how old was rachel when she married jacob

TheA type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).midrash portrays Rachel as a prophetess, and her statements and the names she gave her sons contain allusions to the future. Meet Rachel - Favored Wife of Jacob. Gen. 30:14relates that Reuben found mandrakes, which are prophylactic, in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. God accepted her prayer and the sex of the fetus in her womb changed to female(BTBerakhot60a;Tanhuma[ed. The impregnation of Sarah and Rachel, the Matriarchs of the nation, heralds that God will also deliver their descendants from the troubles they would suffer in the future. When Potiphars wife attempted to seduce Joseph, he raised his eyes and saw the image of his mother Rachel and was thereby saved from the sin of adultery(JTHorayot2:5, 46[d]). This exegetical direction is supported by the divine aid she received in the miraculous concealment of the idols from Laban. cit.). Then she waived this status when she consented to Leahs marriage to Jacob. Jacob said: If all my children will be killed, Rachels son will remain, for he will punish this wicked seed, as it is said(Jud. Who was Rachel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org If she had, then she would not have been able to employ a ruse to stop her father from searching her belongings too closely (see below). Rachel - Conservapedia Her name means "ewe" in Hebrew. Now that you have sinned, the birthright has been given to Joseph, the priesthood to Levi, and kingship to Judah (Gen. Rabbahloc. By her merit, Joseph was given the birthright, and her descendants rose to royalty, leadership, and greatness. After Rachels death, Bilhah took her place. Themidrashstates that Leah carried a male fetus in her womb during her seventh pregnancy. Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. Her compassion also succeeded in arousing Gods mercy when He answered her prayer. She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. Midr. How old was Rachel when she married Jacob? - Answers He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". 22-24). Later, when Leah was given in marriage instead of Rachel, the latter revealed the signs to her sister in order to spare her from being disgraced by Jacob. Scripture says Rachel was beautiful. Referred to alternatively as the "Day of Judgement" and the "Day of Blowing" (of the shofar).Rosh Ha-Shanah, like Sarah andHannah. Answer Rachel is a major character in the early Old Testament; she was a daughter of Laban, sister of Leah, favored wife of Jacob, and mother of two of Jacob's children. I am from the descendants of Rachel(Gen. Rabbah71:9). The Bible says that this took place at sheep-shearing time,[5] which is always in the springtime. 15 (see Biblical Data, above) is the source of the midrashic legend that when the Israelites were driven into captivity by Nebuzar-adan, and the supplications of the Patriarchs and of Moses proved of no avail, Rachel arose from her grave and implored God's clemency, basing her plea upon her own self-abnegation with regard to her sister. We don't need to perform good works to earn it. xxxi. "teaching," "study," or "learning." Themidrashrelates that Rachel was twenty-two years old when she was married to Jacob (SederOlam Rabbah2), and her barrenness lasted for fourteen years (Seder Eliyahu Rabbah18, p. 99). In the midrashic account, many years later, when Josephs goblet was found in the sack of Benjamin(Gen. 44), the tribes stood about, beat Benjamins shoulders, and cried out: Oh thief, the son of a thief, you have shamed us! cit.). Deut. 29a; R. H. 11a), and it was particularly her self-abnegation at the time of her sister's marriage which gained for her the divine clemency (Gen. R. lxxiii. Rachel married Jacob after he was tricked into marrying her sister Leah. cit.). But Laban substituted Leah, Rachel's older sister, in her place. 26-28). Jacob said to himself: When Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, went to fetchRebekah, he brought with him ten camels and all the bounty of his master(Gen. 24:10), while I have not a single nose-ring or band. The second reason for his weeping was his foreseeing that Rachel would not be buried together with him (Gen. Rabbahloc. The midrash includes Rachel among the seven barren women who were eventually blessed with offspring:Sarah, Rebekah,Rachel, Leah,Manoahs Wife,Hannah andZion [in a metaphorical sense], of whomPs. Rachel unquestionably had Jacob's favor, but Rachel was sterile, while Leah was fertile. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. By merit of the birth of Dan [the son of Bilhah], Rachel became pregnant; and by merit of the birth of Dan, Joseph and Benjamin were born(Gen. Rabbah73:4). 21). Gen. xxv. Rabbah[ed. His prophecy was fulfilled, asJer. Jacob replied that he was her father's equal in trickery; and he agreed with Rachel upon certain signs which would enable him to recognize her. Referred to alternatively as the "Day of Judgement" and the "Day of Blowing" (of the, Lit. The Rabbis did not view this exchange between the sisters favorably. Dates and ages are not given for very many women in the Scriptures. Jacob was quite old compared to other generations when he finally married. According to Gen. R. (lxxii. She raised Joseph and Benjamin as if she were their mother(Gen. Rabbah84:11). 3; Pire R. El. (NIV). Now the birthright has returned to its owner(Gen. Rabbah98:4, [ed. As the four different plants with which the Jews were commanded to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. Her death occurred not far from Ephrath, and she was buried on the road leading thither, Jacob setting up a pillar on her grave to perpetuate her memory (xxxv. When he gives him blessings of the breast and the womb he is saying to Joseph: may the breasts that nursed such a son, and the womb that brought him forth, be blessed(Gen. Rabbah98:20, [ed. When Rachel saw that her sister was pregnant, she prayed and caused the fetuss sex to change(JTBerakhot9:3, 14[a]). According to this conception, Rachels son should from the outset have been the firstborn, but because God had compassion on the unloved Leah, He gave her the fruit of the womb and she bore Jacobs firstborn son. A miracle was performed for her, the idols were transformed into cups, and therefore Laban did not find them(Gen. Rabbah74:9). Agadah to Gen. xxix. Thus said the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping, your eyes from shedding tears; for there is a reward for your labordeclares the Lord: They shall return from the enemys land. He buried her on the road to Ephrath because he foresaw that the Israelites, when driven into captivity along that road, would need her intercession with God in their behalf (Midr. This midrash criticizes Jacob for responding so harshly and inconsiderately to Rachel, who is presented as a bitter woman. It was through the merit of her discretion that Rachel became the ancestress of King Saul, who also was discreet (Meg. What am I, flesh and blood, dust and ashes, that I was not jealous of my rival wife, and that I did not allow her to be shamed and disgraced, but You, merciful living and eternal King, why were You jealous of idolatry that is of no import, and exiled my children who were slain by the sword, and allowed their enemies to do with them as they pleased? Gods mercy was immediately revealed, and He said: For your sake, Rachel, I shall return Israel to their placefor there is a reward for your labor []. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. You are your mothers son! The Story of Jacob and his Wives Leah and Rachel - SlideServe DAY 34: Jacob Was 84 Years Old When He Married Rachel And Leah By richoka Leave a Comment We've now arrived at the third Biblical patriarch: Jacob. (NIV), Genesis 35:24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The proverb teaches that we should not be surprised by this similarity, since Rachel was exceedingly beautiful, so was her son. 13b; B. But as she approached, a stranger (Jacob) rolled the stone away for her and watered the sheep. Rachel had taken the idols and placed them in the cushion on her camels back. The Story of Jacob and his Wives Leah and Rachel The role of women in the Old Testament. Another tradition suggests that when Rachel saw that she did not bear children, she feared lest Esau take her from Jacob and marry her [because of the prior agreement between the parents of Jacob and Esau that each would marry one of the sisters, while Jacob had married both]. But Rachel was not content with this. Friedmann (Ish-Shalom)], chap. DAY 34: Jacob Was 84 Years Old When He Married Rachel And Leah 16). Jewish philosopher, scholar, and physician. Later, when Leah was given in marriage instead of Rachel, the latter revealed the signs to her sister in order to spare her from being disgraced by Jacob. Ussher[8] disputes the notion that Benjamin may be counted among the sons born or engendered in Padan-aram. TheTorahrelates that it was Joseph who ordered that the goblet be hidden in Benjamins sack. 3). 1921) that occurred within the tribe of Benjamin; after the ban against this tribe had been lifted, that disgrace was expunged. Laban agreed. Consequently, Rachel found herself in an inferior position, since Leah bore children to Jacob, while she herself had not. For instance. Most of the Rabbis consider the idea of Rachel being an envious woman as incompatible with what has been previously said of her. When Laban caught up with them, he searched for the idols, but Rachel had hidden the statues under her camel's saddle. Other Rabbis found fault with Rachel and maintained that because Rachel made light of her right to lie with the righteous Jacob, which she sold for the mandrakes, she was punished by not being buried together with him. Rachel then offered to allow Leah to lie with Jacob that evening. Bilhah bore two sons, Dan and Naphtali, over the next two years.[1][2][3]. Rachel - Wikipedia She said: We are leavingshall we leave this old man in his corruption [i.e., idolatry]? Consequently, Scripture proclaims her praise and tells of the act of theft(Gen. Rabbah74:5). There is also an intermediate approach, which argues that Reuben should have received the birthright, but it was permanently taken from him because of his sin. "Jacob and Rachel at the Well, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, c. 1896-1902. R. Judan's opinion, however, was that Rachel died before Leah because, although she was the younger sister, she spoke before Leah when they were addressed by their husband (ib. How old was Rachel when she died. 33:6): May Reuben live and not die. This blessing expresses Reubens standing as firstborn, who took a double portion [as is the law of the firstborn]: May Reuben live and not dieMay Reuben live, in this world; and not die, in the World to Come (Tanhuma[ed. Jacob agreed to this. Overall, the midrash portrays Rachel as incredibly generous and compassionate, and her goodness is seen in her descendants. 5:14): From Ephraim came they whose roots are in Amalek [literally: From Ephraim came those who will destroy Amalek from its roots]and Israel will be rescued only by the son of Rachel. Zavada, Jack. Yet a third tradition explains that Rachel merited pregnancy because she brought her rival wife [Bilhah] into her house. In the narrative inGen. 31:19, when Jacob fled from Labans house, Rachel stole her fathers household idols. When Dan was born, Rachel said(Gen. 30:6): God has vindicated me [dananni]; indeed, He has heeded my plea and given me a son. In the midrashic explication of this verse, Rachel said: God has judged me and found me guilty [and therefore I was childless]; [and afterwards] He has judged me and vindicated me [and given my handmaiden a son] (Gen. Rabbahloc. According to one, Reuben, Leahs son and the firstborn of Jacob, does receive the birthright. He knew that he would marry her, just as Rebekah had been married to Isaac, and he also understood that he would bury her. 16), are explained by the Rabbis as referring to the divine gifts bestowed upon their descendants; for while royalty and the priesthood remained permanently with Leah's descendants, they were held only temporarily by Rachel'sroyalty with Joseph and Saul, and the priesthood with the tabernacle of Shiloh (Gen. R. lxx. Agadah to Gen. xxx. Buber],Vayeshev19). Rachel was one of the four Jewish matriarchs, all of whom were prophetesses (Ber. [Note Jacob was less than half this age when he met Rachel - this means that even compared to a modern man, he was in the prime of his life at that point.] (2022, December 6). 11). However, the text of Genesis 35:9-15 is a narrative that begins with a recapitulation of an earlier incident: the second appearance of God to Jacob and the renaming of Jacob to Israel. This well had a heavy stone to cap it by night, and Rachel was accustomed to waiting for someone to roll the stone away when all the flocks were gathered. At his meeting with Esau, Jacob showed his particular affection for Rachel by placing her last, with her son Joseph (xxxiii. According to the first, Naphtalis name is an acrostic of all that happened between Rachel and her sister. Rachel: The Epitome of Motherhood - Bereishit (Genesis) - Parshah - Chabad Higger], chap. The "Sefer ha-Yashar" (section "Wayishla," p. 56b), however, gives her age at the time of her death as forty-five. Due to the shame that Benjamin suffered through no fault of his own, he merited having the Divine Presence rest in his portion [the Temple was erected in the portion of the tribe of Benjamin], which thereby publicly proclaimed his innocence. 31:15Israel is called after Rachel: Rachel weeping for her children; inAmos 5:15Israel is named after her son: Perhaps the Lord, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph; and inJer. But the Bible makes no specific statement to this effect. In another exegetical tradition, Jacob placed Rachel and Joseph last because he wanted to protect them. The Jewish New Year, held on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. The regimen of rituals, songs and textual readings performed in a specific order on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first night) of Passover.Seder Olam Rabbah2). Why, then, did she die? Some midrashim view the name given by Rachel to her son Joseph as a prophecy for what would befall his descendants. Rachel was one of Jacob's wives through . In any case, Rachel cannot have conceived Benjamin earlier than the springtime. How old was Rachel when Jacob married her? - KnowledgeBurrow Jacob was quite old compared to other generat. They assert that Jacobs kiss was not a wanton one, but one that expressed familial feeling, since Rachel was related to him (Gen. Rabbahloc. When Rachel saw that she did not bear children, she followed in the footsteps of Sarah: just as she [Sarah] had been built (i.e., had children) through her rival wife [Hagar], so too, this one [Rachel] would be built by her rival wife [Bilhah] (Gen. Rabbahloc. The Rabbis were concerned with the nature of this kiss, which they regarded as an improper act. Family relations of Rachel in the Bible. "the written Torah." RACHEL, JACOB in the BIBLE. Famous love story with passion, tragedy. ; Midr. Agadat Bereshit l.c. The Rabbis learned from this that seven days of feasting are to be conducted for a bride and groom (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer[ed. Have an update or correction? She was responsible for taking the sheep to the well for water every day. Jacob was 147 years old when he died, Gen 47:28. Joseph thereby is awarded a double portion, which is the right of the firstborn. A third interpretation takes the wordnaftalifrom pitulim[vicissitudes], and describes what Jacob underwent. Instead of showing understanding, he amplifies her pain by telling her that he already has four sons from Leah. Zavada, Jack. 16-20). In Brief. Some rabbinical writings suggest that Rachel and Leah were twins, and were fourteen years old at the time of Jacob's first meeting with Rachel. After he married Leah, Jacob held a banquet for seven days, and he added another seven days of feasting and rejoicing, and then married Rachel. xxxvi. RACHEL - JewishEncyclopedia.com Rachel and Leah persuaded their husband to flee from Laban's house, and at the moment of Jacob's flight Rachel stole her father's teraphim. Did he not gird his loins for her [since Isaac strove and prayed so that Rebekah would become pregnant]? Jacob replied: He did not have children, I have children [I already have four sons from Leah]. Rachel retorted: And did not your grandfather [Abraham] have children [Abraham had Ishmael], yet he girded his loins for Sarah[nonetheless, he made the effort of praying so that Sarah would become pregnant]? He told her: You can do as my grandmother [Sarah] did. She asked him: And what did she do? He replied: She brought a rival wife [Hagar] into her house. She responded: If this is the obstacle, [then](Gen. 30:3): Here is my maid Bilhah. (Genesis 32:24-30 ) The story of the birth of Benjamin and the death of Rachel follows this narrative directly and is continuous with it. These two reasons reveal the fact that, already at the instant of his first meeting with Rachel, Jacob realized that she was the woman meant for him. Rachel initially relies on her handmaiden Bilhah to bear children in her place, but Rachel eventually becomes pregnant and goes on to have one other child. cit.). Since he did not have the money to pay the bride price (the mohar ) for her, he agreed to work seven years for him and then marry Rachel. By ancient custom, Bilhah's children would be credited to Rachel. This midrash uses a common date to connect various historical events. They declare that Rachel was not envious of her sister's fertility, but of her righteousness; she thought that if Leah had not been a better woman than she, she would not have had children. Even when he came to bless her son, he made him [Joseph] secondary to her. Another tradition explains the Torahs statement(Gen. 29:16): Now Laban had two daughters as meaning that both were equal in beauty and in their erect stature (Tanhuma[ed. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. it is known before You that Your servant Jacobs love for me knew no bounds, and he worked for my father for seven years for me. Leah's life as Jacob's wife was distressful. 13). She married Jacob (2245 AM) when she was old enough to carry an adult responsibility, because Jacob met her when she was leading a flock of sheep to water. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. xxxv. The Rabbis differ as to the reason why Rachel stole her father's teraphim. Due to Rachels good deeds or to Reubens sin, the initial order was restored. Elijah came and stood before them. Laban would take these gifts and give them to Leah, and Rachel would remain silent (Tanhuma[ed. "Staging Rachel: Rabbinic Midrash, Theatrical Mime, and Christian Martyrdom in Late Antiquity." Laban substituted Leah, his older daughter, and in the darkness, Jacob thought Leah was Rachel. Her first son was Joseph, the future viceroy of Egypt. Jacob then married Rachel and worked for Laban another seven years for her. Rachel, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), one of the two wives of the patriarch Jacob. InJer. According to another exegetical approach, it is Rachels son who wins the birthright. Gen. When Jacob spoke with Leah, Rachel would answer him, so that he would not identify Leahs voice (Lam. Jacob's other wife is Rachel's sister Leah, which causes issues between the sisters, especially because Leah is able to bear children. He suggests that the Apostles were also numbered twelve, though Judas Iscariot was dead by that time, (John 20:24 ) and cites Saint Augustine to support him. We only know the age of Jacob during this period of time. Bilhah: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive cit.). When Laban overtook Jacob in the hill country of Gilead, he reproached him(Gen. 31:30): but why did you steal my idols?, to which Jacob replied (v. 32): But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not remain alive! Themidrashexplains that this statement by Jacob was as an error committed by a ruler [which is nevertheless implementedfollowingEccl. In other respects the two sisters were alike, both being ancestresses of kings, heroes, prophets, judges, and conquerors (ib. Rabbah37:1). Whatever the case, she died young. 10). 60a), and who are often referred to in the liturgy, Rachel being mentioned before Leah. Through the fraud of Laban, Jacob's marriage with Rachel took place after he had married her elder sister, Leah, who, though less loved than Rachel, became the mother of four sons, while the latter was childless. Before she died, she said that the child should be named Ben-oni, or "son of my pain." All this means that Jacob was married to Rachel for some time between about 15 years and 22 years. And, indeed, she bore Jacob only a single additional son, Benjamin(JTBerakhot9:3, 14[ab]). pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xxx. At last Rachel prayed to God, and God caused her to conceive. Had I not revealed to thee our signs, he would never have become thy husband" (Midr. The first was his anguish at his poverty. As punishment for Jacobs behavior, Leahs sons will stand before Joseph, the ruler of all Egypt, hear the same words coming out of his mouth and fear him, not knowing how he will act toward them [after Jacobs death]. She died after bearing her second son, in 2266 AM. These midrashic expositions cast Rachels act in a positive light.

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