[Avodah] All these abominations

[Akiva Miller]

The latter part of Parshas Acharei details the many forbidden arayos. At
the very end, Hashem warns us: "Don't become tamei through any of these,
for the nations which I'm sending away from you became tamei through all of
them." (18:24) "For the people of the Land which is in front of you did do
all these obscenities, and the Land became tamei." (18:27)

A friend, Andrew Kent, asked an interesting question: Hashem is stressing
that those nations did *all* those obscenities, but that list includes some
which don't apply to them. There's something incongruous here. Hashem seems
angry that they violated laws which don't apply to them. What's the point
here; why is "all" being stressed?

Several possible answers occurred to me, but I think that the first step is
to identify which arayos are the ones permitted to non-Jews. Perhaps there
is some pattern that will help us understand what Hashem means in these
pesukim.

For example, the story of Rachel and Leah teaches us that the issur of two
sisters did not apply before Matan Torah. I've also been told that yichus
for non-Jews goes only via the mother, which permits all relatives on the
side of one's putative father. But are there other exceptions? I can easily
imagine that some of the most distant relatives are forbidden to Jews but
allowed for non-Jews.

Comments and ideas welcomed.
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