One tradition maintains that she became pregnant by merit of abundant prayers: by merit of her own prayer, by merit of her sisters prayer, by merit of Jacobs prayer, and by merit of the prayer of the handmaidens [Zilpah and Bilhah](Gen. Rabbah73:3). Jacob said to Rachel: who has deniedyoufruit of the wombHe denied you, but me He did not deny [since I have sons from Leah]. When Dan was born, Rachel said(Gen. 30:6): God has vindicated me [dananni]; indeed, He has heeded my plea and given me a son. In the midrashic explication of this verse, Rachel said: God has judged me and found me guilty [and therefore I was childless]; [and afterwards] He has judged me and vindicated me [and given my handmaiden a son] (Gen. Rabbahloc. B. They declare that Rachel was not envious of her sister's fertility, but of her righteousness; she thought that if Leah had not been a better woman than she, she would not have had children. Rachel, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), one of the two wives of the patriarch Jacob. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. How old? Rachel and Joseph were most beloved by Jacob, and therefore they stood last. Themidrash, however, presents two principal approaches to this question. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. Before his death, Jacob praises Joseph for acting in this manner, when he says of his son(Gen. 49:22): Joseph is a wild ass, a wild ass by a spring [ayin, also meaning eye]I must reward you for that eye [for having concealed Rachel from Esaus eye](Gen. Rabbah78:10). She put them in the "furniture" of the camel on which she sat, and when her father came to search for them she pleaded sickness (xxxi. A third interpretation takes the wordnaftalifrom pitulim[vicissitudes], and describes what Jacob underwent. She spoke in precise language when she said: May the Lord add another son for meshe did not say other sons, rather, there will be one more son from me. Rachel said: If Leah were not righteous, would she have given birth?(Gen. Rabbah71:6). In other respects the two sisters were alike, both being ancestresses of kings, heroes, prophets, judges, and conquerors (ib. 33:6): May Reuben live and not die. This blessing expresses Reubens standing as firstborn, who took a double portion [as is the law of the firstborn]: May Reuben live and not dieMay Reuben live, in this world; and not die, in the World to Come (Tanhuma[ed. DAY 34: Jacob Was 84 Years Old When He Married Rachel And Leah By richoka Leave a Comment We've now arrived at the third Biblical patriarch: Jacob. 3). Thismidrashincorporates several aggadic traditions according to which Leah gave birth to Issachar and Zebulun by merit of the mandrakes that she gave her sister. In another midrashic understanding, Rachel alluded to the disgrace during the time of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who was a descendant of the tribe of Ephraim, and who engaged in idolatry and denigrated the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh(I Kings 1214); this disgrace was taken away when Jeroboam was put to death(II Chron. I informed Jacob, and I gave him a sign so that he could distinguish between me and my sister, so that my father would not be able to exchange me. What am I, flesh and blood, dust and ashes, that I was not jealous of my rival wife, and that I did not allow her to be shamed and disgraced, but You, merciful living and eternal King, why were You jealous of idolatry that is of no import, and exiled my children who were slain by the sword, and allowed their enemies to do with them as they pleased? Gods mercy was immediately revealed, and He said: For your sake, Rachel, I shall return Israel to their placefor there is a reward for your labor []. Rachel bore Joseph, then the entire clan left Laban's country to return to Isaac. If she had, then she would not have been able to employ a ruse to stop her father from searching her belongings too closely (see below). Laban immediately said that if Jacob would serve him for an additional seven years, he could marry Rachel as well. 4; "Sefer ha-Yashar," section "Wayee," p. 47a). The midrash relates that three keys remain with God and were not entrusted to an agent [=angel]: the key of rain, the key of the woman giving birth and the key of the resurrection of the dead. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Jacob offered to serve Laban for seven years, in exchange for the right to marry Rachel. And, indeed, she bore Jacob only a single additional son, Benjamin(JTBerakhot9:3, 14[ab]). I buried her there, alongside the road to Ephrath, near Bethlehem." 2 Jacob was a short distance, about two-thirds of a mile, from Ephrath. The birthright should have come forth from Rachel, but Leah preceded her in [receiving divine] mercy; because of the formers modesty, God restored the birthright to Rachel(BTBava Batra123a). Saul, the son of Rachels son, remained silent(I Sam. In another tradition, Rachel envied Leahs good deeds. cit.). Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. After Josephs birth, she exclaimed: God has taken away my disgrace (Tanhuma[ed. He asked for Rachels hand because he thought that Leah was intended for Esau (Tanhuma[ed. 4:19), andMichal (daughter of Saul)(II Sam. God accepted her prayer and the sex of the fetus in her womb changed to female(BTBerakhot60a;Tanhuma[ed. When Abraham was about 100 years old, he and his wife Sarah had a son who they named Isaac. By merit of the birth of Dan [the son of Bilhah], Rachel became pregnant; and by merit of the birth of Dan, Joseph and Benjamin were born(Gen. Rabbah73:4). Agadah to Gen. xxx. The exegetes holding this view find Rachels words(Gen. 30:15) to be somewhat prophetic: I promise, he shall lie with you tonightwith you he will lie [in the grave], but with me he will not lie [in the grave]. Gen. 29:1011tells how Jacob watered Rachels flock, and then kissed her and wept. ; Midr. His preference for her continued even after her death, and also influenced Jacobs attitude to her children. 14; Midr. Although Rachel died young, the Rabbis indicate her positive influence on her descendants, even long after her passing. After discovering that he had been tricked, Jacob married Rachel also and then worked out another seven-year contract for this marriage. Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. 28:20) his tribe received the jasper [yashfe, with the meaning ofyesh pehthere is a mouth] stone in the High Priests breastpiece. This midrash is connected to the fundamental Rabbinic disagreement as to whether the harbinger of the Redemption will be from the offspring of Rachel or from those of Leah. Themidrashperceives Rachel as an educational figure who delineated the path that her offspring were to follow. Agadah to Gen. xxix. Updates? Thus, for example, the Bejaminite Saul would wage war against and triumph against Amalek, the descendant of Esau; and Mordecai, from the tribe of Benjamin, would use his wisdom to best the Amalekite Haman. The midrash relates that Rachel was twenty-two years old when she was married to Jacob (Seder Olam Rabbah 2), and her barrenness lasted for fourteen years (Seder Eliyahu Rabbah 18, p. 99). Genesis 29:18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "Ill work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." The reason for this was Josephs fear that Esau would see Rachel and desire her. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Laban agreed. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. He was then allowed to marry Rachel as well, in return for seven more years of labour. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The Rabbis ask why Jacob buried Rachel on the road to Ephrath, and not in the Cave of Machpelah. In the narrative inGen. 31:19, when Jacob fled from Labans house, Rachel stole her fathers household idols. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. But as she approached, a stranger (Jacob) rolled the stone away for her and watered the sheep. Gen. 29:17attests: Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Themidrashadds that there was no maiden fairer than Rachel (Tanhuma,Vayeze6). [2] Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. Gen 29:20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her. Thus said the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping, your eyes from shedding tears; for there is a reward for your labordeclares the Lord: They shall return from the enemys land. Rijksmuseum The story of how Jacob ends up marrying his two cousins, Leah and Rachel, begins in Canaan, with the marriage of his older twin, Esau, to two Hittite women of whom Isaac and Rebekah do not approve. Jer. 15). Have an update or correction? According to another tradition, all three mothers (Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah) gathered and said: We have enough males; let her [Rachel] be remembered(Gen. Rabbah72:6). Higger], chap. TheTorahrelates that it was Joseph who ordered that the goblet be hidden in Benjamins sack. He knew that he would marry her, just as Rebekah had been married to Isaac, and he also understood that he would bury her. Rather, he told the latter(Gen. 49:3): Reuben, you are my first-born; notwithstanding this, Jacob also spoke disparagingly of him (v. 4): Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer. Many years later, Moses would bless Reuben and release him from this disgrace(Deut. Laban substituted Leah, his older daughter, and in the darkness, Jacob thought Leah was Rachel. Bilhah bore two sons, Dan and Naphtali, over the next two years.[1][2][3]. All the furrows that I plowed in your mother [i.e., acts of intercourse] should I not have done with Rachel? Rachels good deeds also positively influenced her children. (Genesis 29:10, NLT). Joseph thereby is awarded a double portion, which is the right of the firstborn. Rachel initially relies on her handmaiden Bilhah to bear children in her place, but Rachel eventually becomes pregnant and goes on to have one other child. Agadat Bereshit li. The most extreme description of Rachels act of self-sacrifice appears inLam. Your life, they will exact punishment from him whenever he threatens your children (Pesikta Rabbati[ed. That was a lie. At his meeting with Esau, Jacob showed his particular affection for Rachel by placing her last, with her son Joseph (xxxiii. [1] In 1620, the Ottoman Turks surrounded the supposed grave with a cube surmounted by a dome. 31:15Israel is called after Rachel: Rachel weeping for her children; inAmos 5:15Israel is named after her son: Perhaps the Lord, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph; and inJer. These two exegetical positions derive the word akarah from ikar. The first view maintains that even though Leah had children, Rachel continued to be the beloved and preferred wife, which was expressed in the running of the household. cit.). If she breaks a vessel within the house, whom shall she blame for this? We only know the age of Jacob during this period of time. Later, when Leah was given in marriage instead of Rachel, the latter revealed the signs to her sister in order to spare her from being disgraced by Jacob. Leah's life as Jacob's wife was distressful. The contention between the two women did not cease even after Rachels death, and arose again as regards the seniority of Jacobs sons: who would be considered the firstbornthe son of Leah, or of Rachel; and similarly, regarding the origin of Elijah, the harbinger of the Redemption. Altogether, the four women bore 12 sons and one daughter, Dinah. 6:23)(Gen. Rabbah82:7). In the four years following their marriage, Leah had four sons; Rachel had none. R. Judan's opinion, however, was that Rachel died before Leah because, although she was the younger sister, she spoke before Leah when they were addressed by their husband (ib. 31:20Israel is called after her sons son: Truly, Ephraim is a dear son to Me(Ruth Rabbah7:11:13). From the Jewish Museum, New York, via Wikimedia Commons. Gen. 30:1states: When Rachel saw that she had borne Jacob no children, she became envious of her sister, leading the Rabbis to apply to Rachel the verseCant. As related inGen. 32:7, before the meeting with Esau, Jacob was apprehensive that his brother was preparing to fight him, and he therefore divided his family into two camps. The regimen of rituals, songs and textual readings performed in a specific order on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night) of Passover. They answer that Jacob saw with the spirit of divine inspiration that when the Israelites would set out to exile, they would pass through Bethlehem on the road to Ephrath, and so he buried Rachel there, so that she would pray for them. 16), are explained by the Rabbis as referring to the divine gifts bestowed upon their descendants; for while royalty and the priesthood remained permanently with Leah's descendants, they were held only temporarily by Rachel'sroyalty with Joseph and Saul, and the priesthood with the tabernacle of Shiloh (Gen. R. lxx. Only now, upon the birth of Naphtali, did Rachel sense that she had regained her former standing. This was the year in which Jacob fled in secret from Laban. Consort with her [] that through her I too may have children (Gen. Rabbahloc. This well had a heavy stone to cap it by night, and Rachel was accustomed to waiting for someone to roll the stone away when all the flocks were gathered. In another tradition, God remembered Rachels silence when Leah was given to Jacob instead of her. Because of the curse which Jacob uttered to Laban(Gen. 31:32): But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not remain alive! (Gen. Rabbahloc. cit.). Recall Jacob had to flee from his family's house because of his treachery toward his brother Esau. Her first meeting with Jacob occurred at a well near Haran, whither she had taken the flocks for water. Jeremiah represents Rachel, weeping for her children being driven into captivity, as the personification of tenderness (Jer. 9-12, 17-18, 31; xxx. Her compassion also succeeded in arousing Gods mercy when He answered her prayer. When his time came to take leave of the world, he summoned his sons, but he did not choose Joseph instead of Reuben. l.c. This exegesis hints that in the rivalry between Israel and Esau [= Rome] Rachels children would emerge victorious. Before her death, Rachel names the newborn. At the same time, they also illustrate the intricate and complex relationship betweenLeahand Rachel, the two sisters and the two wives of Jacob whose fate was intertwined. Vilna] petihtah 24). The Rabbis are lavish in their praise of Rachel, whom they describe as merciful, and who waived her personal benefit and desires on behalf of her sister. The account of Jacob and Rachel is presented to the reader as a love story, and quite a romantic one at that. Rachelis depicted in theTorah she-bi-khetav: Lit. (NIV), Genesis 30:22Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. Consequently, Rachel found herself in an inferior position, since Leah bore children to Jacob, while she herself had not. Genesis chapters 29-30 and 35 detail the births of Jacob's many children. 16-20). "order." Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. The midrash includes Rachel among the seven barren women who were eventually blessed with offspring:Sarah, Rebekah,Rachel, Leah,Manoahs Wife,Hannah andZion [in a metaphorical sense], of whomPs. Ussher[8] disputes the notion that Benjamin may be counted among the sons born or engendered in Padan-aram. This midrash compares the barrenness of the three Matriarchs and the conduct of the three Patriarchs, which intensifies the criticism of Jacob, who should have acted as his forefathers did, and pray on behalf of Rachel in accordance with her wishes. 15). Before she died, she said that the child should be named Ben-oni, or "son of my pain." After spending a month with his relatives he asked for her hand in marriage in return for working seven years for Laban the Aramean. Jewish Women's Archive. When Potiphars wife attempted to seduce Joseph, he raised his eyes and saw the image of his mother Rachel and was thereby saved from the sin of adultery(JTHorayot2:5, 46[d]). Whatever the case, she died young. 1; Gen. R. lxxi. According to the Rabbis, Laban would not have succeeded in deceiving Jacob without Rachels involvement. Jacob then married Rachel and worked for Laban another seven years for her. On this date Joseph left the Egyptian prison; and on this date, Israel went forth from their servitude in Egypt(BTRosh Hashanah10b11a). In Sivan of 2251 AM (MayJune 1754 BC, or literally, "in the days of the wheat harvest"), Reuben went into the field and gathered mandrakes (Mandragora officinarum) for his mother Leah. Of the two women that Jacob married, Rachel was loved, and Leah unloved. There is also an intermediate approach, which argues that Reuben should have received the birthright, but it was permanently taken from him because of his sin. Themidrashrelates that there was no maiden comelier than Rachel, which was why Jacob desired to wed her, and sent her presents. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Rachels merit continued to aid Israel even many years after her demise: when the exiles from Judah (after the destruction of the First Temple) passed by her tomb, she aroused Gods mercy to forgive them; He heeded her, and promised her that He would return them to their land. This exposition aims to applaud Jacobs strength, which increased due to his love for Rachel. Rachel and Jacob were cousins. The Rabbis observe that a woman usually goes to her mothers household, but since Rachels mother was dead, she had none to tell about Jacob besides her father(Gen. Rabbah70:13). God asked Leah: Is this the reward for a good deed? This midrash criticizes Jacob for responding so harshly and inconsiderately to Rachel, who is presented as a bitter woman. Themidrashlists three reasons for Jacobs crying on this occasion. [1] Some argued that he was from the tribe of Gad, while others maintained that he was a Benjaminite. 113:9states: He sets the childless woman among her household as a happy mother of children (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana[ed. And there is hope for your futuredeclares the Lord: Your children shall return to their country(Gen. Rabbah82:10). She stole the household idols (teraphim) that belonged to Laban, in the belief that those idols would confer some protective power. I acted kindly with her, I was not jealous of her, and I did not cause her to be shamed and disgraced. I am from the descendants of Rachel(Gen. Rabbah71:9). Both bore him children. When Jacob blesses Joseph before his death, he tells his son(Gen. 49:25): The God of your father who helps you, and Shaddai who blesses you [] blessings of the breast and the womb. The Rabbis comment on this: Come and see how greatly Jacob loved Rachel. The custom in those days was for a man to wait at least a week after arranging to marry a woman. In 1860, Sir Moses Montefiore enlarged this structure. Jacob was quite old compared to other generations when he finally married. She told Jacob that if he didn't "give" her children, she would die. However, the Rabbis debate the reason behind God granting her the ability to bear children. The Hebrew name of Rachel means ewe or beautiful. Buber],Vayeshev19). cit.). 1777 BC-1759 BC-1738 BC) was the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. According to one, Reuben, Leahs son and the firstborn of Jacob, does receive the birthright. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Hadjittofi, Fotini, and Hagith Sivan. In the fourth interpretive possibility, the name given by Rachel portrays the childs character, thus predicting the future. Unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel stole her father's household gods or teraphim. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. Rachel was one of the four Jewish matriarchs, all of whom were prophetesses (Ber. Through the fraud of Laban, Jacob's marriage with Rachel took place after he had married her elder sister, Leah, who, though less loved than Rachel, became the mother of four sons, while the latter was childless. Rachel lost being buried next to Jacob because of her dealing with Leah, but she thereby merited having her son Joseph receive the birthright. The midrash explains that the education that Joseph received from his mother continued to guide him even after her death. 8:6: For love is fierce as death (Tanhuma[ed. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rachel-biblical-figure, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Rachel. Buber],Vayeze12). 31 December 1999. Rachel is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 29 when Jacob happens upon her as she is about to water her father's flock. The restrictions on her date of birth are: She married Jacob (2245 AM) when she was old enough to carry an adult responsibility, because Jacob met her when she was leading a flock of sheep to water. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. R., Petita, 25). Did I not go to Laban only for Rachel? According to this conception, Rachels son should from the outset have been the firstborn, but because God had compassion on the unloved Leah, He gave her the fruit of the womb and she bore Jacobs firstborn son. Rachel feared that her deeds were not favorable in the eyes of God, which resulted in her barrenness. 1; Tan., Wayee, 19; Gen. R. lxxi. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. This midrash awards the birthright to Joseph, since his two sons became tribes and he therefore received twice as much as any of his brothers.
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