Leah and Rachel

The book club just finished The Red Tent, a fictional account of Jacob's wives, their handmaids, and Dinah, his daughter by Rachel. My primary feeling after reading it is, "HUH?" It's true that Jacob had 12 sons and that his wives were Leah and Rachel. It's also true that Bilhah and Zilpah, handmaids to his wives, bore him sons. We know also that he had a daughter named Dinah who was "defiled" by Shechem, a prince. It stands to reason that a household as large as Jacob's would have its share of drama and its issues dealing with relationships, but I somehow feel a bit uncomfortable with this version of events.

Reading the novel prompted me to go to the scriptures to read the actual account as recorded in the King James Version. We all know that certain things were lost, added, or modified through the various translations. Still, there's enough information in those short chapters of Genesis to prompt us (me) to more carefully consider the lives of these women and ponder the lessons we can learn from them.

When I think of the five principal players in this novel, I can't help but compare them to some of the women who live today. Almost everyone knows someone like Leah who is devoted to her husband and who, despite knowing that he loves another more than he does her, continues to try her dead level best to win his affection. Leah's strategy was to bear him children, and each time she bears Jacob a son, she thinks that surely this time he will love her. She even encourages him to take her handmaid Zilpah "to wife" and she bears him yet another son, two in fact.

The scriptures note that Rachel has some sort of “eye challenge” that is evidently obvious to all who see her and that detracts from her appearance. She’s not as beautiful as her sister Rachel whom Jacob loves best. Being reminded of Rachel’s less-than-perfect eyes makes me think of our society’s focus on beauty and perfection. Females everywhere compare themselves to their “sisters” and find themselves coming up short, especially when compared to a super model or attractive Hollywood starlet. Botox, cosmetic surgery, extreme diets, eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, and the millions of dollars spent on make-up and hair color all signal an emphasis on appearance over substance. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for making the most of what we have and for looking our best. I’m just suggesting that there must be a balance.

Rachel, though much loved by Jacob, complained to Jacob that she had no children and claimed that she would die if she didn’t have any. She encouraged him to “go in unto” Bilhah, her handmaid so that Rachel could “have children by her.” We know that eventually Rachel gave birth to Joseph and later still to Benjamin, the son who claimed her life in childbirth. Still, in the meantime, she was reminded daily of her lack as she observed the sons of Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah. The scriptures tell us that she was envious of Rachel. Almost everyone knows someone who has borne no children despite her desire to do so, and like Sarah and Hannah, Rachel reminds us of how painful that can be.

Another idea that struck me as I reread this account in Genesis is that although she was beautiful and well-loved by her husband, Rachel was still unhappy. Nobody has everything. Nobody. Those of us on the outside looking in might think a situation is just peachy when in fact, there’s sadness, deep sorrow, or even envy as in Rachel’s case. We can’t see into another person’s heart, but if we could, we would likely perceive that all bear some private grief. Rachel was beautiful but barren, at least for a time. Leah was less attractive and not as beloved as her younger, prettier sister, but she bore several children, including Jacob's only daughter (that I know about anyway).

Have you ever really thought about these sisters and the lives they lived? Can you see parallels in our lives? Do you think there’s a reason why their life stories are told in the way they are? Maybe tomorrow I’ll get some thoughts together about Zilpah, Bilhah, and Dinah. In the meantime, I’d like to hear some of your thoughts about any of these five women.