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 where the family had fled.

Sources:Tanchuma #1Vayetze 12About the Tanchuma, 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, Ralbag #2,

What are terafim? According to these commentators the terafim were objects used for divination. As evidence, Tanchuma points to Zekharya  Tanchuma asserts that they are called "תְּרָפִים" because they are a "מַעֲשֵׂה תֹרֶף", an object of impurity.  Ramban, in contrast, asserts 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

Sitting on the terafim

Belief in magic and divination

Evaluation of Rachel's actions

Religiosity of the forefathers

Religious Motivations

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, R. Chananel(cited by R. Bachya) Bereshit 31:19About R. Chananel b. Chushiel, RashiBereshit 31:19About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, Ralbag #1

Personal Use

Rachel wanted the terafim for her own personal use.

Sources:R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 31:19About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Hoil MosheBereshit 31About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

Economic Advantage

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

Sources:Modern scholars