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. Buber],Vayeze13). pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxx. Omissions? 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). Rachel: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Jacob agreed to this. This was the year in which Jacob fled in secret from Laban. 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. ; Gen. R. lxxiv. She spends much of her married life attempting to bear children for Jacob and eventually uses her maid Bilhah as a surrogate, but Rachel still craves biological children. Rachels barrenness intensified the jealousy between them, but Leah, out of demonstrated compassion for her sister, prayed that she give birth. Zilpah, Leah's maid, gives birth to Gad and Asher. The Rabbis understand the wording (Gen. Did Isaac and Rebekah have a wedding? 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). If you forgot, she was best friends with Rachel Green ( Jennifer Aniston ) before she wound up . 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 []. Laban immediately said that if Jacob would serve him for an additional seven years, he could marry Rachel as well. 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. Rachel, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), one of the two wives of the patriarch Jacob. But as she approached, a stranger (Jacob) rolled the stone away for her and watered the sheep. "Staging Rachel: Rabbinic Midrash, Theatrical Mime, and Christian Martyrdom in Late Antiquity." Tadshe, in Epstein, "Mi-admoniyyot ha-Yehudim," Supplement, p. He was then allowed to marry Rachel as well, in return for seven more years of labour. 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. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. The uncertainty arises from the unknown time between Jacob leaving Paddan-aram and arriving in Ephrath which was presumably at least 2 years (with Bethel in between) and when Joseph was 17 years old. 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. In return, Leah requested that Rachel forgo her right to be with Jacob that night. Gen. 29:1011tells how Jacob watered Rachels flock, and then kissed her and wept. It was for my sake that he came here and served our father for so many years. Rachel, who was not so occupied, therefore became the mainstay of the household. Her first son was Joseph, the future viceroy of Egypt. When she realized that she was pregnant and that Jacob already had ten sons (six from Leah, two from Bilhah, and two from Zilpah), she said: Will my sister Rachel not be even as one of the handmaidens? Leah prayed to God on behalf of her sister. 9). Even when he came to bless her son, he made him [Joseph] secondary to her. What age were Leah and Rachel when they got married 22). 32), he not knowing that Rachel had taken the images. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). By her merit, Joseph was given the birthright, and her descendants rose to royalty, leadership, and greatness. Rachel's envy at her sister's fertility (comp. When Joseph was born, Rachel stated(Gen. 30:24): May the Lord add [yosef] another son for me. TheLit. In Brief. 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). 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. Buber],Vayeze19). 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. Jacob was 77 years old, and he loved Rachel immediately. Midr. 9-12, 17-18, 31; xxx. 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! 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. 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. The midrash views this confrontation between Jacob and Esau as symbolizing the future rivalries between the descendants of the two. In another tradition, God remembered Rachels silence when Leah was given to Jacob instead of her. Gen. 29:17attests: Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Themidrashadds that there was no maiden fairer than Rachel (Tanhuma,Vayeze6). So Rachel offered her handmaid, Bilhah, as her surrogate. 1; Gen. R. lxxi. Jacob asked Rachel: Will you marry me? She answered: Yes, but my father is a deceiver, and you will not be able to best him. He asked her: What is his deceit [in what will he be able to deceive me]? She told him: I have an older sister, and he will not marry me off before her. He said: I am his brother in deceit. Jacob gave Rachel signs [so that he would be able to recognize her on their wedding night]. Zavada, Jack. Rachels son Benjamin knew about the sale of Joseph but did not reveal it to his father; therefore(Ex. Rachel first met Jacob in 2245 AM (1759 BC), at the community well in Haran. 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. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. 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. Jacob said to Joseph that he had buried Rachel near Ephrath, where Bethlehem now stands. They assert that Jacobs kiss was not a wanton one, but one that expressed familial feeling, since Rachel was related to him (Gen. Rabbahloc. As the four different plants with which the Jews were commanded to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 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. Rachel said: I should have been Jacobs bride before my sister. Who was married to Rachel in the Bible? - Catholicism from A to Z 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. Rachel lost being buried next to Jacob because of her dealing with Leah, but she thereby merited having her son Joseph receive the birthright. 6) interpreted by the Rabbis as indicating one of the characteristics of women. Friedmann (Ish-Shalom)], chap. When Jacob wanted to leave Haran, he summoned his wives to the field and told them of his plans. How old were Rachel and Leah when they married Jacob? How old - Quora Jacob protested, and Laban answered that local custom did not permit a younger sister to marry before the older sister. Kadari, Tamar. [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.] 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 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). Those were the last children she would have. Rachel in the Bible: Characteristics and lessons learned Rabbah[ed. 3; Pire R. El. (2022, December 6). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Gen. xxx. 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. Harvard Theological Review113, no. 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. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193. Themidrashstates that Leah carried a male fetus in her womb during her seventh pregnancy. Laban's younger daughter, who became one of Jacob's wives (Gen. xxix. 123a; Midr. Rabbah3:2). Gen. 30:14relates that Reuben found mandrakes, which are prophylactic, in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Vilna] petihtah 24). When Jacob spoke with Leah, Rachel would answer him, so that he would not identify Leahs voice (Lam. 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. [2] Jacob had traveled a great distance to find Laban. In the morning, Jacob discovered he had been tricked. 14). This midrash indicates a certain correction of the injustice done to Rachel. 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. Jacob was quite old compared to other generations when he finally married. Bride-Price: The Story of Jacob's Marriage to Rachel and Leah How old? Whatever the case, she died young. 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). 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). Rachel asks Jacob: Is this how your father [Isaac] acted toward your mother [Rebekah]? How long were Jacob and Rachel married? - Christianity Stack Exchange Therefore, Benjamin must have been conceived shortly before the flight from Laban and born nine months later. Instead of showing understanding, he amplifies her pain by telling her that he already has four sons from Leah. Gen. 30:25relates that after Josephs birth Jacob asked Laban for permission to return to his land. How old was Jacob's age when he married his wife in the Bible? 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. RACHEL, JACOB in the BIBLE. Famous love story with passion, tragedy. In the narrative inGen. 31:19, when Jacob fled from Labans house, Rachel stole her fathers household idols.
Horned Lizards Use Their Horns To Defend Quizlet,
How To Add Fields In List View Salesforce Lightning,
Articles H
