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How could Leah praise Reuven for saving Yosef when Reuven had sinned and lost his birthright to Yosef as punishment? The shiur reveals a fundamental machloket between Yaakov and Leah about the wives' hierarchy: while Yaakov saw Reuven's punishment as just (since Rochel enabled Reuven's firstborn status), Leah believed she was rightfully the primary wife and Yosef's birthright was therefore undeserved.
This shiur examines the Gemara (גמרא) brought by Rashi (רש"י) regarding Leah's naming of Reuven, where she prophetically contrasts her son to Esav. The Gemara explains that while Esav willingly sold his birthright to Yaakov yet still wanted to kill him, Reuven had his birthright taken away and given to Yosef but still tried to save Yosef from the brothers. Rabbi Yeshaya Greenberg ZT"L questions how this could be considered a righteousness (tzidkus) on Reuven's part, since Reuven himself acknowledged his sin (being meva'el beyitzuas aviv - interfering with his father's marital arrangements) and was doing long-term teshuvah for it. If Reuven accepted that he deserved punishment, why would it be praiseworthy that he didn't hate Yosef? The shiur explores the complex relationship between Rochel and Leah. Rochel was originally supposed to marry Yaakov and was the one he worked fourteen years to marry. However, Rochel allowed Lavan's deception by giving Leah the simanim (signs) to spare her sister embarrassment. Despite this kindness, Leah later accuses Rochel of 'taking away her husband' during the dudaim incident, claiming she should be the primary wife since she bore six sons (half of the twelve tribes).
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Parshas Vayeitzei - birth and naming of Reuven
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