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. R. Eleazar said: ‘The term dwelt (sh’kon) indicates that Leah and Rachel had died by that time, and the house had been taken over by the new mistress (the Shekinah).
In spite of the words of the text, we are not to suppose that Reuben really lay with Bilhah. The truth is that during the lives of Leah and Rachel the Shekinah hovered over them; and now that they had died the Shekinah never departed from the house, but took up there her abode, namely, in the tent of Bilhah; nor would it have been found there had not Jacob formed a new union of male and female. But Reuben, in his displeasure at seeing Bilhah filling his mother’s place, came and disarranged the couch; and because the Shekinah rested on it, it is written, “And he lay with Bilhah”.’
R. Jesse said that Reuben laid himself down to sleep on that couch, thus showing disrespect to the Shekinah. Hence Reuben was not excluded from the list of the tribes; and so Scripture relates that “the sons of Jacob were twelve”, commencing with Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, thus putting him at the head of the tribes.
R. Judah discoursed on the verse: For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just do walk in them; but transgressors stumble therein (Hos. 14, 10). ‘All the ways of God’, he said, ‘are right and true, but mankind know not and regard not what it is that keeps them alive. Hence “the just do walk in them”, because they know the ways of God, and they devote themselves to the Torah; for whoever devotes himself to the Torah knows those ways and follows them without turning either to the right or the left.
“But transgressors do stumble therein”, to wit, the sinners, since they labour not in the Torah nor regard the ways of the Almighty, and know not in which way they are walking. And since they are thoughtless and do not study the Torah, they stumble in their ways in this world and in the world to come.
Now the soul of one who has laboured in the study of the Torah, when it leaves this world, ascends by the ways and paths of the Torah-ways and paths familiar to them. They who know the ways and paths of the Torah in this world follow them in the other world when they leave this world.
But those who do not study the Torah in this world and know not its ways and paths, when they leave this world know not how to follow those ways and paths, and hence stumble therein. They thus follow other ways which are not the ways of the Torah, and are visited with many chastisements.
Of him who devotes himself to the Torah, on the other hand, it is written: “When thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee” (Prov. 6, 22). “When thou liest down”, to wit, in the grave, the Torah shall watch over thee against the judgement of the other world; “and when thou awakest”, that is, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will awake the spirits and souls so as to bring the dead to life again, it shall talk with thee, the Torah will speak in defence of the body, so that those bodies which laboured to keep the Torah as required will rise up. These it is who will be the first to rise up, and of whom it is written: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, etc.” (Dan. 12, 2), for the reason that they occupied themselves with everlasting life, which is the Torah.
Further, all the bodies of those who have devoted themselves to the Torah will be preserved, and the Torah will protect them, inasmuch as at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise up a wind from all four quarters of the world, a wind specially prepared to bring to life all those who have laboured in the Torah so that they should live for ever.
It may be asked here, what of the dead who were revived by the prophet’s invocation, “Come from the four winds, O breath” (Ez. 37, 9), and who yet did not survive, but died a second time? The answer is that at that time, although the wind was compounded of all four winds, it did not come down to give them permanent life, but only to demonstrate the mode in which God will one day bring the dead to life, namely, by a wind formed in this fashion. So that although those who were then resurrected turned again into bones, since their resurrection was only meant as a proof to the world that God will one day raise the dead to life, we may still believe that at the proper time the righteous will be resurrected for an everlasting life. For the Torah itself will stand by each one of those who have occupied themselves in the study of the Torah, recounting his merits before the Almighty.’
R. Simeon said: ‘All the words of the Torah, and all the doctrine of the Torah to which a man devotes his mind in this world, are ever before the Almighty, and at that time the Torah will recount how the man devoted himself to the Torah in this world, and thereat such men will all rise for everlasting life, as we said already.’ Thus, “the ways of the Lord are right, and the just do walk in them; but transgressors do stumble therein.”
R. Hiya cited in this connection: “Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting” (I Sam. 2, 22). ‘Are we to believe’, he said, ‘that the priests of the Lord actually did such a thing? And what, in fact, were their sins as recorded by the Scripture? Merely that they “dealt contemptuously with the offering of the Lord” (Ibid. 17), and that “the custom of the priests with the people was that, when any man offered sacrifice…. Yea, before the fat was made to smoke, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed: Give flesh to roast for the priest…. Nay, but thou shalt give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force” (Ibid. 16). In fact, they only took those portions that belonged to the priests, and it was only because they treated lightly the offerings that they were punished. Yet here Scripture states that “they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting”.
Assuredly they could not have committed so grave a sin, and that in so sacred a place, without the whole of Israel arising and slaying them. The truth is that what they did was to prevent the women from entering and offering their prayers until the other sacrifices had been offered, because their offerings were of a kind in which the priests had no portion. It is this action of preventing them from entering the sanctuary which is described by the words: “they lay with the women, etc.”
Similarly, in the case of Reuben, we should not dream of taking literally the words “and he lay with Bilhah”. What he did was to prevent her from performing her conjugal duty to his father, and this was the object of his disarranging his father’s couch; and, moreover, he did it in the presence of the Shekinah; for the Shekinah is always present whenever marital intercourse is performed as a religious duty; and whoever obstructs such a performance causes the Shekinah to depart from the world. So Scripture says: “Because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then profanedst thou that one that went up to my couch” (Gen. 49, 4). Hence it is written: “that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve”; that is to say, they were all included in the number, and their merit was in no wise abated.’
R. Eleazar asked: ‘Why do we find in this verse first the name Israel and then the name Jacob? The reason may be given as follows. Reuben said to himself: “My father was intended to raise twelve tribes and no more, yet now he is about to beget more children. Does he then wish to disqualify us and repiace us with others?” So straightway he disarranged the couch and prevented the intended intercourse, thereby slighting, as it were, the honour of the Shekinah that hovered over that couch. Hence it is written first “and Israel heard”, since it was by that name that he was exalted among the twelve hidden ones which are the twelve pure rivers of balsam,
and then “and the sons of Jacob were twelve”, alluding to the twelve tribes by whom the Shekinah was adorned and whom the Torah again enumerated as before, implying that they were all of them holy, all of them considered by the Shekinah worthy to behold the sanctity of their Master; for had Reuben really committed the act mentioned, he would not have been included in the number.
For all that, he was punished by being deprived of the birthright and by its transference to Joseph, as we read: “And the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel-for he was the first-born; but forasmuch as he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph” (I Chron. VI).
We see from this how all that God does is planned with profound wisdom, and every act of a man leaves its imprint and is preserved before the Almighty. For on the night when Jacob went in to Leah, all his thoughts were centred upon Rachel, and from that intercourse, and from the first germ, and under that intention Leah conceived; and we have affirmed that had not Jacob been unaware of the deception, Reuben would not have entered into the number. It is for that reason that he did not receive a name of special significance, but was simply called Reuben (reu-ben=behold, a son).
But for all that, the intended effect was produced, and the birthright reverted to the eldest son of Rachel, as originally purposed. Thus everything came right in the end, for all the works of the Almighty are based on truth and right.’
וַיְהִי בִּשְׁכֹּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָרֶץ הַהִיא וַיֵּלֶךְ רְאוּבֵן וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה פִּלֶּגֶשׁ אָבִיו וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, וַיְהִי בִּשְׁכֹּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָרֶץ הַהִיא, דְּהָא לֵאָה וְרָחֵל מִיתוּ, וְנָטְלָא בֵּיתָא מַאן דְּנָטִיל.
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. R. Eleazar said: ‘The term dwelt (sh’kon) indicates that Leah and Rachel had died by that time, and the house had been taken over by the new mistress (the Shekinah).
וְכִי סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ דִּרְאוּבֵן אָזִיל וְשָׁכִיב בַּהֲדָהּ דְּבִלְהָה. אֶלָּא, כָּל יוֹמָא דְּלֵאָה וְרָחֵל שְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָיא עֲלַיְיהוּ. וְהַשְׁתָּא דְמִיתוּ, שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְפְּרָשַׁת מִן בֵּיתָא, וְשַׁרְיָא בְּבֵיתָא בְּמִשְׁכְּנָא דְבִלְהָה. וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּשְׁכִינְתָא בַּעְיָא לְנַטְלָא בֵּיתָא כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת, אִלְמָלֵא יַעֲקֹב לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּזִוּוּגָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, לָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא בְּבֵיתָא. וְעַל דָּא קָיְימָא שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּמַשְׁכְּנָא דְבִלְהָה. וְאָתָא רְאוּבֵן וּבְגִין דְּחָמָא דְבִלְהָה יָרְתָא אַתְרָא דְאִמֵּיהּ, אֲזַל וּבִלְבֵּל עַרְסָא. וְעַל דְּקָיְימָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עֲלָהּ, כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה.
In spite of the words of the text, we are not to suppose that Reuben really lay with Bilhah. The truth is that during the lives of Leah and Rachel the Shekinah hovered over them; and now that they had died the Shekinah never departed from the house, but took up there her abode, namely, in the tent of Bilhah; nor would it have been found there had not Jacob formed a new union of male and female. But Reuben, in his displeasure at seeing Bilhah filling his mother’s place, came and disarranged the couch; and because the Shekinah rested on it, it is written, “And he lay with Bilhah”.’
רַבִּי יֵיסָא אָמַר, דְּנָאִים עַל הַהוּא עַרְסָא וְלָא חַיִּישׁ לִיקָרָא דִשְׁכִינְתָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא אִתְפְּגִים מֵחוּשְׁבָּנָא דְשִׁבְטִין וְאָתָא קְרָא וְעֲבִיד חוּשְׁבְּנָא. בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, בְּכוֹר יַעֲקֹב רְאוּבֵן. וְאִיהוּ עָבִיד קְרָא רֵישָׁא דְּכָל שִׁבְטִין.
R. Jesse said that Reuben laid himself down to sleep on that couch, thus showing disrespect to the Shekinah. Hence Reuben was not excluded from the list of the tribes; and so Scripture relates that “the sons of Jacob were twelve”, commencing with Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, thus putting him at the head of the tribes.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (הושע י״ד:י׳) כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי יְיָ וְגו', כָּל אָרְחוֹי דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כֻּלְּהוּ יְשָׁרִים וְאָרְחוֹי קְשׁוֹט, וּבְנִי עַלְמָא לָא יָדְעִין וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין עַל מַה אִינוּן קָיְימִין. וְעַל דָּא וְצַדִּיקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן יָדְעִין אָרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִיהוּ יָדַע וְאָזִיל בְּהוּ דְּלָא סָטֵי לִימִינָא וְלִשְׂמָאלָא.
R. Judah discoursed on the verse: For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just do walk in them; but transgressors stumble therein (Hos. 14, 10). ‘All the ways of God’, he said, ‘are right and true, but mankind know not and regard not what it is that keeps them alive. Hence “the just do walk in them”, because they know the ways of God, and they devote themselves to the Torah; for whoever devotes himself to the Torah knows those ways and follows them without turning either to the right or the left.
וּפוֹשְׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָם, אִלֵּין אִינוּן חַיָּיבִין דְּלָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלָן בְּאָרְחוֹי דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְלָא יָדְעִין לְאָן אוֹרְחֵי אָזְלִין. וּבְגִין דְּלָא יָדְעֵי לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וְלא מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִינוּן כָּשְׁלֵי בְּהוּ בְּאִינוּן אָרְחוֹי בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי.
“But transgressors do stumble therein”, to wit, the sinners, since they labour not in the Torah nor regard the ways of the Almighty, and know not in which way they are walking. And since they are thoughtless and do not study the Torah, they stumble in their ways in this world and in the world to come.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כַּד נָפִיק מֵהַאי עַלְמָא נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ סָלְקָא בְּאִינוּן אָרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין (דאינון באורייתא) דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְאִינוּן אָרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְדִיעָן אִינוּן, וְאִינוּן דְּיָדְעֵי אָרְחוֹי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא יַהֲכוּן בְּהוּ בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא כַּד יִפְקוּן מֵהַאי עַלְמָא.
Now the soul of one who has laboured in the study of the Torah, when it leaves this world, ascends by the ways and paths of the Torah-ways and paths familiar to them. They who know the ways and paths of the Torah in this world follow them in the other world when they leave this world.
וְאִי לָא אִשְׁתַּדָּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא וְלָא יָדְעִין אָרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין, כַּד יִפְקוּן מֵהַאי עַלְמָא לָא יִנְדְּעוּן לְמֵיהַךְ בְּאִינוּן אָרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין וְכָשְׁלִין בְּהוֹן. כְּדֵין יְהַךְ בְּאָרְחִין אָחֳרָנִין דְּלָאו אִינוּן אָרְחִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְיִתְעָרוּן לֵיהּ בְּכַמָּה דִינִין וְאִתְעַנַּשׁ בְּהוּ.
But those who do not study the Torah in this world and know not its ways and paths, when they leave this world know not how to follow those ways and paths, and hence stumble therein. They thus follow other ways which are not the ways of the Torah, and are visited with many chastisements.
וּמַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מַה כְּתִיב, (משלי ו׳:כ״ב) בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְשִׂיחֶךָ. בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ בְּקִבְרָא, אוֹרַיְיתָא תִּצּוֹר עָלֶיךָ מִדִּינָא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. וְהֱקִיצוֹתָ, כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִתְעַר רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין לְאַחַיָּיא מֵתַיָיא כְּדֵין הִיא תְּשִׂיחֶךָ, הִיא תְּהֵא סַנֵּיגוֹרְיָא עַל גּוּפָא, בְּגִין דִּיקוּמוּן אִינוּן גּוּפִין דְּאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ בְאוֹרַיְיתָא כִּדְּקָא יָאוֹת. וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן דִּיקוּמוּן בְּקַדְמִיתָא לְחַיֵּי עָלְמָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דניאל י״ב:ב׳) וְרַבִּים מִישֵׁנִי אַדְמַת עָפָר יָקִיצוּ אֵלֶּה לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם וְגו'. וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם, בְּגִין דְּאִתְעַסְּקוּ בְּחַיֵּי עוֹלָם דְּאִיהִי אוֹרַיְיתָא.
Of him who devotes himself to the Torah, on the other hand, it is written: “When thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee” (Prov. 6, 22). “When thou liest down”, to wit, in the grave, the Torah shall watch over thee against the judgement of the other world; “and when thou awakest”, that is, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will awake the spirits and souls so as to bring the dead to life again, it shall talk with thee, the Torah will speak in defence of the body, so that those bodies which laboured to keep the Torah as required will rise up. These it is who will be the first to rise up, and of whom it is written: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, etc.” (Dan. 12, 2), for the reason that they occupied themselves with everlasting life, which is the Torah.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל אִינוּן דְּאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, הַהוּא גּוּפָא יִתְקַיַּים וְאוֹרַיְיתָא תָּגִין עֲלֵיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דִּבְהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא יִתְעַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַד רוּחָא דְּכָלִיל מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחִין, וְהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּכָלִיל מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחִין, אִזְדַּמַּן לְכָל אִינוּן דְּאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לַאֲחָיָיא לוֹן בְּהַאי רוּחָא בְּגִין דְּיִתְקַיַים לְעָלְמִין.
Further, all the bodies of those who have devoted themselves to the Torah will be preserved, and the Torah will protect them, inasmuch as at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise up a wind from all four quarters of the world, a wind specially prepared to bring to life all those who have laboured in the Torah so that they should live for ever.
וְאִי תֵימָא, הָא כְּתִיב (יחזקאל ל״ז:ט׳) מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת בֹּאִי הָרוּחַ, אַמַּאי לָא אִתְקַיְימוּ, דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ מִיתוּ כְּמִלְּקַדְמִין. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאוֹקִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל יְדָא דִיחֶזְקֵאל אִינוּן מֵתַיָיא, הַהוּא (זמני דאתא) רוּחָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּהֲוָה מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחַיָּיא, לָא נָחִית לְקָיְימָא לוֹן בְּקִיּוּמָא, אֶלָּא לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לַאֲחָיָיא מֵתַיָיא בְּהַהוּא גַוְונָא וּלְקַיְימָא לוֹן בְּרוּחָא דְּאִתְכְּלִיל בְּהַאי גַוְונָא. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאַהֲדָרוּ גַּרְמִין בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא כְּמָה דְהֲוָה. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְאַחֲזָאָה לְכָל עַלְמָא דְּאִיהוּ זַמִּין לַאֲחָיָיא מֵתַיָיא (מה כתיב, (ישעיהו כ״ו:י״ט) יחיו מתיך נבלתי יקומון. על דא ההוא רוחא דזמין לנחתא בהו בצדיקיא) (נ"א ועל דא ההוא רוחא דזמין לנחתא בהו בצדיקיא. מה כתיב מארבע רוחות באי הרוח, רוחא דאתכלילת בארבע), בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין לְקַיְימָא לְהוּ קִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים בְּעַלְמָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וְאִינוּן דְּאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, הִיא קָיְימָא עֲלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ וְאִתְעֲבִידַת סַנִּיגוֹרְיָא קַמֵּי דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
It may be asked here, what of the dead who were revived by the prophet’s invocation, “Come from the four winds, O breath” (Ez. 37, 9), and who yet did not survive, but died a second time? The answer is that at that time, although the wind was compounded of all four winds, it did not come down to give them permanent life, but only to demonstrate the mode in which God will one day bring the dead to life, namely, by a wind formed in this fashion. So that although those who were then resurrected turned again into bones, since their resurrection was only meant as a proof to the world that God will one day raise the dead to life, we may still believe that at the proper time the righteous will be resurrected for an everlasting life. For the Torah itself will stand by each one of those who have occupied themselves in the study of the Torah, recounting his merits before the Almighty.’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, כָּל אִינוּן מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְכָל הַהִיא אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּהּ בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אִינוּן מִלִּין וְהַהִיא אוֹרַיְיתָא קָיְימָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וַאֲמָרַת קַמֵיהּ וְהִיא אֲרִימַת קָלִין וְלָא אִשְׁתַּכָּכַת. וּלְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִיהִי תָשִׂיחַ וְתֵימָא כְּפוּם דְאִתְדָּבַּק בַּר נָשׁ וְאִשְׁתְּדָּל בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, וְעַל דָּא אִינוּן יְקוּמוּן בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים לְחַיֵּי עַלְמָא כְּדְקָאֲמָרָן. וּבְגִין כָּךְ (הושע י״ד:י׳) כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי יְיָ וְצַדִּיקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם וּפוֹשְׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָם.
R. Simeon said: ‘All the words of the Torah, and all the doctrine of the Torah to which a man devotes his mind in this world, are ever before the Almighty, and at that time the Torah will recount how the man devoted himself to the Torah in this world, and thereat such men will all rise for everlasting life, as we said already.’ Thus, “the ways of the Lord are right, and the just do walk in them; but transgressors do stumble therein.”
רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שמואל א ב׳:כ״ב) וְעֵלִי זָקֵן מְאֹד וְשָׁמַע אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּן בָּנָיו לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכְּבֻן אֶת הַנָּשִׁים הַצֹּבְאוֹת פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. וְכִי סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ דְּכֹהֲנֵי יְיָ דְּיַעַבְדוּן עֲבִידְתָּא דָא. וְהָא מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא אִתְּמָר וּפְרִישַׁת אוֹרַיְיתָא הַהוּא חוֹבָא דִלְהוֹן דִּכְתִיב, (שמואל א ב׳:י״ז) כִּי נִאֲצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אֶת מִנְחַת יְיָ. וּכְתִיב וּמִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים מֵאֵת הָעָם כָּל אִישׁ זוֹבֵחַ זֶבַח וְגו'. וּכְתִיב גַּם בְּטֶרֶם יַקְטִירוּן אֶת הַחֵלֶב וּבָא נַעַר הַכֹּהֵן וְאָמַר לָאִישׁ הַזּוֹבֵחַ תְּנָה לִצְלוֹת לַכֹּהֵן וְגו'. וּכְתִיב וְאָמַר לוֹ כִּי עַתָּה תִּתֵּן וְאִם לֹא לָקַחְתִּי בְּחָזְקָה. וְעַל דָּא וַתְּהִי חַטַּאת הַנְּעָרִים גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד וְגו'. וְכָל דָּא לָא הֲווּ נָטְלִין אֶלָּא מֵאִינוּן חוּלָקִין דְּהֲווּ לְהוּ לְכַהֲנֵי לְמֵיכַל מִנֵּיהּ, וְעַל דְּהֲוָה קָלִיל קָרְבָּנָא בְּעֵינַיְיהוּ אִתְעֲנָשׁוּ. וְהָכָא אָמַר אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכְּבוּן אֶת הַנָּשִׁים הַצּוֹבְאוֹת.
R. Hiya cited in this connection: “Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting” (I Sam. 2, 22). ‘Are we to believe’, he said, ‘that the priests of the Lord actually did such a thing? And what, in fact, were their sins as recorded by the Scripture? Merely that they “dealt contemptuously with the offering of the Lord” (Ibid. 17), and that “the custom of the priests with the people was that, when any man offered sacrifice…. Yea, before the fat was made to smoke, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed: Give flesh to roast for the priest…. Nay, but thou shalt give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force” (Ibid. 16). In fact, they only took those portions that belonged to the priests, and it was only because they treated lightly the offerings that they were punished. Yet here Scripture states that “they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting”.
(אלא) חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּהֲווּ עָבְדוּ עֲבֵירָה דָא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּאַתְרָא קַדִּישָׁא הַהוּא, דְּלָא יְקוּמוּן כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְטְלוּן לְהוֹן. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּהֲווּ מְעַכְּבֵי לוֹן לְאָעֳלָא לְמַקְדְּשָׁא, וּמָחָאן בִּידֵהוֹן דְּלָא לְאָעֳלָא לְמִצְלֵי צְלוֹתָא עַד דְּקוּרְבָּנַיָא אִתְעֲבִידוּ בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן לָא מַיְיתִין קָרְבָּנִין לְמֵיטַל חוּלָקָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ מְעַכְּבִין לוֹן. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִינוּן נָשִׁים הֲווּ בָּעָאן מִנַּיְיהוּ לְאַעֳלָא תַּמָּן. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכְּבוּן אֶת הַנָּשִׁים, דִּמְעַכְּבֵי לוֹן כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן.
Assuredly they could not have committed so grave a sin, and that in so sacred a place, without the whole of Israel arising and slaying them. The truth is that what they did was to prevent the women from entering and offering their prayers until the other sacrifices had been offered, because their offerings were of a kind in which the priests had no portion. It is this action of preventing them from entering the sanctuary which is described by the words: “they lay with the women, etc.”
כְּגַוְונָא דָא וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה. חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּאִיהוּ שָׁכַב עִמָּהּ, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּעָכַּב לָהּ לְשַׁמָּשָׁא בַּאֲבוֹי שִׁמּוּשָׁא דְמִצְוָה, וְדָא הוּא בִּלְבּוּלָא דְעַרְסָא. וְעֲבַד לָקֳבֵיל שְׁכִינְתָּא עֲבִידְתָּא דָא, דְּבְּכָל אֲתַר דְּשִׁמּוּשָׁא דְמִצְוָה אִשְׁתַּכַּח, שְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עַל הַהוּא אֲתַר וְאִשְׁתַּכַּח תַּמָּן. וּמַאן דְּגָרִים לְעַכָּבָא שִׁמּוּשָׁא דְמִצְוָה גָּרִים דְּיִסְתַּלַּק שְׁכִינְתָּא מֵעַלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (בראשית מ״ט:ד׳) כִּי עָלִיתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵי אָבִיךָ אָז חִלַּלְתָּ יְצוּעִי עָלָה. וּבְגִין דָּא כְּתִיב, וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה פִּלֶגֶשׁ אָבִיו וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ בְּנִי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר. כֻּלְּהוּ הֲווּ בְּמִנְיָינָא וְלָא גָרַע מִזְּכוּתָא דִלְהוֹן כְּלוּם.
Similarly, in the case of Reuben, we should not dream of taking literally the words “and he lay with Bilhah”. What he did was to prevent her from performing her conjugal duty to his father, and this was the object of his disarranging his father’s couch; and, moreover, he did it in the presence of the Shekinah; for the Shekinah is always present whenever marital intercourse is performed as a religious duty; and whoever obstructs such a performance causes the Shekinah to depart from the world. So Scripture says: “Because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then profanedst thou that one that went up to my couch” (Gen. 49, 4). Hence it is written: “that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve”; that is to say, they were all included in the number, and their merit was in no wise abated.’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, מַאי טַעֲמָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְבָתַר יַעֲקֹב. דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר. אֶלָּא כַּד אֲתָא רְאוּבֵן וּבִלְבֵּל הַהוּא עַרְסָא אָמַר וּמַה תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין הֲווּ לֵיהּ לְאַבָּא לְקַיְימָא בְּעַלְמָא וְלָא יַתִּיר, וְהַשְׁתָּא בָּעֵי לְאוֹלָדָא בְּנִין דִּילְמָא אֲנַן פְּגִימִין דְּאִיהוּ בָּעֵי לְאוֹלָדָא אָחֳרָנִין כְּמִלְּקַדְמִין. מִיָּד בִּלְבֵּל הַהוּא עַרְסָא, וְאִתְעַכַּב הַהוּא שִׁמּוּשָׁא. כְּאִילּוּ עֲבַד קְלָנָא לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּשַׁרְיָא עַל הַהוּא עַרְסָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהָא בִּשְׁמָא דָא אִסְתַּלַּק גּוֹ תְּרֵיסַר דְּאִתְכַּסְיָין דְּאִינוּן תְּרֵיסַר נַהֲרִי אֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַכְיָא.
R. Eleazar asked: ‘Why do we find in this verse first the name Israel and then the name Jacob? The reason may be given as follows. Reuben said to himself: “My father was intended to raise twelve tribes and no more, yet now he is about to beget more children. Does he then wish to disqualify us and repiace us with others?” So straightway he disarranged the couch and prevented the intended intercourse, thereby slighting, as it were, the honour of the Shekinah that hovered over that couch. Hence it is written first “and Israel heard”, since it was by that name that he was exalted among the twelve hidden ones which are the twelve pure rivers of balsam,
וַיִּהְיוּ בְּנִי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר, אִלֵּין תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְתַּקָּנַת בְּהוּ. וּמַאן אִינוּן, אִלֵּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אַהֲדָרַת וְעָבִיד לוֹן חוּשְׁבְּנָא כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין. כֻּלְּהוּ קַדִּישִׁין, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְחַזְיָין לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בִּקְדוּשָׁה דְמָארֵיהוֹן. דְּאִילּוּ עֲבַד הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא לָא יֵיתֵי רְאוּבֵן בְּמִנְיָינָא.
and then “and the sons of Jacob were twelve”, alluding to the twelve tribes by whom the Shekinah was adorned and whom the Torah again enumerated as before, implying that they were all of them holy, all of them considered by the Shekinah worthy to behold the sanctity of their Master; for had Reuben really committed the act mentioned, he would not have been included in the number.
וְעִם כָּל דָּא אִתְעֲנַשׁ דְּאִתְנְטִיל בְּכוֹרָתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ וְאִתְיְהִיב לְיוֹסֵף כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברי הימים א ה׳:א׳) וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן בְּכוֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי הוּא הַבְּכוֹר וּבְחַלְּלוֹ יְצוּעֵי אָבִיו נִתְּנָה בְּכוֹרָתוֹ לְיוֹסֵף. תָּא חֲזֵי, (דניאל ב׳:כ׳) לֶהוֵא שְׁמֵהּ דִּי אֱלָהָא מְבָרַךְ מִן עָלְמָא וְעַד עָלְמָא דִּי כָּל מַעְבְּדוֹהִי קְשׁוֹט וְאָרְחָתֵיהּ דִּין, וְכָל מַה דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה.
For all that, he was punished by being deprived of the birthright and by its transference to Joseph, as we read: “And the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel-for he was the first-born; but forasmuch as he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph” (I Chron. VI).
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה גָרִים עוֹבָדָא דְבַר נָשׁ, דְּהָא כָּל מַאי (מאן) דְאִיהוּ עָבִיד, כֹּלָּא אִתְרְשִׁים וְקָיְימָא קַמֵּי דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דְּהָא יַעֲקֹב בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְעָאל לְגַבָּהּ דְלֵאָה, כָּל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא רְעוּתֵיהּ וְלִבֵּיהּ הֲוָה בְּרָחֵל, דְּחָשִׁיב דְּרָחֵל אִיהִי. וּמֵהַהוּא שִׁמּוּשָׁא וְטִפָּה קַדְמָאָה וּמֵהַהוּא רְעוּתָא אִתְעֲבָרַת לֵאָה וְאוּקְמוּהָ. דְּהָא אִלְמָלֵא דְיַעֲקֹב לָא יָדַע לָא יִסְתַּלִּיק רְאוּבֵן בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא. וְעַל דָּא לָא אִסְתַּלַּק בִּשְׁמָא יְדִיעָא אֶלָּא שְׁמֵיהּ סְתָם רְאוּבֵן.
We see from this how all that God does is planned with profound wisdom, and every act of a man leaves its imprint and is preserved before the Almighty. For on the night when Jacob went in to Leah, all his thoughts were centred upon Rachel, and from that intercourse, and from the first germ, and under that intention Leah conceived; and we have affirmed that had not Jacob been unaware of the deception, Reuben would not have entered into the number. It is for that reason that he did not receive a name of special significance, but was simply called Reuben (reu-ben=behold, a son).
וְעִם כָּל דָּא אַהֲדַר עוֹבָדָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְהַהוּא רְעוּתָא קַדְמָאָה אִתְעֲבִידַת בְּרָחֵל, הַהוּא רְעוּתָא אִתְהַדָּרַת בָּהּ. דְּהָא בְּכוֹרָתֵיהּ אַהֲדָרַת לְיוֹסֵף בּוּכְרָא דְרָחֵל, אֲתַר דִּרְעוּתָא הֲוַת בְּרָחֵל וְכֹלָּא סָלִיק בְּאַתְרֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כֻּלְּהוּ קְשׁוֹט וּזְכוּ.
But for all that, the intended effect was produced, and the birthright reverted to the eldest son of Rachel, as originally purposed. Thus everything came right in the end, for all the works of the Almighty are based on truth and right.’