פרשת תזריע תש"ג - "אשה כי תזריע"

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If a woman be delivered, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean.

אשה כי תזריע IF A WOMAN HAVE CONCEIVED SEED — R. Simlai said: Even as the formation of man took place after that of every cattle, beast and fowl when the world was created, so, too, the law regarding him is set forth after the law regarding cattle, beast and fowl (contained in the previous chapter) (Leviticus Rabbah 14:1).

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If a woman be delivered, and bear a man-child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of the impurity of her sickness shall she be unclean.

כימי נדת דותה תטמא AS IN THE DAYS OF THE SEPARATION FOR HER IMPURITY SHALL SHE BECOME UNCLEAN — According to the regulation of every uncleanness which is mentioned in the case of a נדה does she become unclean in respect to the uncleanness resulting from child-birth — even though the womb opened without any issue of blood (cf. Niddah 21a).

And when the days of her purification are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a sin-offering, unto the door of the tent of meeting, unto the priest.

Were it not for the tradition, who would explain to us whether a yearling meant exactly one year old, or less than one year old, or greater than one year old [cf. comment on 23:12]? Some people have suggested the reason for the burnt-offering of a lamb: perhaps, in her great distress, an evil thought entered her mind during childbirth. As for the sin-offering, perhaps she uttered it out loud.

cut off a verb in the passive [nif‘al] form, probably an ‘ayin-vav verb (like “established” [Psalms 101:7]), derived from the word “circumcised” [Joshua 5:5]. Quite possibly, though, it is a peh-nun verb in the active [qal] form, derived from the word “circumcise” [Genesis 17:11]. The nun would disappear and be replaced by a doubling of the second consonant of the root (as in “swear” [Numbers 30:3]); Scripture has omitted the implied subject of the sentence — the boy’s father, or the Court.

והקריבו AND HE SHALL OFFER IT — Two offerings have been mentioned, a lamb and a bird, but it states here ,,and he shall offer it and so make an atonement for her” — this teaches you that only the omission to sacrifice a particular one of these two precludes her from eating the sacrificial food. And which is this? It is the sin-offering, because it is stated immediately afterwards: “he shall make expiation for her and she shall be clean” — that which is intended as expiation (i. e. the sin-offering), upon it does the purification depend (Sifra, Tazria Parashat Yoledet, Chapter 3 4).