Vayeitzei: Our Matriarch Leah

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, הכנה לתפילה, ברכות התורה א׳

(א) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Torah Blessings 1

(1) Blessed are You, Adonoy our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to be engrossed in the words of Torah.

בראשית כ״ט:ט״ז-י״ח

(טז) וּלְלָבָ֖ן שְׁתֵּ֣י בָנ֑וֹת שֵׁ֤ם הַגְּדֹלָה֙ לֵאָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה רָחֵֽל׃ (יז) וְעֵינֵ֥י לֵאָ֖ה רַכּ֑וֹת וְרָחֵל֙ הָֽיְתָ֔ה יְפַת־תֹּ֖אַר וִיפַ֥ת מַרְאֶֽה׃ (יח) וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶת־רָחֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֶֽעֱבׇדְךָ֙ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים בְּרָחֵ֥ל בִּתְּךָ֖ הַקְּטַנָּֽה׃

Genesis 29:16-18

(16) Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. (17) Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful. (18) Jacob loved Rachel; so he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”

אור החיים על בראשית כ״ט:י״ח:ד׳

ברחל בתך הקטנה. ברחל ולא בלאה, בתך ולא רחל אחרת מן השוק, הקטנה שלא תחליף שמות בנותיך ותקרא לגדולה רחל, הקטנה אני אומר ולא הגדולה, ולא יועיל לך שינוי השם שתקרא לה רחל:

Or HaChaim on Genesis 29:18:4

ברחל בתך הקטנה, for your smaller daughter Rachel. "For Rachel, and not for Leah; for your daughter and not another girl called Rachel; for the small one, and not someone whose name you have changed. הקטנה, the one who is the small one now and not someone whose name you may change."

רש"י על בראשית כ״ט:י״ז:א׳

רכות. שֶׁהָיְתָה סְבוּרָה לַעֲלוֹת בְּגוֹרָלוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו וּבוֹכָה, שֶׁהָיוּ הַכֹּל אוֹמְרִים שְׁנֵי בָנִים לְרִבְקָה וּשְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת לְלָבָן, הַגְּדוֹלָה לַגָּדוֹל וְהַקְּטַנָּה לַקָּטָן (בבא בתרא קכ"ג):

Rashi on Genesis 29:17:1

רכות TENDER — She thought she would have to fall to the lot of Esau and she therefore wept continually, because everyone said, “Rebekah has two sons, Laban has two daughters — the elder daughter for the elder son, the younger daughter for the younger son” (Genesis Rabbah 70:16).

בבא בתרא קכ״ג א:ט״ו-ט״ז

רַב אָמַר לְעוֹלָם רַכּוֹת מַמָּשׁ וְלֹא גְּנַאי הוּא לָהּ אֶלָּא שֶׁבַח הוּא לָהּ שֶׁהָיְתָה שׁוֹמַעַת עַל פָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים שְׁנֵי בָנִים יֵשׁ לָהּ לְרִבְקָה שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת יֵשׁ לוֹ לְלָבָן גְּדוֹלָה לַגָּדוֹל וּקְטַנָּה לַקָּטָן וְהָיְתָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת עַל פָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים וּמְשָׁאֶלֶת גָּדוֹל מָה מַעֲשָׂיו אִישׁ רַע הוּא מְלַסְטֵם בְּרִיּוֹת קָטָן מָה מַעֲשָׂיו אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים וְהָיְתָה בּוֹכָה עַד שֶׁנָּשְׁרוּ רִיסֵי עֵינֶיהָ

Bava Batra 123a:15-16

Rav says that there is a different explanation of the verse: Actually, the verse means that her eyes were literally weak, and this is not a denigration of her but a praise of her. As she would hear people at the crossroads, coming from the land of Canaan, who would say: Rebecca has two sons, and her brother Laban has two daughters; the older daughter will be married to the older son, and the younger daughter will be married to the younger son. Rav continues: And she would sit at the crossroads and ask: What are the deeds of the older son? The passersby would answer: He is an evil man, and he robs people. She would ask: What are the deeds of the younger son? They would answer: He is “a quiet man, dwelling in tents” (Genesis 25:27). And because she was so distraught at the prospect of marrying the evil brother, she would cry and pray for mercy until her eyelashes fell out. Since the weakness of her eyes was due to this cause, characterizing her eyes as weak constitutes praise. This is Leah’s prayer for mercy to which Rabbi Yonatan referred.

רש"י על בראשית כ״ט:י״ח:ב׳

ברחל בתך הקטנה. כָּל הַסִּימָנִים הַלָּלוּ לָמָּה? לְפִי שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא רַמַּאי, אָמַר לוֹ, אֶעֱבָדְךָ בְרָחֵל, וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר רָחֵל אֲחֶרֶת מִן הַשּׁוּק, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בִּתְּךָ, וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר אַחֲלִיף לְלֵאָה שְׁמָהּ וְאֶקְרָא שְׁמָהּ רָחֵל, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר הַקְּטַנָּה; וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא הוֹעִיל, שֶׁהֲרֵי רִמָּהוּ:

Rashi on Genesis 29:18:2

ברחל בתך הקטנה (literally, for Rachel, thy daughter, the younger one) — What reason was there for mentioning all these detailed descriptions of Rachel? Because he (Jacob) knew that he (Laban) was a deceiver. He said to him, “I will serve thee for Rachel”: and should you say that I mean any other Rachel out of the street, therefore I say “your daughter”. Should you say, “I will change Leah’s name and call her Rachel”, I say “your younger one”. In spite of this, however, all these precautions did not avail, for he did actually deceive him (Genesis Rabbah 70:17).

Yosef Kleiner, "The delicate perception – Parshat Vayetze", http://dialorapia.com/archives/638

It may be that the Torah does not speak about her physical eyes, but rather her way to perceive the world, her way to see. Leah had a very delicate, fragile, sensitive way to perceive reality.

Yaakov loved her, but she did not perceive it: Yaakov’s love of this other woman, Rachel, made Leah perceive herself as hated. “The Lord saw that Leah was hated” (Gen. 29:31) and Radak explains that “Yaakov did not hate her, but loved her. Since he loved Rachel more, she thinks herself hated; i.e. that compared to Rachel she was hated” (commentary on Gen. 29:31).

Through Leah’s life and her fragile perception, the Torah poses before us the possibility of learning to transcend our own fragile perception, so as to see the world beyond our own limitations, so as not to let us base our conclusions about ourselves on the competition with our fellows.

Dena Weiss, "Once Upon an Eyelash", https://www.hadar.org/torah-resource/once-upon-eyelash

When I was a little girl, I remember being told that when you see a stray eyelash, you should blow it away with a wish. I see Leah as her eyelashes fall out and think about how it didn’t occur to her to dream of something different, to wish for something better than what she had been promised. The story of Leah is not about what she looked like. She looked just like her sister. The story of Leah is about the story of Leah, the stories other people tell about us, and the stories that we tell about ourselves.

בראשית כ״ט:ל״א-ל״ה

(לא) וַיַּ֤רְא יְהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָ֑הּ וְרָחֵ֖ל עֲקָרָֽה׃ (לב) וַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ רְאוּבֵ֑ן כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ בְּעׇנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי׃ (לג) וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃ (לד) וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר עַתָּ֤ה הַפַּ֙עַם֙ יִלָּוֶ֤ה אִישִׁי֙ אֵלַ֔י כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמ֖וֹ לֵוִֽי׃ (לה) וַתַּ֨הַר ע֜וֹד וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֗ן וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַפַּ֙עַם֙ אוֹדֶ֣ה אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד מִלֶּֽדֶת׃

Genesis 29:31-35

(31) Hashem saw that Leah was unloved and He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. (32) Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuben; for she declared, “It means: ‘Hashem has seen my affliction’; it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me.’” (33) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This is because Hashem heard that I was unloved and has given me this one also”; so she named him Simeon. (34) Again she conceived and bore a son and declared, “This time my husband will become attached to me, for I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. (35) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This time I will praise Hashem.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

רד"ק על בראשית כ״ט:ל״א:א׳

וירא ה' כי שנואה לאה, לא היה יעקב שונא אותה, אבל היה אוהב אותה, אלא לפי שהיה אוהב את רחל יותר מלאה קרא לאה שנואה, כלומר כנגד אהבתה של רחל היתה שנואה, וכן האחת אהובה והאחת שנואה (דברים כ"א ט"ו) ולפי שהית' עלובה בעיניה שלא היתה אהובה כאחותה ראה ה' בעניה ויפתח את רחמה.

Radak on Genesis 29:31:1

וירא ה' כי שנואה לאה, Yaakov did not hate her; in fact he loved her. However, seeing that he loved Rachel better it appeared as if he hated Leah. We find a similar situation in Deuteronomy 21,15 where the Torah speaks about a husband “hating” one of his two wives. The meaning there is also relative to the wife he prefers. G’d, Who knew the true state of affairs, i.e. what Leah’s perception of her husband’s feelings toward were,

ספורנו על בראשית כ״ט:ל״א:ב׳

ורחל עקרה היתה עקרה כטבעה ונשארה כך עד שהאל יתב' פתח את רחמה:

Sforno on Genesis 29:31:2

ויפתח את רחמה, Yaakov had thought that the reason Leah had been willing to deceive him was because of her awareness of her barrenness. She remained in such a state until G’d took pity on her and opened her womb.

ברכות ז׳ ב:ה׳

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: מִיּוֹם שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ לֹא הָיָה אָדָם שֶׁהוֹדָה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עַד שֶׁבָּאתָה לֵאָה וְהוֹדַתּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה׳״.

Berakhot 7b:5

And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From the day the Holy One, Blessed be He, created the world, no one thanked the Holy One, Blessed be He, until Leah came and thanked Him, as it is stated: “And she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she said, ‘This time I will give thanks to God,’ and thus he was called Judah” (Genesis 29:35).

אור החיים על בראשית כ״ט:ל״ב:ד׳

עוד שצפתה ברוח הקודש שד' נשים יהיו ליעקב וכפי זה עולים לה כפי החשבון ג', וכשניתן לה בן ד' אמרה (ל"ה) הפעם אודה את ה' כי עד עתה היה עושה לה משפט הצריך אבל הפעם הזאת אין זה אלא הפלגת טובתו יתברך וברכה על רוב טובה:

Or HaChaim on Genesis 29:32:4

She also foresaw in her prophetic mind that Jacob would have four wives. Accordingly, she had fulfilled her destiny by bearing him three sons. When she bore Jacob a fourth son subsequently, she said: "this time I will thank the Lord" because up to now G'd had treated her on the basis of justice, i.e. she had borne one fourth of Jacob's sons. Now that she had borne him four sons she thanked G'd who had done more for her than was required by justice.

By Rabbi Shai Held, "Can We Be Grateful and Disappointed at the Same Time?", https://www.hadar.org/torah-resource/can-we-be-grateful-and-disappointed-same-time#source-7722

Notice that when her first son was born, she had the temerity to hope that his arrival would elicit Jacob’s “love”; by the time the third is born, it seems she would settle for her husband’s “attachment” to her.

By now something seemingly inexplicable happens. Leah bears a fourth son, and we wait for yet another expression of her sadness and desolation, and perhaps also of her wish that her husband finally cares for her. But something else entirely occurs: “She conceived again and bore a son, and declared: ‘This time I will praise (odeh) the Lord.’ Therefore, she named him Judah (Yehudah)” (29:35). What has happened here?

Leah has somehow found the courage to accept that her life is not going to turn out as she had hoped. Leah is disappointed, and as we have seen, she has every right to be. But she is also grateful – despite the intensity of her pain, she, too, has her blessings. With the birth of Judah, Leah has discovered the awesome capacity to feel grateful even amidst her sorrows.

Strikingly, the name Leah gives her fourth son, Judah, meaning “I will praise” or “I will express gratitude,” becomes the name of the Jewish people as a whole. Who is a Jew? One who discovered the possibility of gratitude even amidst heartbreak. That is why we are given the name that expresses Leah’s courage, and her achievement: a Jew is, ideally, a human being who, like Leah, can find her way to gratitude without having everything she wants or even needs.

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