The Matriarchs Rachel and Leah:
       Tears of the Jewish Mothers, Part 1
                            By Mrs. Leah Kohn

"Laban had two daughters.  The name of the older one was Leah and the name of the younger one was Rachel" (Genesis 29:16).

The Torah tells us that both Leah and Rachel wept profusely in their lives. Genesis 29:17 relates, "Leah's eyes were tender."  The prophet Jeremiah writes, "A voice is heard on high, the sound of lamentation...Rachel weeping for her children."

This class will focus on the tears of Leah, while the next class will look at Rachel.

Why does the Torah choose to describe one of its great female figures as a woman with "tender" eyes?  Why does the text bring out something seemingly negative, when Leah has so many attributes?  The Torah at times criticizes character flaws, sins and the like, which are the result of free will, but in Leah's case her "tender" eyes are a part of her physique, which is God-given
and beyond her control as an individual.  Why then would the Torah focus on something she has no power to change?  What is the deeper meaning behind Leah's tender eyes?

Rashi tells us, "Leah's eyes were tender, because she wept constantly in prayer that she not have to marry Esav.  People used to say that since Rebecca had two sons and Laban two daughters, the elder daughter would be married to the elder son, while the younger daughter was destined to marry the younger son."  This is to say that Jacob was to marry Rachel, while his
brother Esav was to wed Leah.

Given that Leah had the option to accept or reject the match with Esav, why did she choose to cry over it, rather than simply refuse to marry him?  The answer lies in the fact that Leah was a prophetess.  She knew that, in reality, people's mundane talk about her marriage to Esav reflected God's will for her.  She saw prophetically that the two couples - Jacob and Rachel, with Esav and herself - were to establish the Jewish Nation, by spawning six
tribes each.  Leah was fully committed to this mission, while Esav was clearly not interested.  Leah's grief reflected her fear that, because Esav was not up to the task, she might not have a share in building the Jewish people.

Leah's tears, as an expression of her prayer to be released from her destiny with Esav, did have an effect.  The Midrash tells us, "Great is prayer, for Leah's prayer brought about annulment of the decree that she marry Esav, and even allowed her to be the first to marry Jacob and have children with him." She also gave birth to more tribes of Israel than any other of Jacob's wives. 

Nonetheless, the way in which Leah came to marry Jacob seems to contradict her greatness.  While Jacob was supposed to marry Rachel - and had worked for seven years for her father, Laban, in this regard - on the wedding night Laban contrives to substitute Leah for Rachel (Genesis 29:22), and Leah ultimately consents to proceed down the aisle and marry Jacob.

Where is the greatness in Leah's collaboration with this plan?  Why did she allow herself to co-opt Rachel's place with Jacob?  Furthermore, why does the Torah not criticize her for this choice?  As stated above, the Torah is at times outspoken about character flaws and errors in judgment.  Leah's actions seem to be precisely these types of mistakes.

To explore further, on a practical level, it made no sense for Laban to substitute Leah for Rachel.  He knew that Jacob would eventually discover his trick and either divorce Leah, or that the marriage would be adversely affected by his ploy.  What then did Laban hope to gain?

In addition, Laban forces Leah under threat of death to replace Rachel.  This does not scare Leah, a woman who might not have been intimidated by such tactics.  The fact that Leah does go ahead and marry Jacob reflects the fact  that she sees God's hand behind both Laban's illogical actions and the unusual circumstances propelling her towards Jacob.  Thus, in spite of Leah's own misgivings as well as her understanding of the difficulty she might incur once Jacob discovers her, Leah chooses to be passive and proceed with her father's plan.  R' Aharon Kotler observes that, "All of Laban's machinations, however, could not have succeeded had not God wanted them to, for it is illogical to believe that Jacob could not have detected something amiss until the morning...the marriage to Leah took place unimpeded because God's plan required that Jacob and Leah become husband and wife."  Evidently, Leah was tuned into this reality.

The Midrash tells us that, in the morning Jacob asks Leah why she, daughter of Laban the deceiver, has in turn deceived him?  Leah responds that Jacob, in effect, had done the same thing when he took the blessing from Isaac that had been intended for Esav (Genesis 27:27). Such a retort is inconsistent with Leah's stellar character.  She was obviously not trying to justify her own actions by pointing out a seemingly dishonest move of Jacob's.

(In fact, Jacob had taken his brother's blessing, because Esav's behavior indicated he did not want a share in forging the Jewish nation.  As mentioned above, Jacob and Esav were to be partners, with Jacob as master of the Book -or the spiritual realm - and Esav as overseer of the physical realm.  Isaac's blessing was intended for Esav, since the blessing itself was directed towards the physical world, and this was the sphere of Esav's mission. Once
Jacob realized he was to be on his own, he took Esav's blessing, so as to receive the tools to assume Esav's responsibilities).

In essence, Leah reminds Jacob of the co-opted blessing in order to indicate to him that she, as Esav's partner, should now be partner to Jacob - the man who has taken on Esav's work.

In sum, the marriage of Leah to Jacob, and that of Rachel to Jacob seven days later, is not simply a polygamous story.  Both women were intensely focused on building the Jewish people, and the entire course of events in their lives was motivated by their spiritual drives.  This being the case, it is no wonder the Torah tells us of Leah's tender eyes.  Rather than a deficit, they are key to her greatness, being they are the physical expression of her longing to contribute to the rise of a Nation.
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            The Matriarchs Rachel and Leah:
       Tears of the Jewish Mothers, Part 2
                                                By Mrs. Leah Kohn

In our last class, we explored the inner meaning and greatness of Leah's tears.  This week we look at Rachel's tears.

To begin our inquiry into the unique impact of Rachel's tears on the Jewish people past, present and future, we turn to a Midrash from the beginning of the Book of Lamentations.  The Midrash tells us that God sends the prophet Jeremiah to the Patriarchs, Avraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to Moshe - all of whom have left the world - to ask their participation in mourning and pleading for a better future for the Jewish people.  Each advocates for Israel, attempting to appease God by asking Him to reciprocate for his past good deeds.

Avraham reminds God of his willingness to have sacrificed, Isaac, his only son.  In essence he says to God, "When You told me to sacrifice my son, I became like a cruel person. I did not pay attention to my merciful feelings as a father. I put Isaac on the altar and tied him down in order to sacrifice him.  Why will You not reciprocate by having mercy on Your children, Israel?" But God does not respond.

Next, Isaac reminds God of his willingness to have allowed himself to be sacrificed by his father, Avraham.  He asks that God reciprocate by having compassion for and saving the Jewish people.  Again there is no response. 

Then Jacob comes forward and essentially says, "When I came out of Laban's house where I had worked for twenty years, I was with my family and we met my brother Esav along the way.  Esav intended to kill me, and I was ready to have myself killed, in order to save my children.  Please remember my deed and, in return, save Your children the Jews."  No answer.

Finally, Moshe speaks.  "Wasn't I a loyal shepherd to the Jewish people for forty years?  I led them in the desert and, finally, when they were poised to enter Israel, You told me I was to remain in the desert and die there.  I was not allowed to enjoy the fruits of my labor and, now, You call upon me to join You in mourning for something I never had?  Please remember my efforts and have mercy on Your people."  Again, no response.

Each of the Patriarchs, along with Moshe, argues that along with the justice God exacts by exiling the Jews from Israel, He should also show mercy and ultimately save them.  But God does not respond.

Back to Rachel.  The Midrash tells us that she appears in front of God and reiterates to Him how difficult it was for her to have participated in the plan of replacing herself with her sister, Leah, under the bridal canaopy. Rashi from Megillah 13b, gives us a background to this event: "Living up to his reputation as a deceitful rogue, Laban substituted Leah for Rachel on the
wedding night.  Jacob and Rachel expected Laban to attempt such a deception, and they prepared against it by arranging a secret signal between them.

Seeing that they were about to substitute her sister Leah for her, however, Rachel confided the sign to her sister so that Leah would not be put to shame..."  Rachel buries her desire to marry Jacob, and gives the signals to Leah.  What's more, Rachel also buries her jealousy, in order to be able to carry out her plan with the purest intentions. Rachel asks God the following: "If I, as a flesh and blood mortal, was able to transcend my jealousy and anger, how much more so should You, an immortal King, find compassion for Your people."

The Midrash tells us that, as soon as she says this, God responds to Rachel's tears.  He promises, for her sake, that He will ultimately redeem the Jews from their exile: "Rachel recalled her own magnanimity to her sister, Leah. When Leah was fraudulently married to Jacob in place of Rachel, Rachel did not let jealous resentment lead her to protest.  Why then, should God be so
zealous in punishing His children for bringing idols into His Temple?  God accepted her plea and promised that Israel would be redeemed eventually, in her merit."

As it is written in Jeremiah (31:14), "Thus said Hashem: A voice is heard on high, wailing, bitter weeping, Rachel weeps for her children; she refuses to be consoled for her children, for they are gone.  Thus said Hashem: Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for there is reward for your accomplishment - the word of Hashem - and they will return from the enemy's land.  There is hope for your future - the word of Hashem - and your
children will return to their border."

Why is it that God responds to Rachel and not to the Patriarchs or to Moshe? Certainly these were men of greatness and inordinate dedication to the Jewish people.  Reb Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin proposes that the difference lies in the initiative Rachel takes, without first having to be commanded by God.