[ד"א מי כהחכם. זה משה, דכתיב ביה עיר גבורים עלה חכם (משלי כא כב), ומי יודע פשר דבר, שפשר תורה לישראל, חכמת אדם תאיר פניו], אמר ר' יהושע דסכנין בשם ר' לוי על כל דבר ודבר שהיה אומר הקב"ה למשה, היה אומר לו טומאתו וטהרתו, כיון שהגיע לפרשת אמור אל הכהנים (ויקרא כא), אמר לפניו רבש"ע ואם נטמא במה טהרתו, ולא נשיבו, באותה שעה נתכרכמו פניו של משה, הה"ד ועוז פניו ישונה, וכיון שהגיע לפרשת פרה, אמר לו הקב"ה משה, אותה אמירה שאמרתי לך, לך אמור אל הכהנים, ואמרת לי אם נטמא במה תהא טהרתו, ולא השבתיך, זו היא טהרתו, ולקחו לטמא מעפר שריפת החטאת (במדבר יט יז).
[Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:1): WHO IS LIKE THE WISE PERSON? This is Moses, of whom it is written (in Prov. 21:22): A WISE MAN WENT UP TO A CITY OF THE MIGHTY (i.e., Sinai).111Eccl. R. 8:1:5; PRK 4:4; PR 14:10. (Eccl. 8:1, cont.:) AND WHO KNOWS THE INTERPRETATION OF A SAYING? <This is the one> who interpreted Torah for Israel. (Ibid., cont.:) A PERSON'S WISDOM LIGHTS UP HIS FACE.] R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi: Over each and every word that the Holy One spoke to Moses, he spoke to him of its <related> uncleanness and of its purification.112The parallel text begins again in Tanh., Numb. 6:6, end. See also Numb. R. 19:4. When he made known the parashah (of Lev. 21:1): SPEAK UNTO THE PRIESTS, he said to him: Sovereign of the World, if one becomes unclean (through touching a human corpse), what means is there for his purification? When <the Holy One> did not answer, at that time the face of Moses turned yellow (with shame). This is what is written (in Eccl. 8:1): AND THE RADIANCE OF HIS FACE IS CHANGED. Then when the Holy One reached the parashah on the <Red> Heifer, the Holy One said to him: Moses, <when I gave you> that saying which I spoke to you (in Lev. 21:1): GO, SPEAK UNTO THE PRIESTS, then you said to me: If one becomes unclean, what means will there be for his purification? <At that time> I did not answer <you>. <Now> this is his purification (in Numb. 19:17): FOR THE UNCLEAN THEY SHALL TAKE SOME ASHES FROM THE BURNING OF THE SIN OFFERING (i.e., the red heifer).
[ד"א מי כהחכם. זה משה, דכתיב ביה עיר גבורים עלה חכם (משלי כא כב), ומי יודע פשר דבר, שפשר תורה לישראל, חכמת אדם תאיר פניו], אמר ר' יהושע דסכנין בשם ר' לוי על כל דבר ודבר שהיה אומר הקב"ה למשה, היה אומר לו טומאתו וטהרתו, כיון שהגיע לפרשת אמור אל הכהנים (ויקרא כא), אמר לפניו רבש"ע ואם נטמא במה טהרתו, ולא נשיבו, באותה שעה נתכרכמו פניו של משה, הה"ד ועוז פניו ישונה, וכיון שהגיע לפרשת פרה, אמר לו הקב"ה משה, אותה אמירה שאמרתי לך, לך אמור אל הכהנים, ואמרת לי אם נטמא במה תהא טהרתו, ולא השבתיך, זו היא טהרתו, ולקחו לטמא מעפר שריפת החטאת (במדבר יט יז).
[Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:1): WHO IS LIKE THE WISE PERSON? This is Moses, of whom it is written (in Prov. 21:22): A WISE MAN WENT UP TO A CITY OF THE MIGHTY (i.e., Sinai).111Eccl. R. 8:1:5; PRK 4:4; PR 14:10. (Eccl. 8:1, cont.:) AND WHO KNOWS THE INTERPRETATION OF A SAYING? <This is the one> who interpreted Torah for Israel. (Ibid., cont.:) A PERSON'S WISDOM LIGHTS UP HIS FACE.] R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi: Over each and every word that the Holy One spoke to Moses, he spoke to him of its <related> uncleanness and of its purification.112The parallel text begins again in Tanh., Numb. 6:6, end. See also Numb. R. 19:4. When he made known the parashah (of Lev. 21:1): SPEAK UNTO THE PRIESTS, he said to him: Sovereign of the World, if one becomes unclean (through touching a human corpse), what means is there for his purification? When <the Holy One> did not answer, at that time the face of Moses turned yellow (with shame). This is what is written (in Eccl. 8:1): AND THE RADIANCE OF HIS FACE IS CHANGED. Then when the Holy One reached the parashah on the <Red> Heifer, the Holy One said to him: Moses, <when I gave you> that saying which I spoke to you (in Lev. 21:1): GO, SPEAK UNTO THE PRIESTS, then you said to me: If one becomes unclean, what means will there be for his purification? <At that time> I did not answer <you>. <Now> this is his purification (in Numb. 19:17): FOR THE UNCLEAN THEY SHALL TAKE SOME ASHES FROM THE BURNING OF THE SIN OFFERING (i.e., the red heifer).