in the skin of his flesh se'eth or sapachath or bahereth, and it shall be in the skin of his flesh a plague-spot of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the Cohein or to one of his sons, the Cohanim.") "in the skin of his flesh": What is the intent of this? Because it is written (Vayikra 13:3) "and hair in the plague-spot had turned white," I would think that this denotes only a site where white hair can grow. Whence would I derive (for inclusion) even a site where white hair cannot grow (like the palm of the hand)? From (the redundant) "in the skin of his flesh." "se'eth": This is (the distinct plague-spot known as) "se'eth." "bahereth": This is (the distinct plague-spot known as) "bahereth." "sapachath": This is an adjunct to (i.e., a lesser form of) se'eth, and its appearance is of lesser depth than that of bahereth. What is signified by "se'eth"? A "rising," as the appearance of a shadow, which seems higher than that of the sun. What is signified by (Vayikra 13:3) "deeper"? As the appearance of the sun, which seems deeper than that of the shadow. What is signified by "sapachath"? "adjunct," as it is written (I Samuel 2:36) "Join me ('sefacheini'), I pray you, to one of the priests' offices." "and it shall be": (We are hereby taught [by its being written "and it shall be" rather than "and they (se'eth, sapachath, and bahereth) shall be"]) that they combine with each other for purposes of negation (of leprosy), confirmation, and quarantine. "in the skin of his flesh": in (i.e., relative to) the skin of the flesh of the observed. In this connection it was stated: A very bright spot seems dull in a (light-complected) German, and a dull spot in an Ethiopian seems bright.
Shemot Rabbah
Another interpretation: “This is the statute of the paschal offering [no foreigner shall eat of it]” – that is what is written: “The foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord shall not speak, saying: The Lord has separated me from His people” (Isaiah 56:3).6The verse quoted prohibits foreigners from partaking of the paschal offering. However, a later verse presents the possibility of that foreigner joining himself to Israel and then partaking of the offering: “When a stranger will reside with you, and will perform the paschal offering to the Lord, circumcise all his males, and then he may draw near and perform it; and he will be like a native of the land; and all uncircumcised shall not eat of it. There shall be one law for the native, and for the stranger who resides with you (Exodus 12:48–9). Job said: “The stranger shall not spend the night outside” (Job 31:32). The Holy One blessed be He does not reject any creature, but rather, He accepts everyone. The gates open at all times, and anyone who seeks to enter may enter. That is why it says: “The stranger shall not spend the night outside,” corresponding to: “The stranger who is within your gates” (Deuteronomy 31:12). “I opened My doors to the road” (Job 31:32), [is said] of the Holy One blessed be He, that He tolerates His creations.
Rabbi Berekhya said: Corresponding to whom did He say: “The stranger [hager] shall not spend the night outside” (Job 31:32)? Rather, converts [gerim]7The Biblical word for stranger, ger, also means convert in Rabbinic Hebrew. are destined to be priests serving in the Temple, as it is stated: “The stranger [hager] will join himself with them, and they will be appended to the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1). Appended [venispeḥu] means nothing other than priesthood, as it is stated: “Append me [sefaḥeni], please, to one of the priestly watches” (I Samuel 2:36). They are destined to partake of the showbread, for their daughters will marry into the priesthood.
And so did Akilas the proselyte ask our Rabbis. He said to them: ‘That which is written: “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18) – are all the promises that He promised to the stranger that He would give him food and clothing?’ One [of the Rabbis] said to him: ‘That is what Jacob, whose name is Israel, requested from the Holy One blessed be He: “…and will give me food to eat, and clothing to wear” (Genesis 28:20). You, who have come among us, it is not enough for you that you are like us, but it should be sufficient for you to be like Jacob, the firstborn of the Holy One blessed be He.’ Ultimately, you should not suppose that Jacob requested food and clothing. Rather, Jacob said: The Holy One blessed be He promised me that He will be with me, and that He will establish the world from me. When will I know that He is with me and that he is protecting me? When He establishes from me sons who are priests partaking of the showbread and wearing priestly vestments, as it is stated: “And will give me food to eat,” that is the showbread; and clothing to wear, those are the priestly vestments, as it is stated: “You shall clothe Aaron in the holy vestments” (Exodus 40:13). Here, too, “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” – in other words, He provides children to the stranger who will eat showbread and wear priestly vestments. That is, “the stranger shall not spend the night outside.”
The Holy One blessed be He said: After all the honor that I am destined to accord to the penitents, you are complaining? That is: “The foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord, shall not speak…” (Isaiah 56:3). Alternatively, “the foreigner…shall not speak” – that is what is written: “Sing and rejoice daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 2:14), and it is written: “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord” (Zechariah 2:15). The Holy One blessed be He said: If I say so about converts, all the more so about Zion and Israel. “The foreigner…shall not speak.” The Holy One blessed be He said to the converts: You are concerned because I disqualified you and said regarding the paschal offering: “No foreigner shall eat of it?” Why don’t you ask the Givonites how I acted favorably to them? They are people who behaved deceitfully; acting out of fear [they] approached My children and took an oath to them. [Nevertheless,] what did I do to Saul and his household because he sought to kill them [the Givonites]?8See II Samuel 21:1 and Yevamot 78b. They [the Givonites] killed seven of his descendants, as it is stated: “The king took the two sons of Ritzpa…and the five sons of Mikhal” (II Samuel 21:8).9These descendants of Saul were handed over to the Givonites to be executed. The Holy One blessed be He said: If regarding the Givonites, who were Emorites, who acting out of fear behaved deceitfully with Israel, I accepted them, acted favorably to them, and I gave them satisfaction from My children; the converts who come in love, and serve for the sake of My name, won’t I accept them and exalt them?
Therefore, “the foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord shall not say” (Isaiah 56:3) – these are the circumcised converts. The idolaters, however, have uncircumcised hearts, for thus the Holy One blessed be He disqualifies those with uncircumcised hearts and takes them down to Gehenna, as it is stated: “Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and take them down” (Ezekiel 32:18). Likewise, Isaiah says: “Therefore, the grave expanded itself, and opened its mouth without measure [ḥok]” (Isaiah 5:14) – for an idolater who scorns the statute [ḥok] of circumcision, as it is stated: “He established it for Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (Psalms 105:10). Israel, who are circumcised, do not go down to Gehenna.
Rabbi Berekhya said: In order that the heretics and the wicked of Israel will not say: ‘Since we are circumcised, we will not descend to Gehenna,’ what does the Holy One blessed be He do? He sends an angel who extends their foreskin [rendering them uncircumcised] and they descend to Gehenna, as it is stated: “He extended his hands…profaned his covenant.” (Psalms 55:21). When Gehenna sees that the foreskin is connected to them, it opens its mouth and consumes them in fire; that is: “And opened its mouth without measure [ḥok].”
Rabbi Berekhya said: Corresponding to whom did He say: “The stranger [hager] shall not spend the night outside” (Job 31:32)? Rather, converts [gerim]7The Biblical word for stranger, ger, also means convert in Rabbinic Hebrew. are destined to be priests serving in the Temple, as it is stated: “The stranger [hager] will join himself with them, and they will be appended to the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1). Appended [venispeḥu] means nothing other than priesthood, as it is stated: “Append me [sefaḥeni], please, to one of the priestly watches” (I Samuel 2:36). They are destined to partake of the showbread, for their daughters will marry into the priesthood.
And so did Akilas the proselyte ask our Rabbis. He said to them: ‘That which is written: “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18) – are all the promises that He promised to the stranger that He would give him food and clothing?’ One [of the Rabbis] said to him: ‘That is what Jacob, whose name is Israel, requested from the Holy One blessed be He: “…and will give me food to eat, and clothing to wear” (Genesis 28:20). You, who have come among us, it is not enough for you that you are like us, but it should be sufficient for you to be like Jacob, the firstborn of the Holy One blessed be He.’ Ultimately, you should not suppose that Jacob requested food and clothing. Rather, Jacob said: The Holy One blessed be He promised me that He will be with me, and that He will establish the world from me. When will I know that He is with me and that he is protecting me? When He establishes from me sons who are priests partaking of the showbread and wearing priestly vestments, as it is stated: “And will give me food to eat,” that is the showbread; and clothing to wear, those are the priestly vestments, as it is stated: “You shall clothe Aaron in the holy vestments” (Exodus 40:13). Here, too, “He loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing” – in other words, He provides children to the stranger who will eat showbread and wear priestly vestments. That is, “the stranger shall not spend the night outside.”
The Holy One blessed be He said: After all the honor that I am destined to accord to the penitents, you are complaining? That is: “The foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord, shall not speak…” (Isaiah 56:3). Alternatively, “the foreigner…shall not speak” – that is what is written: “Sing and rejoice daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 2:14), and it is written: “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord” (Zechariah 2:15). The Holy One blessed be He said: If I say so about converts, all the more so about Zion and Israel. “The foreigner…shall not speak.” The Holy One blessed be He said to the converts: You are concerned because I disqualified you and said regarding the paschal offering: “No foreigner shall eat of it?” Why don’t you ask the Givonites how I acted favorably to them? They are people who behaved deceitfully; acting out of fear [they] approached My children and took an oath to them. [Nevertheless,] what did I do to Saul and his household because he sought to kill them [the Givonites]?8See II Samuel 21:1 and Yevamot 78b. They [the Givonites] killed seven of his descendants, as it is stated: “The king took the two sons of Ritzpa…and the five sons of Mikhal” (II Samuel 21:8).9These descendants of Saul were handed over to the Givonites to be executed. The Holy One blessed be He said: If regarding the Givonites, who were Emorites, who acting out of fear behaved deceitfully with Israel, I accepted them, acted favorably to them, and I gave them satisfaction from My children; the converts who come in love, and serve for the sake of My name, won’t I accept them and exalt them?
Therefore, “the foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord shall not say” (Isaiah 56:3) – these are the circumcised converts. The idolaters, however, have uncircumcised hearts, for thus the Holy One blessed be He disqualifies those with uncircumcised hearts and takes them down to Gehenna, as it is stated: “Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and take them down” (Ezekiel 32:18). Likewise, Isaiah says: “Therefore, the grave expanded itself, and opened its mouth without measure [ḥok]” (Isaiah 5:14) – for an idolater who scorns the statute [ḥok] of circumcision, as it is stated: “He established it for Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (Psalms 105:10). Israel, who are circumcised, do not go down to Gehenna.
Rabbi Berekhya said: In order that the heretics and the wicked of Israel will not say: ‘Since we are circumcised, we will not descend to Gehenna,’ what does the Holy One blessed be He do? He sends an angel who extends their foreskin [rendering them uncircumcised] and they descend to Gehenna, as it is stated: “He extended his hands…profaned his covenant.” (Psalms 55:21). When Gehenna sees that the foreskin is connected to them, it opens its mouth and consumes them in fire; that is: “And opened its mouth without measure [ḥok].”