Biblical Q&A

Hello and blessings. In response, I will preface with what is written in the book Avodat Yisrael by the holy Rabbi of Kozhnitz, of blessed memory, that by this event, Jacob achieved prophecy at the moment of the kiss and saw that she would not enter the Cave of Machpelah with him (and therefore he began to weep), it is evident that the kiss was pure without a trace of sin, otherwise he would not have achieved the divine presence at that very moment. And here are his words: "There was no man who conquered his evil inclination entirely like Jacob our forefather, the completeness of the patriarchs, who was eighty-four years old and a great hero, who could move the stone from the mouth of the well like one removes a cork from a bottle, and nonetheless, he was not, God forbid, aroused to any evil desire, as it is said (Genesis 49:3) Reuben, my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, was born from the first drop. It is written (Genesis 29:11) and Jacob kissed Rachel, it was said that there were seven kisses, and certainly, the kisses were with great holiness and a wondrous unity, as it was said in Bereshit Rabbah about the matter of weeping, that he saw with divine inspiration that she would not enter into burial with him. And undoubtedly, when he was in this time worthy of the divine presence, certainly the kisses were, God forbid, not in material thoughts, but with attachment to the upper worlds, and who is like him, the holy one of Israel." In the holy book of Shnei Luchot HaBrit (Parashat Vayetze, Torah Ohr section 4), it elaborates on the secrets Jacob alluded to in the kisses; see there. The holy Ari of blessed memory, in his book Eitz Chaim (Gate of Shabbat - chapter 14), also discusses the secret of the matter, and according to his words, it is clear that Jacob kissed Rachel on her hand, as explained in the Midrash as well, that it was a kiss of kinship, as Jacob and Rachel were cousins, and a kiss of kinship, especially when the girl is young, is not an issue of disgrace even according to the plain understanding. In the holy book Iggeret HaKodesh, it explains the matter thus: "The scripture informs us in its simpleness of the greatness of Jacob our forefather's holiness, that the matter of the union was unto him without shame from people, for he was so devoted to Hashem and doing His will, that he considered this matter like tzitzit and tefillin, which one does not shame to kiss the object of commandment before all; therefore, he kissed Rachel as an object of commandment before the shepherds, because it did not arise in his heart due to his great devotion that this was considered ugly in the eyes of corporeal people, seeking to fulfill their desires. For he was so distant from the corporeality of the world that it did not occur to him that this act is considered disgraceful. Happy is the man who has such."