Difference between revisions of "Reuven and Bilhah/1/en"
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<h1>Reuven and Bilhah</h1> | <h1>Reuven and Bilhah</h1> | ||
<div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | <div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | ||
| − | <h2></h2> | + | <h2>Missing Motive</h2> |
<p>The Torah discusses Reuven's actions with Bilhah in but half a verse:</p> | <p>The Torah discusses Reuven's actions with Bilhah in but half a verse:</p> | ||
| − | <multilang style="overflow: auto"> | + | <multilang style="overflow: auto;"> |
<q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">וַיְהִי בִּשְׁכֹּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָרֶץ הַהִוא וַיֵּלֶךְ רְאוּבֵן וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה פִּילֶגֶשׁ אָבִיו וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר.</q> | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">וַיְהִי בִּשְׁכֹּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָרֶץ הַהִוא וַיֵּלֶךְ רְאוּבֵן וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה פִּילֶגֶשׁ אָבִיו וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר.</q> | ||
<q xml:lang="en">And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:</q> | <q xml:lang="en">And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:</q> | ||
</multilang> | </multilang> | ||
| − | <p>These | + | <p>These words reveal almost nothing of the incident, sharing only the bare minimum: that Reuven had relations with his father's concubine.  They discuss neither Reuven's motives nor what Yaakov did after hearing of the fact.  What prompted Reuven, ostensibly a righteous figure, to commit such a deed?  How is Yaakov's silence to be interpreted? </p> |
| + | |||
| + | <h2>Rebuke and Punishment</h2> | ||
| + | <p>In contrast to Yaakov's silence here, on his deatbed he does chastise Reuven, saying:</p> | ||
| + | <multilang style="overflow: auto"> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">(ג) רְאוּבֵן בְּכֹרִי אַתָּה כֹּחִי וְרֵאשִׁית אוֹנִי יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז. (ד) פַּחַז כַּמַּיִם אַל תּוֹתַר כִּי עָלִיתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵי אָבִיךָ אָז חִלַּלְתָּ יְצוּעִי עָלָה.</q> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="en">(3) Reuben, thou art my first-born, My might, and the first-fruits of my strength; The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. (4) Unstable as water, have not thou the excellency; Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; Then defiledst thou it — he went up to my couch.</q> | ||
| + | </multilang> | ||
| + | <p>The phrase, "י עָלִיתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵי אָבִיךָ" would seem to be  a clear reference to Reuven's actions with Bilhah.  The rest of Yaakov's words, though, are more ambiguous.  What does "יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז" mean?  Who is the referent of the verb "עָלָה" in the phrase, "אָז חִלַּלְתָּ יְצוּעִי עָלָה"?  What light can this whole passage shed on the initial affair?</p> | ||
</page> | </page> | ||
</aht-xml> | </aht-xml> | ||
Version as of 13:37, 13 November 2017
Reuven and Bilhah
Introduction
Missing Motive
The Torah discusses Reuven's actions with Bilhah in but half a verse:
וַיְהִי בִּשְׁכֹּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָרֶץ הַהִוא וַיֵּלֶךְ רְאוּבֵן וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה פִּילֶגֶשׁ אָבִיו וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר.
And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
These words reveal almost nothing of the incident, sharing only the bare minimum: that Reuven had relations with his father's concubine. They discuss neither Reuven's motives nor what Yaakov did after hearing of the fact. What prompted Reuven, ostensibly a righteous figure, to commit such a deed? How is Yaakov's silence to be interpreted?
Rebuke and Punishment
In contrast to Yaakov's silence here, on his deatbed he does chastise Reuven, saying:
(ג) רְאוּבֵן בְּכֹרִי אַתָּה כֹּחִי וְרֵאשִׁית אוֹנִי יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז. (ד) פַּחַז כַּמַּיִם אַל תּוֹתַר כִּי עָלִיתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵי אָבִיךָ אָז חִלַּלְתָּ יְצוּעִי עָלָה.
(3) Reuben, thou art my first-born, My might, and the first-fruits of my strength; The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. (4) Unstable as water, have not thou the excellency; Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; Then defiledst thou it — he went up to my couch.
The phrase, "י עָלִיתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵי אָבִיךָ" would seem to be a clear reference to Reuven's actions with Bilhah. The rest of Yaakov's words, though, are more ambiguous. What does "יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָז" mean? Who is the referent of the verb "עָלָה" in the phrase, "אָז חִלַּלְתָּ יְצוּעִי עָלָה"? What light can this whole passage shed on the initial affair?
