One Flesh, the Noahide Bond, and Those Who Could Not Wait Six Hours

They raised an objection: "And Amram took Yocheved his aunt" (his father's sister)? And "she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother" (Genesis 20:12) implies that the daughter of the mother is forbidden? But consider: was she his sister? She was his brother's daughter; and since this is so, it makes no difference whether from the mother or from the father, she is permitted [to a Noahide]. Rather, this is what Abraham said: I have the kinship of her father's brother with her, from the father and not from the mother. Rav said: a gentile who came upon his fellow's wife in an unnatural manner is exempt. What is the reason? "To his wife" and not to his fellow's wife; "and he shall cleave" and not in an unnatural manner. It was taught: a convert who converted while married to his sister, whether from the father or the mother, whether before the giving of the Torah or after, must divorce her, the words of Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say: from the mother he must divorce, from the father he may keep her, for a gentile has no recognized father. They objected to him: is it not written, "she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father"? He answered them according to their own view. Rabbi Meir objected to them: "therefore a man shall leave his father," meaning one near to his father; "his mother," one near to his mother. But is it not written, "and Amram took Yocheved his aunt"? Israel did not even observe the standard of the children of Noah before the giving of the Torah. And they resolved it for him: "therefore a man shall leave" means one near to him through his father and through his mother. The children of Noah are liable for married women but exempt for betrothed women. A harlot standing in the marketplace whom two men came upon: the first is exempt and the second is liable. But did the first intend to acquire her by intercourse? This tells you that intercourse among the children of Noah acquires [a wife] not according to the rite, and they have no formal divorce, or else both may divorce one another. Rabbi Yohanan said: the wife divorces him and gives him a bill. Rabbi Hiyya taught: one who divorced his wife, and she went and married another, and both went and converted, I do not apply to him "her first husband who sent her away may not [take her again]" (Deuteronomy 24:4). A child of Noah who came upon his wife in an unnatural manner is liable to death; every prohibition among the children of Noah is neither a positive nor a negative commandment but carries death. And how is it derived? "And he shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh," in the place where the two become one flesh. "And the two of them were naked" (Genesis 2:25). Three did not wait in their tranquility six hours: the first man, as it is written "and they were not ashamed," before six hours came he was in his tranquility [and sinned]; Israel, "and the people saw that Moses delayed (boshesh)" (Exodus 32:1), when six hours came and Moses had not; Sisera, "why is his chariot so long in coming (boshesh)?" (Judges 5:28), he was accustomed to come at the third and fourth hour, and now six came and he did not. "And they were not ashamed, and the serpent was cunning." It need only have said, "and the LORD God made for the man and his wife garments of skin and clothed them." Why this juxtaposition? To make known from what sin that wicked one leapt upon him: because he saw them engaged in intimacy, he desired her. Rabbi Yaakov said: so as not to interrupt the section of the serpent.