how old was rachel when she married jacob

10:5], and therefore Rachel died during childbirth(Gen. 35:19). The first was his anguish at his poverty. Jacob was quite old compared to other generat. Jacob told Reuben: The birthright, the priesthood, and kingship were yours. Agadat Bereshit li. 60a, and Targ. Gen 29:20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her. Jacob is ultimately allowed to marry Rachel, which he does immediately after the festivities related to his wedding to Leah end, in exchange for another seven years' labor. According to another tradition, the word naftali is to be derived fromninfei(bride). Themidrashrecords a disagreement among the Rabbis concerning the origins of Elijah. Rachel asked Leah for a portion of them, and Leah protested that Rachel already had the favor of Jacob, and now was asking for a supply of the one thing that each woman supposed would make her fertile. When Leah was brought under the wedding canopy, Rachel thought: Now my sister will be shamed [when Jacob discovers the fraud and does not marry her]. She gave the signs to Leah. After Rachels death, Bilhah took her place. In another midrashic understanding, Rachel alluded to the disgrace during the time of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who was a descendant of the tribe of Ephraim, and who engaged in idolatry and denigrated the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh(I Kings 1214); this disgrace was taken away when Jeroboam was put to death(II Chron. 33:12): Of Benjamin he said: Beloved of the Lord, he rests securely beside Him [] as he rests between His shoulders (Tanhuma[ed. By your life, your sons will stand before her son, and he will tell them(Gen. 50:19) Am I a substitute for God?(Gen. Rabbah71:7). God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. Rachel and Jacob were cousins. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. A miracle was performed for her, the idols were transformed into cups, and therefore Laban did not find them(Gen. Rabbah74:9). One tradition maintains that she became pregnant by merit of abundant prayers: by merit of her own prayer, by merit of her sisters prayer, by merit of Jacobs prayer, and by merit of the prayer of the handmaidens [Zilpah and Bilhah](Gen. Rabbah73:3). R. xxx. 2, 7). How long were Jacob and Rachel married? - Christianity Stack Exchange When Jacob blesses Joseph before his death, he tells his son(Gen. 49:25): The God of your father who helps you, and Shaddai who blesses you [] blessings of the breast and the womb. The Rabbis comment on this: Come and see how greatly Jacob loved Rachel. Gen. xxx. The most extreme description of Rachels act of self-sacrifice appears inLam. 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. Jacob's wife, Leah, had four sons in quick succession, and then stopped bearing. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah as Jacobs beautiful and beloved wife. The 63-year-old Dirty Dancing icon appeared in the very first season of the show, playing Mindy. This midrash is connected to the fundamental Rabbinic disagreement as to whether the harbinger of the Redemption will be from the offspring of Rachel or from those of Leah. The Rabbis were concerned with the nature of this kiss, which they regarded as an improper act. In theTorahReuben is deposed from his status as firstborn for having violated his fathers bed(Gen. 49:34) and this distinction is conferred on Joseph when Jacob declares that Ephraim and Manasseh are his sons(Gen. 48:56). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Leah gives birth to four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. When Rachel heard this, she ran to tell her father. 2). 12; Targ. Jacob kissed Rachel and fell in love with her instantly. Who is Rachel in The Bible? According to the "Sefer ha-Yashar" (section "Wayee," p. 46a, Leghorn, 1870), Rachel herself prayed God to give her children, and God finally answered her prayer. The Rabbis learned from this that when God decrees greatness for a person, He decrees greatness for all his posterity to the end of time (BTMegillah13b). cit.). She spoke in precise language when she said: May the Lord add another son for meshe did not say other sons, rather, there will be one more son from me. The Rabbis further learned from Jacobs words that a wifes death profoundly affects her husband(BTSanhedrin22b). His preference for her continued even after her death, and also influenced Jacobs attitude to her children. Joseph thereby is awarded a double portion, which is the right of the firstborn. Rachel | Bible, Jacob, Leah, & Facts | Britannica Leah suddenly found herself sterile after the birth of Judah, and offered Jacob her own handmaid as well. Themidrashlists three reasons for Jacobs crying on this occasion. When not specified, "Talmud" refers to the Babylonian Talmud.Talmud asserts that the Matriarch Rachel was one of the first women prophets. But Rachel was not content with this. Although Rachel died young, the Rabbis indicate her positive influence on her descendants, even long after her passing. (This mistaken belief was similar to the belief that both sisters had in the power of the common mandrake to confer fertility.) The stone over the mouth of the well was large. This exegetical direction is supported by the divine aid she received in the miraculous concealment of the idols from Laban. "Jacob and Rachel at the Well, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, c. 1896-1902. By ancient custom, Bilhah's children would be credited to Rachel. Why, then, did she die? Bilhah bore children to Jacob, causing Leah to give her servant Zilpah to Jacob, who had children with her. The Hebrew name of Rachel means ewe or beautiful. She hid these teraphim in her saddle bag, and sat on them. Now that you have sinned, the birthright has been given to Joseph, the priesthood to Levi, and kingship to Judah (Gen. Rabbahloc. 21:1517prescribes that If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and both [] have borne him sons [] he may not treat as first-born the son of the loved one in disregard of the son of the unloved one who is older. Rachel's early decease was due, according to the general opinion of the Rabbis, to Jacob's involuntary curse uttered when Laban was searching for the teraphim, "With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live" (Gen. xxxi. The contention between the two women did not cease even after Rachels death, and arose again as regards the seniority of Jacobs sons: who would be considered the firstbornthe son of Leah, or of Rachel; and similarly, regarding the origin of Elijah, the harbinger of the Redemption. Rachel and Leah in the Bible - Biblical Archaeology Society I am from the descendants of Rachel(Gen. Rabbah71:9). This midrash indicates a certain correction of the injustice done to Rachel. The midrash explains that the education that Joseph received from his mother continued to guide him even after her death. xxxvi. Leah - Wikipedia Rachel: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive At such an age, a girl might be given adult responsibility in a family that did not (yet) have sons. The account of Jacob and Rachel is presented to the reader as a love story, and quite a romantic one at that. When Jacob introduced himself to Rachel, he told her (v. 12) that he was her fathers kinsman, that he was Rebekahs son. In the midrashic expansion, Jacob told Rachel: if to deceivehe was her fathers kinsman; and if for righteousnesshe was Rebekahs son. Rachel said: If Leah were not righteous, would she have given birth?(Gen. Rabbah71:6). cit.). Zilpah, Leah's maid, gives birth to Gad and Asher. Jacob was quite old compared to other generations when he finally married. 1-min read. 32), he not knowing that Rachel had taken the images. (Genesis 29:10, NLT). The restrictions on her date of birth are: The maximum likely age for Rachel at the time of the birth of Benjamin is thirty-nine years. [6] (Genesis 31:19-20 ) Jones[7] records that the phrase "born to him in Padan-aram" that appears after the listing of Jacob's sons (Genesis 35:26 ) can also mean "engendered by him in Padan-aram." 15). In this manner, the barren women became one of the Matriarchs of the nation. Zavada, Jack. Rachel - Wikipedia All this means that Jacob was married to Rachel for some time between about 15 years and 22 years. Jacob insisted on giving the child the name of Benjamin, or "son of my right hand."[1]. She told her father she was having her period, making her ceremonially unclean, so he did not search near her. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 2; Midr. So Jacob served Laban fourteen years for his two daughters and six years for the cattle a total of twenty years. In another tradition, Rachel envied Leahs good deeds. She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. In yet another exegetical understanding, Rachel said: May the Lord add another son for me for exile, because the ten tribes were exiled beyond the Sambatyon river, while the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were dispersed throughout all the lands. TheTorahattests of Rachel(Gen. 29:17): Rachel was shapely and beautiful; and of her son Joseph (39:6): Now Joseph was well built and handsome [the two verses uses the same Hebrew phrases:yefat/yefeh toar,vi-yfat/yefeh mareh], to which the Rabbis apply the saying: Throw a stick into the air, and it will [always] fall on its end(Gen. Rabbah86:6). Harvard Theological Review113, no. Hadjittofi, Fotini, and Hagith Sivan. Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. The "Sefer ha-Yashar" (section "Wayishla," p. 56b), however, gives her age at the time of her death as forty-five. The Jewish New Year, held on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Had I not revealed to thee our signs, he would never have become thy husband" (Midr. Jer. 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. Buber],Vayeze13). genesis - How old was Jacob when he first saw Rachel? - Biblical 31:1416attests: A cry is heard in Ramahwailing, bitter weepingRachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children, who are gone. Themidrashrelates that there was no maiden comelier than Rachel, which was why Jacob desired to wed her, and sent her presents. Agadah toGen. The restrictions on her date of birth are: 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. The Rabbis present Labans act of deceit as something in which Rachel was involved, from which they learn of her special qualities. Executive Committee of the Editorial Board. "Staging Rachel: Rabbinic Midrash, Theatrical Mime, and Christian Martyrdom in Late Antiquity." "Meet Rachel - Favored Wife of Jacob." 123a; Midr. cit.). Buber],Vayeze19). Themidrashperceives Rachel as an educational figure who delineated the path that her offspring were to follow. God thereupon promised her the restoration of Israel (Lam. Jacob was 147 years old when he died, Gen 47:28. 26-28). A compilation of the commentary and discussions of the, Matriarchs: A Liturgical and Theological Category, Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Notwithstanding this, Rachels exemplary deeds caused the seniority to return to her. Laban substituted Leah, his older daughter, and in the darkness, Jacob thought Leah was Rachel.

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