Marginal Identity, Blasphemy, and the Power of Words

(י) וַיֵּצֵא֙ בֶּן־אִשָּׁ֣ה יִשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְהוּא֙ בֶּן־אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּנָּצוּ֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה בֶּ֚ן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְאִ֖ישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִֽי׃

Leviticus 24:10

(10) There came out among the Israelites a man whose mother was Israelite and whose father was Egyptian. And a fight broke out in the camp between that half-Israelite and a certain Israelite.

מדרש תנחומא, אמור כ״ד:א׳

וַיֵּצֵא בֶּן אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית. רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר, מִפָּרָשַׁת יוֹחֲסִין יָצָא. שֶׁכְּשֶׁבָּא לִיטַּע אָהֳלוֹ בְּמַחֲנֶה דָּן, דָּחוּהוּ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: בֶּן מִצְרִי אַתָּה, וּכְתִיב: אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹת לְבֵית אֲבוֹתָם (במדבר ב, ב), וְלֹא לְבֵית אִמּוֹתָם. מִיָּד הִתְחִיל לִנְקֹב אֶת הַשֵּׁם וּלְקַלְּלוֹ.

Midrash Tanchuma, Emor 24:1

(Lev. 24:10:) “Now there went out the son of an Israelite woman, [whose father was Egyptian].” From where did he go out? R. Hiyya bar Abba said, “He went out from the Parashah on genealogies. When he came to pitch his tent in the camp of Dan, they rejected him. Now they said to him, ‘You have an Egyptian father, but it is written (in Numb. 2:2), ‘each with his standard, under the banners of their fathers' houses,’ and not ‘of their mothers' houses.’ Immediately (according to Lev. 24:11), he began to utter the name [of God] and curse it.”

שמות ב׳:י״א

(יא) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיַּרְא֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מַכֶּ֥ה אִישׁ־עִבְרִ֖י מֵאֶחָֽיו׃

Exodus 2:11

(11) Some time after that, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his kinsfolk and witnessed their labors. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen.

מדרש תנחומא, שמות ט׳:ב׳

וַיַּרְא אִישׁ מִצְרִי מַכֶּה אִישׁ עִבְרִי. מִי הָיָה אִישׁ מִצְרִי? אָבִיו שֶׁל מְגַדֵּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהָיָה בֶּן אִישׁ מִצְרִי (ויקרא כד, י). מַכֶּה אִישׁ עִבְרִי, בַּעְלָהּ שֶׁל שְׁלוֹמִית בַּת דִּבְרִי. כֵּיצַד? הָיָה אוֹתוֹ נוֹגֵשׂ עָשׂוּי עַל מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אֲנָשִׁים, וְהָיָה מוֹצִיא אוֹתָן לִמְלַאכְתָּן לִקְרִיאַת הַגֶּבֶר. וּמִתּוֹךְ שֶׁהָיָה רָגִיל לְהוֹצִיאָן, הָיָה נִכְנָס וְיוֹצֵא לְבָתֵּיהֶן. רָאָה לִשְׁלוֹמִית בַּת דִּבְרִי שֶׁהָיְתָה יְפַת תֹּאַר שְׁלֵמָה מִכָּל מוּם, נָתַן עֵינָיו בָּהּ. עָמַד בִּשְׁעַת קְרִיאַת הַגֶּבֶר וְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִבֵּיתוֹ, וְחָזַר אוֹתוֹ מִצְרִי וּבָא עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהִיא סְבוּרָה שֶׁהוּא בַּעְלָהּ. חָזַר בַּעְלָהּ מָצָא הַמִּצְרִי יוֹצֵא מִבֵּיתוֹ. שָׁאַל אוֹתָהּ וְאָמַר: שֶׁמָּא נָגַע בִּיךְ. אָמְרָה לוֹ: הֵן. וּסְבוּרָה הָיִיתִי שֶׁאַתָּה הוּא. כֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּדַע הַנּוֹגֵשׂ שֶׁהִרְגִּישׁ בַּדָּבָר, חָזַר לַעֲבוֹדַת פֶּרֶךְ, וְהָיָה מַכֶּה אוֹתוֹ.

Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 9:2

And he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew (Exod. 2:11). Who was this Egyptian? He was the father of the blasphemer, concerning whom it is said: And the son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name (Lev. 24:11). The Egyptian was beating the Hebrew who was the husband of Shelomith the daughter of Dibri. Why was he beating him? This overseer was in charge of one hundred and twenty men, whom he would dispatch to their labors every morning, at the time of the crowing of the cock. Since he was wont to send them to their respective tasks, he would enter their homes. He noticed that Shelomith the daughter of Dibri was perfectly beautiful, without blemish, and he was anxious to possess her. (So one morning,) at the time of the crowing of the cock, after he (the Egyptian) had sent the Hebrew from his home, he had intercourse with the Hebrew’s wife, who thought that it was her husband who was still with her. Her husband returned (from his tasks) and observed the Egyptian leaving the house. He asked her: “Did he perhaps touch you?” “Yes, he did,” she replied, “but I thought it was you.” When the taskmaster learned that the man was angered by what had occurred, he forced him to work harder and would beat him.

ויקרא כ״ד:י״א

(יא) וַ֠יִּקֹּ֠ב בֶּן־הָֽאִשָּׁ֨ה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֤ית אֶת־הַשֵּׁם֙ וַיְקַלֵּ֔ל וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְשֵׁ֥ם אִמּ֛וֹ שְׁלֹמִ֥ית בַּת־דִּבְרִ֖י לְמַטֵּה־דָֽן׃

Leviticus 24:11

(11) The son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name in blasphemy, and he was brought to Moses—now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.

במדבר כ״ז:ז׳

(ז) כֵּ֗ן בְּנ֣וֹת צְלׇפְחָד֮ דֹּבְרֹת֒ נָתֹ֨ן תִּתֵּ֤ן לָהֶם֙ אֲחֻזַּ֣ת נַחֲלָ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲחֵ֣י אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֛ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ן לָהֶֽן׃

Numbers 27:7

(7) “The plea of Zelophehad’s daughters is just: you should give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them.

איוב ב׳:ט׳

(ט) וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ עֹדְךָ֖ מַחֲזִ֣יק בְּתֻמָּתֶ֑ךָ בָּרֵ֥ךְ אֱלֹקִ֖ים וָמֻֽת׃

Job 2:9

(9) His wife said to him, “You still keep your integrity! Blaspheme God and die!”

ויקרא כ״ד:י״ד

(יד) הוֹצֵ֣א אֶת־הַֽמְקַלֵּ֗ל אֶל־מִחוּץ֙ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְסָמְכ֧וּ כׇֽל־הַשֹּׁמְעִ֛ים אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְרָגְמ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ כׇּל־הָעֵדָֽה׃

Leviticus 24:14

(14) Take the blasphemer outside the camp; and let all who were within hearing lay their hands upon his head, and let the community leadership stone him.

ויקרא ט״ז:כ״א

(כא) וְסָמַ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֗ו עַ֣ל רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר֮ הַחַי֒ וְהִתְוַדָּ֣ה עָלָ֗יו אֶת־כׇּל־עֲוֺנֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־כׇּל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם לְכׇל־חַטֹּאתָ֑ם וְנָתַ֤ן אֹתָם֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְשִׁלַּ֛ח בְּיַד־אִ֥ישׁ עִתִּ֖י הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃

Leviticus 16:21

(21) Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness through a designated agent.

במדבר כ״ז:י״ח

(יח) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה קַח־לְךָ֙ אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֔וּן אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ר֣וּחַ בּ֑וֹ וְסָמַכְתָּ֥ אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ עָלָֽיו׃

Numbers 27:18

(18) And יי answered Moses, “Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired man, and lay your hand upon him.