Vayechi 49:3 · unit 1

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:3

The Complete Passuk

רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי אַ֔תָּה כֹּחִ֖י וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית אוֹנִ֑י יֶ֥תֶר שְׂאֵ֖ת וְיֶ֥תֶר עָֽז׃

Reuven, thou art my first-born, my might, and the first-fruits of my strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Yevamos 76a.

Sefaria — Yevamos 76a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: אַטּוּ כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ הֲוַאי, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ ״כֹּחִי וְרֵאשִׁית אוֹנִי״ — שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה קֶרִי מִיָּמָיו!

English: Abaye said: Is everyone then Yaakov our father, of whom it is written “my might and the first-fruits of my strength” — that he never saw an emission of seed in his days!

On the daf / in context: The Gemara is discussing physical signs of fertility. Abaye cites the verse to note that Yaakov was exceptional in never having experienced a nocturnal emission prior to the conception of Reuven.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — the language “first of my strength” is taken as evidence of Yaakov’s unique purity in this regard.

What Is Learned

Yaakov never experienced a nocturnal emission before the birth of Reuven; the verse is the source for that tradition.