[ד"א וירא ה' כי שנואה לאה]. זש"ה כי (תהיינה) [תהיין] לאיש שתי נשים (דברים כא טו) זה יעקב, שנאמר ויעקב איש תם (בראשית כה כז), שתי נשים (דברים שם) לאה ורחל, אחת אהובה (שם), זו רחל, שנאמר ויאהב גם את רחל (בראשית כט ל), והאחת שנואה (דברים שם) זו לאה, שנאמר וירא ה' כי שנואה לאה (בראשית שם לא), וילדו לו בנים האהובה והשנואה (דברים שם), שתיהן ילדו לו, ומה שהעמידה לאה העמידה רחל, לאה העמידה מלכים וכן רחל [המידה מלכים, לאה העמידה נביאים וכן רחל העמידה נביאים], לאה העמידה שופטים וכן רחל, לכך נאמר וילדו לו בנים (דברים שם). והיה ביום הנחילו את בניו (שם שם טז), בשעה שבא ליפטר מן העולם, ויקרא יעקב אל בניו (בראשית מט א). לא יוכל לבכר את בן האהובה (דברים שם), ליוסף, למה כי את הבכור בן השנואה יכיר (שם שם יז), זה ראובן, שנאמר ראובן בכורי אתה (בראשית מט ג), אע"פ שאמר בבזיונו פחז כמים אל תותר (שם שם ד), מהו יצועי עלה (שם), כשיבא משה, שכתיב בו ומשה עלה אל האלהים (שמות יט ג), הוא פודה אותו, וכיון שעמד משה בקש עליו רחמים, שנאמר יחי ראובן (דברים לג ו). אמר הקב"ה ואל ימות, נמצא נוטל (דמים כפי שניהם) [דימום כפי שניהם], שנאמר כי את הבכור [בן השנואה] יכיר לתת לו פי שנים (דברים כאי ז). יחי ראובן ואל ימות, יחי ראובן בעולם הזה, ואל ימות לעולם הבא, ולמה כי הוא ראשית אונו [וכתיב כחי וראשית אוני] (בראשית מט ג).
[Another interpretation (of Gen. 29:31): WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED.] This text is related (to Deut. 21:15-17): WHEN A MAN HAS TWO WIVES, < THE ONE BELOVED AND THE OTHER HATED, AND WHEN BOTH THE BELOVED AND THE HATED HAVE BORNE HIM SONS WITH THE FIRST-BORN BELONGING TO THE HATED WOMAN; THEN, ON THE DAY THAT HE WILLS HIS PROPERTY TO HIS SONS AS AN INHERITANCE, HE MAY NOT TREAT THE SON OF THE BELOVED AS THE FIRST-BORN IN PREFERENCE TO THE SON OF THE HATED WHEN HE IS THE FIRST-BORN. INSTEAD, HE SHALL RECOGNIZE THE FIRST-BORN SON OF THE HATED WOMAN BY GIVING HIM A DOUBLE PORTION SINCE HE IS THE FIRST FRUIT OF HIS STRENGTH >. < (Deut. 21:15:) WHEN A MAN HAS >: This is Jacob, as stated (in Gen. 25:27): JACOB WAS A PERFECT MAN. (Deut. 21:15, cont.:) TWO WIVES: Leah and Rachel. (Ibid., cont.:) THE ONE BELOVED, i.e., Rachel, as stated (in Gen. 29:30): AND HE ALSO LOVED RACHEL. (Deut. 21:15, cont.:) AND THE OTHER HATED: i.e., Leah, as stated (in Gen. 29:31): WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED. (Deut. 21:15, cont.:) AND WHEN BOTH THE BELOVED AND THE HATED HAVE BORNE HIM SONS, i.e., both of them bore for him.37The passage may interpret banot (“daughters”) as bonot (“builders”) who would build up a worthy lineages. Moreover, what Leah produced Rachel produced.38Similarly Gen. R. 70:15. Leah produced kings, and so did Rachel [produce kings. Leah produced prophets, and so did Rachel produce prophets]. Leah produced judges, and so did Rachel. It is therefore stated (in Deut. 21:15): AND WHEN < BOTH THE BELOVED AND THE HATED > HAVE BORNE HIM SONS. (Deut. 21:16:) THEN, ON THE DAY THAT HE WILLS < HIS PROPERTY > TO HIS SONS AS AN INHERITANCE. When the time had come for him to depart from the world, (according to Gen. 49:1): THEN JACOB CALLED HIS SONS. (Deut. 21:16, cont.:) HE MAY NOT TREAT THE SON OF THE BELOVED, < i.e., > Joseph, AS THE FIRST-BORN. Why? (Vs. 17:) INSTEAD, HE SHALL RECOGNIZE THE FIRST-BORN SON OF THE HATED WOMAN < BY GIVING HIM A DOUBLE PORTION >. This was Reuben, as stated (in Gen. 49:3): REUBEN, YOU ARE MY FIRST-BORN, < MY MIGHT AND THE FIRST FRUIT OF MY STRENGTH, EXCELLING IN ELEVATION AND EXCELLING IN POWER >. < Jacob gave this blessing >, even though he said to his shame (in vs. 4): UNSTABLE AS WATER, YOU SHALL NO LONGER EXCEL; < FOR YOU WENT UP TO YOUR FATHER'S BED, THEN DEFILED IT >. What is the meaning of (ibid., cont.) HE WENT UP TO MY COUCH. When Moses would come, about whom it is written (in Exod. 19:3): THEN MOSES WENT UP TO GOD, he would redeem him. As Moses stood < there >, he sought mercy for him. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:6): LET REUBEN LIVE. The Holy One said (ibid., cont.): AND LET HIM NOT DIE. It turns out that he gets {compensation in proportion to both of them} [a pardon39Gk.: demos (“common people”). This meaning of demos may be suggested by demotikos agon, a public festival with games in connection with which amnesties might be given. Cf. Lat.: dimissus. from the mouth of both of them] (i.e., God and Moses). Thus it is stated (in Deut. 21:17): INSTEAD, HE SHALL RECOGNIZE THE FIRST-BORN [SON OF THE HATED WOMAN] BY GIVING HIM A DOUBLE PORTION. (Deut. 33:6:) LET REUBEN LIVE, AND LET HIM NOT DIE; < i.e., > LET REUBEN LIVE in this world, AND LET HIM NOT DIE in the world to come. Why? (Deut. 21:17:) SINCE HE IS THE FIRST FRUIT OF HIS STRENGTH. [It is also written (in Gen. 49:3): MY MIGHT AND THE FIRST FRUIT OF MY STRENGTH.]
[ד"א וירא ה' כי שנואה לאה]. זש"ה כי (תהיינה) [תהיין] לאיש שתי נשים (דברים כא טו) זה יעקב, שנאמר ויעקב איש תם (בראשית כה כז), שתי נשים (דברים שם) לאה ורחל, אחת אהובה (שם), זו רחל, שנאמר ויאהב גם את רחל (בראשית כט ל), והאחת שנואה (דברים שם) זו לאה, שנאמר וירא ה' כי שנואה לאה (בראשית שם לא), וילדו לו בנים האהובה והשנואה (דברים שם), שתיהן ילדו לו, ומה שהעמידה לאה העמידה רחל, לאה העמידה מלכים וכן רחל [המידה מלכים, לאה העמידה נביאים וכן רחל העמידה נביאים], לאה העמידה שופטים וכן רחל, לכך נאמר וילדו לו בנים (דברים שם). והיה ביום הנחילו את בניו (שם שם טז), בשעה שבא ליפטר מן העולם, ויקרא יעקב אל בניו (בראשית מט א). לא יוכל לבכר את בן האהובה (דברים שם), ליוסף, למה כי את הבכור בן השנואה יכיר (שם שם יז), זה ראובן, שנאמר ראובן בכורי אתה (בראשית מט ג), אע"פ שאמר בבזיונו פחז כמים אל תותר (שם שם ד), מהו יצועי עלה (שם), כשיבא משה, שכתיב בו ומשה עלה אל האלהים (שמות יט ג), הוא פודה אותו, וכיון שעמד משה בקש עליו רחמים, שנאמר יחי ראובן (דברים לג ו). אמר הקב"ה ואל ימות, נמצא נוטל (דמים כפי שניהם) [דימום כפי שניהם], שנאמר כי את הבכור [בן השנואה] יכיר לתת לו פי שנים (דברים כאי ז). יחי ראובן ואל ימות, יחי ראובן בעולם הזה, ואל ימות לעולם הבא, ולמה כי הוא ראשית אונו [וכתיב כחי וראשית אוני] (בראשית מט ג).
[Another interpretation (of Gen. 29:31): WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED.] This text is related (to Deut. 21:15-17): WHEN A MAN HAS TWO WIVES, < THE ONE BELOVED AND THE OTHER HATED, AND WHEN BOTH THE BELOVED AND THE HATED HAVE BORNE HIM SONS WITH THE FIRST-BORN BELONGING TO THE HATED WOMAN; THEN, ON THE DAY THAT HE WILLS HIS PROPERTY TO HIS SONS AS AN INHERITANCE, HE MAY NOT TREAT THE SON OF THE BELOVED AS THE FIRST-BORN IN PREFERENCE TO THE SON OF THE HATED WHEN HE IS THE FIRST-BORN. INSTEAD, HE SHALL RECOGNIZE THE FIRST-BORN SON OF THE HATED WOMAN BY GIVING HIM A DOUBLE PORTION SINCE HE IS THE FIRST FRUIT OF HIS STRENGTH >. < (Deut. 21:15:) WHEN A MAN HAS >: This is Jacob, as stated (in Gen. 25:27): JACOB WAS A PERFECT MAN. (Deut. 21:15, cont.:) TWO WIVES: Leah and Rachel. (Ibid., cont.:) THE ONE BELOVED, i.e., Rachel, as stated (in Gen. 29:30): AND HE ALSO LOVED RACHEL. (Deut. 21:15, cont.:) AND THE OTHER HATED: i.e., Leah, as stated (in Gen. 29:31): WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED. (Deut. 21:15, cont.:) AND WHEN BOTH THE BELOVED AND THE HATED HAVE BORNE HIM SONS, i.e., both of them bore for him.37The passage may interpret banot (“daughters”) as bonot (“builders”) who would build up a worthy lineages. Moreover, what Leah produced Rachel produced.38Similarly Gen. R. 70:15. Leah produced kings, and so did Rachel [produce kings. Leah produced prophets, and so did Rachel produce prophets]. Leah produced judges, and so did Rachel. It is therefore stated (in Deut. 21:15): AND WHEN < BOTH THE BELOVED AND THE HATED > HAVE BORNE HIM SONS. (Deut. 21:16:) THEN, ON THE DAY THAT HE WILLS < HIS PROPERTY > TO HIS SONS AS AN INHERITANCE. When the time had come for him to depart from the world, (according to Gen. 49:1): THEN JACOB CALLED HIS SONS. (Deut. 21:16, cont.:) HE MAY NOT TREAT THE SON OF THE BELOVED, < i.e., > Joseph, AS THE FIRST-BORN. Why? (Vs. 17:) INSTEAD, HE SHALL RECOGNIZE THE FIRST-BORN SON OF THE HATED WOMAN < BY GIVING HIM A DOUBLE PORTION >. This was Reuben, as stated (in Gen. 49:3): REUBEN, YOU ARE MY FIRST-BORN, < MY MIGHT AND THE FIRST FRUIT OF MY STRENGTH, EXCELLING IN ELEVATION AND EXCELLING IN POWER >. < Jacob gave this blessing >, even though he said to his shame (in vs. 4): UNSTABLE AS WATER, YOU SHALL NO LONGER EXCEL; < FOR YOU WENT UP TO YOUR FATHER'S BED, THEN DEFILED IT >. What is the meaning of (ibid., cont.) HE WENT UP TO MY COUCH. When Moses would come, about whom it is written (in Exod. 19:3): THEN MOSES WENT UP TO GOD, he would redeem him. As Moses stood < there >, he sought mercy for him. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:6): LET REUBEN LIVE. The Holy One said (ibid., cont.): AND LET HIM NOT DIE. It turns out that he gets {compensation in proportion to both of them} [a pardon39Gk.: demos (“common people”). This meaning of demos may be suggested by demotikos agon, a public festival with games in connection with which amnesties might be given. Cf. Lat.: dimissus. from the mouth of both of them] (i.e., God and Moses). Thus it is stated (in Deut. 21:17): INSTEAD, HE SHALL RECOGNIZE THE FIRST-BORN [SON OF THE HATED WOMAN] BY GIVING HIM A DOUBLE PORTION. (Deut. 33:6:) LET REUBEN LIVE, AND LET HIM NOT DIE; < i.e., > LET REUBEN LIVE in this world, AND LET HIM NOT DIE in the world to come. Why? (Deut. 21:17:) SINCE HE IS THE FIRST FRUIT OF HIS STRENGTH. [It is also written (in Gen. 49:3): MY MIGHT AND THE FIRST FRUIT OF MY STRENGTH.]