Why was Judah named that: doesn't the name hurt Rachel?

Question

According to Rashi (Genesis 29:35), Leah thanks Hashem after having Yehuda, because she received more than her lot, and that is why he's called Yehuda.

This Rashi always bothered me. If I sue my friend Jim and I make $10 million, isn't it wrong of me to build a $10mil mansion and call the house "Jim"? I would never make any mention of it because I took something from Jim. Isn't this rubbing it in? Should she not have instead been quiet to herself and counted her blessings internally? And perhaps even felt bad that she took a child from Rachel?

Answer 1

Your analogy is incorrect as it does not apply to what happened to Leah. Leah did not attempt to "take away" a son from Rachel and it was thanks to Hashem who had done this. Rav Hirsch points out that with each of the three previous sons she recognized an increasing connection to her husband. In fact, Rav Hirsch says

It is accordingly, highly significant that at Levi, it is not she, but he who expresses this in giving the baby its name. ... so that, when the fourth son was born, Yehudah, she no longer had to welcome it as a means of progress in her husband's love towards her, which she now fully possessed, but could simply enjoy her baby purely for its own sake. She accordingly pronounced the words of a happy mother "This time I can thank Hashem, just for His gift itself" and called the child Yehudah.

Thus we see it was not taken away from Rachel, but an acknowledgement of the goodness of Hashem.

Additionally, she could have considered him the fourth child of the six that she had been alloted. That is, the maidservants had not yet been given to Yaakov as wives and might not be part of the count. According to Rashi, who counts all four, Rachel could also have had four and each of the maidservants two. Thus, the acknowledgement did not "take away" from Rachel.

Indeed, When her final child was born (Dinah), Leah prayed that it be a girl and that Rachel have a boy (Yosef). The medrash says that originally, Dinah was supposed to be another boy and Leah's prayer changed the event so that she had a girl and Rachel could have two boys.

Thanks to @DanF for pointing out that Rachel did not feel as the analogy might have it either.

Within the "mix" keep in mind that when the Torah says that she was "jealous" of Leah, it was a "positive" jealousy (see Rash"i on that verse). She was jealous that G-d answered Leah's prayers, and realized that she had to try harder. She wasn't hurt that Leah had all those children. If anything, we see how Rachel always tried to appease her older sister, even in a situation where, perhaps, Leah was acting "mean". In short, to say or imply that Le'ah was rubbing it in seems incorrect. – DanF

Answer 2

Perhaps an answer can be brought courtesy of the Ksav Sofer.

The Gemara in Brachos 7: states that Leah was the first person in the world to give thanks. On the surface this is hard to understand, especially since there were a number of righteous people that had lived virtuous lives (Avraham, Sarah, Yitzchak, Rivka and Yaakov)?! Yet, the Ksav Sofer points out that whilst they too thanked Hashem, their thanks was for open miracles. Leah was the first person to show gratitude over a ‘natural’ experience – i.e. the act of having four children. Therefore, Leah introduced us to the fact that one must give thanks even for the everyday things that go on around us.

As such, she wasn't 'rubbing it in', it was rather a declaration of genuine thanks to Hashem.