Why does the Torah insert the word "Ish" twice here?
Sanhedrin, 57b: To include Nochrim, who are warned against immorality just like Yisrael. 1
Targum Yonasan: Refer to 17:3:1:1*.
See Torah Temimah, note 15
Having opened the Pasuk with the words "Ish Ish", why does the Torah write "Lo Sikr'vu" in the plural?
Rashi: To include women in the prohibition of Arayos. 1
Despite the fact that they do not play an active role in the sin (Sifsei Chachamim).
Why here is the Torah content to hint the warning for women together wih the men, whereas by the punishments - at the end of Kedoshim, it mentions them by the women independently?
Oznayim la'Torah: Because the Onesh needs to be specific, as opposed to the warning, where a hint will suffice. 1
See Ozneyim la'Torah, who elaborates.
What are the connotations of "She'er Besaro"?
Rashi (in Pasuk 17), Ramban, Seforno, Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means 'his close blood-relative'.
Seforno: It refers to the first-level offspring - such as the sister of one's father (who are both children of the same father).
Why does the Torah insert "Ani Hashem"?
Rashi: To teach us that Hashem can be relied upon to reward those who desist from contravening the laws of Arayos. 1
Moshav Zekenim (in 20:27): Parshas Arayos begins and ends with "Ani Hashem", both here and in Kedoshim, to demonstrate the intensity of the warning.
Even though they have not performed a positive action (Sifsei Chachamim).
What are the connotations of "Lo Sikr'vu Legalos Ervah"?
Sifra: It is a La'av against hugging and kissing Arayos. 1
Targum Yonasan: It is a second prohibition against intimacy.
Avos de'R. Nasan, 2: It is a warning 2 to keep away from Arayos - so as to avoid rumors from spreading. Consequently, one should not a. be alone with a woman in an inn - even with one's own sister or daughter, b. speak with a woman in the street - even with one's own wife.
Oznayim la'Torah #1: The battle with the Yeitzer ha'Ra begins before one comes close to the Isur, because once one comes close and sees it, it becomes that much more difficult 3 to overcome the urge to sin. 4
Oznayim la'Torah #2: It is a warning against thinking about a woman and against seeing her - (the roots of the sin of Giluy Arayos - Or ha'Chayim). Man would not dream of commiting such a serious Aveirah as Arayos. So the Yeitzer ha'Ra works in stages - first one thinks about a woman, then he comes close to her (secludes hiself with her); Next he looks at her - at parts ofher body that are not covered,then he uncovers other parts of her body - just to look, nothing wrong with that! But at that stage, one is helpless to fight.
And is subject to Malkos, but not to Kareis See Torah Temimah, citing the Sifra and note 20. Refer also to 18:29:2:1.
It is an Asmachta (mi'de'Rabbanan). See Torah Temimah, note 19.
In keeping with the mantra 'What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve'.
No doubt, this is the source of the Chazal - that one says to a Nazir 'Go, go round the vineyard; don't come close to it!' See Oznayim la'Torah.
Why does the Torah always use the term "Legalos Ervah" (about incest and Nidah) to describe an immoral act?
Seforno: Because in the vast majority of cases, people are intimate solely for the pleasure that they derive from it. 1
Refer to 18:6:6:3**.
Why does the Torah forbid marrying the Arayos?
Ramban #1, Moshav Zekenim (both citing the Rambam and Ibn Ezra) and Seforno #1: In order to minimize a person's desires and cut down on the time that one spends in intimacy, 1 the Torah forbids marrying those women with whom one otherwise tends to have the most 2 contact. 3
Ramban #2: The Arayos are a Chok, 4 whose reason is only revealed to those who are close to Hashem. 5
Seforno #2: It is because the vast majority of people marry for pleasure 6 - as the Pasuk states in Tehilim, 51:7. Consequently, if they were permitted to marry their close relatives, they would spend their time thinking about intimacy and the world would be full of immorality. 7
Oznayim la'Torah: Because Hashem created two kinds of love in the world: 1. The love of family members towards one another; 2, The love of man and wife; and He did not want the two to mix. 8
Seeing as a person's Yeitzer ha'Ra in this area is particularly active (Ibn Ezra).
Seemingly, Arayos include women that one is not usually in close contact, e.g. his wife's granddaughters from another man, the wives of his uncle and brother?
The Ramban asks, inter alia, what could be more appropriate than a man marrying off his daughter to his son? The Seforno however, explains that that would indeed be the case if they married purely in order to fulfill Hashem's will (and he cites the results of Amram marrying his aunt).
The Ramban also connects the prohibition to Y'sod ha'Ibur' (which is the esoteric term for reincarnation), which apparently is negatively affected if one marries one's close relative.
In fact, the Ramban explains, intimacy is, in itself, despicable if it is not in order to have children. That is why the Torah forbids marrying women from whom one cannot have children or having children from them will cause problems. In any event, the Ramban concludes, since marrying close relatives will not result in the preservation of mankind, the marriage is invalid, and it is based on immoral and lustful thoughts (Refer to 18:6:6:3). In fact, this is why the Torah keeps referring to She'er (in this Pasuk, Pasuk 17 and 20:17).
Refer to 18:6:6:1***.
And this explains why the Torah only forbids relatives who are on the first level but not those who are on the second level (See Seforno). It also explains the term "Legalos Ervah" which the Torah uses constantly.
See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'El Kol She'er Besaro', who gives two reasons for this..
How will we explain the Pasuk, which implies that all blood-relations are forbidden?
Rashi (on the Beraisa of R. Yishmael): This is a case of 'Davar ha'Lameid mi'Sofo' - where the Pesukim tha follow clarify which relatives are forbidden, and we can therefore extrapolate which ones are permitted.
