We have discussed the Maharal's explanation of how Shimon could marry Dina. One aspect of that explanation was that there simply was no one else to marry. Just as Adam haRishon was the beginning of humanity -- ie, B'nei Adam, so too Yaakov was the beginning of klal yisrael -- ie, B'nei Yisrael. Just as Adam haRishon's children married siblings by necessity, so to Yaakov's children married siblings by the same necessity. At first glance, this seems to contradict the first explanation (that they were all geirim), because a ger can marry Jew he wants. (I know, I know... "Jews" as a label really comes from Yehuda and after
the destruction of the northern kingdom. However, you all know what I
mean and it is needlessly tedious to avoid the term.) If, on the other hand, they married each other out of necessity and "olam chesed yibaneh" (at times forbidden relations are permitted for populating the world), then why do I need the geirus explanation at all?
But I think these explanations are really complementary. Geirus does not make a person homeless, it makes him part of klal yisrael. In doing so, the ger loses his original relatives and can marry any other Jew. However, klal yisrael lives at a higher level of k'dusha than the umos ha'olam. Using a loophole (brothers and sisters are no longer halachically related) simply to permit a previously forbidden marriage is, well, just not done. You need a very strong reason to push you in that direction. Having no other candidates together with "olam chesed yibaneh" is that push. The Maharal points out that Yaakov would not have married another two sisters; he married the two sisters he was supposed to marry. Shimon would not have married another sister; he married the sister he was supposed to marry.
How did they know when they were permitted/required to do something that the Torah would later forbid? How does that go along with the fact that the avos kept kol haTorah kulo? Great questions.
But I think these explanations are really complementary. Geirus does not make a person homeless, it makes him part of klal yisrael. In doing so, the ger loses his original relatives and can marry any other Jew. However, klal yisrael lives at a higher level of k'dusha than the umos ha'olam. Using a loophole (brothers and sisters are no longer halachically related) simply to permit a previously forbidden marriage is, well, just not done. You need a very strong reason to push you in that direction. Having no other candidates together with "olam chesed yibaneh" is that push. The Maharal points out that Yaakov would not have married another two sisters; he married the two sisters he was supposed to marry. Shimon would not have married another sister; he married the sister he was supposed to marry.
How did they know when they were permitted/required to do something that the Torah would later forbid? How does that go along with the fact that the avos kept kol haTorah kulo? Great questions.
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