QUESTION:
1) Our Avos did everything with tremendous thought and precision. Why then did Yaakov kiss Rochel? What was the purpose of this? Making the question stronger, Chazal said that when the shepherds saw this, they spoke negatively about Yaakov Avinu, because they were saying that bnei noach are careful not to commit adultery and here this man is acting inappropriately. So why wasn’t this a chilul Hashem?
ANSWER:
There are those who explained that Yaakov only kissed the hand of Rochel, but from a distance it looked like Yaakov was kissing her. Refer to Sefer Toldosav shel baal Maadanei HaMelech.
The Netziv (Heemek Dovor Beraishis 29:10) explained that it was to show anyone standing nearby that he was a relative of Lavan and Rachel. This is rooted in the statement of Chazal that Yaakov kissed Rochel in order show everyone nearby that he was Lavan’s relative [perhaps to intimidate them so that they shouldn’t touch Rochel by the well, since shepherds are suspected of adultery].
The Maharal Diskin (Shemos 4:22) says that since Yaakov was 70 years of age at that time, it was not disgraceful for him to kiss Rochel who was a minor then. (See also sefer Ohev Yisrael and sefer Ohev Chessed parshas Vayeitzei for more on this.)
The root of the matter lays in the words of the Ramban (Beraishis 29:9) that Yaakov didn’t kiss Rochel on the mouth, but either on her hand or on her shoulder. This is also explained by Rabbeinu Bachye (Beraishis 29:11), and sefer HaKesav V’HaKabalah says something similar.
The Gra (Tikkunim 11) said that the “kiss” is referring to speech, because speech is called zivug neshikin, “the connection of kissing”, and this is the secret of Yaakov’s “kiss” to Rochel whereupon he immediately “told” something to her afterwards [a hint that the “kiss” was not an actual kiss, but it was a figurative term that refers to speech].
The Mekubalim refer to this figurative “kiss” as yichud elyon, a unification on High (Sefer haPeliah, Igros Remaz 26, Ramchal “derush V’nasatah Kesef”, and in many other places of Raboseinu).
The Netziv (Heemek Dovor Beraishis 29:10) explained that it was to show anyone standing nearby that he was a relative of Lavan and Rachel. This is rooted in the statement of Chazal that Yaakov kissed Rochel in order show everyone nearby that he was Lavan’s relative [perhaps to intimidate them so that they shouldn’t touch Rochel by the well, since shepherds are suspected of adultery].
The Maharal Diskin (Shemos 4:22) says that since Yaakov was 70 years of age at that time, it was not disgraceful for him to kiss Rochel who was a minor then. (See also sefer Ohev Yisrael and sefer Ohev Chessed parshas Vayeitzei for more on this.)
The root of the matter lays in the words of the Ramban (Beraishis 29:9) that Yaakov didn’t kiss Rochel on the mouth, but either on her hand or on her shoulder. This is also explained by Rabbeinu Bachye (Beraishis 29:11), and sefer HaKesav V’HaKabalah says something similar.
The Gra (Tikkunim 11) said that the “kiss” is referring to speech, because speech is called zivug neshikin, “the connection of kissing”, and this is the secret of Yaakov’s “kiss” to Rochel whereupon he immediately “told” something to her afterwards [a hint that the “kiss” was not an actual kiss, but it was a figurative term that refers to speech].
The Mekubalim refer to this figurative “kiss” as yichud elyon, a unification on High (Sefer haPeliah, Igros Remaz 26, Ramchal “derush V’nasatah Kesef”, and in many other places of Raboseinu).
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