Bristol Police Blotter Observer, Articles W

Genesis 29:31 "And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren." Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. 27 October 2017. It must have been hard, really hard. Reflecting on this, I now recognize that it was Jewish feminists who have made Judaism more equal for me. The second son Zilpah bore Leah named Asher and said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed." I do not take women's rights or my Judaism for granted and explore both in my daily life as well. much like their mothers, who, through their humility and forbearance, were eventually able to attain wifely status. Can my creature spell be countered if I cast a split second spell after it? Zilpah and Bilhahs status was at many times unclear and was one of transition as the narrative unfolded, adding to the complexities. Mother of Gad . And freakier. Rachel in turn gives Bilhah to Jacob as a "wife" when Rachel is found to be barren. According to Bereishit Rabbah 74:13 Bilhah and Zilpah were also daughters of Lavan. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. Not to be outdone, Leah had a handmaiden too: Zilpah. Is there a minhag or halacha that states that men and women should be buried in separate cemetery plot areas? If nothing else, we can surmise that the institution of marriage and the status and roles of women in such relationships in the ancient Near East were complex and often-changing, depending on circumstances. She was Leah's handmaiden and she and Leah were originally intended to marry Esau; when Leah married Jacob instead, he was also given Zilpah. As such, Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali as detailed in Genesis 30:1-8. During the final stage of labor a woman would squat and be supported under the arms by one or two other women. I believe words have the power to change the future and heal the past. Bilhah fulfills the procreative, wifely role for barren Rachel and acts as her proxy seed bearer. Primary among them are (1) Rachel's and Leah's historical (or quasi-historical) position as progenitors of Israel; (2) patriarchy in the Hebrew Bible; (3) the place of Rachel and Leah as characters in world exegetical literature and feminist scholarship; and (4) Rachel's special role as universal mother and theological image of the feminine. What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? Genesis 30 records that, "when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry. Jacob wanted the super-hot Rachel to have a kid. Thank you. Of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, there are mentioned 2 sons, 11 grandsons, 2-great-grandsons, and 1 daughter (who is reckoned like Dinah, both here and Numbers 26:46, for some special reason, which is not particularly described); in all, 2 + 11 + 2 + 1 equals 16 souls. I came to realize that being a Jewish feminist means elevating women, those from our sacred texts who have been forgotten like Bilhah and Zilpah, and Jewish women today. Read the latest from JWA from your inbox.