Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
At the birth of her fourth son, Leah returned thanks to God for a
special reason. She knew that Jacob would beget twelve sons, and if
they were distributed equally among his four wives, each would bear
three. But now it appeared that she had one more than her due share,
and she called him Jehudah, "thanks unto God." She was thus the first
since the creation of the world to give thanks to God,[175] and her
example was followed by David and Daniel, the descendants of her son
Judah.
When Rachel saw that her sister had borne Jacob four sons, she envied
Leah. Not that she begrudged her the good fortune she enjoyed, she only
envied her for her piety, saying to herself that it was to her
righteous conduct that she owed the blessing of many children.[176]
Then she besought Jacob: "Pray unto God for me, that He grant me
children, else my life is no life. Verily, there are four that may be
regarded as though they were dead, the blind, the leper, the childless,
and he who was once rich and has lost his fortune." Jacob's anger was
kindled against Rachel, and he said: "It were better thou shouldst
address thy petition to God, and not to me, for am I in God's stead,
who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?"[177] God was
displeased with this answer that Jacob made to his sad wife. He rebuked
him with the words: "Is it thus thou wouldst comfort a grief-stricken
heart? As thou livest, the day will come when thy children will stand
before the son of Rachel, and he will use the same words thou hast but
now used, saying, 'Am I in the place of the Lord?'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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