Lot's daughters were virgins, as he tells the Sodomites who wanted to rape the angels that were staying with him. Do any commentators address how they managed to get pregnant even though their relations with their father were the first they had in their lives, and women can't get pregnant from bi'ah rishonah, as brought in the Gemara in Yevamos?
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1See the answer in Rashi below and referred to in one of the answers here: judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/11300/…– EraserXCommented Oct 30, 2023 at 21:00
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Note: Mi Yodeya is not a source for medical information. Consult a relevant professional before acting on any medical/biological information presented here.– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Nov 6, 2023 at 18:24
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1 Answer
Refer to Bereishis Rabbah 45:4
וַיָּבֹא אֶל הָגָר וַתַּהַר (בראשית טז, ד), רַבִּי לֵוִי בַּר חַיָּתָא אָמַר מִבִּיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה נִתְעַבְּרָה, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְעוֹלָם אֵין הָאִשָּׁה מִתְעַבֶּרֶת מִבִּיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, וְהָכְתִיב (בראשית יט, לו): וַתַּהֲרֶיןָ שְׁתֵּי בְנוֹת לוֹט מֵאֲבִיהֶן, אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא שָׁלְטוּ בְּעַצְמָן וְהוֹצִיאוּ עֶרְוָתָן וְנִתְעַבְּרוּ כְּמִבִּיאָה שְׁנִיָּה.
“He consorted with Hagar, and she conceived; she saw that she conceived, and her mistress was diminished in her eyes” (Genesis 16:4). “He consorted with Hagar, and she conceived” – Rabbi Levi bar Ḥayata said: She conceived from the initial act of intercourse. Rabbi Elazar said: A woman never conceives from her initial act of intercourse. But is it not written: “Lot’s two daughters conceived from their father”? (Genesis 19:36). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: They manipulated themselves, broke their hymens, and conceived as though it were from a second act of intercourse.
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According to the Eitz Yosef explanation on the MIdrash it was a miracle in order to honour Avraham - sefaria.org/…– DovCommented Oct 31, 2023 at 6:42
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Why would anyone believe that "A woman never conceives from her initial act of intercourse"? And what basis does Rabbi Tanḥuma's comment have? Commented Oct 31, 2023 at 12:06