ויקרא רבה כ״וVayikra Rabbah 26

Section 1א׳

אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן (ויקרא כא, א), רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בְּרַבִּי חֲנִילָאי פָּתַח (תהלים יב, ז): אִמְרוֹת ה' אֲמָרוֹת טְהֹרוֹת, אִמְרוֹת ה' אֲמָרוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת אִמְרוֹת בָּשָׂר וָדָם אֵינָן אֲמָרוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת, בְּנֹהַג שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם מֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם נִכְנַס לִמְדִינָה כָּל בְּנֵי הַמְּדִינָה מְקַלְּסִין אוֹתוֹ וְעָרַב לוֹ קִלּוּסָן, אָמַר לָהֶם לְמָחָר אֲנִי בּוֹנֶה לָכֶם דִּימוֹסִיאוֹת וּמֶרְחֲצָאוֹת, לְמָחָר אֲנִי מַכְנִיס לָכֶם אַמָּה שֶׁל מַיִם, יָשַׁן לוֹ וְלֹא עָמַד, הֵיכָן הוּא וְהֵיכָן אִמְרוֹתָיו, אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵינוֹ כֵן, אֶלָּא (ירמיה י, י): וַה' אֱלֹהִים אֱמֶת, לָמָּה הוּא אֱמֶת אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין (ירמיה י, י): שֶׁהוּא אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים וּמֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם, אֲמָרוֹת טְהֹרוֹת רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, וְרַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְרַבִּי יַעֲקֹב דִּכְפַר חָנִין, וְאָמְרִין לָהּ בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, מָצִינוּ שֶׁעִקֵּם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁמוֹנֶה אוֹתִיּוֹת וְלֹא הוֹצִיא דָּבָר מְגֻנֶּה מִפִּיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ז, ח): מִן הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה וּמִן הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנָּה טְהֹרָה, וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר עִקֵּם שְׁתַּיִם וְשָׁלשׁ תֵּבוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לְהוֹצִיא דָּבָר שֶׁל טֻמְאָה מִתּוֹךְ פִּיו, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ז, ב): מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא טְהֹרָה, [הטמאה] [אשר טמאה היא] אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר, אֶלָּא אֲשֶׁר לֹא טְהֹרָה הִוא, אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה אַף כְּשֶׁבָּא לִפְתֹּחַ לָהֶם בְּסִימָנֵי בְּהֵמָה טְמֵאָה, לֹא פָּתַח אֶלָּא בְּטַהֲרָה, (ויקרא יא, ד): אֶת הַגָּמָל כִּי לֹא מַפְרִיס פַּרְסָה הוּא, אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא כִּי מַעֲלֵה גֵרָה, (ויקרא יא, ה): אֶת הַשָּׁפָן כִּי לֹא מַפְרִיס פַּרְסָה הוּא אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר, אֶלָּא כִּי מַעֲלֵה גֵרָה, וְכֵן הָאַרְנֶבֶת וְכֵן הַחֲזִיר.

“The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall become impure from a corpse among his people” (Leviticus 21:1). “Speak to the priests, sons of Aaron.” Rabbi Tanḥum ben Rabbi Ḥanilai began: “The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings” (Psalms 12:7). “The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings,” but the sayings of flesh and blood are not pure sayings. The way of the world is that when a flesh and blood king enters a province, all the residents of the province laud him, and their lauding is pleasant to him. He says to them: ‘Tomorrow, I will construct for you public buildings and bathhouses, tomorrow I will bring you an aqueduct.’ If he then went to sleep and did not arise, where is he and where are his sayings? But the Holy One blessed be He is not so. Rather, “the Lord God is truth” (Jeremiah 10:10). Why is He truth? Rabbi Avin said: Because “He is a living God and eternal King” (Jeremiah 10:10). “Pure sayings” – Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan, Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Elazar, and Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanin, all said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: We find that the Holy One blessed be He employed a circumlocution of eight letters and did not express a despicable matter from His mouth, as it is stated: “From the pure animal and from the animal that is not pure” (Genesis 7:8). In another place, He employed a circumlocution of two and three words in the Torah so as not to express a matter of impurity from His mouth. That is what is written: “And of the animals that are not pure” (Genesis 7:2). “The impure [hateme’a]” it does not say, but rather, “that are not pure [asher lo tehora hi].” Rabbi Yudan ben Menashe said: When He came to introduce to them the signs of the impure animal, as well, he began only with purity: “The camel, because it does not have split hooves” (Leviticus 11:4) is not written here, but rather, “because it brings up its cud” (Leviticus 11:4); “the hyrax, because it does not have split hooves” (Leviticus 11:5) is not written here, but rather, “because it brings up its cud” (Leviticus 11:5), and likewise with the hare, and likewise with the pig.

Section 2ב׳

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מִמִּלְחַיָא וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמְרוּ, מָצִינוּ תִּינוֹקוֹת בִּימֵי דָוִד עַד שֶׁלֹּא טָעֲמוּ טַעַם חֵטְא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִין לִדְרשׁ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה מ"ט פָּנִים טָמֵא וּמ"ט פָּנִים טָהוֹר, וַהֲוָה דָּוִד מַצְלֵי עֲלַיְהוּ, הֲדָא הוּא שֶׁדָּוִד אוֹמֵר (תהלים יב, ח): אַתָּה ה' תִּשְׁמְרֵם, אַתָּה ה' נְטַר אוֹרַיְתְהוֹן בְּלִבֵּהוֹן, [עפ"י (תהלים יב, ח)]: תִּנְצְרֵם מִן הַדּוֹר זוּ לְעוֹלָם, מִן הַדּוֹר הַהוּא שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב כְּלָיָה, אַחַר כָּל הַשֶּׁבַח הַזֶּה יוֹצְאִין לַמִּלְחָמָה וְנוֹפְלִין, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהֶם דֵּילָטוֹרִין הָיוּ נוֹפְלִין, הוּא שֶׁדָּוִד אוֹמֵר (תהלים נז, ה): נַפְשִׁי בְּתוֹךְ לְבָאִם, לְבָאִם זֶה אַבְנֵר וַעֲמָשָׂא שֶׁהָיוּ לְבָאִים בַּתּוֹרָה. (תהלים נז, ה): אֶשְׁכְּבָה לֹהֲטִים, זֶה דּוֹאֵג וַאֲחִיתֹפֶל שֶׁהָיוּ לְהוּטִין אַחַר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע. (תהלים נז, ה): בְּנֵי אָדָם שִׁנֵּיהֶם חֲנִית וְחִצִּים, אֵלּוּ אַנְשֵׁי קְעִילָה דִּכְתִיב בָּהֶם (שמואל א כג, יא): הֲיַסְגִּרֻנִי בַעֲלֵי קְעִילָה בְיָדוֹ. (תהלים נז, ה): וּלְשׁוֹנָם חֶרֶב חַדָּה, אֵלּוּ הַזִּיפִים דִּכְתִיב בְּהוֹן (תהלים נד, ב): בְּבוֹא הַזִּיפִים וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְשָׁאוּל, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמַר דָּוִד וְכִי מָה הַשְּׁכִינָה עוֹשָׂה בָּאָרֶץ (תהלים נז, ב): רוּמָה עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים, סַלֵּק שְׁכִינָתְךָ מִבֵּינֵיהוֹן. אֲבָל דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַחְאָב כֻּלָּן עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים הָיוּ, וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ בָּהֶן דֵּילָטוֹרִין הָיוּ יוֹצְאִין לַמִּלְחָמָה וְנוֹצְחִין, הוּא שֶׁעוֹבַדְיָה אָמַר לְאֵלִיָּהוּ (מלכים א יח, יג): הֲלֹא הֻגַּד לַאדֹנִי וגו' וָאֲכַלְכְּלֵם לֶחֶם וָמָיִם, אִם לֶחֶם לָמָּה מָיִם, אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ הַמַּיִם קָשִׁים לוֹ לְהָבִיא יוֹתֵר מִן הַלֶּחֶם, וְאֵלִיָּהוּ מַכְרִיז בְּהַר הַכַּרְמֶל וְאוֹמֵר (מלכים א יח, כב): אֲנִי נוֹתַרְתִּי נָבִיא לַה' לְבַדִּי, וְכָל עַמָּא יָדְעֵי וְלָא מְפַרְסְמֵי לְמַלְכָּא. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמְרוּ לוֹ לַנָּחָשׁ מִפְּנֵי מָה אַתָּה מָצוּי בֵּין הַגְּדֵרוֹת, אָמַר לָהֶם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁפָּרַצְתִּי גִּדְרוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי הַנָּחָשׁ פָּרַץ גִּדְרוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם תְּחִלָּה לְפִיכָךְ נַעֲשָׂה סְפֶּקָלָטוֹר לְכָל פּוֹרְצֵי גְדֵרוֹת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לָמָּה אַתָּה נוֹשֵׁךְ, מָה אַתָּה מוֹעִיל, אֲרִי דּוֹרֵס וְאוֹכֵל, זְאֵב טוֹרֵף וְאוֹכֵל, וְאַתְּ נוֹשֵׁךְ וּמֵמִית. אָמַר לָהֶם (קהלת י, יא): אִם יִשֹּׁךְ הַנָּחָשׁ בְּלוֹא לָחַשׁ, אֶפְשָׁר דַּאֲנָא עָבֵיד כְּלוּם אֶלָּא אִם מִתְאֲמַר לִי מִן עֲלִיּוּתָא. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לָמָּה אַתָּה נוֹשֵׁךְ בְּאֵבֶר אֶחָד וְאַרְסְךָ מְהַלֵּךְ בְּכָל הָאֵבָרִים, אָמַר לָהֶם וְלִי אַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים (קהלת י, יא): אֵין יִתְרוֹן לְבַעַל הַלָּשׁוֹן, דְּיָתֵיב בְּרוֹמִי וְקָטֵל בְּסוּרְיָא, בְּסוּרְיָא וְקָטֵל בְּרוֹמִי. וְלָמָּה קוֹרֵא שְׁלִישִׁי, שֶׁהוּא הוֹרֵג שְׁלשָׁה, הָאוֹמְרוֹ, הַמְּקַבְּלוֹ וְהַנֶּאֱמַר עָלָיו. עוֹבָדָא הֲוָה בִּגְבַר דַּהֲוַת לֵיהּ כַּלָּה בִּישָׁא וַהֲוַת צְמִידָה אֲמָרָה לִשָּׁן בִּישׁ, וַהֲוָה מְפַיֵּס יָתָהּ תְּרֵין זִמְנִין בְּיוֹמָא, חַד בְּרַמְשָׁא וְחַד בְּצַפְרָא, אֲמַר לָהּ אֲנָא בָּעֵי מִינָךְ דְּלָא תֵימְרִין לִשַּׁן בִּישׁ, מָה עֲבָדַת אֲזָלַת וַאֲמָרַת לְבַעֲלָהּ הָדֵין אֲבוּךְ בָּעֵי לְשַׁמָּשָׁא יָתִי, וְאִי לֵית אַתְּ מְהֵימַנְתְּ לִי עוּל אָתֵית לְרַמְשָׁא וְאַתְּ מַשְׁכַּח יָתֵיהּ יָתֵיב וּמְפַיֵּס לִי, אָזַל וּרְצַד עֲלוֹי וְחָמָא יָתֵיהּ קָאֵים גָּחִין וְסָיַח יָתָהּ. אֲמַר כְּבָר מִלָּא קוּשְׁטָן, מָה עֲבַד מְחָא לַאֲבוֹי וּקְטָלֵיהּ. אוֹבִילִין יָתֵיהּ לְדִינָא וְאִתְחַיַּיב קָטוֹלִין, וּלְהַהִיא אִנְתְּתָא דַּאֲמָרַת עַל אֲבוֹי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע וְאִיתְחַיְיבָא קָטוֹלִין, וְאִשְׁתַּכַּח לִשָּׁנָא קָטֵל תְּלָתֵיהוֹן. וּבִימֵי שָׁאוּל הָרַג אַרְבָּעָה, דּוֹאֵג שֶׁאָמַר, שָׁאוּל שֶׁקִּבְּלוֹ, אֲחִימֶלֶךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עָלָיו, אַבְנֵר לָמָּה נֶהֱרַג, אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אַבְנֵר נֶהֱרַג עַל שֶׁעָשָׂה דָמָן שֶׁל נְעָרִים שְׂחוֹק, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמואל ב ב, יד): וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְנֵר אֶל יוֹאָב יָקוּמוּ נָא הַנְּעָרִים וִישַׂחֲקוּ לְפָנֵינוּ. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר עַל שֶׁהִקְדִּים שְׁמוֹ לְשֵׁם דָּוִד, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמואל ב ג, יב): וַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְנֵר מַלְאָכִים אֶל דָּוִד תַּחְתָּיו לֵאמֹר לְמִי אָרֶץ, וְהָכֵי כָּתַב לֵיהּ מֵאַבְנֵר לְדָוִד. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרוּ עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לְשָׁאוּל לְהִתְפַּיֵּס בְּדָוִד וְלֹא הִנִּיחוֹ אַבְנֵר, שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ דָּוִד (שמואל א כד, יא): וְאָבִי רְאֵה גַּם רְאֵה, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מָה אַתְּ בָּעֵי, מִן גְּלַגּוֹי דִּידָךְ בְּסִירָה הוּעֲדָה, כַּד אָתוֹן לַמַּעֲגָל. אָמַר לוֹ (שמואל א כו, יד): הֲלוֹא תַעֲנֶה אַבְנֵר, בַּכָּנָף אָמַרְתָּ בְּסִירָה הוּעֲדָה, חֲנִית וְצַפַּחַת בְּסִירָה הוּעֲדוּ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיָה סִפֵּק בְּיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת בְּשָׁאוּל עַל נוֹב וְלֹא מִחָה.

Rabbi Yosei of Milḥaya and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: We found that there were children in the days of David, who, before they had tasted the taste of sin, knew how to expound the Torah such that [they could find] forty-nine reasons [something should be considered] impure, and forty-nine reasons [it should be considered] pure. David would pray on their behalf. That is what David said: “You, Lord, preserve them” (Psalms 12:8); preserve their Torah in their hearts. “Keep them secure from this generation, forever” (Psalms 12:8); from that generation that was deserving of elimination. After all this praise, they would go out to war and fall. It is because they had informers in their midst that they would fall. That is what David says: “I [lie] among lions” (Psalms 57:5) – “lions,” is [referring to] Avner and Amasa, who were lions in Torah. “I lie with those aflame [lohatim]” (Psalms 57:5) – this is [referring to] Doeg and Aḥitofel, who were enthusiastic [lehutin] regarding slander. “Among men whose teeth are spears and arrows” (Psalms 57:5) – these are the people of Ke’ila, in whose regard it is written: “Will the masters of Ke’ila deliver me into his hand?” (I Samuel 23:11). “Whose tongues are a honed sword” (Psalms 57:5) – these are the Zifites, in whose regard it is written: “When the Zifites came and said to Saul: [David is hiding among us]” (Psalms 54:2). At that moment David said: ‘What is the Divine Presence doing on earth? “Rise above the heavens, God” (Psalms 57:6), remove Your Divine Presence from their midst.’ But the generation of Ahab, [although] they were all idolaters, because there were no informers among them, they would go out to war and emerge victorious. That is what Ovadya said to Elijah: “Was it not told to my lord what I did…[I concealed one hundred men of the prophets of the Lord]…and I provided them with bread and water?” (I Kings 18:13). If bread, why water? This teaches that water was more difficult to bring than bread. Elijah proclaims on Mount Carmel and says: “I alone remain a prophet of the Lord” (I Kings 18:22), and the entire people knew, but they did not inform the king. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: They said to the serpent: ‘Why are you situated among the fences?’ It said to them: ‘Because I breached the fence of the world.’ Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The serpent was the first to breach the fence of the world; therefore, it became the executioner of all those who breach fences. They said to it: ‘Why do you bite, what benefit do you derive? A lion tramples and eats, a wolf mauls and eats, and you bite and kill.’ It said to them: ‘“Does the serpent bite with no spell?” (Ecclesiastes 10:11). Is it possible for me to do anything unless it is said to me from above?’ They said to it: ‘Why do you bite one limb but your venom disseminates to all the limbs?’ It said to them: ‘Do you say this to me: “There is no advantage to the master of the tongue”?’ (Ecclesiastes 10:11). One sits in Rome and kills in Syria, in Syria, and kills in Rome. Why is it called third? It is because it kills three: The one who spoke it, the one who accepts it, and the one about whom it is spoken. There was an incident involving a man who had an evil daughter-in-law who constantly spoke slander. He would plead with her twice a day, once in the evening and once in the morning. He would say to her: ‘I implore you not to speak slander.’ What did she do? She went and told her husband: ‘This father of yours sought to have relations with me. If you do not believe me, come this evening and you will hear him sitting and pleading with me.’ He went and lay in wait for him and saw him standing bowed and speaking to her. He said: ‘The matter has proven true.’ What did he do? He struck his father and killed him. They took him to trial and he was sentenced to death. That woman who spoke slander about his father was also sentenced to death. It was thus found that the tongue killed the three of them. During the days of Saul, it killed four: Doeg, who spoke it; Saul, who accepted it; Aḥimelekh about whom it was spoken. Why was Avner killed? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Avner was killed because he made a game of the blood of the lads. That is what is written: “Avner said to Yoav: Let the lads rise now and play before us” (II Samuel 2:14). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Because he had his name precede the name of David. That is what is written: “Avner sent messengers to David from his place, saying: Whose is the land?” (II Samuel 3:12). This is what he wrote to him: From Avner to David. The Rabbis say: Because Saul should have reconciled with David, but Avner did not let him, as David said to [Saul]: “My father, see, indeed, see [the corner of your robe in my hand, for when I cut off the corner of your robe, I did not kill you]” (I Samuel 24:12). [Avner] said to [David]: ‘What do you want with your boastfulness? It was severed on a thorn.’ When they came to the circle, he said to him: ‘“Will you not answer, Avner?” (I Samuel 26:14). Regarding the corner, you said it was severed by a thorn, were the spear and the flask severed by a thorn?’ Some say: Because he had the ability to object to Saul regarding Nov, but he did not object.

Section 3ג׳

אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בֶּן רַבִּי חֲנִילָאי שְׁתֵּי פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הִכְתִּיב לָנוּ משֶׁה בַּתּוֹרָה וְהֵן טְהוֹרוֹת, וְעַל יְדֵי מִי נִתְּנוּ עַל יְדֵי שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל לֵוִי, שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (תהלים יב, ז): כֶּסֶף צָרוּף בַּעֲלִיל לָאָרֶץ, וּכְתִיב (מלאכי ג, ג): וְיָשַׁב מְצָרֵף וּמְטַהֵר כֶּסֶף וְטִהַר אֶת בְּנֵי לֵוִי וְזִקַּק אֹתָם. וְאֵיזוֹ זוֹ פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה וּפָרָשַׁת הַמֵּת.

Rabbi Tanḥum ben Rabbi Ḥanilai said: Moses gave us in writing two portions in the Torah and they are ritually pure. Through whom were they given? Through the tribe of Levi, in whose regard it is written: “Silver purified in the furnace of the earth” (Psalms 12:7), and it is written: “He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them” (Malachi 3:3). Which are they? They are the red heifer and the portion of the corpse.