IF A WOMAN CONCEIVE SEED. We have learnt that if a woman conceives the seed first, the child is a male. Said R. Aha: ‘But have we not learnt that God decrees whether the semen is to be male or female?’ R. Jose replied: ‘Indeed, God distinguishes whether the germ itself comes from a male or female source,1According to the Zohar, the seed itself contains both a male and a female element. v. Zohar, Exodus, 161b. and therefore He decrees whether the child is to be male or female.’
R. Aha also asked why the word “conceive-seed” is used instead of merely “conceive”. R. Jose answered: ‘A woman from the time she becomes pregnant till she is delivered can talk of nothing but the child she is to bear, whether it is to be a boy or a girl.’
R. Hizkiah adduced here the verse: “O Lord, how manifold are thy works” (Ps. 104, 24). ‘How manifold’, he said, ‘are the works of the Holy King in the world! He is like a man who takes in his hand a number of bundles of seed and sows them all at once, and in time each kind comes up separately. So the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplished His work with wisdom; with wisdom He took all together and sowed them and afterwards they all issued each in its time, as it says: “In wisdom hast thou made them all”.’
(ויקרא י״ב:ב׳) אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ. תָּנֵינָן, אִשָּׁה מַזְרַעַת תְּחִלָּה יוֹלֶדֶת זָכָר. רִבִּי אֲחָא אָמַר, הָא תָּנֵינָן, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּזַר עַל הַהִיא טִפָּה, אִי אִיהוּ דְּכַר אִי אִיהִי נוּקְבָּא, וְאַתְּ אַמְרַת אִשָׁה מַזְרַעַת תְּחִלָּה יוֹלֶדֶת זָכָר. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וַדַּאי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַבְחִין בֵּין טִפָּה דִּדְכוּרָא וּבֵין טִפָּה דְּנוּקְבָּא, וּבְגִין דְּאַבְחִין לֵיהּ, גָּזַר עָלֵיהּ, אִי לִהֱוִי דְּכַר אוֹ נוּקְבָּא.
IF A WOMAN CONCEIVE SEED. We have learnt that if a woman conceives the seed first, the child is a male. Said R. Aha: ‘But have we not learnt that God decrees whether the semen is to be male or female?’ R. Jose replied: ‘Indeed, God distinguishes whether the germ itself comes from a male or female source,1According to the Zohar, the seed itself contains both a male and a female element. v. Zohar, Exodus, 161b. and therefore He decrees whether the child is to be male or female.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אֲחָא, וְיָלְדָה זָכָר, וְכִי כֵּיוָן דְּמַזְרַעַת יוֹלֶדֶת, דִּכְתִּיב, וְיָלְדָה (אלא), הַאי קְרָא הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, אִשָׁה כִּי תַּהַר וְיָלְדָה זָכָר. (ס"א תזריע ויהיה זכר) מַהוּ, כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִתְּתָא, מִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְעַבְּרַת עַד יוֹמָא דְּיוֹלִדַת לֵית לָהּ בְּפוּמָא, אֶלָּא יְלִידוּ דִּילָהּ אִי לִהֱוִי דְּכַר, וְעַל דָּא, אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר.
R. Aha also asked why the word “conceive-seed” is used instead of merely “conceive”. R. Jose answered: ‘A woman from the time she becomes pregnant till she is delivered can talk of nothing but the child she is to bear, whether it is to be a boy or a girl.’
אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ. רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח, (תהילים ק״ד:כ״ד) מַה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְיָ'. כַּמָה סַגִּיאִין עוֹבָדוֹהִי דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּעָלְמָא, מְתַל לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּנָטִיל בִּידוֹהִי כַּמָה מַקְטוּרִין כַּחֲדָא, וְזָרַע לוֹן בְּזִמְנָא חֲדָא, וּלְבָתַר נָפִיק כָּל חַד וְחַד בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבִיד עוֹבָדוֹהִי בְּחָכְמָה, וּבְחָכְמָה נָטִיל כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא וְזָרַע לוֹן, וּלְבָתַר נָפְקוּ כָּל חַד וְחַד בְּזִמְנֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים ק״ד:כ״ד) כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ.
R. Hizkiah adduced here the verse: “O Lord, how manifold are thy works” (Ps. 104, 24). ‘How manifold’, he said, ‘are the works of the Holy King in the world! He is like a man who takes in his hand a number of bundles of seed and sows them all at once, and in time each kind comes up separately. So the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplished His work with wisdom; with wisdom He took all together and sowed them and afterwards they all issued each in its time, as it says: “In wisdom hast thou made them all”.’