에스겔 44:9의 미드라쉬

MOED KATTAN (Fol. 5) "And tombs may be marked on the Mo'ed." R. Simon b. Pazzi said: "Whence do we find an intimation [in the Scriptures] that tombs should be marked? It is said (Ezek. 39, 15) When any one seeth a man's bone, there shall be set up a sign by it." "But whence do we infer that tombs were marked prior to Ezekiel?" asked Rabina of R. Ashi. Whereupon R. Ashi replied: "According to your argument, how will you explain the saying of R. Chisda, that the following law was not derived from the Bible until Ezekiel ben Buzi (the prophet) came and taught us (Ezek. 44, 9) No son of the stranger, uncircumcised in heart or in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary. [Wilt thou also ask in this case] 'How do we know this prior to Ezekiel?' We must therefore say that this [fact] was known by tradition and Ezekiel merely supported it by referring it to a [particular] verse. Reasoning accordingly we can explain in this instance that the origin [of the marking of tombs] is known by tradition and Ezekiel merely supported it by referring it to a [particular] verse."

Prior to this verse it is written: Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying: “The two families which the Lord did choose, He hath cast them off?” and they condemn My people, that they should be no more a nation before them (ibid., v. 24). What does this verse indicate? He saw how the men of Jerusalem provoked the Holy One, blessed be He, to anger, for even the priests who offered sacrificed in the Temple were uncircumcised, as it is said: In that ye have brought in aliens, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to profane it, even My house, when ye offer My bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken My covenant, to add unto all your abominations (Ezek. 44:7), and it is written elsewhere: Thus saith the Lord God: No alien, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary, even any alien that is among the children of Israel (ibid., v. 9).

"No stranger may eat of it": Both a heretical Jew and a non-Jew are herein subsumed, viz. (Ezekiel 44:9) "And every stranger, uncircumcised of flesh and uncircumcised of heart shall not enter My sanctuary.