At the end of twenty years of service (seven each for Leah and Rachel, and six more for a portion of Laban's flocks), Jacob and Laban fell out. 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. Before her death, Rachel names the newborn. 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). Jacob then married Rachel and worked for Laban another seven years for her. 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. Overall, the midrash portrays Rachel as incredibly generous and compassionate, and her goodness is seen in her descendants. Rachel probably conceived Benjamin, her second son, in the spring of 2265 AM (1739 BC). Thus she would be eighteen years of age when she married. 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 []. The first was his anguish at his poverty. 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. God remembered Rachel on Rosh ha-Shanah (Ber. Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2022, learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193. Genesis chapters 29-30 and 35 detail the births of Jacob's many children. The 63-year-old Dirty Dancing icon appeared in the very first season of the show, playing Mindy. "Meet Rachel - Favored Wife of Jacob." Buber],Vayeshev19). Jacob protested, and Laban answered that local custom did not permit a younger sister to marry before the older sister. But on the night of the marriage, Laban deceived Jacob. Recall Jacob had to flee from his family's house because of his treachery toward his brother Esau. Her name means "ewe" in Hebrew. 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 midrash adds that Laban entered Rachels tent twice, because he knew that she was inclined to steal. It was through the merit of her discretion that Rachel became the ancestress of King Saul, who also was discreet (Meg. The Rabbis learn of Gods retaining the key of the woman giving birth from Rachel, of whom it is said: Now God remembered Rachel; God heeded her and opened her womb(BTTaanit2ab). He knew that he would marry her, just as Rebekah had been married to Isaac, and he also understood that he would bury her. The competition between Rachel and Leah did not cease upon Rachels death, and is reflected in the question of the birthright: which of the firstborn of Jacobs wives would receive the birthright, Reuben or Joseph? By her merit, Joseph was given the birthright, and her descendants rose to royalty, leadership, and greatness. When Abraham was about 100 years old, he and his wife Sarah had a son who they named Isaac. 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. Agadah to Gen. xxx. The Birth of Benjamin and the Death of Rachel. Saul, the son of Rachels son, remained silent(I Sam. Rachel unquestionably had Jacob's favor, but Rachel was sterile, while Leah was fertile. Bilhah bore Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali, the first by her own merit, and the second by the merit of Rachel (Gen. Rabbati,Vayeze, p. 121). 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. [3] This traditional site lies four miles south of Jerusalem and one mile north of Bethlehem. 3; Pire R. El. She bore another son and a daughter over the next two years. And, indeed, she bore Jacob only a single additional son, Benjamin(JTBerakhot9:3, 14[ab]). When Rachel realized that she was barren, she emulated Sarah and gave Bilhah to Jacob, saying: "Just as this one was built by her rival wife, so, too, shall I be built by my rival wife" (Gen. Rabbah 71:30). While Rachel was barren for the first fourteen years of her marriage, she is still described as Jacobs preferred wife and a powerful woman. Today, we live in a performance-based society. Themidrashlists three reasons for Jacobs crying on this occasion. The Rabbis learned from this that when God decrees greatness for a person, He decrees greatness for all his posterity to the end of time (BTMegillah13b). Let us know. Forced to serve Rachels father, Laban, for seven years to win her, Jacob was tricked at the end of that time into marrying her sister, Leah. In another tradition, Rachel envied Leahs good deeds. When Jacob left the land of Canaan, he had vowed that he would return to Bethel and sacrifice to the Lord(Gen. 28:2022). 14). Jacob allowed Laban to search for the idols. You are your mothers son! 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. According to Gen. R. (lxxii. In this manner, the barren women became one of the Matriarchs of the nation. In an additional commentary, another son referred to the apportioning ofThe Land of IsraelErez Israel, since Benjamin did not have a portion with Joseph, but with the tribe of Judah(Gen. Rabbah73:56). 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. Thismidrashincorporates several aggadic traditions according to which Leah gave birth to Issachar and Zebulun by merit of the mandrakes that she gave her sister. 3). 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). Rachel's early decease was due, according to the general opinion of the Rabbis, to Jacob's involuntary curse uttered when Laban was searching for the teraphim, "With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live" (Gen. xxxi. Bilhah, Rachel's servant and Jacob's concubine, bears two more sons, Dan and Naphtali. 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. ; comp. 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. Instead of showing understanding, he amplifies her pain by telling her that he already has four sons from Leah. (Genesis 29:10, NLT). When Jacob introduced himself to Rachel, he told her (v. 12) that he was her fathers kinsman, that he was Rebekahs son. In the midrashic expansion, Jacob told Rachel: if to deceivehe was her fathers kinsman; and if for righteousnesshe was Rebekahs son. xxiii. 14-15), Rachel's feelings were wounded, and she replied bitterly: "Jacob is not thy husband; he is mine. Jacob told Reuben: The birthright, the priesthood, and kingship were yours. Jacob said: If all my children will be killed, Rachels son will remain, for he will punish this wicked seed, as it is said(Jud. The "Sefer ha-Yashar" (section "Wayishla," p. 56b), however, gives her age at the time of her death as forty-five. 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. The midrash explains that the education that Joseph received from his mother continued to guide him even after her death. Rachel and Jacob were cousins. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. 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. https://www.learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193 (accessed May 1, 2023). 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. The Hebrew name of Rachel means ewe or beautiful. [1] In 1620, the Ottoman Turks surrounded the supposed grave with a cube surmounted by a dome. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 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.Seder Olam Rabbah2). pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxx. When Rachel saw that she did not bear children, she followed in the footsteps of Sarah: just as she [Sarah] had been built (i.e., had children) through her rival wife [Hagar], so too, this one [Rachel] would be built by her rival wife [Bilhah] (Gen. Rabbahloc. Laban substituted Leah, his older daughter, and in the darkness, Jacob thought Leah was Rachel. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Since she suffered many years of barrenness, she was rewarded by the Israelites being called by her name, or by the name of her descendants. Jacob was on his way back to his native country when Rachel died while giving birth to her second son, Benjamin. Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin. Now that you have sinned, the birthright has been given to Joseph, the priesthood to Levi, and kingship to Judah (Gen. Rabbahloc. Our part is simply to accept and be thankful. When his time came to take leave of the world, he summoned his sons, but he did not choose Joseph instead of Reuben. 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). The account of Jacob and Rachel is presented to the reader as a love story, and quite a romantic one at that. Zavada, Jack. 6) interpreted by the Rabbis as indicating one of the characteristics of women. Rabbah[ed. Continuing this exegetical orientation, in another midrashic depiction Jacob tells Reuben, while blessing his sons before his death: The birthright was not yours. Who was Rachel in the Bible? This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rachel-biblical-figure, McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Rachel. Another midrash adds that by merit of Rachels silence, two tribesEphraim and Manassehissued forth from her, in addition to the other ten tribes(Gen. Rabbah71:5;Tanhuma,Vayeze6). Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Rebekah had sent him there to be safe from his angry twin brother, Esau . When Rachel saw them, she asked Leah to give them to her [because of her barrenness]. 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. The proverb teaches that we should not be surprised by this similarity, since Rachel was exceedingly beautiful, so was her son. 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. After that I consoled myself, I suffered [to overcome] my desire and had compassion for my sister that she not suffer disgrace, and I gave her all the signs that I had given to my husband, so that he would think that she was Rachel. Jacob was 77 years old, and he loved Rachel immediately. At last Rachel prayed to God, and God caused her to conceive. 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. Gen. 29:1011tells how Jacob watered Rachels flock, and then kissed her and wept. Did I not go to Laban only for Rachel? She was the younger daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. At first childless, Rachel eventually gave birth to Joseph and died giving birth to Benjamin. Gen. xxx. Whatever the case, she died young. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". Buber],Vayeze13). The Rabbis claim that Rachel did so for the sake of Heaven. So Rachel offered her handmaid, Bilhah, as her surrogate. Jacob said to Joseph that he had buried Rachel near Ephrath, where Bethlehem now stands. In 1860, Sir Moses Montefiore enlarged this structure. 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. Thismidrashindicates the physical trait shared by Rachel and Joseph, which the Bible expresses in identical language. 22). 19:11) drippings of the comb [nofet zufim], which are in the portion of Naphtali, who will engage in Torah study (Gen. Rabbahloc. Referred to alternatively as the "Day of Judgement" and the "Day of Blowing" (of the, Lit. 1; Tan., Wayee, 19; Gen. R. lxxi. Buber],Vayeshev19). Captivated by her, "Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncles flock." 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. 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. Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. 24), show that she was a prophetess. 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). Themidrashstates that Leah carried a male fetus in her womb during her seventh pregnancy. At the well at Haran, Jacob found Rachel, Laban's younger daughter, tending sheep. Altogether, the four women bore 12 sons and one daughter, Dinah. Rachel (Hebrew: , Rl; "a ewe"[1]) (ca. Most of the Rabbis consider the idea of Rachel being an envious woman as incompatible with what has been previously said of her. Before she died, she said that the child should be named Ben-oni, or "son of my pain." Rachel feared that her deeds were not favorable in the eyes of God, which resulted in her barrenness. 1; Gen. R. lxxi. Some rabbinical writings suggest that Rachel and Leah were twins, and were fourteen years old at the time of Jacob's first meeting with Rachel. Rachelis depicted in theTorah she-bi-khetav: Lit. 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. Love in the Bible: From God's Love to the Most Romantic Scriptures, Meet Isaac in the Bible: Abraham's Miracle Son, Meet Eve: The First Woman, Wife, and Mother of All the Living, Bathsheba, Mother of Solomon, Wife of King David, A Profile of Abraham of the Jewish Nation, 8 Mothers in the Bible Who Served God Well, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. The Rabbis present Labans act of deceit as something in which Rachel was involved, from which they learn of her special qualities. Rachel asks Jacob: Is this how your father [Isaac] acted toward your mother [Rebekah]? Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. As punishment for Jacobs behavior, Leahs sons will stand before Joseph, the ruler of all Egypt, hear the same words coming out of his mouth and fear him, not knowing how he will act toward them [after Jacobs death]. Family relations of Rachel in the Bible. Rachel and Leah persuaded their husband to flee from Laban's house, and at the moment of Jacob's flight Rachel stole her father's teraphim. Meet Rachel - Favored Wife of Jacob. 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. Themidrashrelates that there was no maiden comelier than Rachel, which was why Jacob desired to wed her, and sent her presents. 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). Accordingly, after the birth of Joseph, Esaus foil, Jacob resolved that the time had come to return to his homeland(Gen. Rabbah73:7). As compensation for this negative depiction, Scripture calls Israel after her, after her son, and after her sons son. 29a; R. H. 11a), and it was particularly her self-abnegation at the time of her sister's marriage which gained for her the divine clemency (Gen. R. lxxiii. 6:23)(Gen. Rabbah82:7). How old? She possessed the art of silence [when she knew that her sister was given to Jacob deceitfully, but remained silent and did not tell him]; all of her descendants continued in this path, and could keep a secret. I am from the descendants of Rachel(Gen. Rabbah71:9). These two reasons reveal the fact that, already at the instant of his first meeting with Rachel, Jacob realized that she was the woman meant for him. 2; Midr. Jacob's other wife is Rachel's sister Leah, which causes issues between the sisters, especially because Leah is able to bear children. Your life, they will exact punishment from him whenever he threatens your children (Pesikta Rabbati[ed. When Jacob saw Rachel coming with the flock, he rolled the heavy stone from the mouth of the well by himself, a task that normally required more than three men; in the midrashic exposition, he rolled the stone as someone who removes a stopper from a flask(Gen. Rabbah70:12). InJer. Leah suddenly found herself sterile after the birth of Judah, and offered Jacob her own handmaid as well. 31 December 1999. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. Jacob said to Rachel: who has deniedyoufruit of the wombHe denied you, but me He did not deny [since I have sons from Leah]. This midrash indicates a certain correction of the injustice done to Rachel. In another exegetical tradition, Jacob placed Rachel and Joseph last because he wanted to protect them. Therefore, Jacob was 71 years old at the time he met Rachel. 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. This midrash criticizes Jacob for responding so harshly and inconsiderately to Rachel, who is presented as a bitter woman. The Rabbis ask why Jacob buried Rachel on the road to Ephrath, and not in the Cave of Machpelah. 33:12): Of Benjamin he said: Beloved of the Lord, he rests securely beside Him [] as he rests between His shoulders (Tanhuma[ed. And there is hope for your futuredeclares the Lord: Your children shall return to their country (Lam. Theodor-Albeck, MS. Vatican, 99:20, p. 1270]). Isaac married Rabecah and they had two sons - Esau and Jacob.. 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 Rabbis teach of Rachels compassion for her sister, that prevailed over her loyalty to Jacob, along with the unending tension between the two women who lived under the same roof. 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. This was the year in which Jacob fled in secret from Laban. 16-20). Themidrashasserts that the salvation that occurred in his time in the war at Gilgal(Josh. Some consider that she did so in order to conceal Jacob's flight; others, that her object was to turn her father from idolatry (Pire R. El. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Updates? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Instead of giving Laban the traditional bride-price, Jacob agreed to work for Laban seven years to earn Rachel's hand in marriage. [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.] In the fourth interpretive possibility, the name given by Rachel portrays the childs character, thus predicting the future. R. xxx. On this date Joseph left the Egyptian prison; and on this date, Israel went forth from their servitude in Egypt(BTRosh Hashanah10b11a). "Staging Rachel: Rabbinic Midrash, Theatrical Mime, and Christian Martyrdom in Late Antiquity." 9). cit.). 22-24). He buried her on the road to Ephrath because he foresaw that the Israelites, when driven into captivity along that road, would need her intercession with God in their behalf (Midr. He therefore went before her, stood up to his full height and hid her from Esau. Buber],Vayeze19). Though she and Jacob were deeply in love, she did not conceive for many years. 4:19), andMichal (daughter of Saul)(II Sam. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the . Gen. 29:18attests: Jacob loved Rachel. The midrashic exegesis of this verse characterizes this love of Jacobs with a reference toCant. Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. TheA type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).midrash portrays Rachel as a prophetess, and her statements and the names she gave her sons contain allusions to the future. 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. He was then allowed to marry Rachel as well, in return for seven more years of labour. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193. "order." 28:20) his tribe received the jasper [yashfe, with the meaning ofyesh pehthere is a mouth] stone in the High Priests breastpiece. Laban agreed. She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. 2227 AM-m. 2245 AM-2266 AM) (ca. Rachel Stevens has shut down ex-fianc Jeremy Edwards's claim that she cheated on him. Rachel, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), one of the two wives of the patriarch Jacob. 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). Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. At Naphtalis birth, Rachel said(Gen. 30:8): A contest of God, a fateful contest I waged [naftuleiniftalti] with my sister; yes, and I have prevailed. Themidrashgives four different interpretations of this name. (2022, December 6). Well, according to the math in the Bible, Jacob was 8. Rabbah[ed. Rabbah, according to which Rachel entered under Jacob and Leahs bed on their wedding night. 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. 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. (NIV), Genesis 30:22Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. cit.). Leah bore Jacob six sons and a daughter. The impregnation of Sarah and Rachel, the Matriarchs of the nation, heralds that God will also deliver their descendants from the troubles they would suffer in the future. "order." Later, Rachel became the mother of Joseph (xxx. 11). They consented, as is said inGen. 31:14: Then Rachel and Leah answered, saying []. Since Rachel spoke before her sister, she was punished by dying before her(Gen. Rabbah74:4). 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. 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.

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