Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Overall, the midrash portrays Rachel as incredibly generous and compassionate, and her goodness is seen in her descendants. 10:12): Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon! was by merit of Rachels kindness (Tanhuma[ed. According to the first, Naphtalis name is an acrostic of all that happened between Rachel and her sister. In the New Testament, this same verse in Jeremiah is cited in Matthew 2:18 as a prophecy fulfilled through Herods order to kill all male children under two in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas. He suggests that the Apostles were also numbered twelve, though Judas Iscariot was dead by that time, (John 20:24 ) and cites Saint Augustine to support him. 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). [1] Rachel knows that she is Jacobs true intended bride. 1-min read. Rachel then offered to allow Leah to lie with Jacob that evening. Jacob kissed Rachel and fell in love with her instantly. In other respects the two sisters were alike, both being ancestresses of kings, heroes, prophets, judges, and conquerors (ib. "order." (This mistaken belief was similar to the belief that both sisters had in the power of the common mandrake to confer fertility.) Some argued that he was from the tribe of Gad, while others maintained that he was a Benjaminite. 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. According to a third tradition, Jacob wept for grief, for he realized that after he kissed Rachel people were whispering to one another: Why has this one come, to teach us this indecent behavior? The midrash comments that after the world had been struck by the Flood, the nations of the world hedged themselves against illicit sexual behavior [i.e., they accepted all manner of sexual prohibitions] (Gen. Rabbahloc. I am from the descendants of Rachel(Gen. Rabbah71:9). Rachel (Hebrew: , Rl; "a ewe"[1]) (ca. Yet another tradition asserts that this was not stated to Rachels credit, and confirms the fact of her barrenness. cit.). Theodor-Albeck, MS. Vatican, 99:20, p. 1270]). Therefore, Benjamin must have been conceived shortly before the flight from Laban and born nine months later. 4:19), andMichal (daughter of Saul)(II Sam. 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]. Leah's life as Jacob's wife was distressful. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. 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. When Rachel saw them, she asked Leah to give them to her [because of her barrenness]. Rachel immediately told her father Laban about the helpful stranger at the well. Her compassion also succeeded in arousing Gods mercy when He answered her prayer. Your life, they will exact punishment from him whenever he threatens your children (Pesikta Rabbati[ed. ; comp. At his meeting with Esau, Jacob showed his particular affection for Rachel by placing her last, with her son Joseph (xxxiii. pseudo-Jonathan ad loc.). However, the text of Genesis 35:9-15 is a narrative that begins with a recapitulation of an earlier incident: the second appearance of God to Jacob and the renaming of Jacob to Israel. Theodor-Albeck, MS. Vatican, p. 1243]). Agadah to Gen. xxx. Rachel married Jacob after he was tricked into marrying her sister Leah. 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. Updates? Today the site is surrounded by an armed fortress and under heavy guard. Who was Rachel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Who was Rachel in the Bible? In the four years following their marriage, Leah had four sons; Rachel had none. Before she died, she said that the child should be named Ben-oni, or "son of my pain." When not specified, "Talmud" refers to the Babylonian Talmud.Talmud asserts that the Matriarch Rachel was one of the first women prophets. 15 (see Biblical Data, above) is the source of the midrashic legend that when the Israelites were driven into captivity by Nebuzar-adan, and the supplications of the Patriarchs and of Moses proved of no avail, Rachel arose from her grave and implored God's clemency, basing her plea upon her own self-abnegation with regard to her sister. Ussher[8] disputes the notion that Benjamin may be counted among the sons born or engendered in Padan-aram. How old was Rachel when Jacob married her? - KnowledgeBurrow 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. 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. This filled Rachel with envy, and, having expressed her feelings to Jacob, she bade him take her handmaid Bilhah to wife in order that she might obtain a family through her (xxix. "the written Torah." 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). Rabbah3:2). These midrashic expositions cast Rachels act in a positive light. Jacob should have understood her pain, instead of rebuking her for the manner in which she spoke. Mandelbaum],Roni Akarah20:1). Leah - Wikipedia 3; Pire R. El. Themidrashrecords a disagreement among the Rabbis concerning the origins of Elijah. xxi., where the number 37 must be corrected to 36). Her first meeting with Jacob occurred at a well near Haran, whither she had taken the flocks for water. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. Leah bore Jacob six sons and a daughter. At first childless, Rachel eventually gave birth to Joseph and died giving birth to Benjamin. She did not want to adhere to the paganism of her fathers house, but rather sought to prevent Laban from engaging in idolatry. 31:20Israel is called after her sons son: Truly, Ephraim is a dear son to Me(Ruth Rabbah7:11:13). 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. Rachels good deeds also positively influenced her children. The Jewish New Year, held on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. While Rachel was barren for the first fourteen years of her marriage, she is still described as Jacobs preferred wife and a powerful woman. She had started from a position of superiority over her sister, since she was the desired wife. He said to them: My masters, why do you disagree about me? The reason for this was Josephs fear that Esau would see Rachel and desire her. Rachel's father Laban was the brother of Rebekah, Jacob mother. The midrash adds that Laban entered Rachels tent twice, because he knew that she was inclined to steal. So, Jacob married and started having children 7 years into his 20 years of service to Laban. Buber],Vayeze12). Jacob labored 14 years to win Rachel in marriage. 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. What age were Leah and Rachel when they got married Did he not go to Laban only because of me? (Gen. Rabbahloc. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). l.c. cit.). Gen. 35:18attests: But as she breathed her lastfor she was dyingshe named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. The Rabbis explain that Rachel called the child the son of my suffering [in Aramaic], while his father gave him the Hebrew name Benjamin. The midrashic sources specify that Rachel died at the age of thirty-six (SederOlam Rabbah2) and list three women who had difficult childbirths and died: Rachel, the wife of Phinehas(I Sam. 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. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. Agadah to Gen. xxix. This exposition aims to applaud Jacobs strength, which increased due to his love for Rachel. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. She bore another son and a daughter over the next two years. (Genesis 29:10, NLT). 3, 6). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Agadah to Gen. xxx. The Rabbis learned from this that seven days of feasting are to be conducted for a bride and groom (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer[ed. The terms "elder" and "younger," applied respectively to Leah and Rachel (Gen. xxix. Themidrashasserts that the salvation that occurred in his time in the war at Gilgal(Josh. So we would only be guessing if we came up with an age for Leah and Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. Since he did not have the money to pay the bride price (the mohar ) for her, he agreed to work seven years for him and then marry Rachel. So Rachel offered her handmaid, Bilhah, as her surrogate. His preference for her continued even after her death, and also influenced Jacobs attitude to her children.