Rachel/0

Rachel

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Unique Traits

The stories surrounding Rachel in Tanakh focus mainly on her interactions with Yaakov and Leah, highlighting the tension inherent in the family dynamic rather than Rachel's righteousness or character. Certain traits nonetheless stand out in the text, and Midrashic sources add others:

Motherhood

Of all the Matriarchs, Rachel is the one most associated with motherhood. Several factors might contribute to this:

• Pain of infertility –Though all the Matriarchs were barren, it is Rachel's pain over her infertility which is most blatant in the text.  She is the only one to cry out to her husband that without children she is as if dead (Bereshit 30:1). Even when she finally bears Yosef, his name testifies both to the shame she had felt when barren and to her desire for more children (Bereshit 30:22-24).¹
• Death in childbirth – Rachel dies while bearing Binyamin, as she gives her life for her child, the ultimate sacrifice of a mother (Bereshit 35:16-18). The name she gives Binyamin "בֶּן אוֹנִי", reflects her deed:
• NetzivBereshit 35:18About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin² notes that the word "און" can mean both "sorrow"³ and "vigor".⁴  In the moment of death, Rachel expresses how she sacrificed her vitality for her son, giving him life at the expense of her own. The name might also be a prayer that her son find strength despite the sorrow.
• Crying over her children – It is perhaps Yirmeyahu 31:14-16 and its poignant image of Rachel bitterly crying over her children in exile, which most captures Rachel in her role as mother.⁵  Even after death, Rachel cries over her missing children, unable to be comforted,⁶ and the text implies that it is her tears and efforts⁷ which lead Hashem to bring them back.

Selflessness

Several Midrashim mention incidents not found in the Biblical text which express Rachel's sensitivity for her sister's plight and her abundant selflessness:

• TanchumaVayetze 6About the Tanchuma describes how Yaakov would send gifts to Rachel in his great love for her, but Lavan would instead give them to Leah. Rather than hurt her sister, Rachel bore all this in silence.
• Bavli Megillah 13b⁸ (and with greater detail, Eikhah RabbahIntroductionAbout Eikhah Rabbah) posit that Rachel was privy to her father's plot to give Leah to Yaakov. Initially she and Yaakov hoped to thwart the plan by making certain secret signs between the two. However, on the wedding night, Rachel had sympathy for her sister, shared the signs, and even hid under the bridal bed so that she could speak in her stead so that Yaakov would be fooled. Rachel placed her compassion for her sister before her love for Yaakov, prioritized her sister's pain before her own, not knowing at the time whether she would ever merit to also marry him.

Strong-willed

Eikhah Rabbah presents Rachel as not only selfless, but also as strong-willed, with the confidence and tenacity to stand up to and even accuse Hashem in her efforts to protect her children. The Midrash presents various figures coming before Hashem in an effort to get him to forgive the people and return them from exile.  No one succeeds until Rachel "jumps in" and tells Hashem that if she was big enough not to be jealous of her sister, and to allow her to marry Yaakov so as to save her from shame, why is Hashem jealous when the nation turns to idolatry? Hashem is moved and tells Rachel that due to her, He will return the nation from exile.

Religious Identity

Sefer Bereshit does not explicitly speak of Rachel's beliefs, though the common assumption is that despite Rachel growing up in an idolatrous home, she herself believed in Hashem.

I. "Name of God on her lips"  – In naming both of Bilhah's children and Yosef, Rachel mentions Hashem, either justifying His actions, thanking Him, or making requests of Him. When Yaakov consults with her and Leah regarding leaving Lavan, she tells him to do as God says (Bereshit 31:16), all implying that she both believed and trusted in Hashem

II.Taking of the Terafim – There is, however, one episode which might make one question this portrait, Rachel's "stealing" of her fathers terafim, often understood to be a type of idolatry (Bereshit 31:17-35).  What does this deed teach about her belief system? [For further discussion of the episode, see Rachel's Stealing of the Terafim.]

•  Expression of strong belief – Bereshit Rabbah74:5About Bereshit Rabbah (and many others) suggest that the episode not only casts no shadow on Rachel's beliefs, but actually highlights Rachel's righteousness, claiming that the theft was motivated by a desire to keep her father from worshiping idolatry.
• Unconnected to idolatry – Others disconnect the terafim from idolatry by claiming that they were either objects of divination, or items believed to have powers to aid in fertility.  As such, Rachel's deed teaches nothing about her religious identity.
• Journey to belief – Ibn Ezra somewhat radically suggests that Rachel took the terafim because she (and the other wives and children) had learned idolatrous worship from her father and had not yet totally forsaken it. According to such a reading, monotheism was not a given for some of our ancestors, but rather the result of a religious journey.

Family

Love of Yaakov

Yaakov's love for Rachel is emphasized repeatedly in the verses, with the fact mentioned explicitly three times (29:17, 20, 30), and the contrast to the unloved Leah stressing the point even more.

I. Source of Love – Interestingly, though not explicit, the implication of the text is that Yaakov's love stemmed from the fact that Rachel was beautiful.

Rivalry with Leah

I. Jealousy – Bereshit 30:1 explicitly mentions Rachel's envying of her sister.

II. Naming of children – Most readers assume that the names given by Rachel and Leah to their children reflect the strife and rivalry between the sisters. In naming her first three children (Reuven, Shimon, Levi), and again in naming her sixth, Leah explicitly expresses her distress and the desire to be loved by her husband. Rachel's naming of Yosef, in turn, expresses both the pain and shame her barrenness had caused, and her intense desire for more children  It should be noted, however, that none of these names betrays active jealousy or blame towards the sister who has what the other is lacking, but simply heartbreak over individual loss. Rachel's naming of Bilhah's children, might be an exception:

• Dan – Ibn Kaspi asserts that this name directly addresses the sibling rivalry, with Rachel claiming that the birth served to avenge her of her sister. In contrast, R"Y Bekhor Shor reads the name as expressing Rachel's acceptance of God's judgment and the decree of infertitiy, seeing in it no expression of ill will towards her sister at all.
• Naftali – Ibn Ezra and others understands the root "" to mean to wrestle or struggle, seeing Rachel as explicitly mentioning her struggles with her sister. Targum Onkelos, however, relates the word to "תפילה", prayer, claiming that Rachel is simply thanking Hashem for heeding her prayers and providinga child like he had for Leah.

III. Mandrakes – The story of the mandrakes similarly highlights the conflict between the sister's, as Rachel trades a night with Yaakov for Reuven's mandrakes (believed to have powers to aid in conception). Most read Leah's initial reaction "is it not enough that you have taken my husband,⁹ that you want also my son's mandrakes" as further revealing her bitterness. However, R. HIrsch and R. D"Z Hoffmann reads the sister's exchange as one of playful jest, with no real anger on either side, with R. Hirsch going so far as to paint a portrait of friendly sisters sewing and working together by day and taking turns with their husband by night.

IV. Midrashic Portrayal  / Leah's Role in Trickery

Infertility and Desire for Children

Possible Flaws

"Give me Children..."

In Bereshit 30:1 Rachel beseeches Yaakov, "Give me children; if not, I am dead!" Yaakov responds harshly, getting angry at her and saying, "Am I in place of God who has kept from you fruit of the womb?"  What did Yaakov find problematic about Rachel's words that he grows so angry?  Was Rachel's lament somehow misplaced, or is it Yaakov who is being insensitive?

• Rachel erred – Many commentators assume that Yaakov's anger was justified and that Rachel had erred:
• RadakBereshit 30:2About R. David Kimchi and R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 30:2About R. Avraham Maimonides¹⁰ explain that in turning to Yaakov rather than Hashem, Rachel betrayed that she did not recognize that the matter was in Hashem's hands and not his. She should have instead asked him to pray for her.
• RambanBereshit 30:1-2About R. Moshe b. Nachman,¹¹ in contrast, assumes that Rachel had in fact asked that Yaakov pray to Hashem, but her mistake was is in viewing Yaakov's prayer as some type of automatic magical remedy. Yaakov taught her that even the prayers of the righteous are not always answered.¹²
• Finally, Akeidat YitzchakBereshit Peirush 3:1About R. Yitzchak Arama suggests that Rachel did not realize that her primary purpose in life was not simply to bear children, but to fill her life "בדברי שכל וחסידות". Her barrenness was not a reason to think her life was not worth living.
• Yaakov Erred – Bereshit Rabbah71:7About Bereshit Rabbah maintains that Yaakov was in the wrong, presenting Hashem as responding to Yaakov, "כך עונין את המעיקות?!" 
• Misunderstanding – R"Y Bekhor ShorBereshit 30:1-3About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor¹³ asserts that Yaakov misunderstood his wife, assuming that she was expecting him to somehow do what Hashem had not, when Rachel had meant only that he should take her maidservant and sire children from her so that Rachel could be their surrogate mother.

Taking the Terafim

Bereshit 31 describes Yaakov's flight from Lavan's house. Surprisingly, the Torah adds that Rachel took advantage of Lavan's absence to steal ("וַתִּגְנֹב") his terafim ("תְּרָפִים"). The chapter provides neither motivation nor justification for Rachel's actions. What are "terafim" and why might Rachel have taken them? How are we to understand the theft? [For full discussion, see Rachel's Stealing of the Terafim.]

• Justified – Many commentators maintain that Rachel's motives were pure and that the ends justified the means.
• Personal survival – Tanchuma and others suggest that terafim were used for divination and Rachel stole them so that her father could not use them to divine the whereabouts of the family when they fled. As her deed was motivated by a  desire to save her family, Rachel's actions were justified.
• Religious motivations – Bereshit Rabbah asserts that he terafim were idols and that Rachel took them so that her father would no longer worship them.
• Not justifed  – A smaller number of commentators present Rachel as acting with less worthy goals, and that she took the terafim for her own personal use.
• Fertility – Hoil Moshe maintains that the terafim were believed to have powers to bless barren women with children and that Rachel took them hoping they would help her conceive again.
• Foreign worship – Ibn Ezra more radically suggests that Rachel (and the other wives and children) had learned idolatrous worship from her father and had not yet totally forsaken it.  According to such a reading, monotheism was not a given for some of the Patriarchs/ Matriarchs, but rather the the result of a religious journey.

Trading for the Mandrakes

Commentators debate whether Rachel acted correctly or incorrectly in trading a night with Yaakov for the mandrakes:

• Lack of faith
• Degradation of Yaakov – Bereshit Rabbah blames Rachel for belittling a night with the righteous Yaakov, claiming that she was punished for this by not being buried with him. 
• Proper - Seforno Bereshit 30:22

¹ The name Yosef has a dual explanation.  Rachel says, "אָסַף אֱלֹהִים אֶת חֶרְפָּתִי" (Hashem has gathered my shame) and also requests, "יֹסֵף י״י לִי בֵּן אַחֵר" (Man Hashem grant me another child).

² Most other commentators refer only to the meaning "sorrow"  (see, for example, RashiBereshit 35:18About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 35:18About R. Avraham ibn Ezra or R"Y Bekhor Shor). Cf. MalbimBereshit 35:18About R. Meir Leibush Weiser who points only to the meaning "strength".

³ Compare the word's usage in Devarim 26:14.

⁴ See the word's usage in Bereshit 49:3 and Devarim21:7.

⁵ It should be noted that though most commentators assume that Yirmeyahu is referring to Rachel, wife of Yaakov, presumably crying to Hashem in the heavens, R"Y KaraAbout R. Yosef Kara disagrees and suggests that the verse is simply referring to the descendants of Rachel, those tribes who were themselves exiled. They are called after their mother just as one might say "Shimon" to refer to the tribe of Shimon rather than the individual. [According to him, then, the verse sheds no insight into Rachel herself.]

⁶ One is reminded of Yaakov who similarly cries and cannot be comforted when Yosef is missing.

⁷ See Eikhah RabbahIntroductionAbout Eikhah Rabbah discussed below, that Rachel did not simply weep for them but prayed and made an impassioned plea to God on their behalf.

⁸ See also the parallel in Bavli Bava Batra 123a and Bereshit Rabbah 73:473:4About Bereshit Rabbah which alludes to the story.

⁹ Commentators debate to what Leah is referring to.

¹⁰ Compare also RalbagBereshit Beur HaParashah 30:1About R. Levi b. Gershom.

¹¹ See also R. HirschBereshit 30:1-3About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch and R. D" Z HoffmannBereshit 30:1-2About R. David Zvi Hoffmann similarly.  They suggest that Rachel had asked Yaakov to pray for her, assuming that until now he had not done so, not caring enough for her distress.  Yaakov responds that he did in fact pray, but that prayers are not always answered in the affirmative.

¹²

¹³ See also SefornoBereshit 30:1-3About R. Ovadyah Seforno and Shadal.Bereshit 30:1About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto