Midrash, Empathy, and Viagra: A Recipe for Israel Education An ELI Talk by Jon Adam Ross

Mark Rothko, No. 14, 1960, from the SFMOMA collection

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, NBC News, December 13, 1972

"Remember that there is meaning beyond absurdity."

(טז) וַיָּבֹ֨א יַעֲקֹ֣ב מִן-הַשָּׂדֶה֮ בָּעֶרֶב֒ וַתֵּצֵ֨א לֵאָ֜ה לִקְרָאת֗וֹ וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵלַ֣י תָּב֔וֹא כִּ֚י שָׂכֹ֣ר שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָ בְּדוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב עִמָּ֖הּ בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא:

(16) When Jacob came home from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You are to sleep with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.

והיינו דאמר רבי יוחנן מאי דכתיב (בראשית ל, טז) וישכב עמה בלילה הוא מלמד שהקב"ה סייע באותו מעשה

This is in line with what Rabbi Yohanan stated: What is the implication of the Scriptural text, "And he lay with her in that night" (Genesis 30:16)? It teaches that the Holy One, blessed be God, assisted in that matter.