Parashat Vayetze – How is it Possible that Yaakov Didn't Realize it was Leah? Rabbi Aviad Bodner
בראשית פרק כט Bereshit Chapter 29 .1
טו ַויֹּא ֶמר ָל ָבן, ְל ַי ֲע ֹקב, ֲה ִכי- ָא ִחי ַא ָתּה, Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my brother, should 15 ַו ֲע ַב ְד ַתּ ִ י ִח ָנּם; ַה ִגּי ָדה ִלּי, ַמה - you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your ַמּ ְשׂ ֻכּ ְר ֶתּ .טז וּ ְל ָל ָבן, ְשׁ ֵתּי ָב וֹת: ֵשׁם ַה ְגּ ֹד ָלה wages be?" 16 Laban had two daughters. The name of the ֵל ָאה, ְו ֵשׁם ַה ְקּ ַט ָנּה ָר ֵחל .י ז ְו ֵעי ֵ י ֵל ָאה, elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was ַרכּוֹת; ְו ָר ֵחל, ָה ְי ָתה, ְי ַפת- ֹתּ ַאר, ִוי ַפ ת Rachel. 17 Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful ַמ ְר ֶאה .יח ַו ֶיּ ֱא ַהב ַי ֲע ֹקב, ֶאת- ָר ֵחל; ַויֹּא ֶמר, in form and attractive. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. He said, "I will ֶא ֱע ָב ְד ֶשׁ ַבע ָשׁ ִ ים, ְבּ ָר ֵחל ִבּ ְתּ , ".serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter ַה ְקּ ַט ָנּה .יט ַויֹּא ֶמר ָל ָבן, טוֹב ִתּ ִתּי ֹא ָתהּ ָל , Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you, than that I 19 ִמ ִתּ ִתּי ֹא ָתהּ, ְל ִאישׁ ַא ֵחר; ְשׁ ָבה, should give her to another man. Stay with me." 20 Jacob ִע ָמּ ִדי .כ ַו ַיּ ֲע ֹבד ַי ֲע ֹקב ְבּ ָר ֵחל, ֶשׁ ַבע ָשׁ ִים; served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few ַו ִיּ ְהיוּ ְב ֵעי ָ יו ְכּ ָי ִמים ֲא ָח ִדים, ְבּ ַא ֲה ָבתוֹ ,days, for the love he had for her. 21 Jacob said to Laban ֹא ָתהּ .כא ַויֹּא ֶמר ַי ֲע ֹקב ֶאל- ָל ָבן ָה ָבה ֶאת- Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in" ִא ְשׁ ִתּי, ִכּי ָמ ְלאוּ ָי ָמי; ְו ָאבוֹ ָאה, ,to her." 22 Laban gathered together all the men of the place ֵא ֶלי ָה .כב ַו ֶיּ ֱא ֹסף ָל ָבן ֶאת- ָכּל - ַא ְ ֵשׁי ַה ָמּקוֹם, and made a feast. 23 It happened in the evening, that he took ַו ַיּ ַעשׂ ִמ ְשׁ ֶתּה .כג ַו ְי ִהי ָב ֶע ֶרב-- ַו ִיּ ַקּח ֶאת- ֵל ָאה Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to ִבתּוֹ, ַו ָיּ ֵבא ֹא ָתהּ ֵא ָליו; ַו ָיּבֹא, ֵא ֶלי ָה .כד ַו ִיּ ֵתּן her. 24 Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Leah ָל ָבן ָלהּ, ֶאת- ִז ְל ָפּה ִשׁ ְפ ָחתוֹ-- ְל ֵל ָאה ִבתּוֹ, for a handmaid. 25 It happened in the morning that, behold, it ִשׁ ְפ ָחה .כה ַו ְי ִהי ַב ֹבּ ֶקר, ְו ִה ֵנּה - ִהוא ֵל ָאה; was Leah. He said to Laban, "What is this you have done to ַויֹּא ֶמר ֶאל- ָל ָבן, ַמה-זֹּאת ָע ִשׂי ָת ִלּי-- ֲהלֹא ְב ָר ֵחל ָע ַב ְד ִתּי ִע ָמּ , ְו ָל ָמּה ִר ִמּי ָת ִי .כו ַויֹּא ֶמר me? Didn't I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" 26 Laban said, "It is not done so in our place, ָל ָבן, לֹא- ֵי ָע ֶשׂה ֵכן ִבּ ְמקוֹ ֵמ וּ-- ָל ֵתת ַה ְצּ ִעי ָרה, 27 ִל ְפ ֵ י ַה ְבּ ִכי ָרה .כז ַמ ֵלּא, ְשׁ ֻב ַע ז ֹאת; ְו ִ ְתּ ָ ה ְל to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service ַגּם- ֶאת-זֹאת, ַבּ ֲע ֹב ָדה ֲא ֶשׁר ַתּ ֲע ֹבד ִע ָמּ ִדי, עוֹד, 28 ֶשׁ ַבע- ָשׁ ִ ים ֲא ֵחרוֹת .כ ח ַו ַיּ ַעשׂ ַי ֲע ֹקב ֵכּן, which you will serve with me yet seven other years." Jacob ַו ְי ַמ ֵלּא ְשׁ ֻב ַע זֹאת; ַו ִיּ ֶתּן- לוֹ ֶאת- ָר ֵחל ִבּתּוֹ, לוֹ did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. 29 Laban gave to Rachel his daughter ְל ִא ָשּׁה .כט ַו ִיּ ֵתּן ָל ָבן ְל ָר ֵחל ִבּתּוֹ, ֶאת- ִבּ ְל ָהה 30 ִשׁ ְפ ָחתוֹ-- ָלהּ, ְל ִשׁ ְפ ָחה .ל ַו ָיּבֹא ַגּם ֶאל- ָר ֵחל, Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her handmaid. He went in also ַו ֶיּ ֱא ַהב ַגּם- ֶאת- ָר ֵחל ִמ ֵלּ ָאה; ַו ַיּ ֲע ֹבד ִעמּוֹ, עוֹד to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and ֶשׁ ַבע- ָשׁ ִ ים ֲא ֵחרוֹת .לא ַו ַיּ ְרא ה’ ִכּי- ְשׂ וּ ָאה served with him yet seven other years. 31 Yahweh saw that ֵל ָאה, ַו ִיּ ְפ ַתּח ֶאת- ַר ְח ָמהּ; ְו ָר ֵחל, Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was ֲע ָק ָרה .לב ַו ַתּ ַהר ֵל ָאה ַו ֵתּ ֶלד ֵבּ ן, ַו ִתּ ְק ָרא ְשׁמוֹ barren. 32 Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named ְראוּ ֵבן: ִכּי ָא ְמ ָרה, ִכּי- ָר ָאה ה ’ ְבּ ָע ְ ִיי-- ִכּי him Reuben. For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at ַע ָתּה, ֶי ֱא ָה ַב ִ י ִאי ִשׁי .לג ַו ַתּ ַהר עוֹד, ַו ֵתּ ֶלד ֵבּן, my affliction. For now my husband will love me." 33 She ַותֹּא ֶמר ִכּי - ָשׁ ַמע ה ’ ִכּי- ְשׂ וּ ָאה ָא ֹ ִכי, ַו ִיּ ֶתּן- ִלי conceived again, and bore a son, and said, "Because Yahweh ַגּם- ֶאת- ֶזה; ַו ִתּ ְק ָרא ְשׁמוֹ, ִשׁ ְמעוֹן .לד ַו ַתּ ַהר has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son עוֹד, ַו ֵתּ ֶלד ֵבּן, ַותֹּא ֶמר ַע ָתּה ַה ַפּ ַעם ִי ָלּ ֶוה ִאי ִשׁי also." She named him Simeon. 34 She conceived again, and ֵא ַלי, ִכּי - ָי ַל ְד ִתּי לוֹ ְשׁ ָשׁה ָב ִ ים; ַעל- ֵכּן ָק ָרא - bore a son. Said, "Now this time will my husband be joined ְשׁמוֹ, ֵל ִוי .לה ַו ַתּ ַהר עוֹד ַו ֵתּ ֶלד ֵבּן, ַותֹּא ֶמר to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore was ַה ַפּ ַעם אוֹ ֶדה ֶאת- ה’-- ַעל- ֵכּן ָק ְר ָאה ְשׁמוֹ, .his name called Levi. 35 She conceived again, and bore a son ְיהוּ ָד ה; ַו ַתּ ֲע ֹמד, ִמ ֶלּ ֶדת. She said, "This time will I praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
פירוש רש"י לפסוק יח Rashi v 18 .2
ברחל בתך הקט ה :כל הסימ ים for Rachel, your younger daughter: Why were all these signs הללו למה, לפי שיודע בו שהוא רמאי ,necessary? Since he (Jacob) knew that he (Laban) was a deceiver אמר לו אעבדך ברחל, ושמא תאמר he said to him, “I will work for you for Rachel,” and lest you say
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רחל אחרת מן הש וק, תלמוד לומר :that I meant] another Rachel from the street, Scripture states] בתך, ושמא תאמר אחליף ללאה שמה Your daughter.” Now, lest you say, “I will change her name to“ ואקרא שמה רחל, תלמוד לומר [Leah, and I will name her (Leah) Rachel,” Scripture states: “[your הקט ה ואף על פי כן לא הועיל לו younger [daughter].” Nevertheless, it did not avail him, for he שהרי רמהו: [Laban) deceived him. — [from Gen. Rabbah 70:17)
בבלי מגילה יג: Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 13B .3 (איוב לו, ז ) לא יגרע He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous; but with kings upon the“ מצדיק עי יו בשכר צ יעות throne He establishes them forever, and they are exalted” (Job 36:7)? This שהית' בה ברחל זכתה teaches that in reward for the modesty shown by Rachel she merited that ויצא ממ ה שאול ובשכר Saul, who was also modest, should descend from her, and in reward for צ יעות שהיה בו בשאול the modesty shown by Saul, he merited that Esther should descend from זכה ויצאת ממ ו אסתר .him
ומאי צ יעות היתה בה The Gemara explains: What was the modesty shown by Rachel? It is as it is ברחל דכתיב ( בראשית כט, written: “And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that יב )ויגד יעקב לרחל כי אחי he was Rebecca’s son” (Genesis 29:12). It may be asked: Was he, Jacob, in אביה הוא וכי אחי אביה ?fact her father’s brother? But wasn’t he the son of her father’s sister הוא והלא בן אחות אביה הוא :Rather, it must be understood that when Jacob met Rachel, he said to her Will you marry me? She said to him: Yes, but my father, Laban, is a אלא אמר לה מי סבא לי ,swindler, and you will not be able to outwit him. Jacob alleviated her fears אמרה ליה אין מיהו אבא as he said to her that he is her father’s brother, referring not to their familial רמאה הוא ולא יכלת ליה affiliation but rather to his ability to deal with her father on his level, as if to אמר לה אחיו א א say: I am his brother in deception. She said to him: But is it really ברמאות אמרה ליה ומי :permitted for the righteous to be involved in deception? He said to her שרי לצדיקי לסגויי Yes, it is permitted when dealing with deceptive individuals, as the verse ברמיותא אמר לה אין (שמואל ב כב, כז ) עם בר states: “With the pure you will show yourself pure, and with the perverse תתבר ועם עקש תתפל you will show yourself subtle” (II Samuel 22:27), indicating that one should deal with others in the manner appropriate for their personality. אמר לה ומאי רמיותא אמרה ליה אית לי אחתא Jacob then said to her: What is the deception that he will plan to carry out דקשישא מי אי ולא מ סיב and I should be prepared for? Rachel said to him: I have a sister who is לי מקמה מסר לה סימ ים older than I, and he will not marry me off before her, and will try to give you her in my place. So Jacob gave her certain distinguishing signs that she should use to indicate to him that she was actually Rachel and not her sister. כי מטא ליליא אמרה השתא מיכספא אחתאי מסרתי הו יהלה והיי ו ,When the wedding night arrived, and Laban planned to switch the sisters דכתיב ( בראשית כט, כה ) Rachel said to herself: Now my sister will be embarassed, for Jacob will ask ויהי בבקר וה ה היא לאה her for the signs and she will not know them. So she gave them to her. And מכלל דעד השתא לאו לאה this is as it is written: “And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it היא אלא מתוך סימ ין was Leah” (Genesis 29:25). Does this imply by inference that until now she שמסרה רחל ללאה לא was not Leah? Rather, due to the distinguishing signs that Rachel had הוה ידע עד השתא לפיכך given to Leah, he did not know until now, when it was light outside, that she זכתה ויצא ממ ה שאול ,was Leah. Therefore, Rachel merited that Saul should descend from her due to her act of modesty in not revealing to Jacob that she had shown the signs to Leah.
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בראשית רבה ע Bereshit Rabbah 70 .4
כל ההוא ליליא הוה צוח לה רחל והיא All that night, Jacob would cry out to her “Rachel!” and she מע יא ליה, בצפרא וה ה היא לאה, אמר answered him. In the morning, he saw it was Leah. He said to מה רמייתה בת רמאי, אמרה ליה ואית her: “What is the trickery you pulled on me?!” She said to ספר דלית ליה תלמידין, לא כך הוה אבוך him: “Is there ever a teacher with no students? Did not your צוח לך עשו ואת ע י ליה אף את קרית לי father call out ‘Esau’ and you answered him! So too, you וא א ע יתי לך. ”.called out to me [the wrong name] and I answered you
5. Josephus Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews, 1:19:7
… and when it was night, without Jacob's perceiving it, he put his other daughter into bed to him, who was both elder than Rachel, and of no comely countenance: Jacob lay with her that night, as being both in drink and in the dark. However, when it was day, he knew what had been done to him
תולדות יצחק (R. Isaac Karo (1458-1535 .6
ויאסוף לבן את כל א שי המקום ויעש ,Laban gathered all the men of the area and had a mishteh (feast משתה, לא כאברהם ש תן להם לאכול, lit. drinking party) – unlike Abraham, who gave his guests food ולא כלוט ש אמר ויעש להם משתה (to eat (Gen 18:5-8), or Lot, regarding whom it says (Gen 19:3 ומצות אפה ויאכלו, אלא ויעש משתה he made them a drinking party and cooked unleavened bread“ שקביעותו עשה על היין כדי לשכר אותו, and they ate.” Instead, [Laban] had only a mishteh, whose main בעבור שלא ידע אם היא רחל או לאה: item is wine, in order to get [Jacob] drunk, so that he would not know if [the daughter he brought him] was Rachel or Leah.
בראשית פרק יט Bereshit Chapter 19 .7
31 לא ַותֹּא ֶמר ַה ְבּ ִכי ָרה ֶאל- ַה ְצּ ִעי ָרה, ָא ִבי וּ The firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us after the manner ָז ֵקן; ְו ִאישׁ ֵאין ָבּ ָא ֶרץ ָלבוֹא ָע ֵלי וּ, ְכּ ֶד ֶר 32 ָכּ ל- ָה ָא ֶרץ .לב ְל ָכה ַ ְשׁ ֶקה ֶאת- ָא ִבי וּ ַי ִין, of all the earth. Come, let's make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father's ְו ִ ְשׁ ְכּ ָבה ִעמּוֹ; וּ ְ ַח ֶיּה ֵמ ָא ִבי וּ, 33 ָז ַרע .לג ַו ַתּ ְשׁ ֶקיןָ ֶאת- ֲא ִבי ֶהן ַי ִין, ַבּ ַלּ ְי ָלה seed." They made their father drink wine that night: and the הוּא; ַו ָתּבֹא ַה ְבּ ִכי ָרה ַו ִתּ ְשׁ ַכּב ֶאת- ָא ִבי ָה, firstborn went in, and lay with her father. He didn't know when ְולֹא- ָי ַדע ְבּ ִשׁ ְכ ָבהּ וּ ְבקוּ ָמהּ .ל ד ַו ְי ִהי, she lay down, nor when she arose. 34 It came to pass on the ִמ ָמּ ֳח ָרת, ַותֹּא ֶמר ַה ְבּ ִכי ָרה ֶאל - ַה ְצּ ִעי ָרה, next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, "Behold, I lay ֵהן- ָשׁ ַכ ְב ִתּי ֶא ֶמשׁ ֶאת- ָא ִבי; ַ ְשׁ ֶקנּוּ ַי ִין ַגּם- ,last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine again ַה ַלּ ְי ָלה, וּ ֹב ִאי ִשׁ ְכ ִבי ִעמּוֹ, וּ ְ ַח ֶיּה ֵמ ָא ִבי וּ, tonight. You go in, and lie with him, that we may preserve our ָז ַרע .לה ַו ַתּ ְשׁ ֶקיןָ ַגּם ַבּ ַלּ ְי ָלה ַההוּא, ֶאת - father's seed." 35 They made their father drink wine that night ֲא ִבי ֶהן -- ָי ִין; ַו ָתּ ָקם ַה ְצּ ִע י ָרה ַו ִתּ ְשׁ ַכּב ִעמּוֹ, also. The younger went and lay with him. He didn't know when ְולֹא- ָי ַדע ְבּ ִשׁ ְכ ָבהּ וּ ְב ֻק ָמהּ . .she lay down, nor when she got up
8. Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, comment on v 21.
The explicitness of Jacobs statement is sufficiently abrupt to have triggered maneuvers of exegetical justification in the Midrash, but it is clearly meant to express his understandable sexual impatience, which is about to be given a quite unexpected outlet.
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פירוש רש"י Rashi v 21 .9
מלאו ימי :שאמרה לי אמי. ועוד for my days are completed: [The days] of which my mother told מלאו ימי, שהרי א י בן שמו ים me. Moreover, my days are completed, for I am already eighty-four וארבע ש ה ואימתי אעמיד ש ים עשר years old. When will I raise up twelve tribes? This is what he שבטים, וזהו שאמר ואבואה אליה , meant when he] said, “that I may come to her.” Now, isn’t it true] והלא קל שבקלים אי ו אומר כן, that even the most degenerate person would not say this? But he אלא להוליד תולד ות אמר כן : Jacob) meant [that he intended] to beget generations. — [from) Gen. Rabbah 70:18]
10. S.R. Driver The Book of Genesis (12th edn, London, 1926), p. 271.
Laban takes advantage of the fact that the bride ... was brought to her husband veiled; but it is still difficult to understand how the disguise could be carried successfully through
בראשית פרק כ ד Bereshit Chapter 24 .11
סה ַותֹּא ֶמר ֶאל - ָה ֶע ֶבד, ִמי- ָה ִאישׁ ַה ָלּ ֶזה She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the 65 ַה ֹה ֵל ַבּ ָשּׂ ֶדה ִל ְק ָרא ֵת וּ, ַויֹּא ֶמר ָה ֶע ֶבד, field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." She took her הוּא ֲא ֹד ִ י; ַו ִתּ ַקּח ַה ָצּ ִעיף, ַו ִתּ ְת ָכּס. .veil, and covered herself
תרגום או קלוס Onkelos .12
יז ְו ֵעי ֵ י ֵל ָאה ָי ֲא ָיין ְו ָר ֵחל ֲה ָות ַשׁ ִפּי ָרא ְבּ ֵרי ָוא ְו ָי ֲא ָיא ְבּ ֶח ְז ָוא.
פירוש רבי אברהם בן הרמב"ם R. Avraham Son of the Rambam .13
יז ועי י [לאה] רכות –המתרגם (יאין) והמפרש סוברים כי רכות תואר של יופי ולפי זה לא היה בה (אבר) יפה [חוץ] מעי יה אבל יופיה של רחל היה תמים ואין שום דבר מג ה אותו.
פירוש שד "ל (Shadal (Samuel David Luzatto, 1800-1865 .14
כתב ראז מילר כי מ הג ב י קדם שהכלה Rosenmüller wrote that it is the custom of easterners that הולכת אל בעלה עטופת הראש, ועי״כ לא ,the bride goes to the groom with her entire head covered הכיר בה, ואין ספק כי כששימש עמה בחושך and because of this, [Jacob] did not recognize her… And היו ולא הכיר בה עד הבקר... ואין ספק כי there is no doubt that they had sex in the dark, and thus he כששימש עמה בחושך היו ולא הכיר בה עד .did not recognize her until the morning הבקר.
פירוש הרד "ק Radak .15
ויהי בערב, הודיע ו בספור the Torah uses this opportunity to teach us that sexual intercourse ,ויהי בערב הזה שאין ראוי לאדם לשמש even with artificial light, i.e. during the night is not appropriate, how much מטתו לאור ה ר כל שכן לאור more so is it inappropriate during daylight hours. If it were appropriate to היום ולא לספר עם אשתו indulge in intercourse using artificial light Lavan could not have passed off בשעת תשמיש אלא בחשאי Leah as Rachel without Yaakov becoming aware of this. It is clear from
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ולהיות בצ יעות עם אשתו, the text that Yaakov did not realise Leah as having been his partner in bed שהרי יעקב לא הכיר בה אלא in verse 25 which we explained הנ ה until the following morning. [the word עד הבקר, לא במראה ולא .as always adding a new, up until then unknown, element is proof for this בקול: [.Ed ויהי בבקר וה ה היא לאה, כי עד הבקר לא הכיר בה כמו for he had not recognised her until morning as we ,ויהי בבוקר והנה היא לא ה שפירש ו, והדרש שמסרה לה explained. The aggadic explanation mentioned by Rashi that Rachel had רחל סימ ים ידוע: given her sister Leah the codeword which she and Yaakov had agreed should serve to preclude such a swap is well known.
פירוש בכור שור Bechor Shor, Joseph ben Isaac Bekhor .16 Shor of Orléans (12th century)
שמא לא הרבה לדבר עם רחל מתחילה קודם ש שאה עד שיכיר קולה. Perhaps he did not speak to Rachel much before he married her such that he would have recognized her voice.
בראשית לא Bereshit Chapter 31 .17 14 Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there yet any portion or יד ַו ַתּ ַען ָר ֵחל ְו ֵל ָאה, ַותֹּא ַמ ְר ָה 15 לוֹ: ַהעוֹד ָל וּ ֵח ֶלק ְו ַ ֲח ָלה, ְבּ ֵבית inheritance for us in our father's house? Aren't we accounted by ָא ִבי וּ .טו ֲהלוֹא ָ ְכ ִריּוֹת ֶ ְח ַשׁ ְב וּ לוֹ, ִכּי him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured ְמ ָכ ָר וּ; ַויֹּא ַכל ַגּם - ָאכוֹל, ֶאת- ַכּ ְס ֵפּ וּ. .our money
בראשית פרק כד Bereshit Chapter 24 .18