THOU SHALT NOT APPROACH A WOMAN TO UNCOVER HER NAKEDNESS AS LONG AS SHE IS IMPURE BY HER UNCLEANNESS. R. Judah taught: The generation of whom R. Simeon is one are all righteous, saintly and fearful of sin, and the Shekinah abides among them as among no other generation. Therefore these things are stated openly and not concealed, whereas in former generations supernal mysteries could not be revealed, and those who knew them were afraid to utter them. For when R. Simeon expounded the mysteries of this verse all the Companions were in tears, and his meaning was clear to them.
תָּאנָא כְּתִיב וְאֶל אִשָּׁה בְּנִדַּת טוּמְאָתָהּ לֹא תִקְרַב לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָתָהּ, תָּנֵי רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, דָּרָא דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי שָׁארֵי בְּגַוִּיהּ, כֻּלְּהוּ זַכָּאִין, חֲסִידִין, כֻּלְּהוּ דַּחֲלֵי חַטָּאָה נִינְהוּ. שְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, מַה דְּלֵית כֵּן בְּדָרִין אָחֳרָנִין. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ מִילִּין אִינּוּן מִתְפָּרְשָׁן, וְלָא אִתְטַמְּרָן. בְּדָרִין אָחֳרָנִין לָאו הָכִי, וּמִלִּין דְּרָזֵי עִלָּאָה לָא יַכְלִין לְגַלָּאָה, וְאִינּוּן דְּיַדְעֵי מִסְתָּפוּ. דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן כַּד הֲוָה אָמַר רָזָא דְּהַאי קְרָא, חַבְרַיָּיא כֻּלְּהוּ עֵינֵיהוֹן נַבְעִין דִּמְעִין, וְכֻלְהוּ מִילִּין דְּאָמַר הֲווֹ בְּעֵינַיְיהוּ גַּלְיָין, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר י״ב:ח׳) פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֵּר בּוֹ וּמַרְאֶה וְלֹא בְחִידוֹת.
THOU SHALT NOT APPROACH A WOMAN TO UNCOVER HER NAKEDNESS AS LONG AS SHE IS IMPURE BY HER UNCLEANNESS. R. Judah taught: The generation of whom R. Simeon is one are all righteous, saintly and fearful of sin, and the Shekinah abides among them as among no other generation. Therefore these things are stated openly and not concealed, whereas in former generations supernal mysteries could not be revealed, and those who knew them were afraid to utter them. For when R. Simeon expounded the mysteries of this verse all the Companions were in tears, and his meaning was clear to them.