Texts in Conversation
The Aramaic translation of Leviticus 14 in Targum Onkelos follows a Rabbinic midrash that explains why houses in Canaan were said to develop disease. The midrash views it not as punishment but as a blessing, saying the Israelites had to tear down Amorite houses, which revealed treasures hidden inside.
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Leviticus 14:34
Hebrew Bible
33 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 34 “When you enter the land of Canaan which I am about to give to you for a possession, and I put a diseased infection in a house in the land you are to possess, 35 then whoever owns the house must come and declare to the priest, ‘Something like an infection is visible to me in the house.’
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Onkelos Leviticus 14:34
Targum
33 And the Lord spake with Mosheh and to Aharon, saying: 34 When you have entered the land of Kenaan, which I will give unto you for a possession; and I have put the plague of leprosy upon a house in the land of your possession; 35 and he who owns the house shall come and show to the priest, saying, There is a plague, as it appeareth to me, in the house:
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Rashi, based on Sifra and Leviticus Rabbah, states that God was bringing good news to the Israelites when He told them that there will be tzaraat ('skin disease') in their conquered homes in Canaan. According to the Midrashim, during the forty years that the Israelites spent in the wilderness, the Amorites, fearful of the approaching Israelite attack, hid golden treasures in the walls of their homes. Since the tzaraat would require the Israelites to tear down their homes, it would reveal the hidden gold ..."
Drazin, Israel, and Stanley M. Wagner
Onkelos on the Torah, Leviticus: Understanding the Bible Text
(p. 107) Gefen, 2006
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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