Genesis 30

Genesis 30

Genesis 30 begins with a feud between Rachel and Leah to see who can produce the most sons. Rebekah resorts to giving Jacob her maidservant Bilhah, with the plan to claim any children Bilhah bears as her own.

Genesis 30:1-2, JPS When Rachel saw that she had borne Jacob no children, she became envious of her sister; and Rachel said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Jacob was incensed at Rachel, and said, “Can I take the place of God, who has denied you fruit of the womb?”

Both Rachel and Leah only feel loved when they are producing babies, it is a sad discourse on their culture, and is a mentality that has persisted in areas of the world up to the present day. The God of the Old Testament is influenced by the culture of the time, why else wouldn’t he say anything about this scenario, or what is wrong with this lifestyle? Too only be loved and feel wanted if you become a mother does not sound like the grace of God.

The question is still unanswered in mind, as to why God would punish Rachel by not allowing her to have children. There is no mention of her acting in any way ‘sinful’, and she has not done anything to deserve such treatment.

However, here is a Chassidic interpretation from chabad.org:

Rachel was jealous of her sister’s good deeds (the good deeds being bearing children). Petty jealousy, born of the egocentric fear that the other person’s successes will somehow diminish our self-worth, is destructive and reprehensible. In contrast, the sort of jealousy Rachel felt toward Leah is constructive, since it spurs us on to improve our deeds. Our sages similarly state that “jealousy among [Torah] scholars increases wisdom.”

I’m not sure how Rachel’s next step, giving her maidservant to Jacob in her place, can be seen as a good deed?

This feud further disintegrates the family’s state of affairs when Leah is suddenly no longer able to have children, and gives Jacob her maidservant Zilpah with the purpose of bearing more children. This story is now not only annoying, but disgusting. The two maidservants are slaves, they don’t have a say in the matter. Possibly raped, and certainly the victims of having their newborn child torn from them to be raised by another.

Genesis 30:14-16, JPS Once, at the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben came upon some mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But she said to her, “Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you would also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel replied, “I promise, he shall lie with you tonight, in return for your son’s mandrakes.” When Jacob came home from the field in the evening, Lean went out to meet him and said, “You are to sleep with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.

Wow. Where to begin?

First of all, that’s look at the uses for mandrakes. Mandrakes have never been used for food. The mandrake is most famous for its root, which takes on unusual shapes that in history have compared to the human form. The earliest reference to mandrake is from ancient Babylon, in the cuneiform script of the Assyrians, as well as here in the Old Testament. They were prized as aphrodisiacs during ancient times. Hmmm…

Mandrake root.

 Jacob’s willingness to go along with the above story seems a bit atypical for the standard man of the time. Of course, the whole idea that a spouse can be traded amongst his multiple wives, and “hired out”, is as equally disturbing for men as well as women. This dual marriage seems to be destroying all parties involved. Yet, what does God do? He rewards Leah, for what reason I have no idea, and she continues to bear children. Then, finally, he allows Rebekah to have one child. This whole chapter seems like cruel and unusual punishment, rather than the way you would expect God to treat his Chosen People.

I am growing weary of the Genesis story.

Out of all the birthing of sons, one daughter is mentioned. Hoorah! Dinah is the lucky daughter to have her name actually mentioned.

Jacob and Laban at it again

The end of the chapter has Jacob and Laban trying to out-scheme each other. The ignorance of ancient tribesmen in regards to genetics is quite apparent here: Jacob thinks that having the sheep copulate while looking at streaked rods in a watering hole will result specifically in streaked, speckled, and spotted babies. It’s quite hilarious, to be honest…much like this whole chapter, until I remind myself that there are many, many people that take these stories literally and as complete and absolute truth.

Most apologists explain the end of this chapter as a miraculous intervention by God, after he sees the ways that Laban is attempting to mistreat Jacob.