Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, Beit Shammai say: The formation of the fetus in this world is not like its formation in the World to Come. In this world, it begins with skin and flesh and concludes with sinews and bones. But in the future, it begins with sinews and bones and concludes with skin, as it is written regarding the dead of Ezekiel: “I saw, and behold, there were sinews upon them, and flesh grew, and skin covered them from above, but there was no spirit in them” (Ezekiel 37:8).
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: The portion of Ezekiel is no proof. To what are the dead of Ezekiel comparable? To one who entered a bathhouse – what he removed last, he dons first. Beit Hillel say: Just as a fetus is formed in this world, it is formed in the World to Come.
In this world, it begins with skin and flesh and concludes with sinews and bones, and in the future it is likewise, as Job says: “Please, remember that You have fashioned me like clay” (Job 10:9). “Have You not liquefied [tatikheni] me like milk?” (Job 10:10). It does not say hitakhtani, but rather, tatikheni.20The term hitakhtani is past tense and would have fit more naturally in the verse in Job.
The word tatikheni is actually future sense, such that a literal translation is “You will liquify me.” This is taken as an allusion to the future resurrection of the dead. “And curdled me [takpieni] like cheese” (Job 10:10); it does not say hikpetani, but rather, takpieni.21Takpieni is in future tense, whereas hikpetani is past tense. “You clothed me [talbisheni] with skin and flesh” (Job 10:11); it does not say hilbashtani, but rather, talbisheni.
“And covered me [tesokhekheni] with bones and sinews” (Job 10:11); it does not say sokhakhtani, but rather, tesokhekheni. That is, “You granted me life and grace” (Job 10:12). A woman’s womb is filled with blood, and from there it emerges and goes to the place of her menstruation. By the will of the Holy One blessed be He, a refined drop goes and falls into it; immediately the fetus is formed.
This is analogous to milk that is situated in a bowl. If one places rennet into it, it congeals and sets, and if not, it remains loose. [This is analogous] to two painters, this one painted the image of that one, and that one painted the image of this one. The female is always from the man and the male is always from the woman.22It is the father who is primarily responsible for the gender of the child when it is a female, and the mother who is primarily responsible for the gender of the child when it is a male.
From where is it derived that the male is from the woman? As it is stated: “And his Judean wife bore Yered” (I Chronicles 4:18), and it is written: “And his concubine, and her name was Reuma, she too bore [Tevah, Gaham, Tahash, and Raama]” (Genesis 22:24). That is what is written: “When a woman conceives and bears a male child” (Leviticus 12:2).23The verse portrays the woman as the active party in the birth of a male because it is she who is primarily responsible for his gender.
The female is from the man, as it is stated: “And Betuel begot Rebecca” (Genesis 22:23); “and Dina his daughter” (Genesis 46:15); “And the name of Asher’s daughter, Saraḥ” (Numbers 26:46).24The verse portrays the man in the active party in the birth of a female because it is he who is primarily responsible for her gender. Rabbi Avin said: There is no barber who cuts his own hair. This is analogous to two who entered a bathhouse.
The one who perspires first, emerges first.25The one who emits seed first completes his or her role in the act of relations and leaves it to the other to determine the gender of the child (cf. Nidda 31a). Rabbi Abahu said: The Holy One blessed be He performed a great favor for the woman in this world in that He did not begin formation of the fetus with sinews and bones. Had He so begun, it would have breached her belly and emerged.
Although in this world, the woman gives birth in pain, in the future, what is written? “Before she begins labor, she will give birth; before a pang comes to her, [she will deliver a male child]” (Isaiah 66:7).