The matriarchs of the Jewish people: Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah. Often also includes Bilhah and Zilpah.
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Is there a concept of “merit of the mothers”?
There is a familiar concept called zechus avos, that the merits of our forefathers can have an impact on later generations (see Shabbat 55a) or maaseh avos siman l'banim, which is roughly equivalent ...
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Symbolic relationship between Mothers and Exiles
I am interested in what is the correspondence between the Four Mothers (Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah) and the Four Exiles (Babylonian, Persian/Medean, Greek and Roman).
There is a lot of indirect ...
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Torah personalities chosen for blessings on Friday nights
Why do we bless our children on Friday nights with non-correlated blessings between the boys and the girls?
I can understand that we want our daughters to emulate the Matriarchs. Yet we don't bless ...
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Why does the Torah not record the passing of Leah?
The Torah records the passing of all the patriarchs and matriarchs:
Sarah - Bereishis 23:1-2
Avraham - Bereishis 25:8-9
Rochel - Bereishis 35:19
Yitzchak - Bereishis 35:29
Then Rivkah is not ...
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Where does our blessing for daughters come from?
In many Jewish homes on Shabbat, the head of the household would bless his sons to be like Ephraim and Menasheh but would bless his daughters to be like the matriarchs . What is the source, if any, ...
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What's so special about Leah?
The torah documents the positive attributes of Sarah, Rifka and Rochel. Chazal then expound in greater detail about these righteous women. But from the torah and chazal there doesn't appear to be any ...
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When did Leah die?
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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Did Yaakov marry Bilah and Zilpah?
Bilah and Zilpah are referred to as the נְשֵׁי of Yaakov (Bereshis 37:2). Did he ever technically, formally marry them?
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Why is Leah last in the order of the matriarchs?
When we list the Matriarchs in prayers (such as the Amidah in the version including the matriarchs, or in the traditional blessing for one's daughters on Friday night), we say them in the order: ...
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Leah: Isn't it enough that you took away my husband?
I have never had any understanding of this statement by Leah to Rachel: "Isn't it enough that you took away my husband?" in parsha vayetze.
The obvious truth seems to be the opposite: after all, ...
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What was the name of Rivka's mother?
Unnamed women in the Torah, so far: Noach's wife-Naama, Yishmoel's wife-Riva, Lot's wife-Iris, any suggestions for Rivka's mother? she is mentioned many times in this weeks sedra but not by name
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Why did God lie about Sarah?
Why did God have to lie to cover for Sarah (Bereshis 18:13)? Why not just avoid asking Avraham altogether?
Note that the answer cannot be anything that would either impinge on their shalom bayis (cf ...
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Sarah's treatment of Hagar and Ishmael
How could Sarah's treatment of Hagar and Ishmael be considered righteous? I intend this as a sincere and serious question. While Hagar was pregnant, Sarah "prevent[ed] her intercourse with Abraham, ...
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Jewish Status of the Patriarch's Wives?
Judaism is clear on the matrilineal descent. Yet it's not clear to me that the Matriarchs after Sarah were "Jewish" - they were Abraham's relatives, they were not Canaanites as requested by Abraham, ...
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why are there only 4 mothers
Why aren't bilha and zilpa considered mothers. If yaakov married them, obviously they were great people, right?
