Mitzvah —
148
Not to marry a woman and her daughter's 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 have sexual relations with a woman and her granddaughter through her daughter.
This mitzvah prohibits marrying or having relations with a woman and her granddaughter from her daughter. Alongside the prohibition of relations with a woman and her daughter or her son’s daughter, this command underscores the Torah’s emphasis on preserving generational boundaries and family sanctity. The Torah labels this relationship zimah (depravity), highlighting its destructive nature for both morality and family order.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Issurei Bi’ah 2:10): Includes both a woman’s son’s daughter and daughter’s daughter within the prohibition, marking them as incestuous relationships.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 197): The root is to guard the dignity and sanctity of family life, preventing relationships that would desecrate its holiness.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 75a): Clarifies the inclusion of both descendants and explains why the Torah stresses these unions as particularly disgraceful.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
