(Numb. 19:2:) “This is the statute of the Torah.” This text is related (to Job 14:4), “Who can produce something clean out of something unclean; is it not One?”32English translations usually translate these last four words as NO ONE. [Who], for example, [produced] Abraham out of Terah, Hezekiah out of Ahaz, Josiah out of Amon, Mordecai out of Shimei, Israel out of the nations of the world, the world to come out of this world?33Numb. R. 19:1; PRK, 4:1. [So] who did so? Who commanded so? And who decreed so? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Neg. 8:2),34Cf. ibid. 8:3, 6-9. “If one has a bright spot the size of a bean, he is unclean”35The traditional Mishnah text here does not specifically declare such a one unclean, although the uncleanness may be inferred, especially when the passage is read in connection with Lev. 13:2-3.; [yet] if it has burst out all over him, he is clean. Who did so? Who decreed so? Who commanded so? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Hul. 4:3), “In the case of the woman whose fetus died within her belly, if [a midwife] inserted her hand [into the womb] and touched it, the midwife is unclean for seven days, but the woman remains clean until the fetus comes forth. And so it is that while the dead person is in the house, the house is clean; when he comes forth from it, he makes it unclean.” Who did this? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Parah 4:4; Hul. 29b), “All who are occupied with the [rite of the red] cow from beginning to end render [their] clothes unclean, while the [cow] herself makes [what is unclean] clean.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “I have enacted a statute for you; I have issued a decree! So you are not authorized to transgress against my decree.”
זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: מִי יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא, לֹא אֶחָד (איוב יד, ד). כְּגוֹן אַבְרָהָם מִתֶּרַח, חִזְקִיָּה מֵאָחָז, יֹאשִׁיָּה מֵאָמוֹן, מָרְדְּכַי מִשִּׁמְעִי, יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. מִי עָשָׂה כֵן. מִי גָּזַר כֵּן. מִי צִוָּה כֵן. לֹא אֶחָד. לֹא יְחִידוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. תַּמָּן תְּנִינָן, בַּהֶרֶת כִּגְרִיס, טָמֵא. מַאי כִּגְרִיס, כַּחֲצִי פוּל, בָּאָדָם, טָמֵא. פָּרְחָה בְּכֻלּוֹ, טָהוֹר. מִי עָשָׂה כֵן. מִי גָּזַר כֵן. מִי צִוָּה כֵן. לֹא אֶחָד. לֹא יְחִידוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. תַּמָּן תְּנִינָן, הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁמֵּת וְלָדָהּ בְּתוֹךְ מֵעֶיהָ, וְהוֹשִׁיטָה חַיָּה אֶת יָדָהּ וְנָגַע בָּהּ, הַחַיָּה טְמֵאָה טֻמְאַת שִׁבְעָה, וְהָאִשָּׁה טְהוֹרָה עַד שֶׁיֵּצֵא הַוָּלָד. הַמֵּת בַּבַּיִת, הַבַּיִת טָהוֹר. יָצָא מִתּוֹכוֹ, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא. מִי עָשָׂה כֵן. מִי צִוָּה כֵן. מִי גָּזַר כֵּן. לֹא אֶחָד. לֹא יְחִידוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. תַּמָּן תְּנִינָן, כָּל הָעוֹסְקִין בַּפָּרָה מִתְּחִלָּה וְעַד סוֹף, מְטַמְּאִין בְּגָדִים. הִיא גּוּפָהּ מְטַהֶרֶת בְּגָדִים. אֶלָּא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, חֻקָּה חָקַקְתִּי, גְּזֵרָה גָּזַרְתִּי, וְאֵין אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לַעֲבֹר עַל גְּזֵרָתִי.
(Numb. 19:2:) “This is the statute of the Torah.” This text is related (to Job 14:4), “Who can produce something clean out of something unclean; is it not One?”32English translations usually translate these last four words as NO ONE. [Who], for example, [produced] Abraham out of Terah, Hezekiah out of Ahaz, Josiah out of Amon, Mordecai out of Shimei, Israel out of the nations of the world, the world to come out of this world?33Numb. R. 19:1; PRK, 4:1. [So] who did so? Who commanded so? And who decreed so? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Neg. 8:2),34Cf. ibid. 8:3, 6-9. “If one has a bright spot the size of a bean, he is unclean”35The traditional Mishnah text here does not specifically declare such a one unclean, although the uncleanness may be inferred, especially when the passage is read in connection with Lev. 13:2-3.; [yet] if it has burst out all over him, he is clean. Who did so? Who decreed so? Who commanded so? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Hul. 4:3), “In the case of the woman whose fetus died within her belly, if [a midwife] inserted her hand [into the womb] and touched it, the midwife is unclean for seven days, but the woman remains clean until the fetus comes forth. And so it is that while the dead person is in the house, the house is clean; when he comes forth from it, he makes it unclean.” Who did this? Is it not One? Is it not the Singular Being of the World? We have learned elsewhere (in Parah 4:4; Hul. 29b), “All who are occupied with the [rite of the red] cow from beginning to end render [their] clothes unclean, while the [cow] herself makes [what is unclean] clean.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “I have enacted a statute for you; I have issued a decree! So you are not authorized to transgress against my decree.”