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This question is not about marrying two sisters!

Here's a short recall of events on Yaakov's marriage with Rachel and Lea:

  1. Yaakov comes to Lavan knowing he should marry both Rachel (already agreed between the families, Rashi) AND Leah - Eisav's "fiancee", as Yaakov took all Eisav's blessings. (No need to discuss it here, it is only an assumption, it does not relate to the question).
  2. Yaakov meets Rachel and "falls in love".
  3. Yaakov offers Lavan to work 7 years (to pay) for Rachel.
  4. Yaakov finishes working 7 years and demands Lavan to bring his wife to fulfill the Mitzvah of Pru uRvu (to establish the 12 Tribes).
    "Give me my wife, **for my days are filled**, that I may go in unto her" (Ber 29,21)
  5. Lavan throws a feast and disguises Leah as Rachel.
  6. Yaakov sleeps with Leah.
  7. Yaakov demands to have Rachel and Lavan offers him to wait one week to have Rachel also.
  8. Lavan gives Rachel to Yaakov.
  9. Yaakov works 7 additional years.

According to Jewish Halakha this order rises legitimate questions:

  1. According to Seder Olam, Rachel and Leah were grown up (21yo) and did not need their fathers agreement and power to marry as underaged girls. Yaakov could marry them both on the spot with two witnesses only by dancing before them or by writing a Shtar. No money needed. He was also old and pressed to establish the tribes, so in fact he could do it 7 years earlier.
  2. If we assume that the wage of the 7 years Yaakov worked were meant for Rachel's Kiddushin for Lavan, she was his rightful wife on the last day's sundown as he demanded from Lavan to bring his wife not fiancee. So Rachel was already his wife before the wedding night.
  3. Leah was not Mekudeshet in any way in the whole story, not bought and not even by Bieh, as none explicitly meant it. It was seemingly a mere Beilas Znus.
  4. There was no need to ask Lavan's permission again to have Rachel as explained above.
  5. What were the additional 7 years of work for?
Al Berko
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  • Why are you assuming in #2 the work was her Kiddushin? He worked for Lavan, who as you said wasn't in control of her Kiddushin. Why in #3 are you assuming Yaakov didn't do Kiddushin with Leah? – robev Dec 11 '17 at 19:03
  • Maybe Yaakov didn't need to halachically get Lavan's permission but it's proper Derech Eretz... – robev Dec 11 '17 at 19:04
  • #2 Yaakov said explicitely "וַיֶּאֱהַב יַעֲקֹב, אֶת-רָחֵל; וַיֹּאמֶר, אֶעֱבָדְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, בְּרָחֵל בִּתְּךָ, הַקְּטַנָּה" - the purpose was to pay Lavan for Rachel. – Al Berko Dec 11 '17 at 19:33
  • #3 I'm waiting for proposals on how did Yaakov Halakhicly married Leah. – Al Berko Dec 11 '17 at 19:34
  • already agreed between the families, Rashi Where does Rashi say this? Does he say Yaakov knew about the arrangement? – mevaqesh Dec 11 '17 at 19:36
  • Kesuvos 72b-73b can be a good point of start. – yO_ Nov 17 '18 at 21:01
  • #5 is easy: if a wife=7years, and "obviously" (for the ugly Lavan) Yaakov had to marry Leah before Rachel, the first 7 were "obviously" for Leah. So Yaakov had to work additional 7 years. – yO_ Nov 17 '18 at 21:04
  • Asking why pre-Matan Tora people didn't kept post-Matan Tora rules is a huge misconception that will lead you to either to a dead-end or really weird answers. Yakkov didn't follow the rules of Halach, because it wasn't exists then, just like he married two sisters. "ניתנה תורה ונתחדשה הלכה". Shabat 135a. DOWNVOTED. – Alaychem goes to Codidact Dec 04 '19 at 06:56
  • @Alaychem Unfortunately it would only be true if your claim that Torah rules didn't apply before Matan Torah was exclusive in Judaism. THe Gemmorah is very serious about stating that Avraham kept it all (אפילו ערובי חצירות) and passed it on to his descendants. If they seemingly didn't, we can use your Tirutz, but our basic assumption is that our Patriarchs kept it all. So take your DV back, please, or PROVE that my point has no place in our tradition. – Al Berko Dec 04 '19 at 18:16
  • @AlBerko I know that Gemmara. This is where you should distinguish Pshat from Midrash. This Gemmara is Midrash and not to be taken as simple truth, but there is a Derash in it. – Alaychem goes to Codidact Dec 05 '19 at 15:05
  • @Alaychem I don't understand what you're saying. Please be more specific. THe Pshat of the Torah is that Avraham ket everything as G-d testifies "עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֹתַי חֻקּוֹתַי " – Al Berko Dec 05 '19 at 15:08
  • @AlBerko That is not Pshat... That remindes me an old joke. Q: How do we know that Abraham walked with a Shtreimel? A: That Tora said he walked, and it's impossible that he walked with no Shtreimel. – Alaychem goes to Codidact Dec 05 '19 at 15:18
  • @Alaychem If "וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֹתַי חֻקּוֹתַי" is not a Pshat I have nothing to argue with you. – Al Berko Dec 05 '19 at 15:59
  • @AlBerko Sorry for the late response. You don't need to argue with me, but with some other Rabbies. See my answer from Daat Mikra at https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/73927/commandments-laws-followed-by-avraham/110261#110261. I strongly advise you to read some of these books to understand how simple understanding looks like, before dealing with Midrashim. – Alaychem goes to Codidact Dec 11 '19 at 06:45

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just an answer to number three. The fact that is was Beilas Znus was according the Ohr Hachaim (Breishis 29:23) one of the thing he was upset about. According the both the ohr hachaim and the malbim the only way Yakov could have legally married either sister was with Biah (hence the term ואבוא אליה). The second time Yakov was with Leah when he was aware she was Leah is when Yaakov halachically married Leah

Learner101
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