Hello Everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying whatever it is that they're doing, because it's definitely important. Speaking about things that are important, I have a dvar torah!
There's a midrash that says that while the Beit HaMikdash is burning and is up in flames during the chorban, many of our ancestors approach Hashem and daven on our behalves. For example, Avraham says, "Hashem don't destroy the Beit HaMikdash, in my merit, because I will willing to offer my son to you as a sacrifice." Hashem didn't listen to him. Yitzchak also pleas to Hashem becuase he too was prepared to be offered as a korban, but that was not enough to prevent Hashem from destroying our Beit HaMikdash. The Midrash lists many different characters that ask for mercy, all of whom are turned down. Except for one. Rachel Imeinu (Mamma Rachel) says to Hashem, "You are mad at the Bnei Yisrael because they are going to other gods? You are embarrassed that your loved ones are with some other god? Well, what about me? I had the right to be jealous of Leah when I knew that my man would be marrying her. I had the right to be embarrassed of knowing that the man I love will not be with me but will be with someone else. However, I didn't let that stop me from giving over the passwords to Leah. In my merit, stop the suffering." And eventually, Hashem does listen to Rachel.
As we all know, Yaakov moves in to Charan and tells Lavan, "I want to marry your younger daughter, Rachel." Everyone knew that they were gonna get married. Seven years later, before the wedding night, Yaakov suspected that Lavan would pull some type of trick, and instead of sending Rachel to get married, he would send Leah. Therefore, as a preventative measure, he told something to Rachel (seemingly, some sort of password - case sensitive), and told her that he would ask her this password on the wedding night to make sure that it was she and not Leah. But right before the wedding, Rachel felt bad and knew that Leah was destined to become embarrassed. She therefore told Leah the password, and Leah married Yaakov. The following morning, when Yaakov realized it was Leah, he asked Lavan, "Why did you do this to me?," and Lavan answered that the oldest daughter must get married first.
Because of this unbelievable act of kindness that Rachel did for her sister, the Gemara in Masechet Megillah called Rachel one of the two most tzeniut people ever to have lived. Furthermore, it is the only thing that help us Jews when we needed the help during the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. This act was greater then Avraham's act, Yitzchak's act, or anyone else's act, for that matter.
What did she do? Was it really such a big deal? After all, EVERYONE knows that Rachel is the one. Leah knows that she shouldn't be getting married tonight! So what did Rachel say? "Dear sister, you will get caught tomorrow, but I don't want you to get caught tonight. So we'll push it off a couple of hours." It is obviously a selfless act, but fact of the matter is that Yaakov didn't like Leah so much even though they were married. Perhaps we can suggest that there was a lot more to it. Rachel didn't merely postpone the humiliation by a couple of hours.
But before we get to the main point, let's look into one more encounter that Leah and Rachel have later on. Leah's son, Reuven, goes into the field and gathers dudaim, flowers that help a woman become pregnant more easily. (How does it work? I have no clue. It sounds pretty cool though.) Anyway, Rachel doesn't have any kids at this point, so she asks Leah for some of those magical flowers. What does Leah respond? "Isn't it enough that you took my husband? Now you want to take my sons flowers as well?" Rachel replies, "You're right. OK. Fine. I'll let you sleep with Yaakov tonight. He'll come to your room tonight." When I first learned this, I was taken back. What did Leah say? "Isn't it enough that you took my husband?" My husband? Are you kidding me? Rachel could have answered, "You and I both know very well that he could not be any less your husband. You shouldn't be married to him. He's
my husband! If it weren't for me giving you the password, you wouldn't even be married to him! How dare you call him your husband?"
Here we go. First of all, let's get two points down. Rabbeinu Bachya explains what the password was. Yaakov taught Leah all of the halachot for chalah, niddah, and hadlakach neirot. These are three aspects of halacha that a married woman must know. There is no way that a girl in Lavan's house would know these laws, but there are very important. Therefore, Yaakov taught them to he wife-to-be, and tell her that she should be prepared to explain them on their wedding night.
Second point, there is a midrash that says that for the entire seven years before their wedding, Yaakov would send presents to their house to give to Rachel, but Lavan would just give them to Leah. The obvious question is, doesn't Leah realize that they really are for Rachel? I mean, after all, everyone knows that Rachel is the girl.
My Rebbi offered a completely novel explanation. From the very beginning, Lavan told Leah that Yaakov wants to marry her. Those presents that were coming for seven years, Lavan made Leah think they were all for her. And Rachel knew that they weren't for Leah. But she never said anything. She kept quiet. For seven years. And it pained her. But she kept quiet. Until it finally comes to the wedding night. Leah really think that she's the one. But Rachel know that Leah is destined for heartbreak. So what does she do? She tells her older sister that there are some halachot that a married woman should know. And she teaches Leah the halachot. And on the wedding night, she is knows how to give over these passwords because she's prepared for them. But she never thought that Rachel was giving her these ideas for this specific reason. And Yaakov Avinu realized exactly what happened. That's why when he wakes up in the morning, he doesn't say anything to Leah, but goes to Lavan instead. If i were in Yaakov's situation, when I wake up in the morning, I would look at Leah and said, "What are you doing here? How can you do this? I never wanted to marry you." But instead, Yaakov doesn't do that. He goes straight to Lavan, the culprit behind the crime. And so Leah never finds out. This also explains the conversation that happens later on between Rachel and Leah. Leah says, "Is it not enough that you took my husband?" Leah had no idea that she wasn't really supposed to marry Yaakov. She never knew. And Rachel still never told her.
And with this, we see how truly unbelievable and extraordinary Rachel is. FOR HER ENTIRE LIFE, SHE ALLOWED LEAH TO BELIEVE THAT YAAKOW ORIGINALLY WANTED TO MARRY HER. Rachel kept quiet her entire life. It is for this reason, that the Bnei Yisrael will later have their tefillot answered in her zechut.
I'm running out of time, so I apologize for not proofreading. I hope you all get the point, because I'm not explaining it to its fullest.
Let us all try to learn from our mother and spend our entire lives, literally, caring for other people's feelings.
Regards,
Avraham Adam Sabzevari
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