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Leah died some time before Jacob (according to Genesis 49:31) but we are not told exactly when. Please cite a source as to exactly when Leah died.

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Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/23188 – msh210♦ Dec 31 '12 at 5:57

2 Answers

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Seder Olam Rabba says that Leah passed away in year 2216 after creation, 9 years after Rochel, in the same year that brothers sold Yosef to Mitzrayim. Rochel died when she was 36, so Leah died when she was 45.

More precisely, this is in the 2nd chapter of Seder Olam Raba. The Vilna Gaon derives there that Leah had to pass away before Yosef was sold.

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does the seder olam bring a source or is that just tradition? – nikmasi Dec 4 '12 at 14:51
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@nikmasi The Gaon in his peirush on Seder Olam there derives it from a passuk, but it is only a remez. I think it is Rabbinical tradition, using the passuk as an esnachta maybe. – gt6989b Dec 4 '12 at 15:06
@gt6989b where does it ever say that Leah and Rochel were the same age? – Naftali Dec 4 '12 at 17:29
@Naftali The Gaon seems to imply this. I suppose it would fit that they were twins like Yaakov and Eisav. In this light, it is interesting that even though it is known that Bilhah and Zilpah were full sisters, Rashi (Bereishis 30:10) implies that Zilpah was visibly younger than the others. – gt6989b Dec 4 '12 at 18:04
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The Sefer Hadoros page 54 writes that Leah died in 2214 at 51 years of age. Or she died 2216. Others say she was 44. Some say she was born 2163, 2164 and twins, others 2170.

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+1 for a clear and easy to read answer – Michoel Apr 30 at 22:58
Thanks I dont know how you did it. I couldnt get the link to work properly. – user2709 Apr 30 at 22:58
I just edited the link by hand, removed the part about your search, and added pgnum=77 – Michoel Apr 30 at 23:00
@Michoel,Please edit it again. Something went wrong I dont know why.Thanks. – user2709 Apr 30 at 23:01

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