(ח) וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַשְּׁפָחוֹת וְאֶת יַלְדֵיהֶן רִאשֹׁנָה (בראשית לג, ב), הֲדָא אָמְרָה אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן חָבִיב. (בראשית לג, ג): וְהוּא עָבַר לִפְנֵיהֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים קג, יג): כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל בָּנִים, תָּנֵי רַבִּי חִיָּיא כָּרַחֲמָן שֶׁבָּאָבוֹת, וְאֵי זֶה הוּא רַחֲמָן שֶׁבָּאָבוֹת, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר זֶה אַבְרָהָם, אָמַר אַבְרָהָם (בראשית יח, כה): חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר יַעֲקֹב, וְהוּא עָבַר לִפְנֵיהֶם, אָמַר טַב דְּיִגַּע בִּי וְלָא בְהוֹן. (בראשית לג, ג): וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַרְצָה שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים, לָמָּה שֶׁבַע עַל שֵׁם (משלי כד, טז): כִּי שֶׁבַע יִפּוֹל צַדִּיק וָקָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לָמָּה שֶׁבַע, אָמַר לוֹ הֱוֵי רוֹאֶה אֶת עַצְמְךָ כְּאִלּוּ אַתְּ נָתוּן לִפְנִים מִשִּׁבְעָה קִינְקָלִין וְיוֹשֵׁב וְדָן וַאֲנִי נִדּוֹן לְפָנֶיךָ וְאַתְּ מִתְמַלֵּא עָלַי רַחֲמִים. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר יִצְחָק לֹא זָז מִשְׁתַּטֵּחַ וְהוֹלֵךְ מִשְׁתַּטֵּחַ וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד שֶׁהִכְנִיס מִדַּת הַדִּין לְמִדַּת רַחֲמִים.
תניא אמר רבן גמליאל בשלשה דברים אוהב אני את הפרסיים הן צנועין באכילתן וצנועין בבית הכסא וצנועין בדבר אחר:
It was taught in a baraita, Rabban Gamliel said: In three aspects of their conduct, I like the Persians: They are a modest people; they are modest in their eating, they are modest in the lavatory, and they are modest in another matter, i.e., sexual relations.
The verse states: “In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned” (Esther 2:14). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From the implicit criticism of that wicked man, Ahasuerus, who cohabited with many women, we have incidentally learned his praise as well, that he would not engage in sexual relations during the day, but in a more modest fashion at night.
The Gemara asks: Why did he need to tell them to separate during the morning hours? Didn’t Rav Huna say: The Jewish people are holy and do not have relations during the day? It was not necessary to command them until night. The Gemara replies: It was necessary to tell them in the morning, as Rava said: If it was a dark house, it is permitted to have relations during the day. And similarly Rava said, and some say that Rav Pappa said: A Torah scholar obscures the light in the room with his cloak and is thereby permitted to have relations during the day. Therefore, it was necessary to command the people to separate even during the daytime hours.