She was the younger daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah. 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. Scripture says Rachel was beautiful. He was then allowed to marry Rachel as well, in return for seven more years of labour. 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. Her name means "ewe" in Hebrew. (This mistaken belief was similar to the belief that both sisters had in the power of the common mandrake to confer fertility.) Rachel asks Jacob: Is this how your father [Isaac] acted toward your mother [Rebekah]? Thismidrashincorporates several aggadic traditions according to which Leah gave birth to Issachar and Zebulun by merit of the mandrakes that she gave her sister. 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. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah as Jacobs beautiful and beloved wife. 8:6: For love is fierce as death (Tanhuma[ed. The Rabbis understand the wording (Gen. Did Isaac and Rebekah have a wedding? The Bible does not say when Rachel was born, nor how old she was when she married Jacob, nor how long she lived. 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. [1] The midrash connects these actions, both of which express Rachels compassionate nature. Zavada, Jack. Jacob agreed to this. The Story of Jacob and his Wives Leah and Rachel The role of women in the Old Testament. 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 "Sefer ha-Yashar" (section "Wayishla," p. 56b), however, gives her age at the time of her death as forty-five. Rachel, who was not so occupied, therefore became the mainstay of the household. Themidrashlinks the birth of Joseph and the departure from the house of Laban with the encounter with Esau. 113:9states: He sets the childless woman among her household as a happy mother of children (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana[ed. Then she waived this status when she consented to Leahs marriage to Jacob. Once she has given birth, she places the blame on her child (Tanhuma[ed. In the fourth interpretive possibility, the name given by Rachel portrays the childs character, thus predicting the future. [3] This traditional site lies four miles south of Jerusalem and one mile north of Bethlehem. Jacob protested, and Laban answered that local custom did not permit a younger sister to marry before the older sister. Buber],Vayeshev19). (NIV). She bore him in 2259 AM. This was the year in which Jacob fled in secret from Laban. Rachel and Leah were twin sisters, fourteen years old when Jacob came to their father's house; consequently they were twenty-one years old at the time of their marriage to Jacob (Seder 'Olam Rabbah ii.). 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]. Although Rachel died young, the Rabbis indicate her positive influence on her descendants, even long after her passing. Gen. 29:17attests: Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Themidrashadds that there was no maiden fairer than Rachel (Tanhuma,Vayeze6). Yet a third tradition explains that Rachel merited pregnancy because she brought her rival wife [Bilhah] into her house. Notwithstanding this, Rachels exemplary deeds caused the seniority to return to her. 1777 BC-1759 BC-1738 BC) was the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. 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. Her first son was Joseph, the future viceroy of Egypt. 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. Consort with her [] that through her I too may have children (Gen. Rabbahloc. The Rabbis learned from this that seven days of feasting are to be conducted for a bride and groom (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer[ed. ; comp. At his meeting with Esau, Jacob showed his particular affection for Rachel by placing her last, with her son Joseph (xxxiii. 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. 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. midrash relates that Rachel was twenty-two years old when she was married to Jacob ( "order.". Buber],Vayeze19). 3). Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193. Isaac, the father of Jacob, wanted his son to marry from among their own people, so he sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to find a wife among the daughters of Laban, Jacob's uncle. Genesis 29:18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "Ill work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. 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. 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). In any case, Rachel cannot have conceived Benjamin earlier than the springtime. Joseph thereby is awarded a double portion, which is the right of the firstborn. She did not want to adhere to the paganism of her fathers house, but rather sought to prevent Laban from engaging in idolatry. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. "Meet Rachel - Favored Wife of Jacob." Thismidrashindicates the physical trait shared by Rachel and Joseph, which the Bible expresses in identical language. Buber],Vayeze6). R. xxx. Accordingly, after the birth of Joseph, Esaus foil, Jacob resolved that the time had come to return to his homeland(Gen. Rabbah73:7). Therefore, Benjamin must have been conceived shortly before the flight from Laban and born nine months later. Most of the Rabbis consider the idea of Rachel being an envious woman as incompatible with what has been previously said of her. [6] (Genesis 31:19-20 ) Jones[7] records that the phrase "born to him in Padan-aram" that appears after the listing of Jacob's sons (Genesis 35:26 ) can also mean "engendered by him in Padan-aram." Referred to alternatively as the "Day of Judgement" and the "Day of Blowing" (of the shofar).Rosh Ha-Shanah, like Sarah andHannah. Midr. Bilhah bore children to Jacob, causing Leah to give her servant Zilpah to Jacob, who had children with her. Bilhah bore two sons, Dan and Naphtali, over the next two years.[1][2][3]. 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). Higger], chap. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The midrash further states that, as reward for Rachels modesty, Saul was descended from her; and as reward for Sauls modesty, Esther was descended from him. 4; "Sefer ha-Yashar," section "Wayee," p. 47a). Rachel, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), one of the two wives of the patriarch Jacob. According to these first two traditions, Naphtalis name portrays an experience undergone by Rachel. The Rabbis seek to discover the reason why Rachels womb was opened. ; Gen. R. lxxiv. 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. 6), this prayer of Rachel caused Leah's seventh child, which at the time of conception was a son, to be transformed into a daughter; otherwise Rachel would have been the mother of only one son (comp., however, Ber. 1; Gen. R. lxxi. Buber],Mikez13). When Rachel saw them, she asked Leah to give them to her [because of her barrenness]. Friedmann (Ish-Shalom)], chap. pseudo-Jonathan ad loc.). Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. R., Petita, 25). Jacob kissed Rachel and fell in love with her instantly. After spending a month with his relatives he asked for her hand in marriage in return for working seven years for Laban the Aramean. Captivated by her, "Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncles flock." Isaac married Rabecah and they had two sons - Esau and Jacob. She bore another son and a daughter over the next two years. Themidrashasserts that the salvation that occurred in his time in the war at Gilgal(Josh. 31 December 1999. This exposition aims to applaud Jacobs strength, which increased due to his love for Rachel. Rachel unquestionably had Jacob's favor, but Rachel was sterile, while Leah was fertile. Rachelis depicted in theTorah she-bi-khetav: Lit. He said to them: My masters, why do you disagree about me? In the four years following their marriage, Leah had four sons; Rachel had none. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. 14; Midr. The Jewish New Year, held on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. 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. 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. 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. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. His preference for her continued even after her death, and also influenced Jacobs attitude to her children. Leah bore Jacob six sons and a daughter. Our part is simply to accept and be thankful. 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 died after bearing her second son, in 2266 AM. 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. TheTorahrelates that it was Joseph who ordered that the goblet be hidden in Benjamins sack. Leah was busy with raising her children and therefore could not care for the needs of the household. All this means that Jacob was married to Rachel for some time between about 15 years and 22 years. She performed the exchange fully aware of what she was doing, even though she knew that Leah would bear most of Jacobs sons. (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. Buber],Vayeshev19). When Jacob wanted to leave Haran, he summoned his wives to the field and told them of his plans. A miracle was performed for her, the idols were transformed into cups, and therefore Laban did not find them(Gen. Rabbah74:9). According to the Rabbis, Laban would not have succeeded in deceiving Jacob without Rachels involvement. It was through the merit of her discretion that Rachel became the ancestress of King Saul, who also was discreet (Meg. Rachel said: If Leah were not righteous, would she have given birth?(Gen. Rabbah71:6). cit.). In the episode of the mandrakes, when Leah reproached her sister for having robbed her of her husband (Gen. xxx. Some criticized Leah, for by her actions she exhibited ingratitude to Rachel. Why did Rachel die? 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. Answer Rachel is a major character in the early Old Testament; she was a daughter of Laban, sister of Leah, favored wife of Jacob, and mother of two of Jacob's children. Now that you have sinned, the birthright has been given to Joseph, the priesthood to Levi, and kingship to Judah (Gen. Rabbahloc. Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. 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. 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. Therefore, Jacob was 71 years old at the time he met Rachel. Theodor-Albeck, MS. Vatican, 99:3, p. 1253]). The Rabbis did not view this exchange between the sisters favorably. Of the two women that Jacob married, Rachel was loved, and Leah unloved. 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). When Jacob left the land of Canaan, he had vowed that he would return to Bethel and sacrifice to the Lord(Gen. 28:2022). 21). If she breaks a vessel within the house, whom shall she blame for this? She told Jacob that if he didn't "give" her children, she would die. 31:1416attests: A cry is heard in Ramahwailing, bitter weepingRachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children, who are gone. "Rachel: Midrash and Aggadah." 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. According to one, Reuben, Leahs son and the firstborn of Jacob, does receive the birthright. 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. Due to Rachels good deeds or to Reubens sin, the initial order was restored. 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). 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. If you forgot, she was best friends with Rachel Green ( Jennifer Aniston ) before she wound up . 9-12, 17-18, 31; xxx. Jacob allowed Laban to search for the idols. 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. The reason for this was Josephs fear that Esau would see Rachel and desire her. Rachel immediately told her father Laban about the helpful stranger at the well. Ussher[8] disputes the notion that Benjamin may be counted among the sons born or engendered in Padan-aram. 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). No, he did not. Answer (1 of 5): How old was Jacob when he married his wife in the Bible? 26-28). 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). Instead of giving Laban the traditional bride-price, Jacob agreed to work for Laban seven years to earn Rachel's hand in marriage. 3; Pire R. El. (NIV), Genesis 35:24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. At the well at Haran, Jacob found Rachel, Laban's younger daughter, tending sheep. Leah conceived a son that very evening, and bore him the next year. [2] Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. Gen. 30:25relates that after Josephs birth Jacob asked Laban for permission to return to his land. 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). 2227 AM-m. 2245 AM-2266 AM) (ca. How old was Rachel when she died. l.c.) Zavada, Jack. And, indeed, she bore Jacob only a single additional son, Benjamin(JTBerakhot9:3, 14[ab]). 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. 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. Though she and Jacob were deeply in love, she did not conceive for many years. By her merit, Joseph was given the birthright, and her descendants rose to royalty, leadership, and greatness. Rachel knows that she is Jacobs true intended bride. 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! In the tableau inGen. 35:17, Rachel experiences difficulty in childbirth and the midwife tells her: Have no fear, for it is another boy for you. The Rabbis observe that this is how a womans spirit is restored during childbirth, by telling her not to fear, because she is giving birth to a son [which was regarded as an honor which would raise the womans spirits](Gen. Rabbah82:8). Jacob was quite old compared to other generat. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. 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. According to Gen. R. (lxxii. 22). Laban agreed to the arrangement. 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). These midrashic expositions cast Rachels act in a positive light. TheTorahstates that Rachel named Bilhahs sons. But as she approached, a stranger (Jacob) rolled the stone away for her and watered the sheep. Yet another tradition asserts that this was not stated to Rachels credit, and confirms the fact of her barrenness. According to one of these interpretations, the disgrace to which Rachel refers is the affair of theConcubine of a Levite(Jud. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. 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. This was exceedingly difficult for me, when I learned of this counsel. Rachel first met Jacob in 2245 AM (1759 BC), at the community well in Haran. They assert that Jacobs kiss was not a wanton one, but one that expressed familial feeling, since Rachel was related to him (Gen. Rabbahloc. 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). Bilhah, Rachel's servant and Jacob's concubine, bears two more sons, Dan and Naphtali. 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). She knew that Jacob was to have only twelve sons, and, Joseph being the eleventh son, she prayed for only one son more (Tan., Wayee, 20). When not specified, "Talmud" refers to the Babylonian Talmud.Talmud asserts that the Matriarch Rachel was one of the first women prophets. 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. That was a lie. 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. 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). 15). She told her father she was having her period, making her ceremonially unclean, so he did not search near her. Besides, Rachel was afraid that her father, seeing that she had no children by Jacob, might marry her to Esau (Midr. Rachel (Hebrew: , Rl; "a ewe"[1]) (ca. When Naphtali was born, Rachel felt that her competition with her sister had reached a point of equilibrium. It was for my sake that he came here and served our father for so many years. God thereupon promised her the restoration of Israel (Lam. Laban agreed. 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. 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. Rachel then offered to allow Leah to lie with Jacob that evening. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. When Joseph was born, Rachel stated(Gen. 30:24): May the Lord add [yosef] another son for me. TheLit. But Rachel was not content with this. Rosh Hashanah is perceived as the time of liberation from pain and sorrow: this is the day that signals a positive change, both in the time of the Matriarchs and in the time of their offspring. 24), show that she was a prophetess. 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). Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2022, learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193. Continuing this exegetical orientation, in another midrashic depiction Jacob tells Reuben, while blessing his sons before his death: The birthright was not yours. Meet Rachel - Favored Wife of Jacob. 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. Gen. 29:1011tells how Jacob watered Rachels flock, and then kissed her and wept. Even when he came to bless her son, he made him [Joseph] secondary to her. cit.). Gen. xxv. After the week had passed, Jacob prepared for his wedding night. After Josephs birth, she exclaimed: God has taken away my disgrace (Tanhuma[ed. Deut. 60a, and Targ. 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. "Staging Rachel: Rabbinic Midrash, Theatrical Mime, and Christian Martyrdom in Late Antiquity." He knew that he would marry her, just as Rebekah had been married to Isaac, and he also understood that he would bury her. lxx. And there is hope for your futuredeclares the Lord: Your children shall return to their country (Lam. Agadah to Gen. xxx. Those sons became the founders of the 12 tribes of Israel. 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. 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. 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.
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