Today's reading from Parshah Vayeitzei:
Genesis 29:18-14:27
When we last left Jacob, he had been staying with and working for his Uncle Laban for a month; and Laban now wants Jacob to name his wages. Laban's younger daughter, Rachel, had caught Jacob's eye because of her beauty. As today's reading begins, Jacob tells Laban that he will work for him for seven years if Laban will give Rachel to Jacob for a wife. Laban agrees and we see in Genesis 29:20 that those seven years fly by for Jacob because of his love for Rachel.
At the end of the seven years, Jacob goes to his uncle and asks for his wages, that is, Rachel. But Jacob, "the deceiver" who outwitted his brother not once, but twice; and who tricked his own father as well, has finally met his match. It seems that when it comes to trickery and cunning, Jacob has nothing on his Uncle Laban. Laban agrees to give Jacob his "wages", and after giving a huge feast that culminates in a wedding, Jacob takes his new bride into his tent to be with her.
Just a quick background note on wedding customs in that culture. The bride would have been veiled during the public festivities, so the groom would be unable to see her face during the wedding (IVP Bible Background Commentary). This, combined with perhaps a little too much celebration on Jacob's part, or just the general whirlwind of excitement leads to Jacob waking up the next morning with, not Rachel, but Leah! It seems Laban pulled a switch on Jacob (Gen. 29:23), giving him his older daughter instead. The deceiver has just been double-crossed!
Jacob is understandably angry, but Laban invokes a certain (apparently unmentioned) custom of his people never to marry off the younger daughter before the older. He then agrees to give Rachel to Jacob after another week, in exchange for seven more years of service. Jacob agrees and is able to marry Rachel too. This treachery on the part of their father, combined with Jacob's open preference for Rachel, leads to some extreme sibling rivalry on the part of Rachel and Leah. Once again we see themes of deception and parental preference in the lives of our patriarchs, and as we've noted before, these are never without consequences. The consequences may not be fully experienced for a generation or two, but they will eventually be felt.
In Genesis 29:31, G-d has mercy toward Leah because Jacob loves Rachel more, so G-d blesses Leah with children while Rachel is unable to conceive. Leah, for her part, gives G-d credit each time she bears another child, and gives them names that acknowledge what G-d has done for her (Gen. 29:32-35). Rachel, on the other hand, actually blames Jacob for her inability to conceive! Not to be outdone by her sister, she gives Jacob her maidservant and tells him to conceive children with her that Rachel can claim for her own, just as Sarah did so many years before her.
When Rachel's servant does bear children, Rachel gives G-d credit for "vindicating" her, despite the fact that these children were born of her own machinations. In fact, in Genesis 30:8 we see the intensity of Rachel's rivalry with her sister:
8 So Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have
indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.*
Leah then takes up this spirit of competition and gives Jacob her maidservant to bear children through as well; so the situation escalates into a bizarre contest between Rachel and Leah to bear the most children! (It is important to note here that women who produced children, especially sons, were highly esteemed in that culture; while barren women were looked down upon.)
Leah then begins bearing children of her own once again and, sadly, in verse 20 she appears to believe that with the birth of her sixth son she will finally "earn" her husband's love. By this time, however, G-d has mercy on Rachel at last, and she bears two sons of her own. One can only wonder about the impact of their parents' immaturity and selfishness on these children. If we truly believe that children are a blessing from the L-rd, then parenthood should be undertaken with the utmost prudence and responsibility. Using children as pawns in some sort of game will have far-reaching repercussions.
As the reading concludes, Jacob has prospered greatly, just as G-d promised. He asks to leave Laban's service at last, but by this time Laban has figured out that G-d has been blessing him on Jacob's account. He states this openly and urges Jacob to stay. The self-serving Laban isn't quite ready to let his son-in-law go.
My prayer today is that I would take my parenting responsibilities seriously. May I seek to honor G-d in the decisions I make regarding my home and family.
Tomorrow: Genesis 30:28-31:42
*New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ge 30:8). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
No comments:
Post a Comment