מדרש אויף במדבר 19:7

3) "he shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water": I might think that it is a decree of the King (that he must immerse, just as the high-priest does); it is, therefore, written "and then he may come to the camp." Just as "and then he may come to the camp" there (in respect to the red heifer [Bamidbar 19:7]) (means that he may immerse) to free himself of tumah; here, too, (it means) to free himself of tumah, (but if he wishes to prolong his state of tumah, he need not immerse.)

R. Hanan bar Pazzi opened [his discourse] with the verse in [the context of] the parashah of the [red] heifer, which contains seven [references to] seven things:⁵⁷Numb. R. 19:2, cont.; PRK 4:2; PR 14:6. seven [references to] heifers,⁵⁸Numb. 19:2, 5, 6, 9, 10 account for five. Braude in his translation of PR 14:6, n. 21, following n. 31 in the Friedmann edition, notes that the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan does contain seven mentions of the heifer, with the extra references in vss. 7 & 9. Braude and Kapstein in their translation of PRK 4:2, n. 31, allude to the tradition of only seven red heifers having been so offered since the days of Moses. See Parah 3:5. seven [items for] burning,⁵⁹Vss. 5-6 mention the burning of skin, flesh, blood, dung, cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson stuff. seven sprinklings,⁶⁰So vs. 4; see Parah 3:1, 9. seven [instances of] laundering [clothes],⁶¹Numb. 19:7, 8, 10, 19, 21. Braude and Kapstein, n. 34, suggest that Numb. 19:7, requires three launderings, one after each of the three stages in the rite, i.e., in vss. 3, 4, 6. seven [ways of becoming] unclean,⁶²Vss. 14-16 mention entering a tent where someone has died, being in that tent, being an open vessel there, touching one killed in the open, touching one who died naturally, touching a human bone, or touching a grave. seven [people or things who become] clean,⁶³Vss. 18f. explain how to cleanse the categories of uncleanness mentioned in the previous note. and seven priests. If someone should say to you, ‘[The number of priests] is lacking,’ say to him, ‘Moses was [included] in the total, where it is stated (in Numb. 19:1-2), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘This is the statute of the Torah.’”’”

[(Ps. 12:7 [61]:) REFINED SEVENFOLD.] R. Hanan bar Pazzi interpreted the verse in <the context of> the parashah on the <Red> Heifer, which contains seven <references to> seven things:⁶⁸Tanh., Numb. 6:5; Numb. R. 19:2, cont.; PRK 4:2; PR 14:6. Seven <references to> heifers,⁶⁹Numb. 19:2, 5, 6, 9, 10 account for five. Braude in his translation of PR 14:6, n. 21, following n. 31 in the Friedmann edition, notes that the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan does contain seven mentions of the heifer, with the extra references in vss. 7 & 9. Braude and Kapstein in their translation of PRK 4:2, n. 31, allude to the tradition of only seven red heifers having been so offered since the days of Moses. See Parah 3:5. seven < items for> burning,⁷⁰Vss. 5-6 mention the burning of skin, flesh, blood, dung, cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson stuff. seven sprinklings,⁷¹So vs. 4; see Parah 3:1, 9. seven < instances of> laundering <clothes>,⁷²Numb. 19:7, 8, 10, 19, 21. Braude and Kapstein, n. 34, suggest that Numb. 19:7, requires three launderings, one after each of the three stages in the rite, i.e., in vss. 3, 4, 6. seven <ways of becoming> unclean,⁷³Vss. 14-16 mention entering a tent where someone has died, being in that tent, being an open vessel there, touching one killed in the open, touching one who died naturally, touching a human bone, or touching a grave. seven <people or things who become> clean,⁷⁴Vss. 18f. explains how to cleanse the categories of uncleanness mentioned in the previous note. and seven <references to> a priest.⁷⁵The five obvious references occur in vss. 3, 4, 6, 7 (twice). If someone should say to you: there are <only> five <references to a priest>, say to him: Moses and Aaron were <included> in the total, where it is stated (in Numb. 19:1–2): THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON, SAYING: THIS IS THE STATUTE OF THE TORAH.