Mitzvah —
146
Not to marry a woman and her daughter
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עֶרְוַ֥ת אִשָּׁ֛ה וּבִתָּ֖הּ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אֶֽת־בַּת־בְּנָ֞הּ וְאֶת־בַּת־בִּתָּ֗הּ לֹ֤א תִקַּח֙ לְגַלּ֣וֹת עֶרְוָתָ֔הּ שַׁאֲרָ֥ה הֵ֖נָּה זִמָּ֥ה הִֽוא׃ - פָּרָשַׁת אַחֲרֵי מוֹת
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Leviticus 18:17 - "You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter; you shall not take [in marriage] her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness they are close relatives, it is evil counsel."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Family – מִשְׁפָּחָה
Forbidden to marry or have relations with both a woman and her daughter.
This mitzvah prohibits marrying or having sexual relations with a woman and her daughter. The Torah explicitly labels such behavior as zimah (depravity), as it destroys the natural boundaries of family and creates intolerable moral corruption. The prohibition extends also to a woman’s granddaughter, whether through her son or her daughter, strengthening the sanctity of generational lines within family life.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Issurei Bi’ah 2:9): Lists this prohibition among the severe arayot (forbidden relations) with the penalty of burning.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 195): The root is to maintain the holiness of family life and prevent perversion of its structure.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 75a): Explains the extension of the prohibition to a woman’s descendants and why it is considered particularly depraved (zimah).
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
