Derasha 19 on Vayikra 12:3

TT #19 · Parshas Tazria · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 3

The Complete Passuk

וּבַיּ֖וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֑י יִמּ֖וֹל בְּשַׂ֥ר עָרְלָתֽוֹ׃

English: On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Chabad.org — Chumash, English translation + Rashi for Vayikra 12:3

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Bava Basra 127a.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Bava Basra 127a
רַב שֵׁיזְבִי אָמַר: אַף אֵינוֹ נִימּוֹל לִשְׁמֹנָה, דְּאָמַר קְרָא: ״אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר״, ״וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי יִמּוֹל״ — עַד שֶׁיְּהֵא זָכָר מִשְּׁעַת לֵידָה.

English: Rav Sheizevi teaches that a tumtum later found to be male is not circumcised on the eighth day, because the verses “a woman conceives and bears a male” and “on the eighth day he shall be circumcised” require the child to be identifiable as male from birth.

Type of Learning

Textual inference

What Is Learned

The eighth-day obligation depends on being identifiable as male from birth.