Chayei Sarah 24:16 · unit 2

Parashas Chayei Sarah · Passuk 24:16

The Complete Passuk

וְהַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד הָעַ֔יְנָה וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ וַתָּֽעַל׃

The maiden was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Yevamos / Yerushalmi (double language).

TT lemma: בתולה ואיש לא ידעה.

Sefaria — Yevamos 61b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בְּתוּלָה – מִכְּדַרְכָּהּ, וְאִישׁ לֹא יְדָעָהּ – מִשֶּׁלֹּא כְּדַרְכָּהּ.

English: “Virgin” — [untouched] in the normal way; “and no man had known her” — [untouched] in the unnatural way.

On the daf / in context: The doubled description is taken to exclude both normal and abnormal relations, establishing complete virginity. Parallel readings appear in midrashic sources.

Type of Learning

Custom (Bavli — exhaustive virginity from doubled language)

What Is Learned

The two phrases together teach that Rivkah was untouched both in the ordinary and in any other manner; the Torah’s doubling leaves no ambiguity.