“They traveled from Beit El, and it was still some distance to arrive at Efrat, and Rachel was in childbirth, and had difficulty in her childbirth” (Genesis 35:16). “They traveled from Beit El, and it was still some distance [kivrat]” – Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: It was at the time when the land is perforated like a sieve [kevara] and the grain [bar] is plentiful.18The end of the summer. The Rabbis say: It was when the grain [habar] is already [kevar] growing, the rainy season has passed, and the summer has not yet come.
“Rachel was in childbirth, and had difficulty in her childbirth” – there are three who encountered difficulty in childbirth and died after giving birth, and they are: Rachel, Pinḥas’s wife, and Mikhal daughter of Shaul. Rachel –“Rachel was in childbirth, and had difficulty in her childbirth.” Pinḥas’s wife – “His daughter-in-law, wife of Pinḥas…[she crouched and gave birth, as her pangs of labor overcame her]” (I Samuel 4:19).
Mikhal, as it is stated: “Mikhal daughter of Saul did not have a child until the day of her death” (II Samuel 6:23). Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: “Until the day of her death” she did not have, but on the day of her death she had. That is what is written: “[These were the sons of David…] the sixth was Yitre’am, by Egla his wife” (I Chronicles 3:3).19Egla is understood to be another name for Mikhal. Why does it call her Egla? Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: Because she lowed like a calf [egla] and died.