Midras Yeremia 4:30: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)

(Gen. 6, 1) And it came to pass when men began to multiply — and daughters were born unto them. R. Jochanan said: "With a daughter comes multiplication into the world." Resh Lakish, however, maintains that with a daughter strife comes into the world. Resh Lakish said to R. Jochanan: "According to your opinion, that multiplication comes with daughters; then why was not Job doubled with daughters just as he was with sons and with all his property?" He answered: "Although they were not doubled in number, nevertheless they were in beauty, as it is written (Job 42, 13-15) He had also fourteen sons and three daughters, And he called the name of the first Yemimah, and the second, Keziah, and the third Keren-hapuch; i.e., Yemimah because she was bright as the day, Keziah because her perfumery odor spread like that of cassia; Keren-hapuch, because, said R. Chisda, she spread forth a savor like garden comes, as it is written (Jer. 4, 30) Thou circle with paint thine eyes." To R. Simon, Rabbi's son, a daughter was born; and he became dejected. His father said to him: "With thy daughter came multiplication." Bar Kapara said to him: "Your father offered you a vain consolation, for we are taught in a Baraitha: The world cannot be without male and females. However, happy is he whose children are males, and woe to him whose children are females. The world cannot be without a spice dealer and a tanner; happy is he who is a spice dealer and woe to him who is a tanner."

Our Rabbis were taught: It happened that Acher was riding upon his horse on the Sabbath, and R. Mair was walking behind him to learn the Torah from his mouth. He said to him: "Mair, turn thee backwards, for I have already measured by means of my horse's hoofs that up to this point is the legal limit of the Sabbath." R. Mair then said to him: "Return thyself also." Whereupon Acher replied. "Have I not answered thee already what I have heard from behind the curtain?" R. Mair forced him to enter a place of learning. He said to a child: "Repeat for me thy verse," [which thou hadst studied today.] He quoted to him: (Is. 48, 22) There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. He brought him to another house of learning. Acher said to a child: "Repeat for me thy verse." The child quoted to him: (Jer. 2, 22) For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before Me. He then brought him to another place of learning, whereupon Acher said to a child: "Repeat for me thy verse." The child quoted: (Ib. 4, 30) And thou, (Ib. b) that are spoiled, what dost thou, that thou clothest thyself with scarlet, that thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, that thou enlargest thine eyes with paint? In vain dost thou make thyself fair. He forced Acher to enter thirteen houses of learning and all quoted to him the same way. In the last one he said to the child: "Repeat for me thy verse." The child quoted to him (Ps. 50. 16) But unto the wicked (V'larasha) God saith: What hast thou to do to declare My statutes. That child was a stammerer and it sounded as if he had said Vle'elish [instead of V'larasha]. God saith, etc., whereupon Acher drew out a knife and cut the child into pieces and sent it to the thirteen houses of learning. According to others he only remarked: "If there had been a knife in my possession I would have cut him in pieces."