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Lehavas David · Parshas Vayeitzei · Maamar ו

Rachel's Hidden Prayer for Heaven's Honor

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 30:1
וַתֵּרֶא רָחֵל כִּי לֹא יָלְדָה לְיַעֲקֹב וַתְּקַנֵּא רָחֵל בַּאֲחֹתָהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־יַעֲקֹב הָבָה־לִּי בָנִים וְאִם־אַיִן מֵתָה אָנֹכִי
Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Yaakov, and Rachel was jealous of her sister. She said to Yaakov, “Give me children, and if not, I am dead.”
1“Rachel was jealous of her sister, and she said to Yaakov, ‘Give me children.’”1 But how could Rachel our mother have been jealous? Jealousy is a very ugly middah, a trait of character. As Chazal said, “Jealousy … drive a person out of the world.”2 [It is true that Rashi explains that she was jealous of her sister's good deeds, saying, “Had she not been more righteous than I, she would not have been granted children.” But the Ramban writes that she spoke improperly in her jealousy. She thought that out of his love for her, Yaakov would fast, put on sackcloth and ashes, and pray until she had children, so that she would not die of her anguish. The words of the Midrash also imply that outwardly this looked like ordinary jealousy; see there, where from Rachel the Midrash learns that other women, too, are prone to jealousy.3]
וַתְּקַנֵּא רָחֵל בַּאֲחוֹתָהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל יַעֲקֹב הָבָה לִּי בָנִים (ל, א). יֵשׁ לְהָבִין, הֵיאַךְ יִתָּכֵן בְּרָחֵל אִמֵּנוּ ע״ה שֶׁהָיְתָה לָהּ מִידַּת הַקִּנְאָה שֶׁהִיא מִידָּה מְגוּנֶּה מְאֹד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (אבות ד, כא) הַקִּנְאָה וְכוּ׳ מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם. [וַהֲגַם דרש״י פֵּירֵשׁ, קִנְּאָה בְּמַעֲשֶׂיהָ הַטּוֹבִים, אָמְרָה אִלּוּלֵי שֶׁצָּדְקָה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא זָכְתָה לְבָנִים. אַךְ ברמב״ן כָּתַב, דִּבְּרָה שֶׁלֹּא כַּהוֹגֶן בְּקִנְאָתָהּ, וְחָשְׁבָה כִּי בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ אוֹתָהּ יִתְעַנֶּה יַעֲקֹב וְיִלְבַּשׁ שַׂק וְאֵפֶר וְיִתְפַּלֵּל עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָהּ בָּנִים שֶׁלֹּא תָּמוּת בְּצַעֲרָהּ. גַּם מִדִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה יח, ב. מה, ב) מַשְׁמַע דִּבְחִיצוֹנִיּוּת הָיָה נִרְאֶה זֶה כִּסְתָם קִנְאָה, (עי״ש דמזה למד לשאר נשים שהם קנאתניות)].
  1. Bereishis 30:1. ↩
  2. Avos 4:21. The full saying: “Jealousy, lust and the pursuit of honor drive a person out of the world.” ↩
  3. Bereishis Rabbah 18:2; 45:2 (in standard editions the second passage is 45:5). ↩
In shortHow could Rachel feel jealousy, an ugly middah, which the Ramban and the Midrash, unlike Rashi, take at face value?
2A second point needs explaining. Further on, the Torah says, “God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and He opened her womb.”4 The words “and God listened to her” seem unnecessary, and they also imply that she prayed to Him. Yet nowhere do the verses mention that Rachel prayed to Hashem; they say only that she asked Yaakov to pray.
עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, מַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב לְהַלָּן (ל, כב) ״וַיִּזְכּוֹר אֱלֹקִים אֶת רָחֵל וַיִּשְׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ אֱלֹקִים וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת רַחְמָהּ״, דְּאוֹמְרוֹ ׳וַיִּשְׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ׳ דְּנִרְאֶה כִּמְיוּתָּר. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק, דְּמֵאוֹמְרוֹ ׳וַיִּשְׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ אֱלֹקִים׳ נִרְאֶה שֶׁהִתְפַּלְּלָה אֵלָיו, וְזֹאת לֹא מָצִינוּ שֶׁנִּזְכַּר בַּכָּתוּב שֶׁרָחֵל הִתְפַּלְּלָה לַה׳, אֶלָּא רַק שֶׁבִּיקְּשָׁה מִיַּעֲקֹב שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל.
  1. Bereishis 30:22. ↩
In short“God listened to her” seems unnecessary, and it implies that Rachel prayed, though the Torah records only that she asked Yaakov to pray.
3aWe may explain this with a teaching of the holy sefer Yismach Yisrael, by R' Yerachmiel Yisrael Yitzchak of Alexander, on the verse “Moshe returned … ‘Why have You done evil to this people? Why did You send me?’”5 Moshe's words are astonishing. How could Moshe Rabbeinu, Heaven forbid, seem to complain about the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He? The Yismach Yisrael answers this way. We know that when Hashem carries out judgment, Heaven forbid, and brings suffering on an individual or a community, it is so that they return to Him and walk in the way of the Torah. That was the purpose of the bondage in Egypt: to prepare and refine Bnei Yisrael for receiving the Torah.
אָכֵן אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר, דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל (פרשת שמות אות ב׳, ופרשת וארא אות ג׳) בְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (שמות ה, כב) ״וַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ׳ לָמָה הֲרֵעוֹתָה לָעָם הַזֶּה לָמָּה זֶּה שְׁלַחְתָּנִי״, וְהַפְּלִיאָה נִשְׂגָּבָה, הֵיאַךְ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה יִהְיֶה ח״ו כְּמִתְרַעֵם עַל מִידּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הקב״ה. וְכָתַב לְתָרֵץ, דְּהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ, כִּי מַה שהקב״ה עוֹשֶׂה דִּין ח״ו וּמֵבִיא יִסּוּרִים עַל יָחִיד אוֹ עַל צִיבּוּר, הוּא בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיָּשׁוּבוּ אֶל ה׳ וְיֵלְכוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ הַתּוֹרָה. וְזֶה הָיָה עִנְיַן שִׁעְבּוּד מִצְרַיִם, לַהֲכִינָם וּלְזַכְּכָם לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה.
  1. Shemos 5:22; Yismach Yisrael, Shemos §2 and Va'eira §3. ↩
3bThis lets us understand Moshe Rabbeinu's argument, for the word am, “people,” denotes a low level. Moshe argued to Hashem: “True, You brought the harshness of the bondage on them to bring them to teshuvah. But they are only on the low level of am. They do not understand that the purpose of the troubles and the bondage is that they repent and return to the source from which they were hewn. If so, You are afflicting them to no purpose.” That is why Moshe stood before the Holy One, blessed be He, to pray and plead for his people, and argued, “Why have You done evil to this people?” The word “people” is precise: the suffering is to no purpose, since they are on the level of am. Hashem answered him, “I too have heard the groaning of Bnei Yisrael.”6 He was telling Moshe: “It is true that outwardly they do not seem to be setting their hearts to return in teshuvah. But I hear what is within them, what they cry out from the depths of their hearts, and they have the honor of Heaven in mind.” Hence the wording “I too have heard the groaning of Bnei Yisrael”: they are on the level of Yisrael, the high level, for “I hear and understand what their cries truly are within, and that they are on the level of Yisrael.” Those are the holy words of the Yismach Yisrael.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יוּבָן טַעֲנַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה, דְּהִנֵּה בְּחִינַת ׳עָם׳ הוּא דַּרְגָּה נְמוּכָה, וְטָעַן להשי״ת דְּהֵן אָמְנָם מַה שֶׁהֵבֵאתָ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת קוֹשִׁי הַשִּׁעְבּוּד הוּא בִּכְדֵי לַהֲבִיאָם לַתְּשׁוּבָה, אֲבָל הֲלֹא הֵמָּה רַק בְּמַדְרֵגָה נְמוּכָה שֶׁל ׳עָם׳, אֲשֶׁר אֵינָם מְבִינִים שֶׁתַּכְלִית הַצָּרוֹת וְהַשִּׁיעְבּוּד הוּא בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה לָשׁוּב לִמְקוֹר מַחְצַבְתָּם, וְאִם כֵּן נִמְצָא שֶׁאַתָּה מְיַסְּרָם בְּלֹא תוֹעֶלֶת. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁעָמַד מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הקב״ה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וּלְהָלִיץ עַל עַמּוֹ וְטָעַן לוֹ ״לָמָּה הֲרֵעוֹתָה לָ׳עָם׳ הַזֶּה״ דַּיְיקָא, שֶׁהוּא בְּלֹא תוֹעֶלֶת כֵּיוָן שֶׁהֵם בְּמַדְרֵגַת ׳עָם׳. וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ הקב״ה ״וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת נַאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (שמות ו, ה), דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה, דְּאַף שֶׁאָמְנָם כְּלַפֵּי חוּץ נִרְאֶה שֶׁאֵינָם נוֹתְנִים אֶל לִבָּם לָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה, אֲבָל אֲנִי שׁוֹמֵעַ אֶת הַפְּנִימִיּוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם מַה שֶׁצּוֹעֲקִים מִמַּעֲמַקֵּי לְבָבָם, וּמְכַוְּונִים לִכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם. וְזֶהוּ וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת נַאֲקַת ׳בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהֵם בְּמַדְרֵגַת ׳יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ שֶׁהִיא הַדְרָגָה הַגְּבוֹהָה, כִּי אֲנִי שׁוֹמֵעַ וּמֵבִין מַה בֶּאֱמֶת צַעֲקוֹתֵיהֶם בִּפְנִימִיּוּת, וְשֶׁהֵם בִּבְחִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, עכדה״ק.
  1. Shemos 6:5. ↩
In shortMoshe protested that the people, only am, could not grasp their suffering's purpose; Hashem answered that He hears their inner cry as “Yisrael.”
4On this basis we can explain our verse. Rachel our mother served Hashem modestly and in secret, and so from outside it looked as if she were jealous of her sister. But in truth none of that was in her heart at all; her heart was moved only by the honor of Heaven. That is what the Targum Yonasan ben Uziel, the Aramaic translation of the Torah, brings out here: she asked Yaakov to pray for her before Hashem.7 For her inner, hidden intention was only a prayer for the sake of Heaven's honor: she too wanted a share with Yaakov Avinu in raising the tribes of God.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר כָּאן, דְּהִנֵּה רָחֵל אִמֵּנוּ ע״ה הִתְהַלְּכָה בְּדַרְכֵי עֲבוֹדָתָהּ בְּצִנְעָה וּבַסֵּתֶר, וְעַל כֵּן כְּלַפֵּי חוּץ הָיָה נִרְאֶה כְּאִילּוּ הִיא מְקַנְּאָה בַּאֲחוֹתָהּ, אַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת לֹא כֵן הָיָה בְּלִיבָּה כְּלָל, אֶלָּא רַק כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם נָגַע לְלִבָּהּ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאִיתָא בָּזֶה בְּתַרְגּוּם יוֹנָתָן בֶּן עוּזִּיאֵל, שֶׁבִּקְּשָׁה מִיַּעֲקֹב שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל עָלֶיהָ לִפְנֵי ה׳, כִּי הַכַּוָּונָה הַפְּנִימִית הַמְּסוּתֶּרֶת שֶׁלָּהּ הָיְתָה רַק תְּפִילָּה לְמַעַן כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁרָצְתָה גַּם הִיא לִיטּוֹל חֵלֶק עִם יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לְהַעֲמִיד שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ.
  1. Targum Yonasan on Bereishis 30:1 renders “Give me children” as “Pray before Hashem and He will give me children.” ↩
In shortRachel served Hashem in secret, so what looked like jealousy was inwardly a hidden prayer for Heaven's honor, to share in building up the tribes.
5This is what the verse means. First it says “Rachel was jealous,” which is how things looked from outside, though in her heart there was only a prayer for the sake of Heaven's honor. That is why it goes on to say, “God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her.” The verse stresses “and God listened to her” to tell us that Hashem, Who sees what is hidden, heard and understood the cry hidden in the depths of her heart: all her anguish was only for the sake of Heaven's honor.
וְזֶהוּ כַּוָּונַת הַכָּתוּב שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ׳וַתְּקַנֵּא רָחֵל׳ שֶׁכֵּן הָיָה כְּלַפֵּי חוּץ, אַךְ בְּלִיבָּה הָיְתָה רַק תְּפִילָּה לְמַעַן כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וַיִּזְכּוֹר אֱלֹקִים אֶת רָחֵל וַיִּשְׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ אֱלֹקִים״, הִדְגִּישׁ הַכָּתוּב ׳וַיִּשְׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ אֱלֹקִים׳, לוֹמַר שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ הַצּוֹפֶה נִסְתָּרוֹת שָׁמַע וְהֵבִין אֶת צַעֲקָתָהּ הַמְּסוּתֶּרֶת בְּמַעֲמַקֵּי לִיבָּה, שֶׁכָּל צַעֲרָהּ הוּא רַק בִּשְׁבִיל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם.
In short“God listened to her” teaches that Hashem, Who sees what is hidden, heard Rachel's unspoken inner prayer, whose whole anguish was for Heaven's honor.
6This is also the meaning of a practice taught in the name of the holy Arizal, R' Yitzchak Luria.8 When saying “You open Your hand” in the prayer Ashrei, one should have in mind the interweaving of two Names, Havayah and Adnus.9 As the holy Zohar says, “Do not read yadecha, ‘Your hand,’ but ‘You open Your yuds.’”10 These are the two yuds of Yaakdonkey, the two Names woven together.11 The meaning is that when a Jew says this verse, it may look from outside as if he has his own need in mind and is asking for his livelihood. But in truth he also has the honor of Heaven in mind. He interweaves the Names Havayah and Adnus, and he intends to raise up the Shechinah, since “when Israel is in pain, what does the Shechinah say? …”12
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאִיתָא בְּשֵׁם האר״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ ז״ל (שער הכוונות ענין תפילת השחר), לְכַוֵּון בַּאֲמִירַת ׳פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ׳, כַּוָּונַת שִׁילּוּב שֵׁם הוי״ה וְאַדְנוּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (הקדמת תיקוני זוהר ז, ב) אַל תִּקְרֵי יָדֶךָ אֶלָּא פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יודי״ך, וְהֵם שְׁנֵי יודי״ן שֶׁל יאקדונק״י. וְהַכַּוָּונָה בָּזֶה, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר אוֹמֵר אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּסוּק זֶה, אַף שֶׁכְּלַפֵּי חוּץ נִרְאֶה שֶׁמְּכַוֵּון לְצוֹרֶךְ עַצְמוֹ וּמְבַקֵּשׁ עַל פַּרְנָסָתוֹ, אַךְ הָאֱמֶת כִּי מְכַוֵּין בָּזֶה גַּם לִכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁמְּשַׁלֵּב הַשֵּׁמוֹת הוי״ה ואדנ״י בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּבָרוּךְ שְׁמוֹ, וּמְכַוֵּין לְאוֹקְמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּצַעַר שְׁכִינָה מַה אוֹמֶרֶת וְכוּ׳ (סנהדרין מו, א).
  1. Shaar HaKavanos, on the morning prayer. ↩
  2. Tehillim 145:16. Havayah is the four-letter Name of Hashem; Adnus is the Name pronounced Adonai. ↩
  3. Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar 7b. ↩
  4. Yaakdonkey is the customary way of referring, without pronouncing them, to the Names Havayah and Adnus woven together letter by letter. The combination begins and ends with the letter yud. ↩
  5. Sanhedrin 46a. The Shechinah says, “My head is heavy, My arm is heavy”: it shares in their pain. ↩
In shortThe Arizal's intention for “You open Your hand” shows it too: a plea for livelihood inwardly unites Hashem's Names and raises up the suffering Shechinah.
7May Hashem grant that we always be privileged to pray for the honor of Heaven, and so bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה תָּמִיד לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, וּלְקָרֵב בָּזֶה הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortMay we always pray for Heaven's honor and so bring the redemption closer.
Takeaway

Rachel's request for children looked from outside like jealousy, but inside it was a hidden prayer for Heaven's honor, and Hashem, Who sees what is hidden, heard it. So too a Jew who asks for his own needs, even for his livelihood, can also have in mind the honor of Heaven, since the Shechinah shares his pain. Then his simplest request becomes a prayer for Heaven's honor that brings the redemption closer.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

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