Why does (Genesis 3:16) say, "To the woman He said: I will increase your suffering and your pregnancy; in pain you shall give birth to children, and your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you?" It's a tough verse, and Jewish tradition grapples with it in fascinating ways.
One intriguing idea, found in Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of Rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, questions whether God even speaks directly to women at all! Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Yoḥanan, citing Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Simon, suggest that God only spoke directly to Sarah, and even then, only because it was necessary.
Why? Well, God had been talking to Abraham about why Sarah laughed when she overheard that she would conceive in her old age (Genesis 18:13). Sarah denied it: "I did not laugh" (Genesis 18:15). So, according to this reading, God had to set the record straight: "No, but you did laugh" (Genesis 18:15). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak, even points out that God spoke to her indirectly! Instead of a direct "Yes, you laughed," it was a roundabout way of saying the same thing.
But wait! What about Hagar? Doesn't (Genesis 16:13) say, "She called the name of the Lord, who spoke to her?" Rabbi Yehoshua bar Rabbi Neḥemya, in the name of Rabbi Idi, explains that God spoke to her through an angel. And Rabbi Elazar, citing Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra, suggests it was through Shem, Noah's son! The text implies that Hagar consulted with Shem, who was a spiritual leader in that era.
Let’s dig deeper into that loaded phrase, "I will increase [harba arbe] your suffering and your pregnancy." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, again in the name of Rabbi Shmuel, offers a fascinating insight: "Any fetus who has reached harba, I shall grant it growth [arbe]." He connects this to the gestation period, suggesting that a fetus born after 212 days – the numerical value of the Hebrew word harba – can survive. It's a very early understanding of premature birth!
Rabbi Huna adds to this, noting that if a fetus is "formed" to be born after nine months but comes early at seven or eight, it won't survive. However, if "formed" to be born after seven months, it has a chance even if born later.
They even asked Rabbi Abahu where this idea comes from! He cleverly uses Greek: zeta, the seventh letter, sounds like "live," while eta, the eighth letter, sounds like "dying." It's a playful, almost poetic way to understand the fragility of life.
Rabbi Berekhya, in the name of Rabbi Shmuel, then throws another number into the mix, suggesting that a woman will always give birth after 271, 272, or 273 days – nine months plus a few days for conception.
There's even a story about Ḥiyya bar Ada, who was struggling to understand something Rav was teaching because he was worried about his donkey giving birth! He knew that sometimes a donkey gives birth early (after a lunar year) and sometimes late (after a solar year)—an eleven day range! Rav challenged him, citing (Job 39:1-2), which seems to imply a set term for animal pregnancies. Ḥiyya bar Ada cleverly replies that Job is speaking of small animals, and he is speaking of a large, non-kosher one.
The text then returns to the Genesis verse, unpacking the layers of suffering: "Your suffering" is the pain of conception; "and your pregnancy" is the discomfort of menstruation; "in pain" is the pain of miscarriage; "you shall give birth" is the pain of childbirth; "to children" is the difficulty of raising children.
Finally, Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon offers a striking thought: It's easier for a man to support an entire legion with olives in the Galilee than to raise one child in the Land of Israel. It's a powerful statement about the immense challenges and responsibilities of parenthood.
So, what do we take away from this deep dive into Bereshit Rabbah 20? It’s not just a simple explanation of a difficult verse. It's a glimpse into how the Rabbis wrestled with questions of divine communication, the mysteries of childbirth, and the profound complexities of human life. It's a reminder that even the most challenging texts can offer surprising insights when we approach them with curiosity and a willingness to explore.
“To the woman He said: I will increase your suffering and your pregnancy; in pain you shall give birth to children, and your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). “To the woman He said: I will increase your suffering and your pregnancy” – Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Simon: The Holy One blessed be He never deigned to speak with a woman except for that righteous woman [Sarah], and that, too, was for a specific reason.17God had been speaking to Abraham: “Why is it that Sarah laughed?” (Genesis 18:13). Sarah interrupted with her denial: “I did not laugh” (Genesis 18:15). Then it was necessary for the Holy One blessed be He to set her straight: “No, but you did laugh” (Genesis 18:15). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: How He spoke in a roundabout manner with her: “No, but you did laugh” (Genesis 18:15).18Instead of saying: “Yes, you laughed,” He said it in an indirect manner. But is it not written [of Hagar]: “She called the name of the Lord, who spoke to her”? (Genesis 16:13). Rabbi Yehoshua bar Rabbi Neḥemya said in the name of Rabbi Idi: [He spoke to her] through an angel. Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra: Through Shem.19Hagar had gone to consult Shem son of Noah, who was a spiritual leader at the time. “I will increase [harba arbe] your suffering and your pregnancy” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana says in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: Any fetus who has reached harba, I shall grant it growth [arbe]; any fetus that is [born after] two hundred and twelve days20That is, seven months. It is the numerical value of harba: heh – 5 + reish – 200 + beit – 2 + heh – 5 = 212. [of gestation] can survive. Rabbi Huna said: If it [the fetus] was formed to be born after nine months and is born at seven months, it will not survive; at eight months, it will not survive. If it is formed to be born after seven months and is born after eight, it will survive; all the more so after nine months. They asked Rabbi Abahu: From where is it derived that a fetus born during the seventh month can survive, [but one born during the eighth cannot]? He said to them: From your own [language] I will prove it to you: Zeta21This is the name of the seventh letter of the ancient Greek alphabet, and also means ‘live.’ – epta22It means seven. Seven thus indicates life.; eta23The name of the eighth Greek letter, also meaning “dying.” – okto.24It means eight. Eight thus indicates death. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: A woman will always give birth only after two hundred and seventy-one, two hundred and seventy-two, or two hundred and seventy-three days, which is nine months plus the days of their conception.25Conception can take place from one to three days after insemination. From that time gestation will last for two hundred and seventy-one days. Ḥiyya bar Ada was sitting before Rav. He was explaining [a point] to him, but he did not grasp it. He said to him: ‘Why do you not grasp it?’ He said to him: ‘My donkey is supposed to give birth, and I am worried it might catch a chill and die.’ He said to him: ‘Why does it concern you?’26It is not yet time for it to give birth. He said to him: ‘Sometimes it gives birth early, and sometimes it gives birth late. When it gives birth early, it is never less than a lunar year; when it gives birth late, it is never more than a solar year.’27So there is an eleven day range of when it can give birth. He said to him: ‘But is it not written: “Do you know the time when ibexes give birth…will you count the months of their reaching term”?’ (Job 39:1–2).28This implies that there is a set term for animal pregnancies. He said to him: ‘There it is regarding a small animal, and here it is with a large animal.’ He said to him: ‘But Antoninus’s cattle were once inseminating, and they inseminated Rabbi’s cattle from them. Some of them calved at one time and some of them calved later.’29And the gap between the births was more than eleven days. He said to him: ‘That was regarding a kosher animal, this is regarding a non-kosher animal [a donkey]’. “Your suffering” – this is the pain of conception; “and your pregnancy” – this is the discomfort of menstruation; “in pain” – this is the pain of miscarriage; “you shall give birth” – this is the pain of childbirth; “to children” – this is the difficulty of raising children. Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon said: It is easier for a man to support an entire legion with olives in the Galilee, than it is to raise one child in the Land of Israel.
