Rachel had watched her sister enter the wedding canopy and had not envied her — not then. But when the children came, one after another from Leah's womb, Rachel's patience broke. "And Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Jacob and she envied her sister" (Genesis 30:1). Not resentment of Leah's beauty or Jacob's affection — resentment of her good deeds.
The rabbis read this as the holiest form of envy. Rachel said, privately, "If I am not righteous like her, the Holy One, blessed be He, will not give me children." She was not jealous of Leah's fertility. She was jealous of her virtue, believing that virtue was the cause of the fertility she herself lacked. The midrash praises this — envy directed at someone's spiritual achievements is the only envy the rabbis approved of.
"And God remembered Rachel" (Genesis 30:22). The word "remembered" is loaded here, as it always is in Genesis — it implies a prior concern, a sustained attention, a moment of decision. God had not forgotten Rachel. He had been watching her faith through the years of barrenness: the years of watching Leah name her sons, the years of borrowing her own maidservant to produce surrogate children, the years of prayer. And in the fullness of time, He opened her womb. Joseph was born. And from that birth came the entire Egyptian chapter of Israel's story.
Chapter (50) 51: Writings. [1] A song of ascents. I lift my eyes to the mountains; from where will my help come? (Psalm 121:1) The Lord said to David, "Until now you say, 'I lift my eyes, etc.' But I already spoke about you through Moses, 'And this is the blessing for Judah, etc.' (Deuteronomy 33:7). And this is for David who stands from Judah, as it says, 'Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah' (Judges 1:19), 'Hear, Lord, his voice' (2 Samuel 22:7), when he prays before You while descending on a slope, 'Bring him to his people' (Deuteronomy 33:7). And when David returned from striking the Philistine, 'His hands are strong for him' (Deuteronomy 33:7). When did the Philistines stand on one side of the mountain and the Israelites on the other side (1 Samuel 17:3)? It was in the merit of Abimelech who showed respect to Abraham, as it says, 'And Abimelech said, "Here is my land before you; settle wherever you please"' (Genesis 20:15). And the Israelites stood on this side of the mountain in the merit of Abraham. [Note: the last sentence in Hebrew is ambiguous, and can be translated as "And the Philistines stood on this side of the mountain, relying on Galut which is called 'this,'" or as "And the Philistines stood confidently on the other side of the mountain," as reflected in the square brackets.] As it says, 'Have you seen this man who has come up?' (1 Samuel 17:25). And the Israelites stood on this side of the mountain, relying on David who is called 'this,' as it says, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he' (1 Samuel 16:12). The Devil and the Philistines stand on this mountain. The Devil assists them, as it is written, "And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?'" (Job 2:2). And the Israelites stand on the mountain from this side. The ministering angels assist them, who are called "this," as it is written, "And they called one to the other" (Isaiah 6:3). And the Philistines stand on the mountain from this side. The Devil accuses the Israelites and says, "This is what Israel said in the desert: 'This is your God, O Israel'" (Exodus 32:4 and Exodus 32:8). And the ministering angels teach them merit and say to them, "This is not what they said to you at the sea, 'This is my God, and I will glorify Him'" (Exodus 15:2). When David raised his eyes and saw the Philistines standing on the other side of the mountain, he became afraid and recited the Song of Ascents: "I lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where will my help come?" (Psalms 121:1). God said to him, "Are you afraid?" David replied, "From where will my help come?" God responded, "Look at what you have with you." And there was the valley between them (1 Samuel 17:3). This is referring to Moses, as it is written in (Deuteronomy 34:6) that "He buried him [Moses] in the valley." Through Moses, God's handiwork was accomplished, and he was aided by God in freeing the Israelites from Egypt, as it is written in (Deuteronomy 33:7): "And this [Moses] is the one by whom I wrote with my own hand and said, 'My helper, God's aid makes heaven and earth.'"
