Buber],Vayeze19). Rachel is mentioned twice in the Old Testament beyond her story in Genesis. ; Midr. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The midrash explains that the education that Joseph received from his mother continued to guide him even after her death. This exegesis hints that in the rivalry between Israel and Esau [= Rome] Rachels children would emerge victorious. In another tradition, Rachel stole these idols so that they would not reveal to Laban that Jacob had fled with his wives, his children and his flocks (Tanhuma,Vayeze12). cit.). Gen. 30:1relates that when Rachel saw that she was not bearing children, she told Jacob: Give me children, or I shall die, leading the Rabbis to conclude that whoever is childless is regarded as dead (Lam. 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. This was the year in which Jacob fled in secret from Laban. Rachel knows that she is Jacobs true intended bride. The Rabbis commented on the sale of the mandrakes: This one lost and the other one lost, this one was rewarded and the other one was rewarded. Leah lost the mandrakes and was rewarded with tribes; Rachel lost burial, and was rewarded with the birthright(Gen. Rabbah72:3). Buber],Mikez13). Other Rabbis found fault with Rachel and maintained that because Rachel made light of her right to lie with the righteous Jacob, which she sold for the mandrakes, she was punished by not being buried together with him. 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). At first childless, Rachel eventually gave birth to Joseph and died giving birth to Benjamin. Various Jewish sources say Rachel died at age 36 and other sources say age 45. 40) are considered by the Rabbis to symbolize the four matriarchs, Rachel, who died the youngest, they consider symbolized by the willows of the brook, which fade sooner than any other plant (Lev. And this was not allI went under the bed where he lay with my sister: he would speak with her, and I responded every time, while she remained silent, so that he would not recognize her voice. In 1860, Sir Moses Montefiore enlarged this structure. xxxi. Most of the Rabbis consider the idea of Rachel being an envious woman as incompatible with what has been previously said of her. Agadat Bereshit li. [2] Thus Leah would be the older sister only in the sense of having been born first. As she was beautiful and well favored, Jacob fell in love with her and agreed to serve Laban for seven years on the condition that at the end of that time Rachel should become his wife. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. Rachel said: Were not the vicissitudes that Jacob underwent for me? Jacob was quite old compared to other generat. The Rabbis learned from this that seven days of feasting are to be conducted for a bride and groom (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer[ed. Jer. 1-min read. Benjamin, who had just been born, needed a wet nurse; a miracle was performed for Bilhah and her breasts filled with milk, thus enabling her to nurse the newborn(Tanhuma,Vayeshev7; see also the entry: Bilhah). Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Laban immediately said that if Jacob would serve him for an additional seven years, he could marry Rachel as well. When Rachel saw them, she asked Leah to give them to her [because of her barrenness]. Due to the shame that Benjamin suffered through no fault of his own, he merited having the Divine Presence rest in his portion [the Temple was erected in the portion of the tribe of Benjamin], which thereby publicly proclaimed his innocence. God said to Jacob: Is this how one replies to embittered women? The first was his anguish at his poverty. 10:12): Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon! was by merit of Rachels kindness (Tanhuma[ed. Is this the reward of your sister Rachel, who gave you her signs with her husband on your wedding night, to spare you embarrassment? As punishment for this behavior, Leah was caused even greater mortification with the episode ofDinah(Gen. Rabbati,Vayishlah, p. 168). Jacob objecting on the ground that his father had one wife only, while he himself had two, and that though one of them was childless, he had children by the other, she urged him to follow Abraham's example, and to take her handmaid for a wife (Midr. She bore another son and a daughter over the next two years. Leah agreed, and when Jacob returned from the field, Leah told him directly that she had "hired" him for the evening, at the price of a few mandrakes. 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. cit.). The "Sefer ha-Yashar" (section "Wayishla," p. 56b), however, gives her age at the time of her death as forty-five. Family relations of Rachel in the Bible. [Note Jacob was less than half this age when he met Rachel - this means that even compared to a modern man, he was in the prime of his life at that point.] Isaac married Rabecah and they had two sons - Esau and Jacob. 13). xxxi. Theodor-Albeck, MS. Vatican, p. 1243]). She did not want to adhere to the paganism of her fathers house, but rather sought to prevent Laban from engaging in idolatry. Jacob allowed Laban to search for the idols. As compensation for this negative depiction, Scripture calls Israel after her, after her son, and after her sons son. Besides, Rachel was afraid that her father, seeing that she had no children by Jacob, might marry her to Esau (Midr. I acted kindly with her, I was not jealous of her, and I did not cause her to be shamed and disgraced. 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. 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. By ancient custom, Bilhah's children would be credited to Rachel. When, toward the end of his life, Jacob told Joseph about Rachels death, he said(Gen. 48:7): I [do this because], when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow. The wording died, to my sorrow teach the Rabbis that Rachels death was the harshest of all the troubles that befell Jacob(Gen. Rabbah97:7, [ed. In another exegetical tradition, Jacob placed Rachel and Joseph last because he wanted to protect them. But Rachel was not content with this. Gen. 30:22reveals: Now God remembered Rachel; God heeded her and opened her womb. In the midrashic expansion, Rachel was remembered (i.e., became pregnant) on The Jewish New Year, held on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. This midrash criticizes Jacob for responding so harshly and inconsiderately to Rachel, who is presented as a bitter woman. Jacob said to himself: When Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, went to fetchRebekah, he brought with him ten camels and all the bounty of his master(Gen. 24:10), while I have not a single nose-ring or band. The second reason for his weeping was his foreseeing that Rachel would not be buried together with him (Gen. Rabbahloc. cit.). 14). His love and our salvation come through grace. In the four years following their marriage, Leah had four sons; Rachel had none. His preference for her continued even after her death, and also influenced Jacobs attitude to her children. [9][10][11], Last modified on August 11, 2016, at 17:07. 2). According to this view, from the outset the birthright belonged to Rachels son, which was the intent of both God and Jacob. Rachel's death was so deeply felt by Jacob that he considered it the greatest of all his sorrows (Ruth R. i. Rachel was one of Jacob's wives through . So, Jacob married and started having children 7 years into his 20 years of service to Laban. How old was Rachel when Jacob married her? 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. Jacob told Reuben: The birthright, the priesthood, and kingship were yours. 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. Rachel (Hebrew: , Rl; "a ewe"[1]) (ca. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. Jacob offered to serve Laban for seven years, in exchange for the right to marry Rachel. Rachel, who was not so occupied, therefore became the mainstay of the household. lxx. 3). Thus, we see that the rivalry between the two sisters did not come to an end but even pertains to the identity of the herald of the future Redemption. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. After he married Leah, Jacob held a banquet for seven days, and he added another seven days of feasting and rejoicing, and then married Rachel. 10). A compilation of the commentary and discussions of the, Matriarchs: A Liturgical and Theological Category, Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. 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). Forced to serve Rachel's father, Laban, for seven years to win her, Jacob was tricked at the end of that time into marrying her sister, Leah. The restrictions on her date of birth are: The maximum likely age for Rachel at the time of the birth of Benjamin is thirty-nine years. Rachel asked Leah for a portion of them, and Leah protested that Rachel already had the favor of Jacob, and now was asking for a supply of the one thing that each woman supposed would make her fertile. Jewish Women's Archive. (Genesis 32:24-30 ) The story of the birth of Benjamin and the death of Rachel follows this narrative directly and is continuous with it. 31 December 1999. The terms "elder" and "younger," applied respectively to Leah and Rachel (Gen. xxix. Agadah to Gen. xxx. According to Gen. R. (lxxii. "Meet Rachel - Favored Wife of Jacob." The stone over the mouth of the well was large. Instead, he must accept the first-born, the son of the unloved one, and allot to him a double portion of all he possesses. The midrash compares this mandate with the story of Jacob. Agadat Bereshit li. The custom in those days was for a man to wait at least a week after arranging to marry a woman. TheTorahrelates that it was Joseph who ordered that the goblet be hidden in Benjamins sack. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. When Laban overtook Jacob in the hill country of Gilead, he reproached him(Gen. 31:30): but why did you steal my idols?, to which Jacob replied (v. 32): But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not remain alive! Themidrashexplains that this statement by Jacob was as an error committed by a ruler [which is nevertheless implementedfollowingEccl. 1777 BC-1759 BC-1738 BC) was the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. 22). Read Genesis 29:15-30 Rachel has a son, Joseph Rachel may have been the more loved of the two women, but she was not the most fertile. Though she and Jacob were deeply in love, she did not conceive for many years. It speaks of a tradition possessed by Jacob that Esau would fall only by the hand of Rachels sons. For instance. Hadjittofi, Fotini, and Hagith Sivan. cit.). I am from the descendants of Rachel(Gen. Rabbah71:9). When Rachel saw that her sister was pregnant, she prayed and caused the fetuss sex to change(JTBerakhot9:3, 14[a]). 22-24). Unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel stole her father's household gods or teraphim. In the midrashic account, many years later, when Josephs goblet was found in the sack of Benjamin(Gen. 44), the tribes stood about, beat Benjamins shoulders, and cried out: Oh thief, the son of a thief, you have shamed us! God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. Did he not go to Laban only because of me? (Gen. Rabbahloc. In the episode of the mandrakes, when Leah reproached her sister for having robbed her of her husband (Gen. xxx. Those were the last children she would have. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. And there is hope for your futuredeclares the Lord: Your children shall return to their country(Gen. Rabbah82:10). Elijah came and stood before them. Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. cit.). An additional important trait of Rachels was the art of silence and the ability to keep secrets, a quality that she also passed on to her offspring, who were known for their taciturnity: Benjamin, Saul, andEsther. R. xxx. No, he did not. R., Petita, 25). Bilhah bore two sons, Dan and Naphtali, over the next two years.[1][2][3]. Rachel bore Joseph, then the entire clan left Laban's country to return to Isaac. Some midrashim view the name given by Rachel to her son Joseph as a prophecy for what would befall his descendants. Bilhah, Rachel's servant and Jacob's concubine, bears two more sons, Dan and Naphtali. Benjamin was born on the road to Bethlehem, and therefore Rachel must have conceived him in Padan-aram, though she bore him in Canaan. The Jewish New Year, held on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Gen. 33:67describes the meeting with Esau: Then the maids, with their children, came forward and bowed low; next Leah, with her children, came forward and bowed low; and lastly, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed low. The Rabbis noted that the other wives came first and their children after them, while Joseph stepped forward before his mother Rachel. Scripture says Rachel was beautiful. 16-20). It seems to just throw out there that Rachel was 36 when she died; since Yaakov married her after 7 years working for Lavan, and he left Charan after another 7 years after they got married, plus 6 years after all but Binyamin were born, and Rachel died at the end of the two-year journey back to Yitzchak, they were married for 15 . While Rachel was barren for the first fourteen years of her marriage, she is still described as Jacob's preferred wife and a powerful woman. The Story of Jacob and his Wives Leah and Rachel The role of women in the Old Testament. This midrash bore a message of consolation to the Rabbis and the Jews of their time, since, for the Rabbis, Esau symbolized the Roman empire. 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). Jacob protested, and Laban answered that local custom did not permit a younger sister to marry before the older sister. The Rabbis claim that Rachel did so for the sake of Heaven. In return, Leah requested that Rachel forgo her right to be with Jacob that night. All the furrows that I plowed in your mother [i.e., acts of intercourse] should I not have done with Rachel? cit.). But on the night of the marriage, Laban deceived Jacob. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. Have an update or correction? Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193. l.c. In other respects the two sisters were alike, both being ancestresses of kings, heroes, prophets, judges, and conquerors (ib. By your life, your sons will stand before her son, and he will tell them(Gen. 50:19) Am I a substitute for God?(Gen. Rabbah71:7). According to the "Sefer ha-Yashar" (section "Wayee," p. 46a, Leghorn, 1870), Rachel herself prayed God to give her children, and God finally answered her prayer. xxi., where the number 37 must be corrected to 36). Jacob then married Rachel and worked for Laban another seven years for her. While Rachel was barren for the first fourteen years of her marriage, she is still described as Jacobs preferred wife and a powerful woman. A third interpretation takes the wordnaftalifrom pitulim[vicissitudes], and describes what Jacob underwent. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The Bible does not say when Rachel was born, nor how old she was when she married Jacob, nor how long she lived. Vilna] petihtah 24). Rabbah[ed. Jacob loved Rachel passionately even before they were married, but Rachel thought, as her culture had taught her, that she needed to bear children to earn Jacob's love. This midrash uses a common date to connect various historical events. This means Jacob was Laban's nephew. She therefore insisted that Jacob pray to God for children, arguing that his father, Isaac, had done so(comp. They assert that Jacobs kiss was not a wanton one, but one that expressed familial feeling, since Rachel was related to him (Gen. Rabbahloc. The purpose of the comparison between Benjamin and his mother was to say that just as Benjamin was unjustly accused, so, too, Rachel should not have been called a thief, since her motive was positive. 21). He said to them: My masters, why do you disagree about me? According to another tradition, the word naftali is to be derived fromninfei(bride). Buber],Vayeze19). Well, according to the math in the Bible, Jacob was 8. After discovering that he had been tricked, Jacob married Rachel also and then worked out another seven-year contract for this marriage. Jacob replied that he was her father's equal in trickery; and he agreed with Rachel upon certain signs which would enable him to recognize her. That was a lie. Saul, the son of Rachels son, remained silent(I Sam. 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. Some criticized Leah, for by her actions she exhibited ingratitude to Rachel. Gen. 29tells of the first meeting between Jacob and Rachel at the well. An opposing exegetical view, however, notes that when Jacob sent for his wives to come to the field(Gen. 31:5), theTorahstates: Jacob had Rachel and Leah called to the fieldhe called to Rachel first, and therefore she acted properly when she was the first to respond to him. Today a site exists along the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem that most people say is the tomb of Rachel. Jacob agreed to this. B. 1; Gen. R. lxxi. The Rabbis differ as to the reason why Rachel stole her father's teraphim. After spending a month with his relatives he asked for her hand in marriage in return for working seven years for Laban the Aramean. 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]). Let us know. 21). Buber],Vayeshev19). 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. The account of Jacob and Rachel is presented to the reader as a love story, and quite a romantic one at that. The Birth of Benjamin and the Death of Rachel. Rachel married Jacob after he was tricked into marrying her sister Leah. 9). Thismidrashattributes a dual meaning to Gods statement: for there is a reward for your labor. Rachel acted in an extraordinary manner when she helped her sister to be married to Jacob and also when she prayed for her children. Gen. 29:1011tells how Jacob watered Rachels flock, and then kissed her and wept. He knew that he would marry her, just as Rebekah had been married to Isaac, and he also understood that he would bury her. 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. Rachel said: If Leah were not righteous, would she have given birth?(Gen. Rabbah71:6). 21:1517prescribes that If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and both [] have borne him sons [] he may not treat as first-born the son of the loved one in disregard of the son of the unloved one who is older. Jacob said to Rachel: who has deniedyoufruit of the wombHe denied you, but me He did not deny [since I have sons from Leah]. It was for my sake that he came here and served our father for so many years. Jacob insisted on giving the child the name of Benjamin, or "son of my right hand."[1]. But Laban substituted Leah, Rachel's older sister, in her place. Buber],Vayeze12). 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. In this manner, the barren women became one of the Matriarchs of the nation. 123a; Midr. The Rabbis understand the wording(Gen. 29:31): but Rachel was barren [akarah] as teaching of Rachels merit: despite her not having children, she nonetheless was the chief person [ikar] of the household. The affair of the mandrakes is generally represented by the Rabbis as unfavorable to Rachel; and it was due to her mode of obtaining them (comp. Her death occurred not far from Ephrath, and she was buried on the road leading thither, Jacob setting up a pillar on her grave to perpetuate her memory (xxxv. "the written Torah." Rachel first met Jacob in 2245 AM (1759 BC), at the community well in Haran. When Jacob left the land of Canaan, he had vowed that he would return to Bethel and sacrifice to the Lord(Gen. 28:2022). She said: We are leavingshall we leave this old man in his corruption [i.e., idolatry]? Consequently, Scripture proclaims her praise and tells of the act of theft(Gen. Rabbah74:5).
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