Midrasz do Liczb 19:22

This is the source for the sages' gradations of partitions (mechitzoth). Wherever zav confers tumah, metzora (leper) confers tumah. metzora is of greater stringency (than zav) in that it confers tumah upon one who enters (a house afflicted with tzara'ath [viz. Vayikra 14:46] [— wherefore a metzora is sent out of all three camps]). Wherever tamei meth confers tumah, zav confers tumah. zav is of greater stringency (than tamei meth) in that it confers tumah under an even mesama (a stone beneath which there is a cavity [viz. Vayikra 15:9] [— wherefore a zav is sent out of two camps]). Wherever tvul yom (one who has immersed in the daytime [pending purification in the evening]) confers tumah, tamei meth confers tumah. tamei meth is of greater stringency (than tvul yom) in that it confers tumah upon a man (who touches him, viz. [Bamidbar 19:22] [— wherefore a tamei meth is sent out of one camp]). Wherever one's lacking atonement (through an offering) renders (him) unfit (for eating consecrated food) tvul yom renders (him) unfit. tvul yom is of greater stringency (than one's lacking atonement) in that he renders terumah unfit.

(Lev. 23:40:) AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES ON THE FIRST DAY < BEAUTIFUL TREE FRUIT, BRANCHES OF PALM TREES, BOUGHS OF DENSE TREES, AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK; AND YOU SHALL REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD FOR SEVEN DAYS. > This text is related (to Prov. 4:10): HEED, MY CHILD, AND TAKE IN (rt.: LQH) MY WORDS. The Holy One said: I have charged you with a lot concerning acquisitions (rt.: LQH) in order to benefit you.⁹²Tanh., Lev. 8:17; Lev. R. 30:13. I told you (in Numb. 19:2): < SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, > AND LET THEM BRING (rt.: LQH) YOU A RED COW. Was it possibly for my sake? No. < It was > only in order to cleanse you. Is it not so written (in vs. 19): AND THE CLEAN PERSON SHALL SPRINKLE IT [UPON THE UNCLEAN PERSON]? I told you (in Exod. 25:2): < SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,] AND LET THEM TAKE (rt.: LQH) FOR ME A PRIESTLY SHARE, so that I might dwell among you. It is so stated (in vs. 8): AND LET THEM MAKE ME A SANCTUARY THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM. He, as it were, spoke a difficult thing to them: Take me that I may dwell among you. "And take a priestly share" is not written here, but AND LET THEM TAKE (FOR)⁹³Since “for me” can sometimes be understood as a direct object, the midrash is understanding the verse to mean: LET THEM TAKE ME AS A PRIESTLY SHARE. ME A PRIESTLY SHARE. < It is > I, < whom > you are taking. I said to you (in Exod. 27:20): AND LET THEM BRING UNTO YOU < PURE > OIL OF < BEATEN > OLIVES. Do I need your light? It is simply to preserve your souls, since the soul is likened to a lamp, where it is stated (in Prov. 20:27): A PERSON'S BREATH IS A LAMP OF GOD.⁹⁴The Masoretic Text uses the divine name here. And now when it says (in Lev. 23:40): AND YOU SHALL TAKE FOR YOURSELVES ON THE FIRST DAY, it is not because it is necessary for me, but in order to benefit you.

(Bamidbar 19:22) "And all that the unclean one (who touched a dead body) touches shall become unclean.": What is the intent of this? In (Ibid. 10) "one slain by the sword" Scripture teaches us about the sword that it is tamei for seven days and that one who touches it becomes tamei for seven days — We have thus learned about vessels (the sword) and the man (who touches it). Whence do we derive (the same for) vessels, man, and vessels (that the man touches)? From (Ibid. 31:24) "And you shall wash your garments ("vessels" touched by man). We have thus learned vessels, man, and vessels. Whence do we derive (the same for) vessels and vessels (touched by them)? It follows a fortiori, viz.: If vessels which touch a man who touched vessels which touched a dead body are tamei, how much more so vessels which touch vessels! Whence do we derive (the same for) vessels which touch a man (who touched a dead body)? It follows a fortiori, viz.: If vessels which touched a man who touched vessels (which touched a dead body) are tamei, how much more so vessels which touched a man (who touched a dead body)! — But perhaps a man should contract tumah from a dead body to render his neighbor (who touches him) tamei for seven days? And it would thus follow a fortiori, viz.: If vessels which are not rendered tamei by the bed or the seat (of a dead man), contract tumah from a dead body to render a man (who touched them) unclean for seven days, how much more so should a man, who is rendered tamei by bed or seat, contract tumah from a dead body to render his neighbor (who touches him) tamei for seven days! It is, therefore, written "and the soul that touches him (who touched a dead body) shall be unclean until the evening." He is rendered tamei until the evening, and he does not contract tumah from a dead body to render his neighbor (who touches him) tamei for seven days. — But perhaps (such a man) should render one who moves him [heset] (even without touching him) tamei. And it would thus follow a fortiori, viz.: If neveilah, the less stringent, renders one tamei by heset, how much more so should the more stringent, one who has become tamei through a dead body, render another tamei by heset! It is, therefore, written "And all that the unclean one (who touched a dead body) touches shall become tamei" — and he does not render tamei by heset.