Jacob’s love was named Rachel.
Rachel was not able to have children. She was barren - just like Jacob’s grandmother, Sarah. Rachel envied her sister Leah, who was also Jacob’s wife (not by choice but by coercion) because Leah had given birth to four male children - Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. In desperation, Rachel said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die!” A little extreme - wouldn't you say? Jacob’s grew angry and responded, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” Rachel said, “Take my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.” Then Rachel gave her servant to Jacob and Jacob went in to her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son and Rachel named him Dan. Rachel said, “God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Dan in Hebrew means “to judge." Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed. So she called his name Naphtali.” Naphtali in Hebrew means “to struggle.” When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children she took Zilpah, her handmaid and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Zilpah also bore Jacob a son. Leah said, “A troop comes!” So she called his name Gad. Gad in Hebrew means “fortune or luck.” Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher - Asher in Hebrew means “blessed and happiness.” At this point Leah had six sons - four from her and two from Zilpah. Rachel, who was Jacob’s true love, had 2 from her servant but none of her own. So far, that is eight sons born to Judah - 8 sons all together. Later in days, during the wheat harvest, Reuben, Leah’s firstborn, found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother. Rachel saw them and said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” Leah responded, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” It sounds like Jacob had stopped going into Leah, and Leah was upset. Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.” Rachel made a trade - sex with Jacob for Leah’s mandrakes. I wonder... why were the mandrakes so important? Anyway, scripture says when Jacob came out of the field Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” That just sounds so weird! Jacob was her husband. Yet - she hired him to have sex with her by trading the mandrakes for Rachel's share. So Jacob went into Leah. The scripture says, "God listened to Leah and she conceived and bore Jacob another son whom she named Issachar." Issachar in Hebrew means “His reward.” Leah said, “God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.” Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Leah added, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun. Zebulun in Hebrew means “a resident of - a dwelling of honor.” Afterward, Leah bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. Soon, we will learn more about her. Dinah was loved by her older brothers. At this point, Leah had six sons, and her servant Zilpah had two - Rachel had two sons from Bilah, her servant, but Rachel still did not have a son of her own. Jacob had 10 sons and one daughter. We are still missing two. Scripture says, “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb." Much like Sarah, Rachel’s womb opened after a long time praying to God. Rachel conceived and bore a son, and she named him Joseph. Joseph in Hebrew means “He will add.” Rachel said, “God has taken away my reproach. The Lord shall add to me another son.” I wonder... Did Rachel know God would give her another son, after leaving Paddam Aram? Or was she counting Joseph as an addition to the sons born from Bilhah, her servant? I really do not know. At this point in the story there were only 11 sons and 1 daughter extending from Jacob - and one still to be added. Benjamin would come later - after leaving Paddam Aram. We will read about him soon. Also, what’s the deal with mandrakes? Why were they so important. Well, upon further research, mandrakes were used as a fertility plant - and mandrakes served as an aphrodisiac. Google reports, A mandrake is a short-stemmed, flowering plant in the nightshade family (and therefore related to the potato). Mandrakes are mentioned in one passage in Genesis and once in Song of Solomon. According to folklore, Mandrakes have large, forked roots that can look like a human body with open arms and open legs. Mandrake roots were considered an aphrodisiac and were commonly prepared and eaten as a fertility drug. That’s enough learning for now. Tomorrow I will focus on Jacob’s agreement with Laban.
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