וּבְתוּאֵ֖ל יָלַ֣ד אֶת־רִבְקָ֑ה שְׁמֹנָ֥ה אֵ֙לֶּה֙ יָלְדָ֣ה מִלְכָּ֔ה לְנָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם׃
און בתואֵל האָט געבאָרן רבקהן. די דאָזיקע אַכט האָט מִלכָּה געבאָרן צו נָחור, אבֿרהמס ברודער.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
[Another interpretation (of Lev. 12:2): WHEN A WOMAN EMITS HER SEED AND BEARS A MALE.] If the woman comes first, she bears a male; if the man comes first, {he sires} [she bears] a female.10Tanh., Lev. 3:3; Ber. 60a; Nid. 31ab; see above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 8:18; cf. Sifra to Lev. 22:1–9, (217: Emor, parashah 4). R. Abbin [Berabbi] the Levite said: The text has given you a clue (in vs. 5): IF SHE BEARS A FEMALE (with no mention of her giving her seed). If the man comes first, a female is produced; < if > the woman comes first, a male is produced. Thus it is stated (in vs. 2): WHEN A WOMAN EMITS HER SEED AND BEARS A MALE. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: Therefore, the male is dependent (for his procreation) upon the woman; and the female, upon the man. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:20–23): BEHOLD MILCAH, SHE ALSO HAS BORNE SONS TO YOUR BROTHER NAHOR: UZ HIS FIRST-BORN AND BUZ HIS BROTHER,… AND BETHUEL BROUGHT FORTH REBEKAH. It also says (in I Chron. 2:48–49): [MAACAH], THE CONCUBINE OF CALEB BORE11Buber’s Oxford MS recorded this verb in the feminine, but Buber emended it to the grammatically incorrect masculine of the Masoretic text. {SACAR} [SHEBER] AND TIRHANAH. SHE ALSO BORE {SHATSAPH} [SHAAPH] THE FATHER OF MADMANNAH, SHEVA THE FATHER OF MACHBENAH AND THE FATHER OF {GIBEAH} [GIBEA]. AND THE DAUGHTER [OF CALEB] WAS ACHSAH. Thus females are dependent (for procreation) upon the man; and the males, upon the woman. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 12:2): WHEN A WOMAN EMITS HER SEED. R. Ayyevu said: The Holy One performs a miraculous act with a person. When a person is put in a furnace room12Gk.: kaminos (“oven”). Here the word refers to the furnace room of a bathhouse. for < only > a single day, is not his life struggling < to survive > because of it? But when an infant is put in its mother's belly for nine months,13According to Lev. R. 14:3, a woman’s womb is at boiling temperature. the Holy One protects it. Our masters have said: The Holy One has performed a miraculous act with this person. When the person is put in a bath tub14Gk.: embate. for one day, does not his life fail because of it? But when the infant is put in its mother's womb for nine months, its life does not fail because of it. [Why? Because the Holy One is performing a miraculous act with it (i.e., with the infant).] Job said (in Job 36:3): I WILL FETCH ('S') MY KNOWLEDGE FROM AFAR. Now Job saw the children of Adam with a woman ('ShH) giving birth to a man.15‘ShH and ‘S’ are more alike in Hebrew than the transliterations show. In the unpointed text S (sin) and Sh (shin) are the same letter. Also a final H (he) sounds so much like a final ‘(alef) that Rabbinic Hebrew sometimes confuses the two. Thus the midrash understands Job 36:3 to mean that the WOMAN in Lev. 12:2 was Job’s KNOWLEDGE FROM AFAR. Also the ship (of Prov. 31:14) sails in the midst of the waters inch by inch.16The image suggests Prov. 31:14, according to which the heroic wife is LIKE MERCHANT SHIPS; SHE BRINGS HER FOOD FROM AFAR. So Enoch Zundel in his commentary, ‘Ets Yosef, on the parallel in Tanh., Lev. 4:3. Now he was surprised over these things and said (in Job 36:3): I (like the woman of Prov. 31:14) WILL FETCH MY KNOWLEDGE FROM AFAR.
Kohelet Rabbah
“The sun rises and the sun sets, and it hastens to its place where it arises” (Ecclesiastes 1:5).
“The sun rises.” Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: Don’t we know that “the sun rises and the sun sets”? Rather, to what is it [alluding]? Before the sun of one righteous individual sets, He causes the sun of another righteous individual to rise. The day that Rabbi Akiva died, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] was born, and they read this verse in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rav Ada bar Ahava died, Rav Hamnuna his son was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rav Hamnuna died, Rabbi Avin his son was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rabbi Avin died, Abba Hoshaya of Teraya was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” Before the sun of Sarah set, the sun of Rebecca rose. That is what is written: “Betuel begot Rebecca” (Genesis 22:23), and then, “Sarah died in Kiryat Arba” (Genesis 23:2), and it is written: “Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah” (Genesis 24:67).30See Bereshit Rabba 60:16, where this verse is interpreted to mean that Rebecca was a worthy replacement for Sarah. Before the sun of Moses set, the sun of Joshua rose. Before the sun of Joshua set, the sun of Otniel, who is Yabetz, rose. So it is with all of them in each and every generation; that is, “the sun rises and the sun sets.”
“The sun rises.” Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: Don’t we know that “the sun rises and the sun sets”? Rather, to what is it [alluding]? Before the sun of one righteous individual sets, He causes the sun of another righteous individual to rise. The day that Rabbi Akiva died, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] was born, and they read this verse in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rav Ada bar Ahava died, Rav Hamnuna his son was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rav Hamnuna died, Rabbi Avin his son was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rabbi Avin died, Abba Hoshaya of Teraya was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” Before the sun of Sarah set, the sun of Rebecca rose. That is what is written: “Betuel begot Rebecca” (Genesis 22:23), and then, “Sarah died in Kiryat Arba” (Genesis 23:2), and it is written: “Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah” (Genesis 24:67).30See Bereshit Rabba 60:16, where this verse is interpreted to mean that Rebecca was a worthy replacement for Sarah. Before the sun of Moses set, the sun of Joshua rose. Before the sun of Joshua set, the sun of Otniel, who is Yabetz, rose. So it is with all of them in each and every generation; that is, “the sun rises and the sun sets.”
Vayikra Rabbah
Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, Beit Shammai say: The formation of the fetus in this world is not like its formation in the World to Come. In this world, it begins with skin and flesh and concludes with sinews and bones. But in the future, it begins with sinews and bones and concludes with skin, as it is written regarding the dead of Ezekiel: “I saw, and behold, there were sinews upon them, and flesh grew, and skin covered them from above, but there was no spirit in them” (Ezekiel 37:8). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: The portion of Ezekiel is no proof. To what are the dead of Ezekiel comparable? To one who entered a bathhouse – what he removed last, he dons first.
Beit Hillel say: Just as a fetus is formed in this world, it is formed in the World to Come. In this world, it begins with skin and flesh and concludes with sinews and bones, and in the future it is likewise, as Job says: “Please, remember that You have fashioned me like clay” (Job 10:9). “Have You not liquefied [tatikheni] me like milk?” (Job 10:10). It does not say hitakhtani, but rather, tatikheni.20The term hitakhtani is past tense and would have fit more naturally in the verse in Job. The word tatikheni is actually future sense, such that a literal translation is “You will liquify me.” This is taken as an allusion to the future resurrection of the dead. “And curdled me [takpieni] like cheese” (Job 10:10); it does not say hikpetani, but rather, takpieni.21Takpieni is in future tense, whereas hikpetani is past tense. “You clothed me [talbisheni] with skin and flesh” (Job 10:11); it does not say hilbashtani, but rather, talbisheni. “And covered me [tesokhekheni] with bones and sinews” (Job 10:11); it does not say sokhakhtani, but rather, tesokhekheni. That is, “You granted me life and grace” (Job 10:12).
A woman’s womb is filled with blood, and from there it emerges and goes to the place of her menstruation. By the will of the Holy One blessed be He, a refined drop goes and falls into it; immediately the fetus is formed. This is analogous to milk that is situated in a bowl. If one places rennet into it, it congeals and sets, and if not, it remains loose.
[This is analogous] to two painters, this one painted the image of that one, and that one painted the image of this one. The female is always from the man and the male is always from the woman.22It is the father who is primarily responsible for the gender of the child when it is a female, and the mother who is primarily responsible for the gender of the child when it is a male. From where is it derived that the male is from the woman? As it is stated: “And his Judean wife bore Yered” (I Chronicles 4:18), and it is written: “And his concubine, and her name was Reuma, she too bore [Tevah, Gaham, Tahash, and Raama]” (Genesis 22:24). That is what is written: “When a woman conceives and bears a male child” (Leviticus 12:2).23The verse portrays the woman as the active party in the birth of a male because it is she who is primarily responsible for his gender. The female is from the man, as it is stated: “And Betuel begot Rebecca” (Genesis 22:23); “and Dina his daughter” (Genesis 46:15); “And the name of Asher’s daughter, Saraḥ” (Numbers 26:46).24The verse portrays the man in the active party in the birth of a female because it is he who is primarily responsible for her gender. Rabbi Avin said: There is no barber who cuts his own hair. This is analogous to two who entered a bathhouse. The one who perspires first, emerges first.25The one who emits seed first completes his or her role in the act of relations and leaves it to the other to determine the gender of the child (cf. Nidda 31a).
Rabbi Abahu said: The Holy One blessed be He performed a great favor for the woman in this world in that He did not begin formation of the fetus with sinews and bones. Had He so begun, it would have breached her belly and emerged. Although in this world, the woman gives birth in pain, in the future, what is written? “Before she begins labor, she will give birth; before a pang comes to her, [she will deliver a male child]” (Isaiah 66:7).
Beit Hillel say: Just as a fetus is formed in this world, it is formed in the World to Come. In this world, it begins with skin and flesh and concludes with sinews and bones, and in the future it is likewise, as Job says: “Please, remember that You have fashioned me like clay” (Job 10:9). “Have You not liquefied [tatikheni] me like milk?” (Job 10:10). It does not say hitakhtani, but rather, tatikheni.20The term hitakhtani is past tense and would have fit more naturally in the verse in Job. The word tatikheni is actually future sense, such that a literal translation is “You will liquify me.” This is taken as an allusion to the future resurrection of the dead. “And curdled me [takpieni] like cheese” (Job 10:10); it does not say hikpetani, but rather, takpieni.21Takpieni is in future tense, whereas hikpetani is past tense. “You clothed me [talbisheni] with skin and flesh” (Job 10:11); it does not say hilbashtani, but rather, talbisheni. “And covered me [tesokhekheni] with bones and sinews” (Job 10:11); it does not say sokhakhtani, but rather, tesokhekheni. That is, “You granted me life and grace” (Job 10:12).
A woman’s womb is filled with blood, and from there it emerges and goes to the place of her menstruation. By the will of the Holy One blessed be He, a refined drop goes and falls into it; immediately the fetus is formed. This is analogous to milk that is situated in a bowl. If one places rennet into it, it congeals and sets, and if not, it remains loose.
[This is analogous] to two painters, this one painted the image of that one, and that one painted the image of this one. The female is always from the man and the male is always from the woman.22It is the father who is primarily responsible for the gender of the child when it is a female, and the mother who is primarily responsible for the gender of the child when it is a male. From where is it derived that the male is from the woman? As it is stated: “And his Judean wife bore Yered” (I Chronicles 4:18), and it is written: “And his concubine, and her name was Reuma, she too bore [Tevah, Gaham, Tahash, and Raama]” (Genesis 22:24). That is what is written: “When a woman conceives and bears a male child” (Leviticus 12:2).23The verse portrays the woman as the active party in the birth of a male because it is she who is primarily responsible for his gender. The female is from the man, as it is stated: “And Betuel begot Rebecca” (Genesis 22:23); “and Dina his daughter” (Genesis 46:15); “And the name of Asher’s daughter, Saraḥ” (Numbers 26:46).24The verse portrays the man in the active party in the birth of a female because it is he who is primarily responsible for her gender. Rabbi Avin said: There is no barber who cuts his own hair. This is analogous to two who entered a bathhouse. The one who perspires first, emerges first.25The one who emits seed first completes his or her role in the act of relations and leaves it to the other to determine the gender of the child (cf. Nidda 31a).
Rabbi Abahu said: The Holy One blessed be He performed a great favor for the woman in this world in that He did not begin formation of the fetus with sinews and bones. Had He so begun, it would have breached her belly and emerged. Although in this world, the woman gives birth in pain, in the future, what is written? “Before she begins labor, she will give birth; before a pang comes to her, [she will deliver a male child]” (Isaiah 66:7).