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the wife of Chaver Hakeini, shall be blessed,” (Shoftim 5:24) implies
just the opposite. Why did she call her “wife of Chever Hakeini”?
Without this phrase we would know which Yael is referred to because
it is already stated at the beginning that she was Chever Hakeini’s
wife and it is also clear that Chever Hakeini was still alive, since it first
says“for there was peace between Yavin… and Chever Hakeini.” (ibid.
4:17) Since Chever was obviously alive, why did Devorah make point
of referring to Yael as his wife? [This can] only [be] to tell us that she
remained Chever’s wife and was still permitted to her husband. The
gemara’s question in Nazir (ibid.) furnishes an even stronger proof.
The gemara asks about Yael that “she had pleasure from [the] sin.”
What is the gemara’s question? What pleasure did she have if [as a
result] she became forbidden to her husband? We are thus forced to
conclude that she did not become forbidden to her husband. This, in
my opinion, constitutes clear proof.

“It appears to me to differentiate between the case of Esther who
became forbidden to her husband, and that of Yael who remained
permitted to her husband, in that in Esther’s case the Jewish people
did not benefit [directly] from the actual adultery. Esther’s intention
in volunteering for relations with Achashverosh was to thereby find
favor in his eyes so that he would fulfill her request, which was an
indirect strategem. The Jewish nation’s salvation came about inciden-
tally, not as a direct consequence of her adultery with the king. Since
Esther engaged in the adultery willingly and [on this occasion] was
not coerced and Yisrael’s rescue resulted from the king’s conciliation
towards her, she became forbidden to her husband, Mordechai. In
Yael‘s case however, since [by having relations with him] she intended
to weaken Sisra so that he should fall asleep, enabling her to murder
him, and Yisrael’s salvation was a direct consequence of her adultery,
she was considered to have acted under compulsion and remained
permitted to her husband.”

In light of this, perhaps this course of action is permitted when its
purpose is not the actual promiscuity but to weaken the man so that
he falls asleep [and can be captured] and when her goal is to rescue
Jewish lives, rather than promiscuous conduct.

434 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein