Jewish tradition offers comfort and hope in those moments. It reminds us that even in the depths of despair, we are noticed, and our fortunes can change.
The verse in Psalms (145:14) tells us, "The Lord supports all those who fall and He straightens all who are hunched." But what does that really mean? Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis, offers a beautiful interpretation: the "fallen" are the barren women, who metaphorically fall within their own homes, weighed down by their sorrow. And when God remembers them with children, they "stand erect," their lives transformed (Bereshit Rabbah 71).
To illustrate this, the text turns to the story of Leah. We all know the story. Leah, the less favored sister, who was tricked into marrying Jacob. The Torah tells us, "The Lord saw that Leah was unloved" (Genesis 29:31). But Bereshit Rabbah goes deeper. It says "That Leah was unloved [senua]" – she performed the action of the hated [hasenuim]” (Bereshit Rabbah 71). What does that mean? She acted like sinners, who spend their time praying for repentance.
Imagine Leah, knowing the stipulation: the elder sister to the elder son, the younger to the younger. She knew she was destined to marry Esau, the "enemy". Rav Huna tells us prayer is powerful (Bereshit Rabbah 71). She wept, praying she wouldn't fall to that wicked man. And her prayers were answered. She married Jacob, even before her sister Rachel!
But it wasn't easy. People mocked her. As Bereshit Rabbah vividly describes, "seafarers would mock her, wayfarers would mock her, even those sitting in the pits behind the loom would mock her." They said, "This Leah, her inside is not like her outside; she appears like a righteous woman, but she is not a righteous woman. Were she a righteous woman, she would not have deceived her sister” (Bereshit Rabbah 71). Ouch.
Rabbi Hanin, quoting Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzchak, even says that Jacob initially planned to divorce Leah because of the deception. But then, God blessed her with children, and Jacob reconsidered. "Am I divorcing the mother of these?" he thought (Bereshit Rabbah 71). He ultimately gave thanks for her. The text connects this to the verse "Israel prostrated himself at the top of the bed [al rosh hamita]" (Genesis 47:31). Rosh mitato - Who is the head of his bed? Bereshit Rabbah asks. Is it not Leah, the mother of the majority of his children? (Bereshit Rabbah 71).
And what about Rachel? "And Rachel was barren [akara]," the text continues. "Rachel was the primary of the household, just as it says: 'Rachel was akara' – the primary [ikara] was Rachel" (Bereshit Rabbah 71). Even though Leah bore most of Jacob's children, Rachel held a special place in his heart. As Rabbi Abba bar Kahana points out, at the wedding feast of Boaz and Ruth, most attendees were descendants of Leah. Yet, the blessing was, "May the Lord grant that the woman who is coming into your house will be like Rachel and like Leah" (Ruth 4:11; Bereshit Rabbah 71).
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai goes even further. Because all matters depend on Rachel, Israel is called by her name: "Rachel weeps for her children" (Jeremiah 31:15; Bereshit Rabbah 71). And not just by her name, but also by her son's name, Joseph, and even her grandson's name, Ephraim! (Amos 5:15, Jeremiah 31:20; Bereshit Rabbah 71).
So, what can we take away from this intricate tapestry of stories and interpretations? Even when we feel fallen, like Leah, or like Rachel struggling with infertility, we are seen. Our prayers matter. And sometimes, the blessings we receive come in unexpected forms, shaping not only our own lives, but the destiny of generations to come. Isn't it amazing how these ancient stories continue to resonate with our own struggles and hopes today?