Bar’chu et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach
l’O’lam va-ed! Baruch ata YHVH
Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol
ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to.
Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Bless YHVH the blessed
One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH,
our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the
peoples, and have given us your Torah.
Gen 29:31 And יהוה saw that Lĕ’ah was unloved, and He opened
her womb, but Raḥĕl was barren.
The Torah describes Rachel
as having beautiful features and a beautiful complexion, and Leah as having tender eyes – Ber 29:17.
Ber/Gen
29:30 translates in the English that Yakov loved Rachel more than Leah. The
word “more” is not used in the original Hebrew. The word “gam”(S1571) is used
and generally means “also”.
וַיָּבֹא גַּם אֶל-רָחֵל, וַיֶּאֱהַב גַּם-אֶת-רָחֵל
מִלֵּאָה; וַיַּעֲבֹד עִמּוֹ, עוֹד שֶׁבַע-שָׁנִים אֲחֵרוֹת.
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30 And he went in also unto
Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven
other years.
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לא וַיַּרְא
יְהוָה כִּי-שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה, וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת-רַחְמָהּ; וְרָחֵל, עֲקָרָה.
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31 And YHVH saw that Leah was
hated, and he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
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Note – it does not say that Yakov hated her. It states through a passive verb that she was hated. The
Torah states that Yakov was an upright man and we can safely assume that he
would not have hated Leah.
The Torah
and history show us that there was a great rivalry between these two sisters
and their offspring.
The Midrash Tanhuma says that Leah’s eyes were weak
because of all the tears she shed. The midrash claims that Leah was promised to
Esav as a wife she heard how evil he was. Lavan her father saved her from this
evil person the best way he knew how – he deceived Yakov in taking her for a
wife.
It appears that there was a reconciliation between these
two sister wives of Yakov before Rachel died.
We note Yermeyahu’s prophecy of Rachel.
Jer
31:15 Thus said יהוה, “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing, bitter weeping, Raḥĕl
weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because
they are no more.” (see also Matt 2:18)
Which children is Rachel weeping for? According to the
events of Matt 2:18 Rachel is weeping for Leah’s children as well. The events
of this prophecy are fulfilled in the days of Yahshua. In those days it was
mainly the Jews from the tribe of Judah living in ‘’Beit – Lechem’’– when this
prophecy is fulfilled Herod is killing Leah’s children living in Bethlehem. Rachel’s
children had been taken into captivity about 700 years before the events
described in Mattitiyahu chapter 2. Ramah is possibly close to where the modern-day
Bethlehem is.
Gen
29:32 And Lĕ’ah conceived and bore a
son, and she called his name Re’uḇĕn, for she said, “For יהוה has
looked on my affliction, because now my husband is going to love me.”
Gen
29:33 And she conceived again and bore a
son, and said, “Because יהוה has heard that I am unloved, He gave me
this son too.” And she called his name Shimʽon.
Gen
29:34 And she conceived again and bore a
son, and said, “Now this time my husband is joined to me, because I have borne
him three sons.” So his name was called Lĕwi.
Gen
29:35 And she conceived again and bore a
son, and said, “Now I praise יהוה.” So she called his name Yehuḏah. And she
ceased bearing.
Gen 30:1 And when Raḥĕl saw that she bore Yaʽaqoḇ no
children, Raḥĕl envied her sister, and said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “Give me children, or
else I am going to die!”
Gen 30:2 And
Yaʽaqoḇ’s displeasure burned against Raḥĕl, and he said, “Am I in the place
of Elohim, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
Gen 30:3 And
she said, “See, my female servant Bilhah; go in to her, and let her bear for
me, and let me be built up from her as well
Gen 30:4 So
she gave him Bilhah her female servant as wife, and Yaʽaqoḇ went in to her.
Gen 30:5 And
Bilhah conceived and bore Yaʽaqoḇ a son.
Gen 30:6 And
Raḥĕl said, “Elohim has rightly ruled my case, and has also heard my voice and
given me a son.” So she called his name Dan.
Gen 30:7 And
Raḥĕl’s female servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Yaʽaqoḇ a second son.
Gen 30:8 And
Raḥĕl said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have
overcome.” So she called his name Naphtali.
Gen 30:9 And
Lĕ’ah saw that she had ceased bearing, and she took Zilpah her female servant
and gave her to Yaʽaqoḇ as wife.
Gen 30:10
And Lĕ’ah’s female servant Zilpah bore Yaʽaqoḇ a son.
Gen 30:11
And Lĕ’ah said, “With Gaḏ!” So she called his name Gaḏ.
Gen 30:12 And
Lĕ’ah’s female servant Zilpah bore Yaʽaqoḇ a second son.
Gen 30:13
And Lĕ’ah said, “I am blessed, for the daughters shall call me blessed.”
So she called his name Ashĕr.
Leah
– means weary. She was weary trying to love someone who didn’t love her as much
as she desired to be loved.
She
has a son – Reuben – means see a son – ''now surely Yakov will love me''.
Then
she has a second son – Simeon – means heard – ''the Father heard how hated I
was and He gave me another son'''(Said Leah).
Then
Levi – means joined or loved – ''surely now Yakov will love me and join himself
to me''.
Then
came Yahudah – ''praise the Father surely now he will love me''.
By
this time Rachel got desperate and give Billah her maid to Yakov – Dan is born-means
He has judged in my favour and given me a son.
Billah
bore another son called Naphtali – I have prevailed against my sister and still
have the affection of Yakov
Leah
saw that she was having no more children so she gave Zilpha her maid to Yakov
and Gad was born – means how fortunate I am to give Yakov another son. Then
Zilpha bore another son called Asher – happy look I have another son.
Then
Reuben brings mandrakes – Dudaim – to his mother. Rachel sees and wants them
because it was believed to make you fertile etc etc.. So Leah trades them for a
night with Yakov.
Leah
gives birth fifth son – Isaccar – means you are my wages.
Those
who have been called by YHVH and have obediently responded to and followed THE
FAITH will once again in the last days be joined to and become part of the 12
tribes of Yisrael.
The
prophet speaking of when Yashua returns and rules and reigns over the earth: Eze 47:21
“And you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes
of Yisra’ĕl. Eze 47:22 “And it shall be
that you divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the
strangers who sojourn in your midst and who bear children among you. And they
shall be to you as native-born among the children of Yisra’ĕl – with you they
have an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl1.
Footnote: 1Isa. 14:1, Isa. 56:6-8, Rom. 11:17-26, Eph. 2:19, Eph.
3:6, Rev. 21:12. Eze 47:23 “And it shall
be that in whatever tribe the stranger sojourns, there you give him his inheritance,”
declares the Master יהוה.
Isa
60:10 “And the sons of foreigners shall
build your walls, and their sovereigns serve you. For in My wrath I have
smitten you, but in My delight I shall have compassion on you. Isa 60:11 “And your gates shall be open continually,
they are not shut day or night, to bring to you the wealth of the gentiles, and
their sovereigns in procession. Isa 60:12
“For the nation and the reign that do not serve you shall perish, and
those gentiles shall be utterly laid waste.Isa 60:13 “The esteem of Leḇanon shall come to you,
cypress, pine, and the box tree together, to embellish the place of My
set-apart place. And I shall make the place of My feet esteemed. Isa 60:14 “And the sons of those who afflicted you come
bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall bow themselves at the soles
of your feet. And they shall call you: City of יהוה, Tsiyon of the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl. Isa
60:15 “Instead of you being forsaken and
hated, so that no one passes through you, I