Rachel and Channah/0

Rachel and Channah

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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 – 
• Opening and closing the womb – These are the only cases where a womb is opened or closed.¹
• Hashem Remembering – These are the only two women in Tanakh whom Hashem remembers.²

Points of Contrast

• Remedy attempts –

Conclusions

¹ 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).

² In the other cases of barren women cured by Hashem, the verbs used are different ("וַיֵּעָתֶר"‎, "פָּקַד").