11:27: Blessed is the womb that carried you, and the breasts that
nursed you!
Genesis Rabbah 98 (62D): R. Abba b. Zutra (ca. 270) said, “… Blessed
are the breasts which have nursed you, and the body which brought you forth!”
(In context, this is Rachel, who gave life to Joseph.) See Tg. Yer. I Gen.
49:25. ‖ In m. ’Abot 2.8, Rabban Yohanan b. Zakkai († ca. 80) says with
reference to R. Joshua (ca. 90): “Glory be to his mother!” Similarly, in b. Ḥag.
14B with reference to R. Joshua and R. Yose, the Priest, it is said: “Glory be
to you and glory be to your mother! Glory be to my eyes which were able to see
these things!”—Immediately before this, the same scholar exclaims, “Praise be
to you, our father Abraham, that Eleazar b. ʿArakh (ca. 90) has come forth from
your loins!” ‖ Exodus Rabbah 45 (100D): “They looked at Moses” (Exod 33:8).
What did they say? R. Isaac (ca. 300) said, “Praise be to the one who bore him!
What things she experienced from him!”—Exodus Rabbah 51 (103D) with R. Yohanan
(† 279) as author. ‖ For a blessing on the body from which the Messiah comes,
see Pesiq. 149A at § Matt 4:16. ‖ An imprecation. Genesis Rabbah 5 (5A): Cursed
be the breasts that have nursed this man! Parallels can be found in Pesiq. 23B;
y. Kil. 1.27B.14. ‖ See further at § Matt 13:16. (Hermann L. Strack
and Paul Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and
Midrash, ed. Jacob N. Cerone, 4 vols. [trans. Andrew Bowden and Joseph
Longarino; Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2022], 2:218-19)
