1The first 18 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.THE NAKEDNESS OF THY FATHER’S WIFE SHALT THOU NOT UNCOVER. Who is meant by thy father’s wife? Said R. Simeon: ‘We have learnt:
As long as the Matrona is with the King and giveth suck to thee, she is called “thy mother”. Now, however, that she is banished with thee and is removed from the King, she is called “thy father’s wife”. She is his wife, because he has not divorced her, although she is in exile.
Therefore the text enjoins concerning her twice-once in reference to the time when she is still with the King and is called “thy mother”, and once in reference to the time when she is banished from the King’s palace and is called the wife of the King. Although she is far from him, thou shalt not cause her to remove from thee, lest thine enemies gain dominion over thee and she do not protect thee in the captivity. Hence “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s wife”. Why? Because “it is thy father’s nakedness”: because although she is removed from the King, yet he is constantly watching over her, and therefore thou must be careful before her and not sin against her.’
(ויקרא ח"י) עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה, מַאן אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הָא תָּנֵינָן, כָּל מִלּוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא, כְּמָה דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא, אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּהִיא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, הָכִי נָמֵי סָתִים וְגַלְיָא. הָכָא כֹּלָּא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, יְדִיעָא סָתִים כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא.
1The first 18 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.THE NAKEDNESS OF THY FATHER’S WIFE SHALT THOU NOT UNCOVER. Who is meant by thy father’s wife? Said R. Simeon: ‘We have learnt:
וְהַאי קְרָא הָכִי הוּא, אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ: תָּאנָא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַחַת בְּמַלְכָּא, וְיַנְקָא לָךְ, אִקְרֵי אִמֶּךָ. הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא עִמָּךְ וְאִתְרָחֲקַת מִן מַלְכָּא, אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ אִתְקְרֵי. אִנְתּוּ הִיא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא לָא אִתְפְּטָרַת בְּתִרוּכִין מִנֵּיהּ, אִנְתְּתֵיהּ הִיא וַדַּאי. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו נ׳:א׳) כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ' אֵי זֶה סֵפֶר כְּרִיתוּת אִמְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר שִׁלַּחְתִּיהָ. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אִנְתּוּ הִיא דְּמַלְכָּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא.
As long as the Matrona is with the King and giveth suck to thee, she is called “thy mother”. Now, however, that she is banished with thee and is removed from the King, she is called “thy father’s wife”. She is his wife, because he has not divorced her, although she is in exile.
וְעַל דָּא פָּקִיד עָלָה תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי, כַּד יָתְבָא בְּמַלְכָּא בְּזִוּוּגָא חַד, וְאִתְקְרֵי אִמְּךָ, דִּכְתִּיב עֶרְוַת אִמְּךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה, לָא תַּעֲבִיד דְּיִתְרַחֲקוּן דָּא מִן דָּא, וְתִשְׁתְּלַח עַל חוֹבָךְ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו נ׳:א׳) וּבְפִשְׁעֵכֶם שֻׁלְחָה אִמְּכֶם. וְחַד, כַּד הִיא בְּגָלוּתָא עִמָּךְ, וְאִתְגַּלְיָיא מֵהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְאִתְקְרֵי אִנְתּוּ דְּמַלְכָּא. אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְרַחֲקָת מִנֵּיהּ לָא תַּעֲבִיד בְּגִין דְּתַעְדֵי מִבֵּינָךְ, וְיִשְׁלְטוּן בָּךְ שַׂנְאָךְ, וְלָא תִּסְתַּמָר עֲלָךְ בְּגָלוּתָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין כִּי עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ הוּא. אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְרַחֲקָת מִן מַלְכָּא, אַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא בָּהּ תְּדִירָא, וּבַעְיָא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא לָקֳבְלָה יַתִּיר, וְלָא תֵּיחוּב לְגַבָּהּ.
Therefore the text enjoins concerning her twice-once in reference to the time when she is still with the King and is called “thy mother”, and once in reference to the time when she is banished from the King’s palace and is called the wife of the King. Although she is far from him, thou shalt not cause her to remove from thee, lest thine enemies gain dominion over thee and she do not protect thee in the captivity. Hence “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s wife”. Why? Because “it is thy father’s nakedness”: because although she is removed from the King, yet he is constantly watching over her, and therefore thou must be careful before her and not sin against her.’