Midrash sur Les Nombres 18:30

Rabbi Yudan [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina, and Rabbi Berekhya [said] in the name of Rabbi Abbahu: It is written: “I have separated you from the peoples…” (Leviticus 20:26) – had it been stated: “I have separated the peoples from you,” there would not have been any revival for the enemies of Israel.⁹²It would have been impossible for members of other nations to convert to Judaism. Rather, “I have separated you from the peoples” – for one who separates the bad from the good, does not return to separate again;⁹³If one separates undesirable material from a mixture, he does not have to do so again, because he never returns that undesirable material to the mixture. however, one who separates the good from the bad, he must again separate.⁹⁴If one separates desirable material from a mixture, he may later separate more of the desirable material from the mixture. So too, had it been stated: “I have separated the peoples from you,” there would not have been any revival for the enemies of Israel. Rather, it is stated: “I have separated you from the peoples” – to be for Me, for My name forever. Rabbi Aḥa said: From here [it may be demonstrated] that the Holy One blessed be He said to the nations of the world that they should repent and He would bring them near, under His wings.
Rabbi Levi said: All the actions of Israel are different from the nations of the world, in their plowing, in their sowing, in their planting, in their reaping, in their gathering, in their threshing, on their threshing floors and in their winepresses, on their roofs, regarding their firstborn, regarding their flesh, in their shaving, and in their counting. In their plowing, as it is stated: “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey” (Deuteronomy 22:10). In their sowing, as it is stated: “You shall not sow your vineyard with diverse kinds” (Deuteronomy 22:9). In their planting, as it is stated: “You shall consider its fruit forbidden” (Leviticus 19:23). In their reaping, as it is stated: “When you reap the harvest of your land” (Leviticus 19:9). In their gathering, as it is stated: “And you forget a sheaf in the field” (Deuteronomy 24:19). In their threshing, as it is stated: “You shall not muzzle an ox in its threshing” (Deuteronomy 25:4). On their threshing floors and in their winepresses, as it is stated: “The fullness of your harvest and the outflow of your presses you shall not delay” (Exodus 22:28), and it is written: “Like the produce of the threshing floor, and like the produce of the winepress” (Numbers 18:30). On their roofs, as it is stated: “You shall make a guardrail for your roof” (Deuteronomy 22:8). In their shaving, as it is stated: “You shall not mar the edge of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27). In their counting, as it is stated: “When you take a census of the children of Israel…” (Exodus 30:12).⁹⁵The census is to be conducted by each individual donating a half-shekel and the total sum being counted, rather than by counting the people. Israel counts by the moon⁹⁶The lunar calendar and the nations of the world count by the sun.⁹⁷The solar calendar

(Bamidbar 18:30) "And you shall say to them (the Levites): When you separate its best part from it, (then it [i.e., what remains]) shall be reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor and as produce of the winepress."): This is an exhortation to the Levites to take (terumath ma'aser) only from its choicest. "then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor and as produce of the winepress": Why is this stated? (i.e., it is already written [Ibid. 27]) Because it is written (27) "And your terumah will be accounted for you, etc.", I might think that since Scripture refers to it (first tithe) as "terumah," (viz. Ibid. 24), it retains its holiness forever; it is, therefore, written "then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor and as produce of the wine press" — Just as with the produce of the threshing floor, one separates terumah, and what remains is chullin (non-terumah), so, with first tithe, he separates terumah (i.e., terumath ma'aser) and what remains is chullin. (Ibid. 31) "And you may eat it in every place": even in a cemetery. For it would follow (otherwise), viz.: Since "terumah" (of a Cohein) is called "terumah," and first tithe is called "terumah," then if I have learned that terumah (of a Cohein) is to be eaten only in a (ritually) clean place, so, first tithe; it is, therefore, written "And you may eat it in every place" — even in a cemetery. "you and your household": to include an Israelite woman married to a Levite as permitted to depute (a messenger) to take terumah (i.e., terumath ma'aser, from her husband's first tithe). — But perhaps (this permits her) only to eat it! — Would you say that? It follows otherwise, viz.: If she (a Cohein's wife) eats the "graver" — terumah, how much more so should (a Levite's wife) eat the "lighter" — ma'aser! It must mean, then, that an Israelite woman (married to a Levite) is permitted to be deputed to take terumah. (Ibid. 31) "For it is payment to you, in exchange for your service in the tent of meeting.": If he serves, he takes; if he does not serve, he does not take — whence it was ruled: If a Levite took upon himself every Levitical service except one, he has no portion in the Leviate. (Ibid. 32) "And you shall not bear sin because of it": And whence is it derived that if he did not separate (for terumath ma'aser) its choicest part, he does bear sin? From "And you shall not bear sin because of it when you separate its best part from it." This tells me only of terumath ma'aser (i.e., what the Levi separates for the Cohein). Whence do I derive (the same for) terumah gedolah (i.e., what the Israelite separates for the Cohein)? From (Ibid.) "And the holy things of the children of Israel you shall not profane and you shall not die." This is an exhortation to both the Levites and the Israelites.