Shmooze News December 7, 2024
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Was Leah Hated?
In this week’s parashah we are told how Lavan tricked Yaakov into marrying Leah. Leah, for her part, went along with the ruse, pretending to be Rachel (the one Yaakov thought he was marrying), so that Yaakov only knew it was Leah the following morning. Ultimately, Lavan gave Rachel as a wife to Yaakov as well, but only after Yaakov agreed to work for an additional seven years for him.
The relationship between Yaakov and Leah was understandably strained. In fact, the Torah tells us, וַיַּ֤רְא ה' כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָ֑הּ, Hashem saw that Leah was “s’nuah” (usually translated as “hated”), so He opened her womb (Bereishis 29:31). Ramban (ad loc.) understands the pasuk at face value and explains that Yaakov was ready to divorce Leah, but once the children started to come along, he declared, “how can I divorce the mother of these?” (see Bereishis Rabbah 71:2).
Many others, however, disagree, and go so far as to exclaim, “heaven forbid that Yaakov ‘hated’ Leah!” (Rabbeinu Bachya ad loc.). The Torah itself implies otherwise, since it says in the previous verse, וַיֶּֽאֱהַ֥ב גַּם־אֶת־רָחֵ֖ל מִלֵּאָ֑ה, [Yaakov] loved Rachel more than Leah (Bereishis 29:30). Apparently, he loved them both, but simply loved Rachel more. Therefore, many explain the above verse – Hashem saw that Leah was s’nuah, as meaning, Hashem saw that Leah was “less loved” (Radak; Rabbeinu Bachya; R’ S.R. Hirch).
Even though Leah was not “hated,” she did feel the distance in her relationship with Yaakov, and with each child that was born to her, she hoped and prayed for that gap to be closed. She called her first son, “Reuven” declaring, ‘‘Hashem has seen (Re’u) my humiliation, for now my husband will love me” (ibid. v. 32). Before she gave birth to Reuven, Yaakov’s preference of Rachel over Leah was so pronounced that it was “visible” (Hashem has seen…). With Reuven’s birth that changed. However, even after Reuven’s birth, Leah still detected in Yaakov’s tone some remaining flaw in the relationship, and so with the birth of Shimon she declared, Hashem has heard (Shama) that I am less-loved (ibid. v.33). And indeed, with his birth even that level of distance was overcome. Finally, with the birth of her third son, Levi, Leah declared, This time my husband will become attached (y’laveh) to me, by which she noted that the gap had seemingly been closed altogether. And while one might have argued that her sentiment was wishful thinking, the verse concludes, therefore he – i.e., Yaakov – called his name Levi (v. 34, with Rashbam). Yaakov himself acknowledged that change in the relationship between them. He agreed with Leah’s assessment, that the two of them would now be attached. It is telling that when Leah bore her fourth son, Yehudah, she mentioned nothing of the relationship between her and Yaakov or its struggles. She merely declared; this time let me gratefully praise (O’deh) Hashem (ibid v. 35). For this son’s entry into the world was not a harbinger of any necessary repairing to the relationship. Rather his birth brought with it just joy and gratitude, shared by a husband and wife whose love was now complete.
Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom / Good Shabbos
Rabbi Moskovitz
Shmooze News November 30, 2024
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Shabbos Mevarchim Chodesh Kislev
Rosh Chodesh will be Sunday and Monday.
Yitzchak Loved Eisav, but Rivka Loves Yaakov
After introducing us to Yaakov and Eisav, the Torah tells us the different relationship that their parents had toward each of them respectively: Yitzchak loved Eisav for game was in his mouth; but Rivka loves Yaakov (Bereishis 25:28). Certainly, Yitzchak loved Yaakov, but the Torah points out the novelty that he loved Eisav as well. This was unlike Rivka who recognized the wickedness of Eisav and therefore loved only Yaakov (Seforno, ad loc.).
The Torah tells us not only that Yitzchak loved Eisav, but it also tells us why, namely, for game (literally “trapping”) was in his mouth. Rashi cites our Sages who homiletically interpret the pasuk as saying that “trapping” (or trickery) was in the mouth of Eisav. That is, he would trick his father by pretending to be righteous, asking questions like “How does one tithe salt or straw” and the like.
However, the simple interpretation of the verse is that Yitzchak’s affinity for Eisav was due to the fact that Eisav would feed him game (Onkelos, Ramban, et. al). Some combine the two approaches and suggest that Eisav lied to his father by telling him that his only desire to hunt and kill in the fields all day was to provide food for him (Kli Yakar).
Our Sages go so far as to call the food provided by Eisav to Yitzchak a “bribe” of sorts and apply the pasuk, “for the bribe will blind the eyes of the wise” (Devarim 16:19). With this they explain why Yitzchak ultimately lost his sight (Baal HaTurim 27:1, citing Tanchuma).
Either way, the Torah makes it clear that the love that Yitzchak had for Eisav, was contingent on something. It was what our Sages refer to as אַהֲבָה שֶׁהִיא תְלוּיָה בְדָבָר,
a love that is dependent on something, about which the Mishnah in Avos (5:16) says בָּטֵל דָּבָר בְּטֵלָה אַהֲבָה, when that thing ends, the love ends as well. By contrast, the Torah does not give us the reason for Rivka’s love. Her love for Yaakov was one that was not dependent on something. About such love, our Sages say, אֵינָהּ בְּטֵלָה לְעוֹלָם, it never ends (ibid.).
Some suggest that this is why Yaakov’s love for Eisav is described by the above verse in the past tense (Yitzchak loved Eisav). For once the thing upon which the love depends ends, so does the love. Rivka’s love for Yaakov though is described in the verse in the present tense (Rivka loves Yaakov), for Rivka’s love for Yaakov was never about what he brought her, but rather it was due to who he was. Such love is not contingent on something external, and thus never ends, never fades. It is a constant. Rivka loves Yaakov, in the past, present, and forever (Shelah haKadosh מובא במעינה של תורה; Kli Yakar 25:28).
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom / Good Shabbos
Rabbi Moskovitz