This was the year in which Jacob fled in secret from Laban. 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). ; Midr. InJer. 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. In return, Leah requested that Rachel forgo her right to be with Jacob that night. Vilna] petihtah 24). When those seven years were completed and the time came for my marriage to my husband, my father advised exchanging me with my sister. When Abraham was about 100 years old, he and his wife Sarah had a son who they named Isaac. [9][10][11], Last modified on August 11, 2016, at 17:07. So lonely was she that even the Lord took notice of it and blessed her with many children as consolation. 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. Who was Rachel in the Bible? Buber],Vayeze18). Bilhah: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive Joseph thereby is awarded a double portion, which is the right of the firstborn. Laban's excuse was that it was not their custom to marry off the younger daughter before the older one. 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. If you forgot, she was best friends with Rachel Green ( Jennifer Aniston ) before she wound up . Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). "Jacob and Rachel at the Well, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, c. 1896-1902. Themidrash, however, presents two principal approaches to this question. Yet a third tradition explains that Rachel merited pregnancy because she brought her rival wife [Bilhah] into her house. And there is hope for your futuredeclares the Lord: Your children shall return to their country(Gen. Rabbah82:10). Deut. According to these first two traditions, Naphtalis name portrays an experience undergone by Rachel. Jacob was quite old compared to other generat. Before she died, she said that the child should be named Ben-oni, or "son of my pain." Rachel unquestionably had Jacob's favor, but Rachel was sterile, while Leah was fertile. RACHEL, JACOB in the BIBLE. Famous love story with passion, tragedy. Did he not gird his loins for her [since Isaac strove and prayed so that Rebekah would become pregnant]? Jacob replied: He did not have children, I have children [I already have four sons from Leah]. Rachel retorted: And did not your grandfather [Abraham] have children [Abraham had Ishmael], yet he girded his loins for Sarah[nonetheless, he made the effort of praying so that Sarah would become pregnant]? He told her: You can do as my grandmother [Sarah] did. She asked him: And what did she do? He replied: She brought a rival wife [Hagar] into her house. She responded: If this is the obstacle, [then](Gen. 30:3): Here is my maid Bilhah. Rachel, who was not so occupied, therefore became the mainstay of the household. If I had sent a message to him, saying: Take note that they are deceiving you, would he not have refrained? 60a), and who are often referred to in the liturgy, Rachel being mentioned before Leah. 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. https://www.learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193 (accessed May 1, 2023). 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. 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. 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. 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). 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. [1] In 1620, the Ottoman Turks surrounded the supposed grave with a cube surmounted by a dome. Themidrashrelates that there was no maiden comelier than Rachel, which was why Jacob desired to wed her, and sent her presents. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". But Rachel was not content with this. Rachels barrenness intensified the jealousy between them, but Leah, out of demonstrated compassion for her sister, prayed that she give birth. 1) is only once (Gen. R. xlv. 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. But on the night of the marriage, Laban deceived Jacob. [3] This traditional site lies four miles south of Jerusalem and one mile north of Bethlehem. Rachel said: I should have been Jacobs bride before my sister. Rachel: Wife of Jacob, Sister of Leah - Guideposts Then she waived this status when she consented to Leahs marriage to Jacob. 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. The marriage of Rachel in the Bible was one of the most captivating episodes recorded in the book of Genesis, a story of love triumphing over lies. The younger daughter of Laban and the wife of Jacob, Rachel is the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who become two of the twelve tribes of Israel ( Gen 35:24; 46:15-18). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. When Laban caught up with them, he searched for the idols, but Rachel had hidden the statues under her camel's saddle. ; Gen. R. lxxiv. Rachel in the Bible - Jacob's Wife and Mother of Joseph - Learn Religions At first childless, Rachel eventually gave birth to Joseph and died giving birth to Benjamin. After working for Laban another seven years, Jacob marries Rachel Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. R., Petita, 25). Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 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). 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. Rebekah had sent him there to be safe from his angry twin brother, Esau . How old was Jacob when he married? - The Bible Made Plain Rabbah3:2). Jacob told Reuben: The birthright, the priesthood, and kingship were yours. Buber],Vayeze12). The proverb teaches that we should not be surprised by this similarity, since Rachel was exceedingly beautiful, so was her son. Gen. 33:2relates: putting the maids and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last, to which the midrash comments: The more behind, the more beloved(Gen. Rabbah78:8). Another exegetical tradition relates that when Rachel saw the events of the Destruction and the Israelites being sent into exile from their land, she jumped in before God and said: Master of the Universe! 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. 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. genesis - How old was Jacob when he first saw Rachel? - Biblical Rachel | Bible, Jacob, Leah, & Facts | Britannica RACHEL - JewishEncyclopedia.com Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. Jeremiah represents Rachel, weeping for her children being driven into captivity, as the personification of tenderness (Jer. Another tradition explains the Torahs statement(Gen. 29:16): Now Laban had two daughters as meaning that both were equal in beauty and in their erect stature (Tanhuma[ed. Jacob should have understood her pain, instead of rebuking her for the manner in which she spoke. Why did Rachel die? 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 Story of Jacob and his Wives Leah and Rachel - SlideServe 6:23)(Gen. Rabbah82:7). 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). Instead of showing understanding, he amplifies her pain by telling her that he already has four sons from Leah. 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. Notwithstanding this, Rachels exemplary deeds caused the seniority to return to her. When Naphtali was born, Rachel felt that her competition with her sister had reached a point of equilibrium. 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. Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. But the Bible makes no specific statement to this effect. "Meet Rachel - Favored Wife of Jacob." The Rabbis seek to discover the reason why Rachels womb was opened. 3 (2020): 299-333. 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. 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. Family relations of Rachel in the Bible. Jer. As the four different plants with which the Jews were commanded to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 19:11) drippings of the comb [nofet zufim], which are in the portion of Naphtali, who will engage in Torah study (Gen. Rabbahloc. 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. Themidrashperceives Rachel as an educational figure who delineated the path that her offspring were to follow. 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. How old was Rachel when she died. She raised Joseph and Benjamin as if she were their mother(Gen. Rabbah84:11). She performed the exchange fully aware of what she was doing, even though she knew that Leah would bear most of Jacobs sons. According to another tradition, the word naftali is to be derived fromninfei(bride). Rachel then offered to allow Leah to lie with Jacob that evening. Themidrashrecords a disagreement among the Rabbis concerning the origins of Elijah. Leah was busy with raising her children and therefore could not care for the needs of the household. xxxvi. 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. 10:12): Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon! was by merit of Rachels kindness (Tanhuma[ed. Jacob retorted in anger that he did not stand in the place of God, Who alone decided questions of that sort. The Rabbis differ as to the reason why Rachel stole her father's teraphim. God said to Jacob: Is this how one replies to embittered women? (NIV), Genesis 30:22Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. 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 Rabbis learned from this that whoever makes a vow and delays fulfilling it will bury his wife (Lev. 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. Buber],Vayeze19). Rachel is mentioned twice in the Old Testament beyond her story in Genesis. Why, then, did she die? 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. When Jacob spoke with Leah, Rachel would answer him, so that he would not identify Leahs voice (Lam. DAY 34: Jacob Was 84 Years Old When He Married Rachel And Leah Jacob then married Rachel and worked for Laban another seven years for her. [2] Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. Laban immediately said that if Jacob would serve him for an additional seven years, he could marry Rachel as well. Rachel and her sister Leah are mentioned as the two women who founded the house of Israel, Rachel, though younger, being mentioned first (Ruth iv. God remembered Rachel on Rosh ha-Shanah (Ber. By her merit, Joseph was given the birthright, and her descendants rose to royalty, leadership, and greatness. She hid these teraphim in her saddle bag, and sat on them. 2; Midr. Rachel immediately told her father Laban about the helpful stranger at the well. She therefore insisted that Jacob pray to God for children, arguing that his father, Isaac, had done so(comp. 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. Unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel stole her father's household gods or teraphim. Agadah to Gen. xxx. Rachel: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive 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. She stole the household idols (teraphim) that belonged to Laban, in the belief that those idols would confer some protective power. Did I not go to Laban only for Rachel? 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. Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. Rachelis depicted in theTorah she-bi-khetav: Lit. Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2022, learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193. After discovering that he had been tricked, Jacob married Rachel also and then worked out another seven-year contract for this marriage. 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. 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. Gen. xxx. As Rachel's death occurred fifteen years after her marriage, she must have died at the age of thirty-six (Seder 'Olam Rabbah l.c. Thismidrashincorporates several aggadic traditions according to which Leah gave birth to Issachar and Zebulun by merit of the mandrakes that she gave her sister. 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. Jacob gave Reuben the birthright, but it was postponed because of the sin of the latter, who was vindicated and regained his birthright in the time of Moses. Agadah toGen. "Rachel: Midrash and Aggadah." A miracle was performed for her, the idols were transformed into cups, and therefore Laban did not find them(Gen. Rabbah74:9). 3, 6). 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. According to one opinion, her death was a punishment for Jacob, for having made a vow and then not honoring it. Rachel said: If Leah were not righteous, would she have given birth?(Gen. Rabbah71:6). 22-24). 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. 10:5], and therefore Rachel died during childbirth(Gen. 35:19). The "Sefer ha-Yashar" (section "Wayishla," p. 56b), however, gives her age at the time of her death as forty-five. 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]. 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. Jacob was 77 years old, and he loved Rachel immediately. Rachel married Jacob after he was tricked into marrying her sister Leah. 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. 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). (NIV), Genesis 35:24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel said: I prepared myself [nupeti, i.e., I prepared myself for Jacobs bed], I allowed myself to be persuaded [pititito withdraw in favor of my sister and to aid her to be Jacobs wife], I exalted my sister over myself [taliti ahoti alai], and I have prevailed(Gen. Rabbah71:8). He asked for Rachels hand because he thought that Leah was intended for Esau (Tanhuma[ed. Bethlehem is now an Arab-controlled town. I am from the descendants of Rachel(Gen. Rabbah71:9). 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. Saul, the son of Rachels son, remained silent(I Sam. cit.). 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. However, since he was delayed in fulfilling his vow [as is related inGen. 35:17], he was punished by having to bury Rachel. Buber],Vayeshev19). xxxv. 1-min read. The most extreme description of Rachels act of self-sacrifice appears inLam. Some midrashim view the name given by Rachel to her son Joseph as a prophecy for what would befall his descendants. God accepted her prayer and the sex of the fetus in her womb changed to female(BTBerakhot60a;Tanhuma[ed. 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). 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. 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. How long were Jacob and Rachel married? - Christianity Stack Exchange Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Jacob was 147 years old when he died, Gen 47:28. The midrash adds that Laban entered Rachels tent twice, because he knew that she was inclined to steal. In another midrashic tradition, however, Jacob did not initially favor Rachel over Leah. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah as Jacobs beautiful and beloved wife. "Staging Rachel: Rabbinic Midrash, Theatrical Mime, and Christian Martyrdom in Late Antiquity." Agadah to Gen. xxx. When Leah was brought under the wedding canopy, Rachel thought: Now my sister will be shamed [when Jacob discovers the fraud and does not marry her]. She gave the signs to Leah. 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. 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. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. But had she been obviously pregnant, she would not have been able to lie convincingly.
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