Chavarah- Jewish Community Learning

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Jacob meets Rachel - changing

Torah Study, 12 May 2012, Rabbi Janet Marder

  • Naomi Rosenblatt, Wrestling with Angels (she’s a therapist) on Jacob leaving home with churning emotions represents a bridge between Chapters 28 and 29: “climbing out of despair,” leading up to the ladder story. Ladder is a symbol of a bridge between Rebecca, grounded in worldly things, and Isaac, more of a dreamer. Ladders are usually lowered when we are in despair; they’re teachers, friends, or family. Ladder of hope is faith in God.
  • Rosenblatt on 29:1-11: what happens after a powerful spiritual experience such as in the previous chapter? Usually, people go back to their daily routine. Real change occurs incrementally, not abruptly; it’s trial and error, two steps forward, one step back. Jacob may have his head in the clouds, but there’s a trap door nearby.
  • 29:1, “Jacob lifted his feet/legs,” just as he and other patriarchs lifted their eyes.
    • Rashbam – a euphemism for walking easily, lightly, and briskly
    • Rashi: “As soon as he was given the good tidings that he was assured protection [from God], his heart lifted his feet, and he became fleet-footed.”
    • Sforno – feet carry the person (wanted to go) vs person carrying the feet (reluctance)
    • He goes eastward toward the ancestral territory of Abraham
  • 29:2 – Jacob is surprised to see a well.
    • Alter – a well is a recurring motif, with commonalities and differences (typically, an ancient singles bar to meet mates) – a young girl comes up to meet a man and then runs back to tell father. Abraham – as represented by Eliezer -- was wealthy; Rebecca was hospitable, heroic. This time, Jacob comes with nothing, but Jacob acts heroic by removing a stone from the well, a symbol of Rachel’s infertility.
    • What’s a stone doing on the well? It ain’t the backstroke.
      • It’s a private well for a closed clan; outsiders must pay; the stone is for security.
      • Health – prevent contamination
    • A harbinger of what happens to Jacob’s descendants. Well = temple; three flocks of sheep = three harvest festival; well =nourishment; water = Torah, which refreshes physically and spiritually.
    • The syntax suggests the size of the stone is emphasized. It can be only moved by a group of shepherds. Hebrew verb is plural, implying that a collective effort is required to move the stone. So what? Hirsch to the rescue: typically a well cover is made easy to remove. But here, Aramaeans were a suspicious lot, worried that one individual may take more than a fair share.
  • 29:4-5, Jacob calls the shepherds, “my brothers.” Radak – a congenial form of address to signal peaceful intentions. Jacob doesn’t know where he is, so he asks where are the shepherd from.
    • Jacob further asks about “Lavan, son of Nahor”. This is strange because Nahor is not Lavan’s father; Bethuel is. Nahor is Abraham’s brother, Lavan’s grandfather.
    • Talmud Yvamot 62? Grandchildren are considered as children
    • Nachmanides – could also be translated as “descendant.” Nahor is more prominent that Bethuel; Bethuel was less reputable.
    • Perhaps the purpose was to form a link with Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Jacob wants to approach Lavan and needs to figure out how.
  • 29:6, Rachel appears on the scene. Up to now, shepherds give terse answers; they then direct him to Rachel, who is better able to give gossip [!].
    • “Rachel” = ewe in Hebrew – wordplay in this verse
  • 29:7, Jacob asks, why are shepherds watering sheep and not grazing them?
    • Rashi’s answer: “Since he saw them lying down, he thought that they wished to gather the livestock to return home and that they would no longer graze. So he said to them, “The day is yet long,” i.e., if you have been hired for the day, you have not completed the day’s work, and if the animals are yours, it is, nevertheless, not the time to take in the livestock, etc. (Genesis Rabbah 70:11).” I.e., Jacob rebukes the shepherds by saying that they’re cheating your employer or you’re wasting time at the well.
    • What a change in personality! Remember, his dream tied together the polarity of his youthful experiences: physicality (from Esau) and spirituality (from Isaac)
    • Remember also that Rachel is watching. Hirsch – Jacob is reminding the shepherds of their obligation to the sheep owner.
    • Was Jacob being rude? Or assertive? Or bold? Or just foolhardy to impress Rachel? Or to have shepherds leave so he could talk to Rachel privately?
  • 29:8, the shepherds become garrulous after Jacob’s rebuke. Sarna …
  • 29:9-11 – Rebecca arrives as a shepherd; isn’t that obvious? No, it was rare in ancient Israel (Sarna), though common in Yitro’s land Midian, where Moses encounted seven sisters working s shepherds. Midrash …
    • There were no other shepherds; Leah couldn’t do it because of weak eyes. She was also older and eligible for marriage; Rachel was young enough for the shepherds not to take an interest in her.
    • Rachel was skilled at being a shepherd; but was too modest to appear in public; her natural tendency was to say home. Lavan was a cheat, no one would work for him, so his daughter got the job.
  • 29:10-11, Jacob single-handedly rolls the stone off the well! Adrenalin?
    • Sforno – waits for Rachel’s flock to be watered; an act of divine provenance, like Eliezer’s experience; Jacob is exhilarated.
    • Bachya – repeating her family background suggest that the sight of Rachel prompted by his love of Rebecca
    • Hirsch – recognized Rachel as being like his mom. Sign of his chaste?
    • Sarna – he knew Rachel was his cousin; the kiss was a natural act.
    • The sentence lacks את, suggesting (Ibn Ezra) that he kissed her not on the mouth, but on the shoulder and arm.
    • Wordplay - kiss and watering are closely related verbs, like in chapter 27, where Isaac kissed him; these verbs led to Jacob’s departing.
  • It’s like Jacob has been resurrected; he’s a new person.

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