Rachel And The Stolen Idols

"For all the wealth which God has rescued from our father" and so forth (Genesis 31:16). "And Jacob arose and set his sons" (Genesis 31:17). Rabbi Yochanan said: It is written, "The heart of the wise is at his right hand, but the heart of a fool is at his left" (Ecclesiastes 10:2). "The heart of the wise is at his right hand" - this is Jacob, as it is said: "And Jacob arose and set his sons," and afterward "and his wives." "But the heart of a fool is at his left" - this is Esau, "And Esau took his wives and his sons," and afterward "and his daughters" (Genesis 36:6). "And he drove away all his cattle and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle of his getting" (Genesis 31:18) - that which he had acquired from the property of Laban. "He went to shear his flock" (Genesis 31:19) - in every place where shearing is mentioned, it makes an impression. "And Rachel stole the terafim that were her father's" (Genesis 31:19), and she intended only for the sake of Heaven. She said: What shall I do? Shall I go off and leave this old man in his corruption? Therefore Scripture had to say: "And Rachel stole the terafim that were her father's." "With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live" (Genesis 31:32) - and so it was, like an error that proceeds from before a ruler (Ecclesiastes 10:5): "And Rachel stole" - and "And Rachel died" (Genesis 35:19). "And Laban came into Jacob's tent and into Rachel's tent" (Genesis 31:33) - "into Jacob's tent," which is Rachel's tent, "and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two handmaids, and he found nothing; and he went out of Leah's tent and came into Rachel's tent." Why "into Rachel's tent" two times? Because he knew that she was one who handled things constantly. "Now Rachel had taken the terafim and put them in the camel's saddle" (Genesis 31:34) - in the saddle-cushion of the camel - "and sat upon them. And she said to her father: Let not my lord be angry, for I cannot rise up" and so forth (Genesis 31:35). Rabbi Yochanan said: He did not find the terafim; he found water-jugs. The terafim turned into water-jugs, so as not to shame Rachel.