The Living Infant, the Dead King, and the Reckoning for Blood

Fear and dread returned, but dominion did not return; and when did it return? In the days of Solomon, "For he had dominion over all the region beyond the river" (I Kings 5:4). A living day-old infant - one profanes the Sabbath on its behalf; but even one like David king of Israel, once he is dead, one does not profane the Sabbath on his behalf. A living day-old infant needs no guarding from the serpents or from the weasel, lest they bore out its eyes; the lion sees it and flees. But one like Og king of Bashan, once he is dead, one guards him lest they bore out his eyes. "As the green herb," and so forth; "but flesh with its life" (Genesis 9:3-4). The first man was not permitted flesh of desire, and so forth, but the children of Noah were, and so forth. "And surely your blood of your lives" (Genesis 9:5). Rabbi Yaakov bar Acha found in the book of Aggadah of the school of Rav: A son of Noah is put to death on the testimony of a single witness, by a single judge, without warning, by the mouth of a man and not by the mouth of a woman, and even by a relative. In the name of Rabbi Yishmael: even for the unborn. From where are these matters derived? Rav Yehuda said: for the verse states, "And surely your blood of your lives will I require" - even by a single judge; "at the hand of every beast" - even without warning; "I will require it" - even by a single witness; "at the hand of a man" - and not a woman; "his brother" - even a relative. In the name of Rabbi Yishmael: even for the unborn, as it is written, "Whoever sheds the blood of man within man" (Genesis 9:6) - which is the man who is within a man? You must say this is the unborn child. A pursuer who was pursuing his fellow to kill him - one says to him: See that he is an Israelite and a son of the covenant, and the Torah said, "Whoever sheds the blood of man within man, his blood shall be shed"; the Torah said: save the blood of this one by the blood of that one. And the first teacher follows the school of Menashe, who said: every death stated to the children of Noah is none other than strangulation, and he applies this word "man" to the end of the verse and expounds it thus: "the man within man, his blood shall be shed" - which is the shedding of blood that is within a person's own body? You must say this is strangulation. One might say: a daughter of Noah who killed shall not be put to death, for "at the hand of a man" is written and not "at the hand of a woman"; Rav Yehuda said: "whoever sheds blood" - in any case. A daughter of Noah who committed adultery shall not be put to death, for "therefore shall a man leave" (Genesis 2:24) and not a woman; Rav said: "and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24) - the verse went back and included them together.