Difference between revisions of "Rachel and Channah/0"
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<h2>Content Parallels</h2> | <h2>Content Parallels</h2> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><b>Infertility</b> – Both Rachel (Bereshit 29:21, 30:1) and Channah (Shemuel I 1:2,5,6) are described as lacking children.</li> | ||
| + | <li><b>Loving husband</b> – Both Yaakov (Bereshit 29:18,20,30) and Elkanah (Shemuel I 1:5) are described as loving their barren wives.</li> | ||
| + | <li><b>Second wife</b> –</li> | ||
| + | <li><b>Husband's support</b> –</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
<h2>Literary Allusions</h2> | <h2>Literary Allusions</h2> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><b>Opening and closing the womb</b> – In both stories does Hashem directly affect a womb. Leah's womb is opened in Bereshit 29:31, and later so is Rachel's, using the language "וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת רַחְמָהּ". Channah's womb is closed by Hashem in Shemuel I 1:5-6, using the language "וַי"י סָגַר רַחְמָהּ" and "סָגַר י"י בְּעַד רַחְמָהּ".</li> | ||
| + | <li><b>Hashem's intervention</b> – God remembers Rachel ("וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת רָחֵל") in Bereshit 30:22, just like He remembers Channah ("וַיִּזְכְּרֶהָ י"י") in Shemuel I 1:19.</li> | ||
| + | <li><b>Pregnancy and birth</b> – The verses use the same terms to describe the pregnancy and birth of Rachel (Bereshit 30:23-24) and Channah (Shemuel I 1:20): "וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן... וַתִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ".</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
<h2>Analysis</h2> | <h2>Analysis</h2> | ||
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<li><b>Distinctive phrases</b> – </li> | <li><b>Distinctive phrases</b> – </li> | ||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li><b>Opening and | + | <li><b>Opening and closing the womb</b> – These are the only cases where a womb is opened or closed.<fn>In fact, Hashem affects a womb in only one other places, when he stops ("עָצֹר עָצַר") every womb in Avimelekh's household (Bereshit 20:18).</fn></li> |
| − | <li><b>Hashem Remembering</b> – These are the only two women in Tanakh whom Hashem remembers.</li> | + | <li><b>Hashem Remembering</b> – These are the only two women in Tanakh whom Hashem remembers.<fn>In the other cases of <a href="Barren Women" data-aht="page">barren women</a> cured by Hashem, the verbs used are different ("וַיֵּעָתֶר"‎, "פָּקַד").</fn></li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
<h2>Points of Contrast</h2> | <h2>Points of Contrast</h2> | ||
| + | <ul> | ||
| + | <li><b>Remedy attempts</b> –</li> | ||
| + | </ul> | ||
<h2>Conclusions</h2> | <h2>Conclusions</h2> | ||
Version as of 09:40, 9 January 2017
Rachel and Channah
Introduction
Content Parallels
- Infertility – Both Rachel (Bereshit 29:21, 30:1) and Channah (Shemuel I 1:2,5,6) are described as lacking children.
- Loving husband – Both Yaakov (Bereshit 29:18,20,30) and Elkanah (Shemuel I 1:5) are described as loving their barren wives.
- Second wife –
- Husband's support –
Literary Allusions
- Opening and closing the womb – In both stories does Hashem directly affect a womb. Leah's womb is opened in Bereshit 29:31, and later so is Rachel's, using the language "וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת רַחְמָהּ". Channah's womb is closed by Hashem in Shemuel I 1:5-6, using the language "וַי"י סָגַר רַחְמָהּ" and "סָגַר י"י בְּעַד רַחְמָהּ".
- Hashem's intervention – God remembers Rachel ("וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת רָחֵל") in Bereshit 30:22, just like He remembers Channah ("וַיִּזְכְּרֶהָ י"י") in Shemuel I 1:19.
- Pregnancy and birth – The verses use the same terms to describe the pregnancy and birth of Rachel (Bereshit 30:23-24) and Channah (Shemuel I 1:20): "וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן... וַתִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ".
Analysis
- Degree of similarity –
- "וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן" and "וַתִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ" – Both of these are common phrases, found in almost all births in Tanakh.
- Distinctive phrases –
Points of Contrast
- Remedy attempts –
