Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2022, learnreligions.com/rachel-favored-wife-of-jacob-701193. How old was Jacob's age when he married his wife in the Bible? Since she suffered many years of barrenness, she was rewarded by the Israelites being called by her name, or by the name of her descendants. Joshua son of Nun was an Ephraimite, one of Rachels descendants. The Rabbis speak of the passionate love for Rachel exhibited by Jacob, who already understood from their first encounter that she was his intended bride. It speaks of a tradition possessed by Jacob that Esau would fall only by the hand of Rachels sons. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [9][10][11], Last modified on August 11, 2016, at 17:07. But as she approached, a stranger (Jacob) rolled the stone away for her and watered the sheep. (NLT) Jeremiah 31:15 speaks of Rachel "weeping for her children" who have been taken into exile. InJer. According to another tradition, the word naftali is to be derived fromninfei(bride). Rachel was one of Jacob's wives through . Rabbah[ed. cit.). xxxi. Yet he did not bring his beloved Rachel there, nor did he carry her to the more distant Hebron, but laid her to rest alongside the road. Jacob allowed Laban to search for the idols. No, he did not. Referred to alternatively as the "Day of Judgement" and the "Day of Blowing" (of the, Lit. 2227 AM-m. 2245 AM-2266 AM) (ca. (Genesis 29:10, NLT). 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. As she was beautiful and well favored, Jacob fell in love with her and agreed to serve Laban for seven years on the condition that at the end of that time Rachel should become his wife. 2:20): But Esther still did not reveal her kindred or her people and did not mention her Jewish origins in the palace of Ahasuerus(Gen. Rabbah71:5;Tanhuma,Vayeze6). 26-28). How old was Rebekah when she married Isaac in the Bible? l.c. "Jacob and Rachel at the Well, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, c. 1896-1902. God said to Jacob: Is this how one replies to embittered women? The Rabbis understand the wording (Gen. Did Isaac and Rebekah have a wedding? cit.). Rachel's envy at her sister's fertility (comp. Rachels son Benjamin knew about the sale of Joseph but did not reveal it to his father; therefore(Ex. Gen. 30:1relates that when Rachel saw that she was not bearing children, she told Jacob: Give me children, or I shall die, leading the Rabbis to conclude that whoever is childless is regarded as dead (Lam. Rachels merit continued to aid Israel even many years after her demise: when the exiles from Judah (after the destruction of the First Temple) passed by her tomb, she aroused Gods mercy to forgive them; He heeded her, and promised her that He would return them to their land. 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. Consort with her [] that through her I too may have children (Gen. Rabbahloc. The purpose of the comparison between Benjamin and his mother was to say that just as Benjamin was unjustly accused, so, too, Rachel should not have been called a thief, since her motive was positive. When Jacob first met Laban (his mother's brother), he immediately fell in love with his younger daughter Rachel. Benjamin, who had just been born, needed a wet nurse; a miracle was performed for Bilhah and her breasts filled with milk, thus enabling her to nurse the newborn(Tanhuma,Vayeshev7; see also the entry: Bilhah). 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. Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife. ; comp. Jacob protested, and Laban answered that local custom did not permit a younger sister to marry before the older sister. Jewish Women's Archive. 6), this prayer of Rachel caused Leah's seventh child, which at the time of conception was a son, to be transformed into a daughter; otherwise Rachel would have been the mother of only one son (comp., however, Ber. How old? 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. The midrash adds that Laban entered Rachels tent twice, because he knew that she was inclined to steal. Rather, he told the latter(Gen. 49:3): Reuben, you are my first-born; notwithstanding this, Jacob also spoke disparagingly of him (v. 4): Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer. Many years later, Moses would bless Reuben and release him from this disgrace(Deut. 13). Hadjittofi, Fotini, and Hagith Sivan. In return, Leah requested that Rachel forgo her right to be with Jacob that night. "Rachel: Midrash and Aggadah." Various Jewish sources say Rachel died at age 36 and other sources say age 45. So did your mother shame our father when she stole the household idols from Laban! By merit of the blows that he received on his shoulders, theShekhinah(Divine Presence) would rest between Benjamins shoulders, as it is said in the blessing by Moses(Deut. Gen. 29:17attests: Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Themidrashadds that there was no maiden fairer than Rachel (Tanhuma,Vayeze6). xxxv. If I had sent a message to him, saying: Take note that they are deceiving you, would he not have refrained? 14). [2] Thus Leah would be the older sister only in the sense of having been born first. cit.). When not specified, "Talmud" refers to the Babylonian Talmud.Talmud asserts that the Matriarch Rachel was one of the first women prophets. At the same time, they also illustrate the intricate and complex relationship betweenLeahand Rachel, the two sisters and the two wives of Jacob whose fate was intertwined. 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. Jacob was quite old compared to other generations when he finally married. 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 []. l.c.) Her first son was Joseph, the future viceroy of Egypt. The competition between Rachel and Leah did not cease upon Rachels death, and is reflected in the question of the birthright: which of the firstborn of Jacobs wives would receive the birthright, Reuben or Joseph? How Old Was Jacob When He Married Rachael? 123a; Midr. According to one, Reuben, Leahs son and the firstborn of Jacob, does receive the birthright. R. xxx. 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. 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. 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. God accepted her prayer and the sex of the fetus in her womb changed to female(BTBerakhot60a;Tanhuma[ed. 24), show that she was a prophetess. genesis - How old was Jacob when he first saw Rachel? - Biblical 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. After that I consoled myself, I suffered [to overcome] my desire and had compassion for my sister that she not suffer disgrace, and I gave her all the signs that I had given to my husband, so that he would think that she was Rachel. 15). 4:19), andMichal (daughter of Saul)(II Sam. Rachel is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 29 when Jacob happens upon her as she is about to water her father's flock. [1] Those sons became the founders of the 12 tribes of Israel. 2, 7). How Old Was Jacob When He Married? - Bible Study 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. 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]. Thus, for example, the Bejaminite Saul would wage war against and triumph against Amalek, the descendant of Esau; and Mordecai, from the tribe of Benjamin, would use his wisdom to best the Amalekite Haman. The Bible does not say when Rachel was born, nor how old she was when she married Jacob, nor how long she lived. In 1860, Sir Moses Montefiore enlarged this structure. In Sivan of 2251 AM (MayJune 1754 BC, or literally, "in the days of the wheat harvest"), Reuben went into the field and gathered mandrakes (Mandragora officinarum) for his mother Leah. Her compassion also succeeded in arousing Gods mercy when He answered her prayer. Another midrash adds that by merit of Rachels silence, two tribesEphraim and Manassehissued forth from her, in addition to the other ten tribes(Gen. Rabbah71:5;Tanhuma,Vayeze6). Tadshe, in Epstein, "Mi-admoniyyot ha-Yehudim," Supplement, p. Jacob then married Rachel and worked for Laban another seven years for her. 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. She raised Joseph and Benjamin as if she were their mother(Gen. Rabbah84:11). Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Who is Rachel in The Bible? Agadah to Gen. xxx. Harvard Theological Review113, no. How old was Rachel when she married Jacob? - Answers After working for Laban another seven years, Jacob marries Rachel Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. Gen. 29:18attests: Jacob loved Rachel. The midrashic exegesis of this verse characterizes this love of Jacobs with a reference toCant. 10). Leah suddenly found herself sterile after the birth of Judah, and offered Jacob her own handmaid as well. 60a, and Targ. Did he not go to Laban only because of me? (Gen. Rabbahloc. 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]. 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. 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. While Rachel was barren for the first fourteen years of her marriage, she is still described as Jacobs preferred wife and a powerful woman. 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). Jacob gave Reuben the birthright, but it was postponed because of the sin of the latter, who was vindicated and regained his birthright in the time of Moses. 8:6: For love is fierce as death (Tanhuma[ed. Rachel unquestionably had Jacob's favor, but Rachel was sterile, while Leah was fertile. This exposition emphasizes that Jacob acted in accordance with the commandment of the Torah and did not prefer the son of the loved wife to the son of the unloved one. 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). "teaching," "study," or "learning." 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. 1; Tan., Wayee, 19; Gen. R. lxxi. According to these first two traditions, Naphtalis name portrays an experience undergone by Rachel. Rachel is mentioned twice in the Old Testament beyond her story in Genesis. Rachel in the Bible: Characteristics and lessons learned She was the second daughter of Laban, Rebekah's brother, making Jacob her first cousin. According to one of these interpretations, the disgrace to which Rachel refers is the affair of theConcubine of a Levite(Jud. 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]). Referred to alternatively as the "Day of Judgement" and the "Day of Blowing" (of the shofar).Rosh Ha-Shanah, like Sarah andHannah. While Rachel was barren for the first fourteen years of her marriage, she is still described as Jacob's preferred wife and a powerful woman. Rachel first met Jacob in 2245 AM (1759 BC), at the community well in Haran. When Abraham was about 100 years old, he and his wife Sarah had a son who they named Isaac. In another exegetical tradition, Jacob placed Rachel and Joseph last because he wanted to protect them. The Rabbis seek to discover the reason why Rachels womb was opened. When Joseph was born, Rachel stated(Gen. 30:24): May the Lord add [yosef] another son for me. TheLit. How old was Rachel when she died. Isaac, the father of Jacob, wanted his son to marry from among their own people, so he sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to find a wife among the daughters of Laban, Jacob's uncle. 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. Jacob told Reuben: The birthright, the priesthood, and kingship were yours. (NIV), Genesis 35:24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The uncertainty arises from the unknown time between Jacob leaving Paddan-aram and arriving in Ephrath which was presumably at least 2 years (with Bethel in between) and when Joseph was 17 years old. 3; Pire R. El. Laban's excuse was that it was not their custom to marry off the younger daughter before the older one. Rachel immediately told her father Laban about the helpful stranger at the well. After Josephs birth, she exclaimed: God has taken away my disgrace (Tanhuma[ed. Gen. 30:23records that when Rachel gave birth to Joseph she explained: God has taken away [asaf] my disgrace. The Rabbis observe that until a woman gives birth, whatever blame [there is, within the house] is placed upon her. Those were the last children she would have. 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. An additional important trait of Rachels was the art of silence and the ability to keep secrets, a quality that she also passed on to her offspring, who were known for their taciturnity: Benjamin, Saul, andEsther. God remembered Rachel on Rosh ha-Shanah (Ber. xxxvi. But the Bible makes no specific statement to this effect. Buber],Vayeze12). 33:12): Of Benjamin he said: Beloved of the Lord, he rests securely beside Him [] as he rests between His shoulders (Tanhuma[ed. And there is hope for your futuredeclares the Lord: Your children shall return to their country (Lam. Thismidrashattributes a dual meaning to Gods statement: for there is a reward for your labor. Rachel acted in an extraordinary manner when she helped her sister to be married to Jacob and also when she prayed for her children. Whatever the case, she died young. 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. Bilhah bore Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali, the first by her own merit, and the second by the merit of Rachel (Gen. Rabbati,Vayeze, p. 121). R., Petita, 25). Vilna] petihtah 24). Gen. 35:18attests: But as she breathed her lastfor she was dyingshe named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. The Rabbis explain that Rachel called the child the son of my suffering [in Aramaic], while his father gave him the Hebrew name Benjamin. The midrashic sources specify that Rachel died at the age of thirty-six (SederOlam Rabbah2) and list three women who had difficult childbirths and died: Rachel, the wife of Phinehas(I Sam. In another midrashic tradition, however, Jacob did not initially favor Rachel over Leah. Rachel | Bible, Jacob, Leah, & Facts | Britannica Rachel and Joseph were most beloved by Jacob, and therefore they stood last. 14-16, 19, 34-35). How old was Rachel when Jacob married her? - KnowledgeBurrow Agadat Bereshit li. Rachels good deeds also positively influenced her children. That was a lie. This midrash criticizes Jacob for responding so harshly and inconsiderately to Rachel, who is presented as a bitter woman. 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. As the four different plants with which the Jews were commanded to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 19; Gen. R. lxxxii. Themidrashrelates that there was no maiden comelier than Rachel, which was why Jacob desired to wed her, and sent her presents. The Story of Jacob and his Wives Leah and Rachel The role of women in the Old Testament. (Viewed on May 1, 2023)