Despite their relatively few numbers, women play a significant role as name-givers in the Hebrew Bible. Of the approximate forty-seven instances in which a namegiver is specified, twenty-nine involve women.1 From the time of Eve, the right to name children has belonged primarily to wives and mothers. This authority rests likewise in the hands of Rachel and Leah: as the final two matriarchs, Rachel and Leah are in many ways the progenitors of the Jewish nation. Together with their two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, these women bear twelve sons, who in turn become the twelve tribes of Israel. It is therefore unsurprising that children and the naming of children lie at the center of their story. With each child named, the two women assume more prominence in the destiny of the Jewish people. This article will examine the names that Rachel and Leah give to their children, as a way of gleaning insights into their individual characters and the historic roles that they play in the Jewish nation.
In the biblical text, Rachel is portrayed as the beloved wife of Yaakov. Theirs is a story of instant and intense romance. From the moment that he sees her, Yaakov falls in love with Rachel. It is for her sake that he agrees to work seven years in the house of Lavan: she is the promised bride-wage that makes his lengthy servitude feel like “a few days” (29:20). After their marriage, Yaakov seems to dwell in her tent above all others (Radak 31:33; Rashi 35:32) and it is her tent that he protects most assiduously in case of attack (33:2). When he consults his wives, she is the first thought-of and the first to answer, as “Yaakov called Rachel and Leah to the field…Then Rachel and Leah answered him” (31:4, 14). Rachel is thus the foremost and adored wife in the story of Rachel and Leah.
Yet Rachel does not seem content in her role as Yaakov’s primary mate; she wishes rather to be the primary mother of his children. When she remains barren, she gives sharp expression to her desire to bear a child. In the only recorded dialogue between Rachel and Yaakov, she demands of Yaakov: “Give me children—for if not, I am dead” (30:1). In the depth of her yearning, Rachel believes that life without children loses all meaning.2 In fact, Rachel’s passion for children is so strong, that in the incident with the mandrakes she willingly renounces her rights to her husband in the hopes of having children. She introduces a second rival into her household to bear children in her stead. The names that Rachel grants her handmaiden’s sons reflect her obsession with her status as a mother. “God has judged (dan) me and He has also heard my voice, and given me a son” she declares—and therefore calls her adopted child Dan (30:6). This “judgment” seems to refer to her worthiness as a mother: Rachel acknowledges that she has been found wanting by God—and yet He has blessed her indirectly by allowing her to mother this child (Rashi, Seforno, Radak 30:6). Rachel does not mention or link this child to Yaakov; it is hers alone, a reflection of her personal standing as a mother.
“…children and the naming of children lie at the center of the story.”
Rachel likewise names Naphtali, Bilhah’s second son, based on her anguished desire for a child. “A fateful contest I waged [naphtule… niphtalti] with my sister; yes, and I have prevailed” she declares—suggesting that her obsession with children is related to her rivalry with her sister (30:8). Confident of her husband’s love, Rachel instead competes with Leah in the realm of childbirth. She sees children, not spousal love and affection, as the primary victory in marriage—and so “wrestles” and seeks to “triumph” in the battlefield of childbirth and childbearing.
Rachel does finally bear a son of her own, and the name she chooses reveals the centrality motherhood has assumed in her life: “God has taken away [asaph] my disgrace… May the Lord add [yoseph] another son for me” she declares—and so names her child Yoseph, a combination of both elements (30:23-24). Rachel sees her long-awaited child as a panacea for her personal unhappiness: motherhood reverses the barren years of humiliation and pain. Yet the moment that her deepest wish is granted, Rachel begins her yearning again. She eagerly wants another child. Though she remains the beloved wife, it is motherhood alone for which she lives.
Ironically, Rachel dies with the granting of her wish. She dies in childbirth, bearing a second son whom she names BenOni, the “son of my suffering” (35:18)3 . Her life-long dream is finally realized, but at the tragic expense of her own life. The achievement of her hopes is snatched from her grasp just at the moment of fulfillment. Children have been the guiding force of her life and the center of her love; perhaps fittingly, they mark the beginning and end of her marriage to Yaakov. Rachel, though the beloved and primary wife, lives her life with the sole expectation and ambition to become a mother.
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In many respects, Leah is presented as the reverse of her sister. Although Yaakov was tricked into marrying her, Leah remains devotedly and romantically committed to him. From numerous biblical incidents and exchanges, it is apparent that Leah bears an unrequited love for her distant husband. Yaakov “loved Rachel more than Leah”—but it is Leah rather than Rachel who adores her husband (29:30).
It is therefore no coincidence that all of the names chosen by Leah revolve around Yaakov and her relationship to him. Leah’s truest desire is to be cherished by Yaakov, and she believes that bearing his children is a means to that end. Contrary to her sister Rachel, Leah believes that Yaakov, and not her children, is the centerpiece of her life. The names that she grants her children reflect her fixation on her husband.
With the selection of each name, Leah highlights her evolving relationship with Yaakov. Thus, her first two sons reveal her unhappiness in her initial subordinate status. Leah names her firstborn Reuven, declaring that “God perceived (ra’a) my suffering; perhaps now my husband will love me,” and her subsequent son, Shimon, saying, “God heard (shama) that I am hated, and so gave me this one as well” (29:32-3). Though both names express her feelings of rejection, they also demonstrate the slight improvement in her relationship with her husband. Originally, Leah believes Yaakov’s dislike of her to be perceptible. It is to her a visible reality, which God can easily perceive. However, by the birth of her second son, Leah’s sense of inferiority has slightly diminished. She no longer feels Yaakov’s rejection openly, but rather hears it in the nuances of life, in the subtleties of conversation. Though she still is the less beloved, Leah’s second child brings with him the evidence of an improved bond between mother and father. With each child, Yaakov seems to return more and more of his wife’s affection.
Each successive child born to or adopted by Leah reveals this positively evolving relationship. From Levi’s naming and onward, Leah ceases her expressions of suffering in favor of eager words of expectation. “This time will my husband be joined (lave) unto me…this time, I will praise (odeh) God,” she declares upon the births of Levi and Yehudah (29:35- 35).4 No longer does Leah speak of visible or subtle degradation. Now, life is a matter of praise to the Almighty.
The same holds true with the two children born to Zilpah that Leah names in a quasi-adoption. She calls these sons Gad and Asher, saying “Fortune (gad) is come 5 ” and “Happy (asher) am I!” (30:11-13). Each name is successively more positive—to the point that Leah actually calls herself fortunate and happy. This is a far cry from the initial portrait of Leah, who constantly suffered from her painfully unreciprocated feelings. As her ever-more positive choice of names for her children suggest, Leah’s love for Yaakov has been returned in some measure. After the birth of her final two sons, Leah respectively declares that “God hath given me my reward (sachar), because I gave my handmaid to my husband 6 ” and “God hath endowed me (zeved) with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons” (30:18-20). Both names indicate the positive bond that Leah now shares with Yaakov. She has been rewarded and compensated for her suffering, and now maintains the hope of true unification. The names of Leah’s sons thereby become a symbolic manifestation of her relationship to Yaakov. After years of conceiving, birthing and raising children, Leah and Yaakov establish a closer and happier marriage. She is his complement and mate—the unequivocal partner in the creation of his home and family.
The family is augmented once more as Leah bears a final child: Dina. The text remains virtually silent regarding this seventh child. Leah names her daughter without any explanation—but the Midrash fills in the gaps with a story of Leah’s righteousness. Leah was concerned that this child would be a male, and as the 12th son, complete the ranks of the twelve tribes of Israel. Rather than assume that honor herself, she prayed that Rachel would bear the final male child, and so remain of equal standing to the handmaidens. Her “judgment” (din) caused the child to be born female— and so she named her daughter in remembrance of her ruling. The final portrait of Leah is of a confident woman; no longer must she war with her sister through her children. She is in fact willing to give up a seventh son for the sake of her sister. Leah has grown into the helpmate of Yaakov through her childbirth and childrearing.
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In Bereishit, it is clear that Rachel is viewed as the beloved wife—and Leah is compensated by being the bountiful mother. However, a closer examination of the text reveals that these designations are ironically reversed: Leah’s sole ambition is to become the beloved wife and partner of Yaakov, and Rachel seeks to become the joyful mother of his children 7 . Significantly, their desires seem to play out in their historical destinies, as Leah assumes the role of Yaakov’s principal wife, and Rachel adopts the responsibilities of motherhood. The prophet Jeremiah writes about Rachel crying for her children:
Thus said the Lord: a cry is heard in Ramah–it is a wailing and bitter weeping. Rachel is sobbing for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, who are gone. Thus said the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping, your eyes from shedding tears…there is hope for your future: Your children shall return to their country. (31:14-16)
With this vision, Rachel becomes the symbolic mother of the children of Israel. She desperately struggled to bear her own children, prayed for them, and cherished them—and so B’nei Israel are called her children three times in this prophecy. As evident in her choice of names in Bereishit, her love for her children is endless and genuine. She is truly the mother figure of the children of Israel, and has so remained throughout Jewish history.
“…ultimately theirs is a story of self-creation and free will…”
In contrast, Leah, who in the biblical text is the embodiment of the mother figure, becomes the pre-eminent wife of Yaakov. Of all the four wives—Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah—only Leah is buried in the cave of Machpelah. In other words, at the end of her life, Yaakov too recognizes Leah’s role: he realizes that she bore him the majority of his children and ultimately she is the partner with whom he built the nation of Israel. Contrary to the weepy, weak-eyed woman in Genesis, Leah is the fulfilled and complete wife in historical perspective.
Thus, the relationship between Yaakov and his two chief wives, Rachel and Leah, is by no means simple. Though the two matriarchs are often remembered as warring rivals for Yaakov’s love, in reality, they are competing for two separate roles in the nation’s future. The status of wife and mother is divided between Leah and Rachel respectively. Unlike the other matriarchs, Sarah and Rebecca, who assume both tasks, Leah and Rachel must divide their historical legacy. Though they are each granted a specific role in the formation of the Jewish nation, the two women reverse their destined course by dint of passion and determination. Through their prayers and resolve, Rachel becomes the beloved mother, and Leah, the principal wife. The names that they give their children, the twelve tribes of Israel, are reflective of their choices and their impressive attempt to redefine their fates. Though procreation is at the center of the story of Rachel and Leah, ultimately theirs is a story of self-creation and free will.