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Jeremiah 31:15 teaches us that ‘A voice is heard in Ramah (could also be understood as ‘on high’)’, it seems to exist of lamenting and weeping (a mourning of some kind). And it’s connected to the weeping of Rachel for her children.

Why is this voice heard in Ramah? Isn’t Rachel grave on the road to Efrath (Beit-Lechem)?

Adonai seems to comfort her and gives His promises to her, but I noticed in verse 16 that her work shall be rewarded.

So what did mother Rachel do to receive this reward? Why is it that G-d says that ‘for her sake, He will restore Israel to their place?” - Lamentations Rabbah.

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    Who said ramah isn't on the way to beit lechem? – Double AA♦ Sep 6 '20 at 2:46
  • @DoubleAA but Ramah isn’t the place of her grave or is it? – Levi Sep 6 '20 at 20:53
  • I think it probably is, at least in about the same vicinity. Rachel's children lived north of Jerusalem which is also the way they were exiled from Jerusalem and also the area Jeremiah lived in and also where there's a famous biblical town named Ramah. Fits pretty nicely – Double AA♦ Sep 6 '20 at 21:45
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As far as the first question, the Malbim gives a p'shat on the word 'Beramah':

קול ברמה נשמע היא עיר בארץ בנימין, רחל מבכה על בניה, מצייר כי רחל אם הבנים צועקת בקול על שני בניה שגלו שהם בני יוסף ובני בינימין והנה בני בנימין שגלו עם יהודה לבבל עתידים לחזור בימי כורש, והיא מבכה על בניה שהלכו בגלות עתה אבל בני יוסף שגלו לחלח וחבור, ואין עתידים לחזור, עליהם מאנה להנחם שהגם שתקבל תנחומים על בני בנימין בשובם בבית שני, לא תנחם על בניה אשר איננו שהוא על בני יוסף

'A voice is heard in Ramah' is a city in the land of Binyomin. Rachel is crying over her sons. It is depicting how Rochel the mother of the boys cries over her two sons; the children of Yosef and the children of Binyomin who were exiled. And behold, the children of Binyomin were exiled with Yehuda to Babylonia in the future to return in the days of (King) Cyrus and she cries about her sons that went into exile now. But the Children of Yosef in the future won't return. About them she refused to be consoled - she accepted the consolation over the children of Binyomin who returned with the Second Temple, but she wasn't consoled about her children who are gone - the children of Yosef.

And for the second question, Rashi on the pasuk explains clearly the reason for the reward:

רחל מבכה על בניה. מדרש אגדה אמר שהלכו אבות ואמהות לפייס את הקב"ה על שהעמיד מנשה דמות בהיכל ולא נתפייס נכנסה רחל אמרה לפניו רבונו של עולם רחמי מי מרובים רחמיך או רחמי ב"ו הוי אומר רחמיך מרובים והלא אני הכנסתי צרתי בתוך ביתי שכל עבודה שעבד יעקב את אבי לא עבד אלא בשבילי כשבאתי ליכנס לחופה הכניסו את אחותי ולא די ששתקתי אלא שמסרתי לה סימני אף אתה אם הכניסו בניך צרתך בביתך שתוק להם אמר לה יפה למדת סנגוריא יש שכר לפעולתך ולצדקתך שמסרת סימנך לאחותך:

Midrash Agadah says that all of the Avot and Imahot went to Hashem to appease Him during the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash. None of them were able to appease G-d. Rachel came and said "Do I have more compassion than you, Hashem? Does a person have more compassion than Hashem? Yaakov worked for me for many years and at the end my sister went under the Chuppah and married my husband. And I remained quiet. Do I have more compassion that You?" Hashem said to Rachel, "It is right what you say and because of you and the signs you gave your sister, I will return Am Yisroel to the Holy Land." (Sefaria translation and notation)

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it was the voice of the devine providence, to doda,the kb"a,

so the shechina , also called rachel, cryied on her sons, because of what will happen to people of israel

when this voice went up, to atzilut, all the spiritual horizons , halls and worlds , got tremored and shaken from this cry, and classes of classes of thousands of angles cried with her, on what will happen to the people of israel in the future, ofter hurban beit mikdash & galut

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  • +1. Welcome, I hope you will stay around and contribute to the site. I think your answer would be more useful if you cited the source and also incorporated your comment into the answer text. – gt6989b Sep 6 '20 at 1:45
  • You should detail the sources and link them in your answers. Also please note that most people don't probe the depths of Kabbalah so when you provide somewhat esoteric answers it hard to really understand what you are saying. – Dov Sep 8 '20 at 12:53

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