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The angel tells Mary that she will conceive. Mary, engaged to be married, should have not found this to be a very startling announcement; but still Mary found this troubling and expostulates that she "knows no man." Greg Killian, http://www.betemunah.org/, writes the following:
In the genealogy story, Miriam askes a question, “How can this be, seeing that I know not a man (my husband)?” Miriam is asking how can she bear a son before her chupa (wedding canopy). The answer: Have intercourse before the chupa. Having intercourse before marriage is a valid Torah method for marrying a woman!
Now, before you get too riled up, there is a second possibility. Remember that an almah is a girl between the ages of 12 and 16. Now, not all girls of 12 years, have menstruated. Therefore, if Miriam was in this group, she may have been delaying the chupa for her menses to start. In this case, the Angel Gabriel is telling her to go to her chupa before menses This would have Miriam going to her chupa before her menses, then cohabiting with Yoseph, after the chupa. Miriam’s surprise is now quite understandable. How can I possibly have a child, seeing that I have NOT had my menses, I have not had a chupa, and even if I lay with a man I can not possibly conceive! So, just as in Yeshayhu 7:13-14, Miriam will have her chupa, her man, and her son, and it will be a miracle.
There is also a third possible answer to Miriam’s question. If Yoseph was either divorced or widowed, and knew that he could not father children, then Miraim’s question would be: “How can this be, seeing that I know not a (fertile) man (my husband)?” The obvious connection with Bereshit 18 would be stunning:
Bereshit (Genesis) 18:11-12 Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
The angel tells Mary that she will conceive. Mary, engaged to be married, should have not found this to be a very startling announcement; but still Mary found this troubling and expostulates that she "knows no man." Greg Killian, http://www.betemunah.org/, writes the following:
In the genealogy story, Miriam askes a question, “How can this be, seeing that I know not a man (my husband)?” Miriam is asking how can she bear a son before her chupa (wedding canopy). The answer: Have intercourse before the chupa. Having intercourse before marriage is a valid Torah method for marrying a woman!
Now, before you get too riled up, there is a second possibility. Remember that an almah is a girl between the ages of 12 and 16. Now, not all girls of 12 years, have menstruated. Therefore, if Miriam was in this group, she may have been delaying the chupa for her menses to start. In this case, the Angel Gabriel is telling her to go to her chupa before menses This would have Miriam going to her chupa before her menses, then cohabiting with Yoseph, after the chupa. Miriam’s surprise is now quite understandable. How can I possibly have a child, seeing that I have NOT had my menses, I have not had a chupa, and even if I lay with a man I can not possibly conceive! So, just as in Yeshayhu 7:13-14, Miriam will have her chupa, her man, and her son, and it will be a miracle.
There is also a third possible answer to Miriam’s question. If Yoseph was either divorced or widowed, and knew that he could not father children, then Miraim’s question would be: “How can this be, seeing that I know not a (fertile) man (my husband)?” The obvious connection with Bereshit 18 would be stunning:
Bereshit (Genesis) 18:11-12 Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
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