אָ֤ז תִּקְרָא֙ וַיהוָ֣ה יַעֲנֶ֔ה תְּשַׁוַּ֖ע וְיֹאמַ֣ר הִנֵּ֑נִי אִם־תָּסִ֤יר מִתּֽוֹכְךָ֙ מוֹטָ֔ה שְׁלַ֥ח אֶצְבַּ֖ע וְדַבֶּר־אָֽוֶן׃
Kung magkagayon, tatawag ka, at sasagot ang Walang-Hanggan; daraing ka, at sasabihin Niya, “Narito Ako.” Kung aalisin mo sa gitna mo ang pamatok, ang pagduro ng daliri, at ang pagsasalita ng masama,
Sforno
איש איש אל כל שאר בשרו לא תקרבו; logic would suppose that offspring from genetically related parents would result in superior human beings, evenly matched ones, as for instance in the case of Amram and Yocheved, where the marital union of aunt and nephew produced three outstanding human beings such as Miriam, Aaron, and Moses. In fact, the Talmud Yevamot 62,63 praises someone who marries his niece by quoting Isaiah 58,9 who calls down a special blessing from heaven on such a person. [“Then when you call, the Lord will answer, when you cry, He will say: ‘Here I am.’”]
The considerations I have just mentioned are valid only if both parties to such a marital union are motivated exclusively by the desire to carry out G’d’s will as they perceive it. However, truth to tell, this occurs in only rare cases. The vast majority of people, when choosing their mate, are driven by the desire to gratify their libido. Compare Psalms 51,7 הן בעוון חוללתי ובחטא יחמתני אמי, “Indeed, I was born with iniquity; with sin my mother conceived me.”
Seeing that genetically close relatives, usually living under the same roof, provide ample opportunity for the males and females of that family to engage in illegitimate sexual relations, and not only do they find it enjoyable but they do not consider it at all sinful, such pairings will hardly ever be for the purpose of marriage, but merely for the purpose of mutual physical indulgence. As a result, allowing marital relations of an incestuous nature would result in sexual promiscuity of major dimensions. This is why the Torah wrote לגלות ערוה, in most instances the very baring of flesh, and especially private parts, is the physical gratification desired in the first instance. This is why the Torah, in order to nip incest in the bud, addresses itself again and again to this phenomenon by using the expression לגלות ערוה, the titillation provided by feasting one’s eyes on the flesh of the opposite sex. When listing degrees of blood relationship, the Torah proceeds from the man’s vantage point, and in the case of the woman from the perspective of her husband. This is why in order of sequence the Torah first forbids the sister of one’s father who is a first degree blood relation to one’s father. On the other hand, the Torah permits the daughter of such father who is a relative of the second degree to the party. The Torah then prohibits the wife of one’s father and the wife of one’s brother and the wife of one’s uncle, even after their respective husbands have already died. This is in spite of the fact that no genetic connection exists between the people forbidden to one another as man and wife. The reason is simply that they Torah views them all from the perspective of how they are related to their husbands. This appears to be the guideline for all incest-related legislation.
The considerations I have just mentioned are valid only if both parties to such a marital union are motivated exclusively by the desire to carry out G’d’s will as they perceive it. However, truth to tell, this occurs in only rare cases. The vast majority of people, when choosing their mate, are driven by the desire to gratify their libido. Compare Psalms 51,7 הן בעוון חוללתי ובחטא יחמתני אמי, “Indeed, I was born with iniquity; with sin my mother conceived me.”
Seeing that genetically close relatives, usually living under the same roof, provide ample opportunity for the males and females of that family to engage in illegitimate sexual relations, and not only do they find it enjoyable but they do not consider it at all sinful, such pairings will hardly ever be for the purpose of marriage, but merely for the purpose of mutual physical indulgence. As a result, allowing marital relations of an incestuous nature would result in sexual promiscuity of major dimensions. This is why the Torah wrote לגלות ערוה, in most instances the very baring of flesh, and especially private parts, is the physical gratification desired in the first instance. This is why the Torah, in order to nip incest in the bud, addresses itself again and again to this phenomenon by using the expression לגלות ערוה, the titillation provided by feasting one’s eyes on the flesh of the opposite sex. When listing degrees of blood relationship, the Torah proceeds from the man’s vantage point, and in the case of the woman from the perspective of her husband. This is why in order of sequence the Torah first forbids the sister of one’s father who is a first degree blood relation to one’s father. On the other hand, the Torah permits the daughter of such father who is a relative of the second degree to the party. The Torah then prohibits the wife of one’s father and the wife of one’s brother and the wife of one’s uncle, even after their respective husbands have already died. This is in spite of the fact that no genetic connection exists between the people forbidden to one another as man and wife. The reason is simply that they Torah views them all from the perspective of how they are related to their husbands. This appears to be the guideline for all incest-related legislation.
Bartenura
מסרבין בו לשאת את בת אחותו – they were urging hin that he should marry the daughter of his sister because she is his age and we state [Tractate Yevamot 62b] that a person who marries the daughter of his sister, upon him Scripture states (Isaiah 58:7.9): “And not to ignore your own kin…Then when you call, the LORD will answer.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
The Torah speaks of Moses’ hands in the singular instead of in the plural when it writes: ויהי ידיו אמונה, when in reality it should have written ויהיו ידיו אמונה. Actually, the word ויהי does not refer to the hands, but to Moses as a person. It is as if the Torah had written: ויהי משה פורש ידיו להמשיך כח אל ה'א האחרונה היא מדת הדין הנלחמת לישראל הנקראת אמונה, “Moses spread out his hands in order to draw upon the power of the last letter ה in the tetragram, the attribute of Justice, urging it to fight on behalf of Israel, the attribute also known as Emunah.” We encounter the word אמונה in that context in Psalms 92,3 ואמונתך בלילות, “and your אמונה at night.” This is also why our sages said that whoever has not recited the paragraph commencing with the words אמת ואמונה at night, or the paragraph commencing with the words אמת ויציב in the morning, has not fulfilled his duty. The reason such omission is considered very negligent is that one must mention these respective attributes of G’d every day at the appropriate time, i.e. when that attribute is usually active (compare Berachot 12).
I believe further that the words ויהי ידיו include the concept that the priest when blessing the people should form the letters of the tetragrammaton with his hands. It is as if the vowel under the first letter in the word ויהי is a chirik instead of a patach. The priest’s hands should be straight and pointing upwards while he concentrates with all his power. He should not join his two hands together. This is part of the meaning of the word אמונה. The reason that he is to hold his fingers in such a position is so that the blessing will flow unto each finger separately. In order that at the base of his hands the letters of the tetragrammaton should not become mixed up with one another he must make sure that he holds his fingers in the assigned position. In the Sefer Habahir item 139-40 you will find that the author was asked by his students to whom raising of the hands during the priestly blessing is addressed. Answer: to the attribute רום. The source quoted is Chabakuk 3,10 נתן תהום קולו רום ידינו נשא. This verse makes it plain that the raising of the hands is aimed at the attribute רום השמים. When there are found amongst the Jewish people learned men, familiar with the mystical dimensions of the various names of G’d, and they raise their hands in prayer they are answered immediately. This is what Isaiah 58,9 referred to when he said: אז תקרא וה’ יענה תשוע ויאמר הנני אם תסיר מתוכך מוטה שלח אצבע ודבר און, “then you will call upon the Lord and He will answer. When you cry He will say: ‘Here I am, if you banish the yoke from your midst, the menacing finger and evil speech.’” The message of the prophet is that the cry to G’d must reflect the concept alluded to in the word אז, i.e. “The Lord who rides the seven heavens.” It is not sufficient to appeal only to the attribute represented by the letter א, but one must also address oneself to the letters attached to the א. They represent the emanations, attributes which occupy a pivotal role in G’d’s Kingdom. They are seven in number. This was the reason Moses commenced his song with the word אז, indicating that he did not mean to bypass those seven attributes, emanations. Thus far the Sefer Habahir.
I believe further that the words ויהי ידיו include the concept that the priest when blessing the people should form the letters of the tetragrammaton with his hands. It is as if the vowel under the first letter in the word ויהי is a chirik instead of a patach. The priest’s hands should be straight and pointing upwards while he concentrates with all his power. He should not join his two hands together. This is part of the meaning of the word אמונה. The reason that he is to hold his fingers in such a position is so that the blessing will flow unto each finger separately. In order that at the base of his hands the letters of the tetragrammaton should not become mixed up with one another he must make sure that he holds his fingers in the assigned position. In the Sefer Habahir item 139-40 you will find that the author was asked by his students to whom raising of the hands during the priestly blessing is addressed. Answer: to the attribute רום. The source quoted is Chabakuk 3,10 נתן תהום קולו רום ידינו נשא. This verse makes it plain that the raising of the hands is aimed at the attribute רום השמים. When there are found amongst the Jewish people learned men, familiar with the mystical dimensions of the various names of G’d, and they raise their hands in prayer they are answered immediately. This is what Isaiah 58,9 referred to when he said: אז תקרא וה’ יענה תשוע ויאמר הנני אם תסיר מתוכך מוטה שלח אצבע ודבר און, “then you will call upon the Lord and He will answer. When you cry He will say: ‘Here I am, if you banish the yoke from your midst, the menacing finger and evil speech.’” The message of the prophet is that the cry to G’d must reflect the concept alluded to in the word אז, i.e. “The Lord who rides the seven heavens.” It is not sufficient to appeal only to the attribute represented by the letter א, but one must also address oneself to the letters attached to the א. They represent the emanations, attributes which occupy a pivotal role in G’d’s Kingdom. They are seven in number. This was the reason Moses commenced his song with the word אז, indicating that he did not mean to bypass those seven attributes, emanations. Thus far the Sefer Habahir.