God Who Forms the Embryo Within the Waters of the Womb

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Tazria 3:1

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

[(Leviticus 12:2): "When a woman conceives and bears a male."] This is what Scripture says (1 Samuel 2:2): "There is none holy like the LORD, for there is none beside You" (ein biltekha). What is the meaning of "for there is none beside You"? Rather: a king of flesh and blood builds a palace, and his building outlasts him; but the Holy One, blessed be He, outlasts His world. As it were, "for there is none beside You" (ein biltekha) — read instead "for there is none who outlasts You" (ein ballotekha, from the root meaning "to wear out"). "And there is no rock (tzur) like our God" (the same verse). How so? Flesh and blood forms (tzar) a figure upon the wall — is he able to form (tzur) it upon water? The Holy One, blessed be He, forms (tzar) the embryo within its mother's belly, in the midst of water. Thus, "there is no rock (tzur) like our God" — there is no fashioner (tzayyar) like our God.

Themes

HumorBirthWitWomenWisdom

Biblical References

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