Vayeira 19:33 · unit 3

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 19:33

The Complete Passuk

וַתַּשְׁקֶ֧יןָ אֶת־אֲבִיהֶ֛ן יַ֖יִן בַּלַּ֣יְלָה ה֑וּא וַתָּבֹ֤א הַבְּכִירָה֙ וַתִּשְׁכַּ֣ב אֶת־אָבִ֔יהָ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֥ע בְּשִׁכְבָ֖הּ וּבְקוּמָֽהּ׃

And they made their father drink wine that night, and the first-born went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Nazir 23a.

TT lemma: בשכבה ובקומה.

Sefaria — Nazir 23a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בְּשִׁכְבָהּ וּבְקוּמָהּ. תָּנֵי מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר רַב הוּנִי, לָמָּה נָקוּד עַל וָו מִן וּבְקוּמָהּ שֶׁל בְּכִירָה? לוֹמַר, שֶׁבְּשִׁכְבָהּ לֹא יָדַע, אֲבָל בְּקוּמָהּ יָדַע.

English: “When she lay down and when she arose.” It was taught in the name of Rabbi Yosi son of Rav Choni: Why is there a dot over the vav of “uv’kumah” of the first-born? To teach that when she lay down he did not know, but when she arose he did know.

On the daf / in context: The extraordinary dots on the word indicate a distinction in Lot’s awareness between the two moments.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli / dotted letters) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The masoretic dots signal a difference in knowledge.

What Is Learned

Lot was unaware when the first-born lay down, but he became aware when she arose; the dotted letter marks that distinction.