Whoever Says Reuben Sinned Is Simply Mistaken

"The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn." Reuben was firstborn in conception, firstborn for the birthright, firstborn for inheritance, firstborn for repentance, firstborn for prophecy - "The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea" (Hosea 1:2). Rav Shmuel bar Nachman said: whoever says Reuben sinned is simply mistaken, for it is said, "and the sons of Jacob were twelve," teaching that they were all reckoned equal as one. Then how do I uphold "and he lay with Bilhah his father's concubine" (Genesis 35:22)? That he disarranged his father's bed, and Scripture accounts it to him as though he had lain with her. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: that righteous man is spared from that sin, and that transgression did not come to his hand. Is it possible that his descendants are destined to stand on Mount Ebal and say, "Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife" (Deuteronomy 27:20), and this sin should come to his hand? Then how do I uphold "and he lay"? He demanded redress for the insult to his mother. He said: if my mother's sister was to be a rival to my mother, shall the maidservant of my mother's sister be a rival to my mother? He rose and disarranged her bed. Others say: he disarranged two beds, one his father's and one the Divine Presence's, as it is written, "then you defiled it - my couch he mounted" (Genesis 49:4). Like the dispute of the Tannaim on "Unstable as water, you shall not excel" (Genesis 49:4): Rabbi Eliezer says by way of acrostic - you were rash, you sinned, you were reckless. Rabbi Yehoshua says: you stepped over the law, you sinned, you were licentious. Rabban Gamliel says: you prayed, you trembled, your prayer shone forth. Rabbi Elazar the Modaite says: you quaked, you drew back, the sin fled from you. Rabbi Yirmiyah bar Abba said: you remembered the punishment of the matter, you made yourself grievously ill, you separated yourself from sinning. (Genesis 36:5) "These are the sons of Leah" (written at the verse "When a woman conceives"). (Genesis 36:6) "And he went to a land away from Jacob his brother." Rabbi Eliezer says: because of the bond of debt. Rabbi Yehoshua said: because of shame. "And Esau took his wives," and so on. A certain Cuthean asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha: it is written in your Torah, "after the majority to incline" (Exodus 23:2); why then do you not make yourselves equal with us in idolatry? He said to him: do you have sons? He said to him, you have reminded me of my trouble - when they sit at my table, and so on, they do not rise until they have split open one another's skulls. He said to him, and do you side with them? He said to him, no. He said to him: before you tell me to make myself equal with you, go and make peace among your own sons - he was driven off and went away. His disciples said to him, this one you pushed off with a reed; what do you say to us? He said to them, I will not send you away empty. Of Esau it is written, many souls, and of Jacob it is written, "seventy souls" (Exodus 1:5). Rather, Esau, because he served many gods, of him is written many souls; Jacob, whose whole house served one God, of him is written "soul," "and all the souls who came forth," and so on.