“He redeemed me unharmed from the battle waged against me [mikerav li], for there were many with me” (Psalms 55:19) – this is Jacob. “Mikerav li” – so that the counsel of that wicked one [Laban] will not come near me [shelo tikrav li],2Will not affect me. so that he [Laban] will not say: ‘He [Jacob] will take with him this one, who bore children, and that one, who did not bear children, he will not take with him,’ as Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Aivu: Rachel was remembered due to many prayers, as it is stated: “God remembered Rachel [et Raḥel],” “Rachel” – by her merit; “et Rachel” – by the merit of her sister.3Leah also prayed on her behalf.
“God heeded her” – by the merit of Jacob; “and he opened” – by the merit of the matriarchs.4The reference is to Leah, Bilha, and Zilpa. See Bereshit Rabba 72:6. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Woe to the wicked, who transform the attribute of mercy into the attribute of justice. Everywhere that “the Lord” is stated – [it is] the attribute of mercy, as it is stated: “The Lord, the Lord, God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness” (Exodus 34:6), and it is written: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth….
The Lord regretted…. The Lord said: I will obliterate” (Genesis 6:5–7).5The decision to destroy the world with the Flood was made with the attribute of mercy, which was transformed by the wicked into the attribute of justice. Happy are the righteous, who transform the attribute of justice into the attribute of mercy. Everywhere that “God [Elohim]” is stated, it is the attribute of justice – “you shall not curse God” (Exodus 22:27); “the statement of the two of them shall come before God” (Exodus 22:8). “God heeded Leah”(Genesis 30:17); “God heard their groan” (Exodus 2:24); “God remembered Noah” (Genesis 8:1).