Was Kever Rachel temporary?

Question

I remember hearing that Rachel Imeinu was buried in kever Rachel, but was only there for one night and then she went to Mearas Hamachpaila.

I can't remember in whose name it was said. Does anyone know a source for this?

Answer 1

This idea does indeed come from R. Shlomo Kluger. The explanation is that Rachel being buried separately was a punishment for disgracing her relationship with Yaakov by selling her marital rights to Leah for the dudaim that Reuven had gathered. However, since that disgrace was just for one night, her punishment of being buried separately was also only for one night, after which she was transferred to Me'aras Hamachpelah.

Chochmas HaTorah, Vayishlach p. 571

היא מצבת קבורת רחל עד היום. יש לדייק על אמרו היא מצבת קבורת רחל מה ענין הקבורה לכאן והוי ליה לומר היא מצבת רחל עד היום אך נראה הכונה דהנה מה שלא נקברה רחל עמו הוי מטעם שאמרו חז"ל ב"ר כיון שביזתה שכיבתו של צדיק שאמרה לכן ישכב עמך הלילה דעמך הוא דמיך עמי לית הוא דמיך יע"ש ולפי זה כיון דאמרה לכן ישכב עמך הלילה א"כ לא ביזתה שכבו רק לילה אחת לכך נענשה מדה כנגד מדה שלילה אחת לא תהיה נקברת במערת המכפלה אבל אח"כ נקברה במערת המכפלה ומי קבר את משה הוא ית' לבדו כן י"ל גבי רחל דתחילת הקבורה נקברה ע"י יעקב שם בבית לחם אבל אח"כ נטלוהו מלאכי השרת וקברוה במערת המכפלה או אחר מיתת יעקב אז לילה אחת אחר שנקבר יעקב הובאה גם רחל ונקברה שם ולפ"ז העד היום לא הוי המצבה לציון על רחל ממש רק על הקבר שהקבר הוא משל רחל אך אין רחל עצמה שם וז"ש ויצב יעקב מצבת אבן על קבורתה היא מצבת קבורת רחל שאינו מצבת רחל עד היום הזה רק מצבת קבורת רחל דהקבר ישנו שם עד היום הזה אבל אין רחל שם עד היום הזה

"It is the monument of the burial of Rachel until today." We can analyze the statement, "it is the monument of the burial of Rachel" — what does burial have to do with anything here? It should have said "it is the monument of Rachel until today".

But it appears that the intent is that the fact that Rachel was not buried with him was for the reason the sages said in Bereishis Rabbah, that she disgraced the lying of the righteous man for she said "therefore he will lie with you tonight" — with you he will lie in the grave but with me he will not lie in the grave.

And according to this, since she said "therefore he will lie with you tonight" she therefore only disgraced his lying for one night. Therefore she was punished measure for measure that for one night she would not be buried in Me'aras Hamachpelah, but afterwards she was buried in Me'aras Hamachpelah. And who buried Moshe? God alone. So too we can say regarding Rachel that the beginning of her burial was done by Yaakov there in Bethlehem, but afterwards the ministering angels took her and buried her in Me'aras Hamachpelah. Or after the death of Yaakov then one night after Yaakov was buried Rachel was also brought and buried there.

According to this, the "until today" is not a monument that is a reference to Rachel in actuality; it is just on the grave, because the grave was from Rachel, but Rachel herself is not there. And that which it says "and Yaakov erected a monument of stone on her grave", it is a monument to the burial of Rachel since the monument to Rachel until today is only a monument to the burial of Rachel as the grave is still there until today, but Rachel is not there until today.