God Remembered Rachel by the Merit of Her Silence

"He has remembered His kindness and His faithfulness toward the house of Israel" (Psalms 98:3). "Kindness" refers to Abraham, as it is said, "kindness to Abraham" (Micah 7:20). "And His faithfulness" refers to Jacob, as it is said, "You will give truth to Jacob." "Toward the house of Israel" (ibid.) means Israel the elder. Who was the true household of Jacob our father? Was it not Rachel? Concerning all the others it is written, "the sons of Leah: Jacob's firstborn Reuben," and "the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid," and "the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid," but concerning Rachel it is written, "the sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife." Therefore it is written, "He has remembered His kindness and His faithfulness toward the house of Israel," and then "God remembered Rachel." "He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me" (Psalms 55:19). "He has redeemed my soul in peace" refers to Jacob; "from the battle against me" means that the counsel of that wicked one [Laban] should not come near him, lest he say, "This wife who has borne him children, let him take her along, but this one who has not borne, let him not take her along." "For they were with me in great number" (ibid.) means that Rachel was remembered through many prayers. "Rachel" by her own merit; "Rachel" by the merit of her sister. "And He hearkened to her" by the merit of Jacob; "and He opened her womb" by the merit of the matriarchs. Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman said: Woe to the wicked! "And God remembered Rachel." What act of remembrance was recalled? That she had kept silent for her sister at the hour when they were giving Leah to Jacob; she knew and kept silent. And the law would have it so, for she had brought her rival into her own house. "Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin": by the merit of Dan, Rachel was remembered; by the merit of Dan, Joseph and Benjamin arose. "God has gathered up my disgrace" (Genesis 30:23). Rachel had been distressed that she might be given over to the portion of Esau. Here it says, "He has gathered up my disgrace," and "disgrace" means nothing other than the foreskin, as it is said, "for that is a disgrace to us" (Genesis 34:14). Jacob said: With permission I went out, and with the permission of the Holy One, blessed be He, I am returning. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Permission you seek? "Return to the land of your fathers." Did you come except for the sake of the tribes? Behold, the tribes are in your hand; behold, Rachel is in your hand; behold, the adversary of Esau has been born. Of the verse "and he had much livestock" it is not written here, but rather "many flocks" (Genesis 30:43), for it kept increasing greatly, and the nations of the world would come and give Jacob silver to buy flocks from him.