Tuesday, December 6, 2016
How could Yaakov have slept with Leah and thought she was Rachel?
In this weeks parsha ויצא, we have the famous story of Lavan tricking Yaakov into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. The Torah says that Yaakov only found out in the morning that it was Leah. That is very hard to swallow. Yaakov had sex with Leah and thought she was Rachel? Really??? Can you imagine having sex with someone (who you knew very well for 7 years) and thinking they were someone else (if you were not really drunk)? He loved Rachel and worked 7 years for her and yet on his wedding night couldn't figure out it wasn't her? This also raises a halachic question, there is a halacha that a בן תמורה, a child born from a sex act where the husband is thinking about another woman, is considered פגום (see the Gemara Nedarim 20b). This would seem to be exact the case with Yaakov, he had sex with Leah while thinking about Rachel. Yet, nowhere is Reuven considered to be פגום.
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"Hard to swallow" Is that a freudian slip ? I am not sure about your interpretation of Nedarim. I understand Nedarim as a having sex say with say Miriam and you know it is Miriam, but in your mind your are thinking say Chava. Yaakov thought he was with Rachel - how can he be held accountable if he was tricked. Also, give me a break. If you are say a bit tipsy, horny (it has been seven LONG years) in a dark tent and some women (who has Rachel's the code (see Rashi) joins you in bed... well who is going to ask alot a questions in the heat of the moment ?
ReplyDeleteRemember we are talking about Yaakov Avinu, according to RAshi his first seminal emission was his wedding night, not exactly horny.
ReplyDelete@AJewWithQuestions - So per your understanding of Rashi - it would confirm Yaakov was probably horny. Horny as I meant it was being excited to have sex. Anyway you raised an interesting kasha. I responded somewhat humorously.
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