יְלַמְּדֵנוּ רַבֵּנוּ, קָטָן לְכַמָּה נִמּוֹל? כָּךְ שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ: קָטֹן נִמּוֹל לִשְׁמוֹנָה. מַה טַּעַם? כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנִּמּוֹל יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַאי: בֹּא וּרְאֵה, שֶׁאֵין חָבִיב לִפְנֵי הָאָדָם יוֹתֵר מִבְּנוֹ, וְהוּא מָל אוֹתוֹ. וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה? אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר שְׁמוּאֵל: כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן בּוֹרְאוֹ. וְהוּא רוֹאֶה בְּנוֹ שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּם מִמִּילָתוֹ, וּמְקַבֵּל עָלָיו בְּשִׂמְחָה. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא מוֹצִיא הוֹצָאוֹת וְעוֹשֶׂה אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה, מַה שֶּׁלֹּא נִצְטַוָּה. הוּא שֶׁהַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: וַאֲנִי תָּמִיד אֲיַחֵל וְהוֹסַפְתִּי עַל כָּל תְּהִלָּתֶךָ (תהלים עא, יד). וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא אָדָם הוֹלֵךְ וְלֹוֶה וּמְמַשְׁכֵּן עַצְמוֹ וּמְשַׂמֵּחַ אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם. And thou shalt command the children of Israel (Exod. 27:20). May it please our masters to teach us: At what age must an infant be circumcised? So do our masters teach us: An infant must be circumcised on the eighth day. Why? Because our patriarch Isaac was circumcised on that day. R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: Observe that though nothing is more precious to a man than his own son, he is required to circumcise him. Why must he do that? R. Nahman the son of Samuel said: He does so in order to fulfill the will of his Creator, and even though he witnesses his son’s blood flowing from the circumcision, he welcomes it joyfully. R. Hanina declared: And what is more, he spends his money to celebrate the occasion, something which he was not commanded (to do). Why is that so? Because Scripture states: But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise Thee yet more and more (Ps. 71:14). Not only that, but a man even borrows money and goes into debt (if need be) to celebrate on that day.
אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן: אֵימָתַי הַבֵּן חָבִיב עַל אָבִיו? כְּשֶׁמַּתְחִיל לְהָשִׂיחַ. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר: הֲבֵן יַקִיר לִי אֶפְרַיִם אִם יֶלֶד שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים (ירמיה לא, יט). מַהוּ יֶלֶד שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים? כְּבֶן שָׁלֹשׁ כְּבֶן אַרְבַּע שֶׁהוּא מַתְחִיל לְהָשִׂיחַ וּמִשְׁתַּעֲשֵׁעַ לְאָבִיו. R. Yudan asked: When is a son most beloved by his father? When he commences to talk. That is what Scripture says: Is Ephraim a darling son unto me? Is he a child that is a delight?1Or: that is dandled. See Leviticus Rabbah 2:3. (Jer. 31:20). When does a child become a delight? At the age of three or four years, when he begins to chatter, he becomes a source of delight to his father.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי בִּיסְנָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: בָּנַי, עֲשׂוּ לִי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי לָכֶם. הֶאֱכַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר, אַף אַתֶּם הֱיוּ מַקְרִיבִין לְפָנַי, אֶת הַכֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּקֶר וְגוֹ' (במדבר כח, ד). R. Bisna asserted: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My sons, do for Me what I have done for you: I fed you in the desert, therefore you must sacrifice a lamb unto me: Thou shalt offer in the morning (Exod. 29:39). Then washed I thee with water; yea, I cleansed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with richly woven work, and shod thee with sealskin, and I wound fine linen about thy head, and covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a ring upon thy nose, and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head (Ezek. 16:9–12).
וָאֶרְחָצֵךְ בַּמַּיִם (יחזקאל טז, ט), וְאַף אַתֶּם עֲשׂוּ לִי כִּיּוֹר (יחזקאל לא, יח). וָאֲסֻכַךְ בַּשָּׁמֶן (יחזקאל לא, יח), וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה (יחזקאל ל, כג). וָאַלְבִּשֵׁךְ רִקְמָה (יחזקאל ל, י), וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ מַעֲשֵׂה רוֹקֵם (יחזקאל כו, לו). וָאֶנְעֲלֵךְ תָּחַשׁ (יחזקאל כו, לו), וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ עוֹרוֹת תְּחָשִׁים. וָאֶחְבְּשֵׁךְ בַּשֵּׁשׁ (יחזקאל כו, לו), וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר (יחזקאל כו, א). וַאֲכַסֵּךְ מֶשִׁי (יחזקאל כו, א), אֵלּוּ עַנְנֵי הַכָּבוֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֹא יָמִישׁ עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן (שמות יג, כב), וּכְנֶגְדָּן יְרִיעוֹת עִזִּים. וָאֶעְדֵּךְ עָדִי (יחזקאל טז, יא), זוֹ פּוּרְפִּירָה, וּכְנֶגְדָּן אָרוֹן וְזֵרוֹ (יחזקאל כה, יא) וָאֶתֵּן נֶזֶם (יחזקאל כה, יב), וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ חָח וָנֶזֶם. (יחזקאל לה, כב). וַעֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת בְּרֹאשֵׁךְ (יחזקאל לה, כב), וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ כַּפֹּרֶת (יחזקאל כה, יז). עַל הָאָרוֹן וְזֵר זָהָב (יחזקאל כה, יט). הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם (שמות טז, ד), וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים (שמות כב, ל). וַה' הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם וְגוֹ' (שמות יג, כא), וּכְנֶגְדּוֹ צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד. Then washed I thee with water indicates that you must make a laver2To be placed in the Temple courtyard for the use of the priests. for Me. I anointed thee with oil corresponds to the anointing oil (that must be available).3For anointing the High Priest. I clothed thee also with richly woven work corresponds to the embroidered garments (worn in the Temple). And shod thee with sealskin (tahash) corresponds to the tehashim that were used (for the cover of the Holy of Holies). And I wound fine linen about thy head corresponds to the twisted linen (of the priests’ garments). And covered thee with silk corresponds to the clouds of glory, as it is said: The pillar of cloud departed not from before the people (Exod. 13:22), and that corresponds to the curtains of goats’ hair. I decked thee also with ornaments alludes to the purple cloak, and that corresponds to the ark and its overlay. And I put a ring upon thy nose corresponds to the nose rings and earrings that (the women brought to donate for the gold of the Tabernacle and priestly garments). A beautiful crown upon thy head corresponds to the ark cover and the gold rim around the table. Behold, I will cause to rain bread (Exod. 16:4) corresponds to the show-bread. And the Lord went before them by day (ibid. 13:21) corresponds to His injunction that the Israelites shall burn a lamp continually.