פרשת ויצא תשכ"ז - שמות בני יעקב

על כן קראה שמו יהודה, to reflect the letters in the name which alludes to the Essence of G’d, the tetragram. Upon closer inspection we can detect elements of such allusions to G’d’s “great” name in the names of the sons Leah had born earlier also. The names mentioned both here and later in the Scriptures were not necessarily innovations, but people who had lived in former times had already been given such names. We encounter יהודית בת בארי in 26,34; there is a שמואל בן עמיהוד in Numbers 34,20, (so that Channah, wife of Elkanah had not invented a new name when making her son the prophet Samuel as she did. (Names usually were associated with an event in the lives of either parent that the parent wanted to perpetuate.)

And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said: ‘Because the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.’

Tangential to the mention of Leah’s son, Judah, and the reason for his name, the Gemara explains the sources for other names, including Reuben. Rabbi Elazar said: Reuben’s name should be considered a prophecy by Leah, as Leah said: See [re’u] the difference between my son [beni] and the son of my father-in-law, Esau, son of Isaac. Even though Esau knowingly sold his birthright to his brother Jacob, as it is written: “And he sold his birthright to Jacob” (Genesis 25:33), nonetheless, behold what is written about him: “And Esau hated Jacob” (Genesis 27:41). Esau was not only angry over Isaac’s blessing, but he was angry about another matter as well, as it is written: “And he said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me twice? He took my birthright, and behold, now he has taken my blessing’” (Genesis 27:36). Despite having sold his birthright, he refused to relinquish it. While my son, Reuben, even though Joseph took his birthright from him by force, as it is written: “And the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for he was the firstborn; but, since he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, son of Israel” (I Chronicles 5:1). Nevertheless, he was not jealous of him, as it is written when Joseph’s brothers sought to kill him: “And Reuben heard and he saved him from their hands, saying ‘Let us not take his life’” (Genesis 37:21).

And she conceived again, and bore a son; and said: ‘Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons.’ Therefore was his name called Levi.

הפעם ילוה אישי THIS TIME WILL MY HUSBAND BECOME ATTACHED TO ME — Because the Matriarchs were prophetesses and knew that twelve tribes would issue from Jacob and that he would have four wives, she said, “From now he will have no fault to find with me, for I have assumed my full share in giving him children” (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayetzei 9).

הפעם ילוה, I have by now acquired a tendency, a justified presumption, חזקה, of producing numerous children. Our sages in Yevamot 64 consider an occurrence thrice repeated as establishing such a presumption.

And Leah said: ‘God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.’ And she called his name Zebulun.

And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said: ‘Because the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.’

And Leah said: ‘God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.’ And she called his name Zebulun.