Rachel's Stealing of the Terafim/2

Rachel's Stealing of the Terafim

Exegetical Approaches

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Survival

Rachel stole the terafim so that her father could not use them to divine the whereabouts of the family after they fled.

Sources:Tanchuma #1Vayetze 12About the Tanchuma, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer #1, RashbamBereshit 31:19About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraBereshit 31:19About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, Tosafists, RadakBereshit 31:19Bereshit 31:30About R. David Kimchi, RambanBereshit 31:19About R. Moshe b. Nachman,¹ Ralbag #2, Abarbanel

What are terafim? According to these commentators the terafim were objects used for divination.²  As evidence, Rashbam points to Zekharyah 10:2 which mentions "terafim speaking" and links them with magicians ("הַקּוֹסְמִים"),‎³ and to Hoshea 3:4, which pairs them with the "אֵפוֹד", another item associated with prophecy and occultism.⁴  Bereshit 30:27 might provide further support for this reading since, there, Lavan says of himself that he uses "ניחוש".‎⁵ On the other hand, if the terafim were impure magical items, it is not clear why they should have been present in the home of Michal and David.

Etymology of the word – Tanchuma asserts that they are called "תְּרָפִים" because they are a "מַעֲשֵׂה תֹרֶף", an object of impurity.  Ramban, in contrast, suggests that the term comes from the fact that their words are like a weak prophecy (נבואה רפה) and not very reliable.

"לָמָּה גָנַבְתָּ אֶת אֱלֹהָי" – Ramban asserts that many people would turn their terafim into gods, much the way the Israelites strayed after the "אֵפוֹד" set up by Gideon.⁶  Thus, too, Lavan might have considered and referred to the terafim as gods, even if they were not originally intended as such.⁷ Radak similarly suggests that Lavan referred to the objects as gods because he trusted in them as one would in the word of God.

"וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרָיו" – Considering that Lavan seemed to have no difficulty finding the family even without the use of his terfaim, it is questionable how Rachel could really have thought that stealing them would suffice to prevent discovery of the escape.⁸

Belief in magic and divination – This position assumes that Rachel believed in the powers of impure objects (though she might never have used them herself).  Moreover, most of these sources themselves assert that the terafim really did have the ability to speak, reveal secrets, or tell the future, albeit often incorrectly.  Ralbag and Abarbanel, in contrast, assert that the magician using the terafim merely imagined it talking,⁹ while Ibn Ezra assumes that Lavan's divination was related to his astronomical abilities.¹⁰

Sitting on the terafim – According to Tosafot, Rachel sat upon the terafim with force to prevent their crying out and telling Lavan where they were.  Alternatively, she embarrassed them into silence for they would never reveal that they were so degraded to be sat upon.  Ralbag and Ibn Ezra would more simply suggest that this was just a good way of hiding them from her father.

Evaluation of Rachel's actions – This approach might view Rachel's intentions as meritorious as she was attempting to protect her family.  Radak, though, suggests that she should nonetheless not have stolen from her father.

Religiosity of the forefathers – This position views the forefathers as righteous believers in Hashem, and assumes that Rachel would never have taken impure objects for her own use.

The "אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר" buried by Yaakov – According to this position, the foreign gods which Yaakov buries upon leaving Shekhem do not include the terafim and have no connection to Rachel's actions at all.  They were objects taken when the brothers looted Shekhem.

Religious Motivations

Rachels' taking of the terafim related to their ritual role.

Preventative

Rachel took the terafim so that her father would no longer worship them.

Sources:Bereshit Rabbah74:5About Bereshit Rabbah, Tanchuma #2Vayetze 12About the Tanchuma, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer #236About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, R. Chananel(cited by R. Bachya) Bereshit 31:19About R. Chananel b. Chushiel, RashiBereshit 31:19About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, Ralbag #1

What are terafim? These commentators assume that the terafim were idols, worshiped by Lavan.  This is supported by the fact that Lavan refers to them as such, asking "לָמָּה גָנַבְתָּ אֶת אֱלֹהָי".  The story in Shofetim 18 also links the word to "פֶסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה" suggesting that terafim are another form of idol.  According to this understanding, however, it is not clear why idolatrous terafim would be present in the house of David and Michal in Shemuel I 19.¹¹

Why are they called terafim – The narrative voice consistently refers to the idols as terafim while Lavan and Yaakov refer to them as "gods".  This suggests that the word terafim might be the Torah's derisive term for worthless fugurines.

Why hold onto them? Ibn Ezra¹² questions why Rachel would not have buried or destroyed the terafim if  they were idols and she did not want her father to worship them. Toledot Yitzchak responds that she feared that she would be seen, and was waiting for an opportunity to do so in secret.¹³

Would this convince Lavan? Abarbanel questions why Rachel's taking of one set of idols would prevent Lavan from simply making replacements and continuing to worship.  R. Chananel suggests that Rachel was trying to convince her father of the worthlessness of idols; if they can be stolen they must have no power.¹⁴

Sitting on the terafim – N. Sarna suggests that Rachel's sitting on the idols when menstruating reflects her scorning of the objects and her intentional defilement of what her father viewed as sacred.¹⁵

Evaluation of Rachel's actions – This approach views Rachel very positively.  She not only has no idolatrous inclinations herself, but even tries to convert her father to monotheism.¹⁶

Religiosity of the forefathers – This position assumes that the forefathers/mothers were religious and proactive in getting others to belief in Hashem.

The "אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר" buried by Yaakov

Personal Use

Rachel wanted the terafim for her own personal use.

Sources:JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1:19:9About Josephus, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 31:19About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, ShadalBereshit 31:19About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, Hoil MosheBereshit 31About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

What are terafim?

• Divination – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor and Shadal they were magical objects used to foretell the future, while according to Hoil Moshe they were believed to have powers to bless barren women with children.
• Idols –

Economic Advantage

The terafim testified to Yaakov's rights to Lavan's inheritance.

Sources:Modern scholars

¹ Ramban speaks of he terafim's role in divination but does not explicitly say that Rachel stole them so that they could not reveal the location of the escaped family.  However, this seems to be his import.

² The commentators differ regarding what they think the terafim constituted and how they worked. Tanchuma and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan describe an elaborate process including a dead person, spices, names of impure spirits and candles.  Ibn Ezra and Ralbag, looking to the story of Michal's saving of David, suggest instead that they took the form of men, but do not think that they were an actual person.

³ See also Shemuel I 15:23 and Yechezkel 21:26 which also associate them with "קֶסֶם" and divining.

⁴ Ramban further points to the story of "פסל מיכה" in Shofetim 18 in which they are also mentioned together with the "אֵפוֹד", and the people of Dan explicitly talk of divining whether they will succeed on their way.  See also Melakhim II 23:24 where they are connected to "הָאֹבוֹת וְהַיִּדְּעֹנִים"

⁵ Compare the similar "theft" of Yosef's goblet which he used for divination - "וְהוּא נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ בּוֹ".

⁶ See Shofetim 8:24-27.

⁷ Yaakov similarly refers to them as gods, "עִם אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא אֶת אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא יִחְיֶה" probably because Lavan had done so.

⁸ These commentators might respond that even if the plan was not fool-proof, it bough the family time and was better than nothing.

⁹ He objects to the possibility that anything not given a mouth by God could actually talk.

¹⁰ He does not explain the exact connection between the use of the terafim and reading the stars.

¹¹ See Ramban who asks this, but responds that maybe not all terafim were worshiped.

¹² See also R. D"Z Hoffmann.

¹³ If her actions were for good purpose, though, it is not clear why she should have minded if she were found out.  Toledot Yitzchak might suggest that Rachel nonetheless feared that her stealing would be frowned upon.

¹⁴ He points to the similar speech of Yoash (Gidon's father) who responds to the destruction of the Baal's altar by telling the people: if he is a god let him avenge the destruction.

¹⁵ See N. Sarna, Understanding Genesis, (New York, 1970): 200-202.

¹⁶ It is reminiscent of the midrash about Avraham destroying the idols of his father to convince Terach and others not to worship them.