Reeh 13:7 · unit 2

TT #128 · Parashas Reeh · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:7

The Complete Passuk

כִּ֣י יְסִֽיתְךָ֡ אָחִ֣יךָ בֶן־אִ֠מֶּךָ אֽוֹ־בִנְךָ֨ אֽוֹ־בִתְּךָ֜ א֣וֹ ׀ אֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיקֶ֗ךָ א֧וֹ רֵֽעֲךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵֽלְכָ֗ה וְנַעַבְדָה֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ אַתָּ֖ה וַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife of your bosom or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you in secret, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” that you have not known, you or your fathers.

Chabad.org — 13:7

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Kiddushin / Sanhedrin.

Sefaria — Kiddushin / Sanhedrin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָחִיךָ בֶן אִמֶּךָ – אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק, רֶמֶז לְאִסּוּר יִחוּד מִן הַתּוֹרָה, דִּכְתִיב כִּי יְסִיתְךָ אָחִיךָ בֶן אִמֶּךָ, וְכִי בֶּן אֵם מֵסִית וּבֶן אָב אֵינוֹ מֵסִית, אֶלָּא לוֹמַר לְךָ בֵּן מִתְיַחֵד עִם אִמּוֹ וְאָסוּר לְהִתְיַחֵד עִם כָּל הָעֲרָיוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה.

English: “Your brother, the son of your mother” — Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: This is a scriptural allusion to the prohibition of yichud, as it is written “If your brother, the son of your mother, entices you.” Does a mother’s son entice while a father’s son does not? Rather, it teaches that a son may be alone with his mother, but it is forbidden to be alone with any of the arayos of the Torah.

On the daf / in context: The specific mention of “son of your mother” is taken as a remez that the only permitted private seclusion is with one’s mother; all other forbidden relationships are barred from yichud.

Type of Learning

Remez / derash (Kiddushin) — deriving the Torah-level prohibition of yichud from the wording of the mesis verse.

What Is Learned

There is a Torah-level allusion to the prohibition of yichud: a son may be alone with his mother, but one may not be alone with any of the arayos.