Rachel and Leah | Encyclopedia.com Though her reaction is not recorded, Bilhah gives birth to two sons, Dan and Naphtali, who are named by Rachel but referred to as the sons of Bilhah. Later in her life, Bilhah would have sex with Reuben, Jacobs eldest son. I've been involved in far, far left politics for a very long time. Who was the mother and father of Bilhah and Zilpah? I had always thought of Jewish spaces as empowering ones; most of the people who bolstered my Jewish education were women, including my rabbi. What nation/family there were from and why the Torah does not see the importance of telling us about that? Also, the scriptural text seems to indicate that the sons Bilhah bore were considered to be Rachels and that she would have raised them as her own. I have no idea of the provenance of this tradition. In all, Bilhah and Zilpah are given to Jacob by their mistresses to act in their place twice each to overcome barrenness, resulting in two sons each (Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher). So following the example of her sister Leah gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a wife so that she could have more children. Thus, Zilpah and Bilhah stand in the shadows of their mistresses Leah and Rachel and have been undeservedly unremembered. What Are The Names of the Thieves Crucified With Christ? Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. So then it was Zilpah's turn to shtup Jacob, and pop out two more boys (we are now at eight, still none from Rachel). Boolean algebra of the lattice of subspaces of a vector space? Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Oil on canvas by Jan Victors (1619 1679) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victors_Esau_and_the_mess_of_pottage.jpg. He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel . The story is silent about Bilhahs reaction. The only other brothers who are not singled out with specific actions in the narrative are Leahs two sons Issachar and Zebulun. All the Bilhahs and the Zilpahs who still selflessly give of themselves to bring children to women who are unable to have them any other way and all the Rachels and the Leahs who will never be able to repay the gift. Easily See 6017 Years of Biblical and World History Together! Jacob of course only wanted to marry Rachel, and worked for 7 years to do so, only to be tricked by his uncle, Laban. When Rachel failed to have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob like a wife to bear him children. They are often presented as slave-like objects in the narrative with no voice, who only act at the behest of others. And that is the mindset at the core of any matriarch. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . Who are considered "avot" who worshipped idols? Possible meanings for the Hebrew name Bilhah are "simplicity," "modesty," "timid," or "faltering." Bilhah is also the name of a town in the south of Judah ( 1 Chronicles 4:29 ). Genesis 35:22 expressly calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a pilegesh. Nonetheless Bilhah and Zilpah would have been able to see their sons every day and their sons would have know that they were their birth mothers. This amended liturgical prayer is based on the traditional, central Jewish liturgical blessing of praise, the Amidah or Standing Prayer, that invokes the blessing of the ancestors, some of which already have added the four matriarchal figures (though most have Rachel before Leah). They were considered concubines, or secondary wives of Jacob. See Schneiders Mothers of Promise: Women in the Book of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 103105.) Zilpah is given to Leah as a handmaid by Leah's father, Laban, upon Leah's marriage to Jacob (see Genesis 29:24, 46:18). I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. Identify blue/translucent jelly-like animal on beach. Any children born of the union were considered to be legally the children of the mistress wife. Oh, you know this one! Leah started popping out kids left and right, four boys to be exact. The wonders of ancient polygamy! 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. Bilhah and Zilpah's Birth Stories: The Old Testament's Form of Adoption What a great plan. Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. Rachel, who was Jacobs favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church . At the same time, two other named figures stand out for their undeserved absence among the honored Matriarchs. The promises of God endure from generation to generation. 10 Vayeitzei in a Nutshell This is reinforced by the fact that Rachel named both of the sons Bilhah bore. A boy can regenerate, so demons eat him for years. In their historical and cultural context, the mistress had full procreative rights over the maid-slave, including control of access and consent regarding her sexual behavior.3Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168. I thought about how there are two versions of the Amidah in some prayer books, one including the first four matriarchs names, and one without them. Say, the one of Jacob and his wives. This name proved to be prophetic, as when Zilpah was toldas a young girlthat she was destined to join Leah in her marriage to the evil Esau, 9 tears would flow down her face. Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? I guess I always felt bad for Bilhah and Zilpah because it didn't really seem like they had any say in the matter. Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. Episode 91: Israel at 75: Voices of Protest. The point is that these women acted prudently in each given situation with the best interests of their children in mind. This may be because Zilpah and Bilhah never speak within the narrative, nor are they spoken to directly. It is common practice in my sphere to seek or pray, Center for Hebraic Thought at The King's College | 56 Broadway | New York, NY 10004. [9], Reuben was Jacob's (Israel) eldest son with Leah. Even at one point, it was obvious that Leah thought she would have no more childrenJacob was staying in Rachel's tent and no where else. For instance, Reuben speaks and acts to dissuade the brothers from killing Joseph (Gen 37:22), Simeon and Levi speak and act after the rape of their sister Dinah (Gen 34:30), Judah speaks and acts on behalf of Benjamin over a stolen cup (Gen 44:18), Joseph speaks and acts by telling his brothers of his dreams of greatness (Gen 37:6), and Benjamin acts to weep with Joseph upon being reunited (Gen 45:14). Geni requires JavaScript! Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Bilhah bore two sons. New Testament Asked By : David Miller. Redirecting the Fear of Death, Teaching Genesis Beautiful Vision in an Incarcerated Context, A Pentecostals Biblical Reflections on the Asbury Revival. Some of these are easier to swallow than others. Unexpected uint64 behaviour 0xFFFF'FFFF'FFFF'FFFF - 1 = 0? Nevertheless, just as consistently, Zilpah and Bilhah are not traditionally listed among the Matriarchs that include Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachelthe mothers of the higher social class of privilege who speak and act. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. In the official record given of Jacob's children in Genesis 46 Dan and Naphtali are listed as the children of Bilhah and Asher and Gad are listed as the children of Zilpah. What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? I do not take women's rights or my Judaism for granted and explore both in my daily life as well. Zilpah bore Leah two sons. Subscribe now to receive periodic updates from the CHT. [4] He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel and Leah's father. Bilhahs own status in the household is somewhat ambiguous. The only other time Zilpah and Bilhah are termed wife/woman is when their mistresses give them to Jacob to fulfill the procreative, wifely role in their mistresses place. ; Beor . Jacob wanted the super-hot Rachel to have a kid. And Jacobs anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Nevertheless, when the danger from Esau has passed, Bilhah again is called Jacobs wife; and her sons are not disadvantaged, for Rachels biological son Joseph becomes a shepherd, a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his fathers wives (Gen 37:2). The first son Rachel named Dan saying, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son. The second son Bilhah bore she named Naphtali and said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.After Bilhah bore Rachel two sons Leah found that even though she already had four sons she was no longer able to have children. For this reason, some modern Jewish feminists have reclaimed Bilhah and Zilpah as matriarchs. You can read about Jacob, also known as Israel, blessing Gad and Asher as tribes of Israel in Genesis 49:19-20. Who is Bilhah? Dinah, if you are wondering.). (Bereishit 31:43), Said R. Avin, 'They were all his daughters: "The girls are my daughters" gives two, "And as for my daughters, what should I do?" The number of Jacob's descendants through Bilhah was seven. In her desperation for children Rachel followed the example of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and married her maid Bilhah to her husband so that she could have children through her. Black Hebrews - Hebrew Igbo Though the Genesis narrator always identifies and categorizes the children of Jacob by their biological mother, Bilhah and Zilpah are never termed mother to their children. This is my own translation of the Hebrew text found in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.6. Genesis 30 records that, "when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; Bilhah was named so because of her stunning beauty. Sister of Bilhah / The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This lack of any qualifier title leaves the question of their status open ended. Instead, Bilhah is gaining a new, elevated role, much as Hagar did with barren Sarah (Gen 16:3). Bilhah: Midrash and Aggadah | Jewish Women's Archive Jacob was all too happy to oblige, and Bilhah popped out two more boys to bring the total to six. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. In Jewish tradition, Zilpah is believed to be buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias. (Did they time her ovulation cycle? The Hebrew word sahnay does not mean hate as the term is used today, but rather conveys the idea of loving less. A better translation would be, when the Lord saw that Leah was loved less or was not as favored, he opened her womb. It must have been hard, really hard. (Source) This adoption ceremony was often conducted by placing the son or daughter on the knees of the mistress and declaring it her child. Joshua, as noted in the article " The Twelve Tribes in the Song of Deborah ," divided the land among these tribes. This may have been what Rachel meant when she said that Bilhah shall bear upon my knees. Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. (Gen 29), Jacob did not buy Zilpah and Bilhah to be his legitimate wives. The Israelites were divided into 12 tribes named after Jacob's sons and two sons of Joseph Manasseh and Ephraim. She calls him Naphtali, which means I have prevailed, because she has prevailed (Hebrew niftalti) over her sister in a divine contest (Hebrew naftulei Elohim; NRSV, mighty wrestlings). Its my job, as a woman and as a feminist, to continue to integrate feminism into Judaism. For thousands of years, these three well-known names have been referenced in histories, liturgies, prayer books, and scholarly articles alike. Unique Circular Format see more in less space. Laban pursues them and overtakes them ten days later (Gen 31:23). Who Were Bilhah and Zilpah? - Parshah Focus - Parshah - Chabad I know they were slaves, therefore deprived of a lot, even though they were the mothers of four of the tribes. All four of those women had to have had crazy patience and understanding to make it in that situation. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. Thus, while in Canaan and after Rachels (and probably Leahs) death, Zilpah and Bilhah were possibly able to transition in status to the wives of Jacob. They are casualties of nation building. With a wry smile, I say to my family, Im, As a Pentecostal, I am familiar with revival language. Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. In an ancient Nuzi marriage contract it stipulated that a woman whose servant bore the children of her husband should have full authority over the offspring. (Source) This adoption ceremony was often conducted by placing the son or daughter on the knees of the mistress and declaring it her child. However, Reuben, Leah's eldest, felt that this move slighted his mother, who was also a primary wife, and so he moved Jacob's bed into his mother's tent and removed or overturned Bilhah's. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Bilhah is also considered a minor Bible character but was also used to bring two of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel onto the earth. Gender was never an issue. Rachel Giving Bilhah to Jacob from The Story of Jacob series, 1550-75, Netherlandish, Brussels. According to the early rabbinical commentary Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, Zilpah and Bilhah, the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, respectively, were actually younger daughters of Laban. During this time on theBible Timeline with World History, the following events at various locations around the world are recorded: But from whom were Bilhah and Zilpah descendant ? Bilhah and Zilpah - Jew or Not Jew Elsewhere in the World Bilhah ( "unworried", Standard Hebrew: Bilha, Tiberian Hebrew: Blh) is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. I contend that these two women are relatable and worthy of emulation for different reasons than the more well-known Matriarchs are. In her desperation for children Rachel followed the example of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and married her maid Bilhah to her husband so that she could have children through her. For Kristine Casey, 61, it meant giving the gift of motherhood to her infertile daughter by carrying and giving birth to her own grandson. Iron became a very valuable commodity and was used to produce goods. According to Bereishit Rabbah 74:13 Bilhah and Zilpah were also daughters of Lavan. Though there is some indication that Zilpah and Bilhah were elevated to a matriarchal status as the wives of Jacob, they were still not on par with Leah and Rachel, whose death or burial place is mentioned (Gen 35:19, 49:31). King James Version of the Bible. Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities? Zilpah is first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 29:24. s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Enjoying this article? This is reinforced by the fact that Rachel named both of the sons Bilhah bore. Was it the custom for the first wife to have more children than the 2nd wife? They repeatedly chose to be willing, humble, and respectful, possibly knowing that this is what would get them what they desiredchildren of their own who would have a future. Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? Why are players required to record the moves in World Championship Classical games? Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. There is no mention of their status as wives or maid-slaves at all. Rachel and Leah in the Bible - Biblical Archaeology Society Where does the version of Hamapil that is different from the Gemara come from? Bilhah and Zilpah were the handmaidens (servants) of the patriarch Jacobs wives, Leah and Rachel. Artist unknown. "Claiming Bilhah and Zilpah." Rachel, who was Jacobs favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. Could a subterranean river or aquifer generate enough continuous momentum to power a waterwheel for the purpose of producing electricity? The crux of the agreement states that Jacob will not ill-treat Labans daughters or take other wives besides his daughters (Gen 31:50). ( , ): , , ( , ): , ., "And Lavan spoke up and said to Ya'akov, 'The girls are my daughters, and the boys my sons.'" With that I think we can say Zilpah and Bilah are matriarchs. The only other brothers who are not singled out with specific actions in the narrative are Leahs two sons Issachar and Zebulun.10. In contrast, in Hagars case, Sarah does not view the son of the shiphchah Hagar as her own son after conception and soured relations (Gen 16, 21). Zilpah and Bilhahs deaths are never mentioned. Can you direct me to anything about their lineage? For me, synagogue was always the place where everyone was truly equal, because my community made such an effort to be inclusive and accepting. When and how did the Twelve Apostles die? Yocheved was born and presumably died in Egypt. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. The great, mighty, and awesome God, God most high, who bestows loving-kindness and goodness and who creates everything. Whether or not they had any say in the matter, I do think you point out a really good point. Also, the scriptural text seems to indicate that the sons Bilhah bore were considered to be Rachels and that she would have raised them as her own. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. The manufacture of artifacts from iron was noted. Bronze to Iron Age During this period making items of bronze seemed to be migrating into the Iron Age. This image of a woman being supported in a squat by other women is the most common image of women giving birth throughout history and around the world. Could it be that Zilpah and Bilhah not only gained the status of full wife, but also of full mother? At the start of Jacobs story, the Genesis narrator makes it clear that Zilpah and Bilhah are maid-slaves. Bilhah, whose name is believed to mean bashful or faltering, was given to Rachel as her handmaiden by Laban, Rachels father, when Rachel was given to Jacob as a bride. Upon parting ways again, Laban and Jacob make a pact before Jacobs God. We can read the little that we know about them in Genesis 30. This image of a woman being supported in a squat by other women is the most common image of women giving birth throughout history and around the world. They are never presented as subjects with a voice, agency, or power. . Is a downhill scooter lighter than a downhill MTB with same performance? In Genesis 31:17, Jacob and his household leave for Canaan without telling Laban. This image of a woman being supported in a squat by other women is the most common image of women giving birth throughout history and around the world. Probably all three maid-slaves desired to have children, as women were primarily valued for their reproductive capacities in the culture. 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. I have issued a standing challenge for all my readers The Women in the Scripture Challenge are you super brave and daring enough to take the challenge? Rachel did not have to do this for Jacobs sake, for Jacob already had children to be his heirs by his other wife, Leah; rather, she is said to do this so that Jacob could fulfill her demand to give her children. For you are forgetting Bilhah and Zilpah, Jacob's other two wives. Folder's list view has different sized fonts in different folders. Not to be outdone, Leah had a handmaiden too: Zilpah. While Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel used more competitive, empowered, persuasive, and often deceptive means to achieve their ends according to their privileged status, Zilpah and Bilhah wisely used cooperation and submissiveness within their less privileged status. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Zilpah and Bilhahs relationship to their mistress changes when first Rachel and then Leah experience barrenness. It's Joseph, child #12, son #11, Jacob's favorite. Though Zilpah and Bilhah could never have been the full wives of Jacob while the treaty with Laban stood, once Labans two daughters died, Jacob may have viewed the stipulation of no other wives as no longer applicable, since it was meant to protect Labans daughters. I hope that for all of the sibling rivalry,the sisters at least loved each other. I heard a teaching comparing the relationship of Jacob and Esau and the stolen birthright, with the relationship of Leah and Rachael. Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. Which language's style guidelines should be used when writing code that is supposed to be called from another language? They never speak in the narrative, interact with God, or are set free, like Hagar, but they also never show contempt for their mistress or run away, like Hagar (Gen 16).