929 (Tanakh) · Expert – Beit Midrash Analysis · Standard
Judges 14
Sugya Map
The narrative of Samson’s descent to Timnah and his subsequent marriage to a Philistine woman in Judges 14:1 presents a profound halakhic, metaphysical, and exegetical crucible. At its core, the sugya grapples with the tension between divine teleology (the cosmic plan) and human halakhic boundaries.
[The Timnah Nexus]
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[Spiritual Topography] [Halakhic Status]
- Physical vs. Spiritual path - Conversion validity (Yevamot 76a)
- Judah (Ascent) vs. Samson (Descent) - Hora'at Sha'ah (Prophetic dispensation)
- Topographical unity/duality - Ulterior motives (Yoreh Deah 268)
The primary issues analyzed in this sugya map are:
- The Spiritual Topography of Timnah: Why is Judah’s journey to Timnah described as an aliyah (ascent) in Genesis 38:13, whereas Samson’s journey to the identical location is termed a yeridah (descent) in Judges 14:1?
- The Halakhic Status of Samson’s Marriage: Did the Timnite woman undergo a valid halakhic conversion (giyyur)? If she did not, how could a judge and savior of Israel violate the severe biblical prohibition of intermarriage? If she did, why does the text refer to her as being "from the uncircumcised Philistines" (me-arei-lim Pelishtim)?
- The Mechanics of Divine Pretext (Te'anah): How can a transgression of biblical law be sanctioned under the rubric of "it was from the Lord" (me'et Hashem hi) in Judges 14:4? Does this establish a precedent for prophetic dispensation of Torah law (hora'at sha'ah), or does it operate under a different legal framework?
Nafka Minot (Halakhic & Conceptual Ramifications)
- The Validity of Conversions for the Sake of Marriage (Giyyur L'shem Ishut): If Samson's marriages were halakhically valid, we derive that post-facto (b'di'avad), a conversion motivated by marriage is legally binding. If they were invalid, Samson's actions remain an anomaly of divine decree that cannot serve as a precedent for normative Halakha.
- The Parameters of Hora'at Sha'ah (Temporary Halakhic Suspension): Can a prophet suspend a negative commandment permanently (or semi-permanently, such as marriage), or is prophetic suspension strictly limited to temporary, isolated acts (e.g., Elijah at Mount Carmel)?
- Spiritual Intent in Physical Action: Does the spiritual evaluation of an act (ascent vs. descent) depend on the objective reality of the action, or does it depend entirely on the subjective spiritual outcome (gavra vs. cheftza)?
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Text Snapshot
וַיֵּרֶד שִׁמְשׁוֹן תִּמְנָתָה וַיַּרְא אִשָּׁה בְּתִמְנָתָה מִבְּנוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים׃
"Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines." — Judges 14:1
Philological & Grammatical Nuances
- וַיֵּרֶד (Vayered - "And he went down"): The verb is a Vayiktol (consecutive imperfect) form, indicating consecutive narrative action. However, the root י-ר-ד (Y-R-D) carries immediate theological baggage. In contrast to Genesis 38:13, where Judah is described as "going up to Timnah" (עֹלֶה תִמְנָתָה - oleh Timnatah), Samson "goes down." The text forces a linguistic comparison, signaling that the physical descent to the lowlands of the coastal plain mirrors a spiritual decline.
- תִּמְנָתָה (Timnatah - "To Timnah"): The suffix hei-ha-me-gamah (directional hei) replaces the preposition el (to). This grammatical construction indicates a purposeful, headlong movement toward a specific destination. Samson is not merely wandering; he is actively directing his path toward a space of spiritual vulnerability.
- וַיַּרְא (Vayar - "And he saw"): The use of sight here is highly critical. This visual encounter stands in stark contrast to the intellectual and spiritual discernment expected of a Nazirite judge. The Talmud in Sotah 9b note-line 1[^1] states: "Samson went after his eyes; therefore, the Philistines gouged out his eyes." The word וַיַּרְא is the lexical trigger for his eventual downfall.
Readings
1. Radak (R. David Kimhi)
Radak on Judges 14:1 addresses the geographical and homiletical contradiction between Judah’s ascent to Timnah and Samson’s descent to the same city:
וירד שמשון תמנתה. וכתיב ביהודה הנה חמיך עולה תמנתה ויש מרז"ל שאמרו שני תמנות היו ומהם אמרו חדא תמנת היא דאתי מהאי גיסא עלייה דאתי מהאי גיסא ירידה, ודרך דרש יהודה שנתעלה בה כתיב ביה עליה שמשון שנתגנה בה כתיב ביה ירידה:
Translation: "'And Samson went down to Timnah.' And it is written concerning Judah: 'Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah' Genesis 38:13. There are some of our Sages of blessed memory who said there were two distinct places named Timnah. Others among them said it was one single Timnah; for those coming from one direction, it was an ascent, and for those coming from the other direction, it was a descent. And by way of homiletical interpretation (derash): Concerning Judah, who was elevated by it [since the Davidic dynasty emerged from his union with Tamar], 'ascent' is written. Concerning Samson, who was degraded by it, 'descent' is written."
Radak's Chiddush
Radak offers a dual resolution. The first is geographical/topographical: Timnah sat on the slope of a mountain on the border between the Judean hills and the Philistine coastal plain. Depending on one's point of origin—Judah coming from the lowlands or Samson coming from Zorah and Eshtaol in the highlands—the journey was either a physical ascent or a descent.
His second, more profound chiddush is the homiletical resolution: the text prioritizes spiritual reality over physical topography. The linguistic description of physical movement in Tanakh is an ontological map of the soul's trajectory. Judah's journey, though fraught with moral ambiguity, ultimately birthed the Messianic line through Tamar; hence, it was an aliyah. Samson's journey, though ordained by divine plan, led to his physical blindness and spiritual compromise; hence, it was a yeridah.
2. Malbim (Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser)
Malbim on Judges 14:1 raises a fundamental theological and halakhic inquiry:
השאלות: למה סבב ה' ששמשון נזיר אלהים יקח אשה מבנות פלשתים וכי לא היה אפשר שימציא עילה אחרת שיתגרה שמשון בפלשתים מבלי שיחלל קדושתו:
Translation: "The Questions: Why did Hashem cause that Samson, a Nazirite of God, should take a wife from the daughters of the Philistines? Was it not possible for God to bring about another pretext (te'anah) for Samson to provoke the Philistines without him having to desecrate his sanctity?"
Malbim continues on Judges 14:2:
וירא אשה בתמנתה. יודיע בהצעת הסיפור כי היה נסבה מאת ה', כי רק ראה אותה בעיניו ולא דבר עמה והיה לו לחשוב פן לא תיטב בעיניו עת ידבר עמה, או פן לא תרצה היא או אביה, או פן לא תרצה להתגייר. ובכ"ז...
Translation: "'And he saw a woman in Timnah.' The narrative introduction informs us that this was brought about by Hashem. For he only saw her with his eyes and did not speak with her. He ought to have considered: perhaps she would not please him once he spoke with her, or perhaps she or her father would not consent, or perhaps she would refuse to convert. And despite all these doubts, [he immediately demanded her as a wife]..."
Malbim's Chiddush
Malbim identifies a critical psychological and theological phenomenon: the bypass of cognitive deliberation.
Normally, a marriage requires courtship, communication, and intellectual alignment. Samson, however, was struck by a sudden, overwhelming visual desire (ki hi yashrah be'einai - "for she is right in my eyes") that bypassed all rational and halakhic calculations.
Malbim’s chiddush is that this irrational, purely visual drive was the precise mechanism of the divine te'anah (pretext). God did not force Samson’s will; rather, He utilized Samson’s natural visual susceptibility to bypass his analytical mind. Had Samson spoken with her or evaluated her halakhic eligibility, the match would have been rejected on its face. The divine plan was embedded within the very immediacy of Samson’s physical desire, allowing the cosmic plan to unfold through human frailty.
3. Midrash Lekach Tov (R. Tobiah ben Eliezer)
Midrash Lekach Tov on Genesis 38:13 analyzes the juxtaposition of Judah and Samson:
ויגד לתמר הנה חמיך עולה תמנתה. ולהלן הוא אומר וירד שמשון תמנתה. אלא יהודה שנתעלה בפרץ וזרח כתיב בו עליה. שמשון שנתגנה נאמר בו ירידה.
Translation: "'And it was told to Tamar, saying: Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah.' And elsewhere it says: 'And Samson went down to Timnah' Judges 14:1. Rather, Judah, who was elevated through [the birth of] Perez and Zerah, has 'ascent' written of him. Samson, who was degraded [by his downfall through the Philistine women], has 'descent' written of him."
Lekach Tov's Chiddush
The Lekach Tov establishes a structural symmetry in the Tanakh's moral economy. The physical geography of Eretz Yisrael is highly plastic; it conforms to the moral weight of the characters traversing it.
The chiddush here is that the Torah and Prophets use identical geographical markers to construct a comparative paradigm between two leaders of Israel. Both Judah and Samson went to the very same coordinates (Timnah) for the purpose of a union that appeared illicit or highly irregular. Yet, the ultimate historical outcome retroactively defines the physical nature of the journey.
Judah’s action—though seemingly compromised—was rooted in the mitzvah of yibbum (levirate marriage) and birthed the Davidic dynasty, making his journey an objective aliyah. Samson’s action—though divinely orchestrated—was driven by personal, visual desire, leading to his degradation, making his journey an objective yeridah.
4. Alshich (R. Moshe Alshich - Marot HaTzoveot)
The Alshich on Judges 14:1 deepens this comparative analysis:
וירד שמשון כו'. כשהלך יהודה למקום שלקח בת איש כנעני שאז"ל שעל הנשואין ההם נאמר בגדה יהודה כו' ובעל בת אל נכר ונאמר שם וירד יהודה אך בתימנתה אשר שם לקח את תמר נאמר הנה חמיך עולה תמנתה אמנם בשמשון בלכתו שם לקחת בת ערלים נאמר וירד כי ירידה היתה לו וזהו וירד שמשון תמנתה כלומר כי מה שליהודה היתה שם עליה היתה שם לשמשון ירידה וזהו וירד שמשון תמנתה אך זולתו עלה תמנתה ובזה נחה שקטה קושייתם ז"ל אם תמנתה היא למטה או למעל'.
Translation: "'And Samson went down...' When Judah went to the place where he took the daughter of a Canaanite man, of which our Sages of blessed memory said that regarding those marriages it was said: 'Judah has dealt treacherously... and has married the daughter of a foreign god' Malachi 2:11, it is written there: 'And Judah went down' (Vayered Yehudah) Genesis 38:1. However, in Timnah, where he took Tamar, it is said: 'Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah' (Oleh Timnatah). But regarding Samson, in his going there to take a daughter of the uncircumcised, it is written 'And he went down' (Vayered) because it was a descent for him. And this is 'And Samson went down to Timnah'—meaning, that which for Judah was an ascent, was for Samson a descent. And with this, the difficulty raised by our Sages of blessed memory as to whether Timnah was located below or above is completely settled."
Alshich's Chiddush
The Alshich introduces a highly refined distinction. He notes that Judah's life actually contains both movements:
- A Descent (Yeridah): When he went to marry the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite woman, the text states: וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו (Vayered Yehudah) Genesis 38:1. This was a spiritual degradation.
- An Ascent (Aliyah): When he went to Timnah to shear his sheep, which led to his holy union with Tamar, the text states: עֹלֶה תִמְנָתָה (Oleh Timnatah).
For Samson, however, the journey to Timnah was exclusively a yeridah because he went there specifically to marry an uncircumcised Philistine.
The Alshich’s brilliant chiddush is that geography is completely subjective to the spiritual status of the specific act being performed. Timnah is neither objectively "up" nor objectively "down." It is a dynamic coordinate that adapts to the spiritual quality of the step being taken. When a person walks toward a sanctified union (like Judah to Tamar), the mountain rises to meet them as an aliyah. When a person walks toward a compromised union (like Samson to the Philistine), the very same path slope downwards into a yeridah.
5. Metzudat David (R. David Altschuler)
Metzudat David on Judges 14:10 addresses the logistical and familial dynamics of the marriage:
וירד אביהו. מתחלה ירד אביו להכין צרכי המשתה, כי שמשון עשה שם המשתה משלו, כי כן דרך הבחורים לעשות המשתה משליהם בעת הנשאם, ולזה ירד אביו בתחלה להכין הכל:
Translation: "'And his father went down.' At first, his father went down to prepare the necessities of the feast, for Samson made the feast there from his own resources, as is the custom of young men to make their feast from their own resources at the time of their marriage. Therefore, his father went down first to prepare everything."
Metzudat David's Chiddush
The Metzudat David addresses a textual anomaly: why does the verse state "And his father went down to the woman" in Judges 14:10, when the marriage was Samson's initiative and his parents had vehemently opposed it in Judges 14:3?
His chiddush is that despite their intense halakhic and nationalistic opposition to the match, once the marriage became an inevitability, the familial and social obligations of fatherhood took over. The father went down ahead of time to manage the logistics of the mishteh (wedding feast) to ensure that Samson’s honor—and by extension, the honor of Israel—was preserved in the presence of the Philistines. This highlights the complex social reality wherein halakhic ideals of separation clash with the pragmatism of familial duty.
Friction
The Core Kushya
The overarching difficulty of this entire narrative is halakhic. How could Samson, a Nazirite judge of Israel whose birth was heralded by an angel, contract a marriage with a Philistine woman?
The Torah explicitly prohibits intermarriage with the nations of the land of Canaan in Deuteronomy 7:3:
וְלֹא תִתְחַתֵּן בָּם בִּתְּךָ לֹא תִתֵּן לִבְנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ לֹא תִקַּח לִבְנֶךָ׃
"You shall not intermarry with them: do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons."
Even if the Philistines were not technically one of the Seven Canaanite Nations, the prohibition against marrying gentiles is a biblical or rabbinic injunction of the highest order. Furthermore, the Talmud in Avodah Zarah 36b note-line 2[^2] establishes that the Beit Din of Shem, Joshua, and David issued decrees prohibiting intimacy with gentiles (filiation). How could Samson engage in this?
If one argues that she converted, several major difficulties arise:
- The Parent's Protest: Why did his parents object, saying, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren...?" Judges 14:3. If she was a proper convert, she was a sister in faith!
- The Textual Language: The text repeatedly refers to them as "uncircumcised Philistines" (me-arei-lim Pelishtim).
- Conversion for Marriage: Halakha explicitly forbids accepting converts who convert for the sake of marriage (giyyur l'shem ishut), as stated in Yevamot 24b note-line 3[^3].
The Terutzim
[How did Samson marry a Philistine?]
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[The Halakhic Route: Rambam] [The Prophetic Route: Tosafot]
- She underwent Giyyur (Conversion) - Hora'at Sha'ah (Temporary decree)
- Sincerity lacking, but b'di'avad valid - Exclusively for military/political trigger
- Explains why she is called "Philistine" - Bypasses standard halakhic process
Terutz A: The Rambam's Halakhic Approach (Insincere Conversion)
The Rambam in Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Issurei Biah 13:14-16 note-line 4[^4] resolves this difficulty with a classic lomdisch distinction:
אל יעלה על דעתך ששמשון המושיע את ישראל או שלמה מלך ישראל שנאמר עליו חביב ה' נשוא נשים נכריות בעודן גויות. אלא סוד הדבר כך הוא: שהמצוה הנכונה כשיבא הגר או הגיורת להתגייר בודקין אחריו... לפיכך לא קבלו בית דין גרים כל ימי דוד ושלמה... ובשמשון כתיב "כי היא ישרה בעיני" - שהיה הדבר מאהבה. ומפני זה גילה הכתוב כאילו הן גויות וברשותן עמדו... אבל אחר שנתגיירו והיו גרי בדיעבד, לא פלטו אותם בית דין...
Translation: "Do not think that Samson, the savior of Israel, or Solomon, the king of Israel... married foreign women while they were still gentiles. Rather, the secret of the matter is this: The proper fulfillment of the mitzvah is that when a male or female convert comes to convert, we investigate them... Therefore, the Court did not accept converts all the days of David and Solomon... And regarding Samson, it is written: 'For she is right in my eyes'—meaning the matter was driven by desire. Because of this, the Scripture reveals them as if they were still gentiles and remained in their forbidden status... But after they converted [privately/informally], they were considered converts post-facto (b'di'avad), and the Court did not expel them..."
Analysis of Rambam's Terutz
Rambam splits the concept of conversion (giyyur) into two distinct tiers:
- L'khatchilah (Ab Initio): A conversion approved by the central Beit Din of Israel, which requires absolute sincerity, free from any ulterior motives (such as marriage, wealth, or political power).
- B'di'avad (Post Facto): A conversion performed by an informal court of three laymen. If the candidate performs circumcision (for men) and immerses in a mikveh (tevilah) before three witnesses, the conversion is halakhically valid, even if their primary motivation was insincere (e.g., marriage).
Samson did not violate the prohibition of intermarriage. He had the Timnite woman immerse in a mikveh for the purpose of conversion. However, because her conversion was motivated solely by her desire to marry Samson, the central Beit Din of Israel refused to sanction it.
Therefore, the text refers to her as a "Philistine" and "uncircumcised" to reflect her spiritual state and the l'khatchilah disapproval of the establishment. Yet, halakhically, she was Jewish, and the marriage was legally binding.
Terutz B: The Tosafot & Ritva's Prophetic Approach (Hora'at Sha'ah)
An alternative approach is championed by Tosafot in Yevamot 24b s.v. lo be-yemei David note-line 5[^5], and developed by the Ritva. They argue that Samson's marriage did not rely on standard, albeit compromised, halakhic conversion. Rather, it was a direct, prophetic suspension of the law—a Hora'at Sha'ah (temporary emergency decree).
Analysis of the Prophetic Terutz
The Gemara in Sanhedrin 90a note-line 6[^6] rules that a prophet has the authority to command the temporary violation of any commandment in the Torah (except for idolatry), provided it is a temporary measure (hora'at sha'ah) to achieve a critical spiritual or national objective (such as Elijah bringing sacrifices on Mount Carmel outside the Temple).
Under this model:
- The marriage of Samson was a divine instrument of war. The verse explicitly states: "But his father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for He sought an occasion against the Philistines" Judges 14:4.
- The prohibition of intermarriage was temporarily suspended by divine decree for Samson specifically, to position him as an insider within Philistine society, thereby creating a geopolitical flashpoint.
- This explains why his parents were unaware; a hora'at sha'ah of this nature is a closely guarded prophetic secret. It also explains why the text continues to call her a Philistine without any pretense of conversion: she was, in fact, a gentile, and the union was permitted solely through the unique, non-precedent-setting mechanism of prophetic dispensation.
Intertext
1. The Topographical and Moral Parallel: Genesis 38 vs. Judges 14
The linguistic connection between Judah and Samson is deeply rooted in the geography of Timnah. Let us map the structural parallels between these two narratives:
| Narrative Element | Judah (Genesis 38) | Samson (Judges 14) |
|---|---|---|
| Direction of Travel | "Goes up to Timnah" (עֹלֶה תִמְנָתָה) | "Goes down to Timnah" (וַיֵּרֶד שִׁמְשׁוֹן תִּמְנָתָה) |
| Visual Motivation | "And Judah saw her..." (Genesis 38:15) | "...and he saw a woman in Timnah" (Judges 14:1) |
| The Hidden Divine Plan | God orchestrates the union to establish the line of Perez (Messianic seed). | God orchestrates the union to break the Philistine hegemony. |
| The Ultimate Outcome | Judah confesses: "She is more righteous than I" (Genesis 38:26). | Samson is betrayed, blinded, and dies with the Philistines. |
Both Judah and Samson are drawn to Timnah by visual stimuli that seem to lead away from holiness. However, the spiritual mechanics differ:
- Judah's descent was to marry Shua's daughter (which is called yeridah in Genesis 38:1). But his journey to Timnah was an aliyah because it was destined to produce Tamar’s righteous offspring.
- Samson's journey to Timnah is described as a yeridah because, although it served a divine geopolitical purpose, it resulted in his personal spiritual degradation and physical destruction.
2. Halakhic Parallel: Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 268:12
The halakhic reality of Samson's conversion is codified in the Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 268:12 note-line 7[^7]:
מי שבא להתגייר בשביל דבר מן הדברים... אין מקבלים אותו. ואם לא בדקו אחריו, או שלא הודיעוהו שכר המצות ועונשן, ומל וטבל בפני ג' הדיוטות, הרי זה גר, אפילו נודע שבשביל דבר הוא מתגייר, הואיל ומל וטבל יצא מכלל העובדי כוכבים, וחוששים לו עד שיתבאר צדקותו.
"One who comes to convert for the sake of any worldly matter... we do not accept them [initially]. However, if they did not investigate him, or if they did not inform him of the reward and punishment of the mitzvot, and he circumcised himself and immersed before three laymen—he is a convert. Even if it becomes known that he converted for an ulterior motive, since he circumcised and immersed, he has left the category of gentiles, though we suspect his sincerity until his righteousness is clarified."
This ruling is the direct legal crystallization of the Samson anomaly as parsed by the Rambam. The Shulchan Arukh establishes that:
- Subjective motivation does not invalidate the objective physical act of conversion. Once tevilah (immersion) occurs before a kosher court of three, the cheftza (object) of the person is transformed from gentile to Jew.
- The status of "suspect" (choshshin lo): The convert is treated with suspicion regarding their commitment to Halakha, but their marriages are legally binding. This perfectly maps onto the Timnite woman, who eventually betrayed Samson’s riddle, demonstrating that her heart remained with her people while her legal status was bound to Israel.
Psak/Practice
Modern Conversion Policy (Giyyur L'shem Ishut)
The tension between the l'khatchilah rejection of insincere converts and the b'di'avad validation of their status remains one of the most volatile battlegrounds in contemporary halakhic decision-making.
[Modern Giyyur Dilemma]
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[The Strict School] [The Lenient School]
- R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor - R. David Tzvi Hoffmann (Melamed Leho'il)
- Ultimate sincerity required - Prevention of assimilation / intermarriage
- Rejects conversion for marriage - Relies on Samson/Solomon b'di'avad precedent
1. The Strict School (Standard Charedi / Right-Centrist Poskim)
Poskim such as Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor (Be'er Yitzchak, Yoreh Deah Siman 16) note-line 8[^8] argue that in an era where there is no fear of temporal authorities forcing us to accept converts, we must never accept a convert who is motivated by marriage.
If a Beit Din knowingly performs such a conversion, it is not merely a compromised l'khatchilah act; it borders on being completely void, as there is a presumption (an engagement) that they have no intention of keeping the mitzvot. They read the Rambam’s ruling as limited to historical eras (like Samson’s or Solomon’s) where the sovereign power of the Jewish ruler or the unique prophetic context prevented the court from acting freely.
2. The Lenient School (The Melamed Leho'il / Modern Orthodox Poskim)
Conversely, Rabbi David Tzvi Hoffmann (Melamed Leho'il, Vol. 2, Yoreh Deah Siman 83) note-line 9[^9] and Rabbi Uziel (Mishpetei Uziel, Vol. 2, Yoreh Deah Siman 58) note-line 10[^10] leverage the Samson precedent to address the modern crisis of intermarriage. They rule that if a Jewish partner will otherwise marry a gentile in a civil ceremony and assimilate, the Beit Din is permitted—and indeed obligated—to convert the non-Jewish partner l'khatchilah, even though the primary catalyst is marriage.
Their reasoning rests on a profound meta-halakhic heuristic: "An era of emergency is treated like a post-facto reality" (Sha'at ha-dechak k'di'avad dami). Since Samson's conversions were valid b'di'avad, and since preventing the permanent loss of Jewish souls to assimilation is a national emergency, we may rely on the b'di'avad validity of marriage-motivated conversions l'khatchilah.
Takeaway
The physical landscape of Timnah is a mirror of the human soul: a single coordinate can be an ascent or a descent depending on whether we walk toward divine destiny or personal desire. While Halakha must maintain rigorous boundaries to preserve the sanctity of the Jewish people, the narrative of Samson teaches us that the Divine plan can operate through human vulnerabilities, transforming even a spiritual descent into an instrument of national salvation.
[^1]: Sotah 9b s.v. Shimshon halach achar einav. [^2]: Avodah Zarah 36b s.v. Gezaru al yichud im ha-goyim. [^3]: Yevamot 24b s.v. lo be-yemei David velo be-yemei Shlomo. [^4]: Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Issurei Biah 13:14-16. [^5]: Tosafot, Yevamot 24b s.v. lo be-yemei David. [^6]: Sanhedrin 90a s.v. be-chol im yomar lecha navi avor al divrei Torah. [^7]: Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 268:12. [^8]: Be'er Yitzchak, Yoreh Deah Siman 16, Ot 3. [^9]: Melamed Leho'il, Vol. 2, Yoreh Deah Siman 83. [^10]: Mishpetei Uziel, Vol. 2, Yoreh Deah Siman 58.
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