Beauty

(16) Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. (17) Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful. (18) Jacob loved Rachel; so he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” (19) Laban said, “Better that I give her to you than that I should give her to an outsider. Stay with me.” (20) So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

(1) When Joseph was taken down to Egypt, Potiphar, a courtier of Pharaoh and his prefect —a [type of] Egyptian official —bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. (2)יי was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he stayed in the house of his Egyptian master. (3) And when his master saw that יי was with him and that יי lent success to everything he undertook, (4) he took a liking to Joseph. He made him his personal attendant and put him in charge of his household, placing in his hands all that he owned. (5) And from the time that the Egyptian put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, יי blessed his house for Joseph’s sake, so that the blessing of יי was upon everything that he owned, in the house and outside. (6) He left all that he had in Joseph’s hands and, with him there, he paid attention to nothing save the food that he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome. (7) After a time, his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” (8) But he refused. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master gives no thought to anything in this house, and all that he owns he has placed in my hands. (9) He wields no more authority in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except yourself, since you are his wife. How then could I do this most wicked thing, and sin before God?” (10) And much as she coaxed Joseph day after day, he did not yield to her request to lie beside her, to be with her. (11) One such day, he came into the house to do his work. None of the household being there inside, (12) she caught hold of him by his garment and said, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and got away and fled outside.

(10) Thus Jesse presented seven of his sons before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “GOD has not chosen any of these.” (11) Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the boys you have?” He replied, “There is still the youngest; he is tending the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send someone to bring him, for we will not sit down to eat until he gets here.” (12) So they sent and brought him. He was ruddy-cheeked, bright-eyed, and handsome. And GOD said, “Rise and anoint him, for this is the one.” (13) Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of GOD gripped David from that day on. Samuel then set out for Ramah. (14) Now the spirit of GOD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from GOD began to terrify him. (15) Saul’s courtiers said to him, “An evil spirit of God is terrifying you. (16) Let our lord give the order [and] the courtiers in attendance on you will look for someone who is skilled at playing the lyre; whenever the evil spirit of God comes over you, he will play it and you will feel better.” (17) So Saul said to his courtiers, “Find me someone who can play well and bring him to me.” (18) One of the attendants spoke up, “I have observed a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skilled in music; he is a stalwart fellow and a warrior, sensible in speech, and handsome in appearance—and GOD is with him.” (19) Whereupon Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, who is with the flock.” (20) Jesse took a donkey [laden with] bread, a skin of wine, and a kid, and sent them to Saul by his son David. (21) So David came to Saul and entered his service; [Saul] took a strong liking to him and made him one of his arms-bearers. (22) Saul sent word to Jesse, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” (23) Whenever the [evil] spirit of God came upon Saul, David would take the lyre and play it; Saul would find relief and feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

(10)א How precious is a woman of substance!Her worth is far beyond that of rubies.(11)ב Her husband puts his confidence in her,And lacks no good thing.(12)ג She is good to him, never bad,All the days of her life.(13)ד She looks for wool and flax,And sets her hand to them with a will.(14)ה She is like a merchant fleet,Bringing her food from afar.(15)ו She rises while it is still night,And supplies provisions for her household,The daily fare of her maids.(16)ז She sets her mind on an estate and acquires it;She plants a vineyard by her own labors.(17)ח She girds herself with strength,And performs her tasks with vigor. (18)ט She sees that her business thrives;Her lamp never goes out at night.(19)י She sets her hand to the distaff;Her fingers work the spindle.(20)כ She gives generously to the poor;Her hands are stretched out to the needy.(21)ל She is not worried for her household because of snow,For her whole household is dressed in crimson.(22)מ She makes covers for herself;Her clothing is linen and purple.(23)נ Her husband is prominent in the gates,As he sits among the elders of the land.(24)ס She makes cloth and sells it,And offers a girdle to the merchant.(25)ע She is clothed with strength and splendor;She looks to the future cheerfully.(26)פ Her mouth is full of wisdom,Her tongue with kindly teaching.(27)צ She oversees the activities of her householdAnd never eats the bread of idleness.(28)ק Her children declare her happy;Her husband praises her,(29)ר “Many women have done well,But you surpass them all.”(30)ש Grace is deceptive,Beauty is illusory;It is for her fear of GODThat a woman is to be praised.(31)ת Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.

(15)Ah, you are fair, my darling,Ah, you are fair,With your dove-like eyes!(16)And you, my beloved, are handsome,Beautiful indeed!Our couch is in a bower;(17)Cedars are the beams of our house,Cypresses the rafters.

“His master's wife cast her eyes.” “Therefore, men of heart, hear me” (Job 34:10) – what is the craft of the Holy One blessed be He? “For He pays a person for his action” (Job 34:11) – [as stated by] Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Shimon.
“His master's wife cast her eyes” – what is written prior to this matter? “Joseph was of fine form and of fair appearance” (Genesis 39:6). This is analogous to a mighty man who was standing in the street grooming his eyes, curling his hair, and lifting his heels. He said: ‘This is appropriate for me, becoming for me, [as I am] fair and mighty.’ They said to him: ‘If you are mighty, if you are fair, there is a she-bear before you, arise and attack it.’

With regard to Rabbi Yoḥanan’s physical features, the Gemara adds that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: I alone remain of the beautiful people of Jerusalem. The Gemara continues: One who wishes to see something resembling the beauty of Rabbi Yoḥanan should bring a new, shiny silver goblet from the smithy and fill it with red pomegranate seeds [partzidaya] and place a diadem of red roses upon the lip of the goblet, and position it between the sunlight and shade. That luster is a semblance of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s beauty.

The Gemara relates: One day, Rabbi Yoḥanan was bathing in the Jordan River. Reish Lakish saw him and jumped into the Jordan, pursuing him. At that time, Reish Lakish was the leader of a band of marauders. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Reish Lakish: Your strength is fit for Torah study. Reish Lakish said to him: Your beauty is fit for women. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: If you return to the pursuit of Torah, I will give you my sister in marriage, who is more beautiful than I am. Reish Lakish accepted upon himself to study Torah. Subsequently, Reish Lakish wanted to jump back out of the river to bring back his clothes, but he was unable to return, as he had lost his physical strength as soon as he accepted the responsibility to study Torah upon himself.