[Avodah] ain mikreh v. shabbas 55b; re: reuven, dovid, etc,

[T613K at aol.com]

From: _harveybenton at yahoo.com_ (mailto:harveybenton at yahoo.com) 


>> chumash: "And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that  land,
that Reuven went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine,  and Israel
heard."





...Rashi cites the midrash brought on Shabbat 55b:

Because he  switched around his [father's] bed, the Torah treats him as if 
he slept with  her. 


....the "headline" for this midrash as it appears on Shabbat 55b is: "If  
you think that Reuven sinned, you are mistaken." How are we to understand 
this  rabbinic statement? Clearly Reuven sinned -- it is explicitly written in 
the  Torah text! <<
 

>>>>>
When it says "Anyone who thinks he sinned is mistaken" it MEANS "Anyone who 
 thinks he committed this particular sin is wrong."  
 
You have the same language used in reference to Dovid Hamelech, where Nasan 
 Hanavi tells Dovid Hamelech that he has sinned and Dovid acknowledges it 
and  immediately confesses and repents, yet Chazal say,  "If you think he 
sinned  you are mistaken."    It clearly means, "If you think that  he 
committed actual adultery, then you are mistaken."  
 
Bas-sheva's husband had given her a get so Dovid gets off on a technicality 
 but his "non-sin" is nevertheless treated very seriously indeed.  The same 
 with Reuven, he didn't actually sleep with Bilhah, but interfering with 
his  father's marital arrangements was a serious misdeed nevertheless.






--Toby  Katz
=============




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