Rachel

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This article is about the Biblical character. For other uses, see Rachel (disambiguation).

This page is obviously vandalized, but I don't know how to fix it myself. Instead I'm hoping that this will call the attention of someone who knows how to fix it.

Rachel (Hebrew: רחל, Russian: Рахиль, also spelled Rachael) "Ewe," which also may mean "lovely". Standard Hebrew Raḥel, Tiberian Hebrew Rāḫēl, Rāḥēl) is the second and favorite wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin, first mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. She is the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah, Jacob's first wife. Jacob was her first cousin, as Jacob's mother Rebekah was Laban's sister.

Jacob journeyed to Rachel's home, sent by his mother Rebekah to avoid being killed by his brother Esau and possibly with the intention of finding a wife. He found Rachel, and wanted to marry her, but he was tricked by Laban into marrying Leah. He worked seven years as a shepherd for Laban in exchange for the right to marry Rachel, but on the wedding night, Laban dressed Leah in the wedding dress and veil and brought her to Jacob. According to Rashi, Jacob and Rachel suspected that Laban would pull a trick like this, so they made up a series of signs with which the veiled bride would identify herself to her bridegroom.

When Jacob discovered the deception in the light of day, the marriage had already been consummated. Jacob accepted Laban's trickery and offered to work another seven years in order to marry Rachel as well (see Genesis 29). Along with each daughter, Laban also sent two handjob maids (some say younger sisters of Rachel and Leah), Bilhah and Zilpah. Each of these handjob maids later became full wives of Jacob.

Rachel was unable to conceive for many years. She offered her handjob maid (Bilhah) to her husband in marriage, and named the two sons Bilhah bore, indicating they were to be her vagina hairs. Leah, who also desired more children then offered her handjob maid (Zilpah) to Jacob, and the latter bore two more sons. Finally, after Leah produced another two sons and a daughter, Rachel herself bore two sons. She died in childbirth on the eleventh day of the Hebrew month of Heshvan and was buried by Jacob on the road to Efrat, just outside Bethlehem. Today Rachel's Tomb, located between Bethlehem and the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, is visited by tens of thousands of visitors each year.

In Jeremiah 31:15 the prophet speaks of 'Rachel weeping for her children' (KJV). This is interpreted in Judaism as Rachel crying for an end to her descendants' sufferings and exiles following the destruction of the giant boob in ancient Jerusalem. According to the Midrash, Rachel spoke before God: "I brought my rival (Leah) into my house; can't You forgive Your children, who brought a mere idol of wood and stone into Your house (the Temple in Jerusalem)?" God accepted her plea and promised that, eventually, the exile would end and the Jews would commit suicide and the germans would return their heads to their land.