Prayer Before Torah Study
B’rucha aht Shekhinah eloteinu ruach ha’olam asher kidshatnu bemitzvoteha vetzivatnu l’asok bedivrei torah.
Blessed are You, Holy One, whose Presence fills creation making us holy through the sacred connective action of cultivating words of Torah.
Vayetzei Summary
Jacob's choice of a religious woman for a wife followed his mother's ambitions for him. It may have been that without the blessing Jacob would not have been acceptable as the husband of a woman of priestly rank, since it is immediately after the blessing that he is sent to be married. It seems evident that the matriarchs were more involved with the perpetuation of their culture and religion in foreign surroundings than their menfolk were.
Teubal, Sarah the Priestess, p. 138.
It is important to note that the names of the matriarchs Rachel ("Ewe") and Leah ("Wild Cow") are the titles of Mesopotamian goddesses. [...] Ninsuna ("Lady of the Wild Cows") was revered by the cowherds along the lower Euphrates; farther north, among the shepherds, she was known as Duttur, the personified ewe. The names borne by Rachel and Leah are the same as the titles held by the G-ddess. [...] That Rachel's and Leah's names are well known representations of the nonhuman power in goddesses both in Mesopotamia and in Canaan supports the hypothesis of an early period for the narratives of the matriarchs in Genesis.
Teubal, Sarah the Priestess, p. 99.
(ט) עוֹדֶ֖נּוּ מְדַבֵּ֣ר עִמָּ֑ם וְרָחֵ֣ל ׀ בָּ֗אָה עִם־הַצֹּאן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔יהָ כִּ֥י רֹעָ֖ה הִֽוא׃ (י) וַיְהִ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ רָאָ֨ה יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶת־רָחֵ֗ל בַּת־לָבָן֙ אֲחִ֣י אִמּ֔וֹ וְאֶת־צֹ֥אן לָבָ֖ן אֲחִ֣י אִמּ֑וֹ וַיִּגַּ֣שׁ יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַיָּ֤גֶל אֶת־הָאֶ֙בֶן֙ מֵעַל֙ פִּ֣י הַבְּאֵ֔ר וַיַּ֕שְׁקְ אֶת־צֹ֥אן לָבָ֖ן אֲחִ֥י אִמּֽוֹ׃ (יא) וַיִּשַּׁ֥ק יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְרָחֵ֑ל וַיִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹל֖וֹ וַיֵּֽבְךְּ׃
(9) While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s flock; for she was a shepherdess. (10) And when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, and the flock of his uncle Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of his uncle Laban. (11) Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and broke into tears.
וטעם כי רועה היא להגיד כי אין לצאן לבן רועה אחר זולתה כי לה לבדה מסר אביה העדר והיא לבדה רועה אותם כל הימים לא תלך בהם לאה אחותה כלל ולא היה ענינה כבנות יתרו שהיו שבע בנותיו כולן רועות כאחת כמו שאמר ותבאנה ותדלנה (שמות ב טז) ואולי בעבור כי עיני לאה רכות היה השמש מזיק לה או בעבור שהיתה לאה גדולה ראויה לאיש וחשש לה אביה אבל יתרו נכבד במקומו וכהן הארץ ויראו מגשת אל בנותיו או שהיה לבן צנוע ממנו כי משפחת אברהם כשרה וצנועה ורחל היתה קטנה ואין לחוש לה וזה ענין וישק יעקב לרחל או הוא כדברי רבי אברהם (אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ז:כ״ה) כי נשיקה בלמ"ד איננה בפה רק נשק אותה על ראשה או על כתיפה:
FOR SHE WAS A SHEPHERDESS. The intent of this is to relate that Laban’s sheep had no shepherd other than Rachel, since her father turned over the flock to her alone. She alone tended them all the days, and Leah did not go with the flock at all. The matter was thus unlike that of the daughters of Jethro, where all seven daughters tended the flock simultaneously, as it is said, And they came and drew water. Perhaps due to Leah’s eyes being tender, the rays of the sun would have hurt her, or because Leah was older and of marriageable age, her father was more concerned about her. Jethro however was honored in his community and he was the priest of the country, and he was confident that people would be afraid of approaching his daughters. It may be that Laban was more modest than Jethro for Abraham’s family was proper and modest, but Rachel was yet young and there was no concern for her. This is the sense of the verse, And Jacob kissed Rachel. It may be as Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that where the Hebrew word for “kissing” is followed by the letter lamed — [as here: Vayishak Yaakov l’Rachel, instead of the word eth] — it means not on the mouth, but that he kissed her on her head or on her shoulder.
או יאמר שכל הצאן היתה מספקת היא להם כי רועה היא פי' בקיאה ברעיית הצאן. ולפי' ראשון אומרו כי רועה היא פי' ואף על פי כן היו מועט וזולת זה ספו תמו:
On the other hand the Torah may imply that Rachel was so competent a shepherdess that Laban did not need anyone in addition to her to tend his sheep. This idea is suggested by the Torah's comment כי רעה היא, for she was a shepherdess.
לְמֹשֶׁה כַּד אִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, אִקְרֵי (בראשית קי''ג ע''ב) (שמות ג) מַלְאָךְ. לְיַעֲקֹב לָא אִתְחֲזֵי הָכִי, אֶלָּא בְּדוּגְמָא, דִּכְתִּיב (בראשית כ״ט:ט׳) וְרָחֵל בָּאָה, דָּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּרָחֵל אַחֲרָא, דִּכְתִּיב (ירמיהו ל״א:ט״ו) כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע וְגוֹ'. רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ. וְרָחֵל בָּאָה סְתָם, עִם הַצֹּאן דַּרְגִין דִּילָהּ. אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ ודַּאי. וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְמְנוּן וְאִתְפַּקְּדוּן בִּידָהָא. כִּי רוֹעָה הִיא, אִיהִי מַנְהִיגָא לוֹן, וְאִתְפַּקְּדָא עָלַיְיהוּ.
When she first appears to Moses (Zohar I:113b), she is called "Angel" (Exodus 3). She did not appear to Jacob as such, except within the figure of Rachel, as it is written, "and Rachel was coming" (Genesis 29:9). This is the form of another (supernal) Rachel, as it is written, "Thus said the Lord, a cry is heard in Ramah...Rachel weeping for her children" (Jeremiah 31:15). "And Rachel was coming"--,"with her flock"--her echelons. "Of her Father"--certainly! And all are counted and accounted for in her hand. "For she was a shepherdess," she leads them, and is accountable for them.
(א) וַתֵּ֣רֶא רָחֵ֗ל כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָֽלְדָה֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַתְּקַנֵּ֥א רָחֵ֖ל בַּאֲחֹתָ֑הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹב֙ הָֽבָה־לִּ֣י בָנִ֔ים וְאִם־אַ֖יִן מֵתָ֥ה אָנֹֽכִי׃ (ב) וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּרָחֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲתַ֤חַת אֱלֹהִים֙ אָנֹ֔כִי אֲשֶׁר־מָנַ֥ע מִמֵּ֖ךְ פְּרִי־בָֽטֶן׃ (ג) וַתֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֛ה אֲמָתִ֥י בִלְהָ֖ה בֹּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יהָ וְתֵלֵד֙ עַל־בִּרְכַּ֔י וְאִבָּנֶ֥ה גַם־אָנֹכִ֖י מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ (ד) וַתִּתֶּן־ל֛וֹ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֥ה שִׁפְחָתָ֖הּ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶ֖יהָ יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (ה) וַתַּ֣הַר בִּלְהָ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּֽן׃ (ו) וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ דָּנַ֣נִּי אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְגַם֙ שָׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֔י וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י בֵּ֑ן עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ דָּֽן׃
(1) When Rachel saw that she had borne Jacob no children, she became envious of her sister; and Rachel said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die.” (2) Jacob was incensed at Rachel, and said, “Can I take the place of God, who has denied you fruit of the womb?” (3) She said, “Here is my maid Bilhah. Consort with her, that she may bear on my knees and that through her I too may have children.” (4) So she gave him her maid Bilhah as concubine, and Jacob cohabited with her. (5) Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. (6) And Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; indeed, He has heeded my plea and given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan.
Leah had borne four sons before Rachel begged Jacob to "Give me children or I shall die" to which Jacob replied, "Can I take the place of G-d, who has withheld the fruit of the womb from you?" If Rachel is a priestess, G-d has withheld the fruit of her womb by the stricture against childbearing, and for this reason Rachel, like Sarah before her, and using the same terminology, gave her maid to her husband so that she might be "builded up" by her maid's offspring.
Interestingly, Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel are all portrayed as conceiving due to divine intervention. Like the Ugaritic priestess, Rachel believe that she could employ the magic power of the mandrakes for their aphrodisiacal properties. These women were not ordinary women, disgraced for being barren; they were very special women whose lives were closely connected to the service of a deity who cared for them and to whom, it seems, they had special access in times of need (Gen. 25:22; 30:22).
Teubal, Sarah the Priestess, p. 106.
Another hint of Rachel's special position in the family comes in the sequence in which Rachel, childless after many years of marriage, says to Jacob almost the exact words used by Sarah before her: "Here is my maid Bilhah. Consort with her, that she may bear on my knees and that through her, my house too will be built up." Rachel's situation illustrates more specifically than Sarah's that the matriarch's intention was to build up her own house or lineage and that she was not concerned with whether her husband had issue. Jacob already had four sons by Leah; Rachel, then, was anxious about having her own heir, not Jacob's. Rachel was observing the same rule in the Code of Hammurapi that Sarah had followed. And those rules applied only to women of a certain religious rank in Babylonia.
Teubal, Sarah the Priestess, p. 52.
(יד) וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֜ן בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּמְצָ֤א דֽוּדָאִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתָ֔ם אֶל־לֵאָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ אֶל־לֵאָ֔ה תְּנִי־נָ֣א לִ֔י מִדּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנֵֽךְ׃ (טו) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הַמְעַט֙ קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ אֶת־אִישִׁ֔י וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם אֶת־דּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל לָכֵן֙ יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה תַּ֖חַת דּוּדָאֵ֥י בְנֵֽךְ׃ (טז) וַיָּבֹ֨א יַעֲקֹ֣ב מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה֮ בָּעֶ֒רֶב֒ וַתֵּצֵ֨א לֵאָ֜ה לִקְרָאת֗וֹ וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵלַ֣י תָּב֔וֹא כִּ֚י שָׂכֹ֣ר שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָ בְּדוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב עִמָּ֖הּ בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא׃
(14) Once, at the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben came upon some mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” (15) But she said to her, “Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you would also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel replied, “I promise, he shall lie with you tonight, in return for your son’s mandrakes.” (16) When Jacob came home from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You are to sleep with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.
וימצא דודאים מין עשב טוב הריח וטוב אל התולדה כמו שאמרו ז''ל על השום ושלכך היו אוכלים אותו בע''ש וכן היה מין הדודאים או טוב ממנו כאמרו שם אתן את דודי לך. הדודאים נתנו ריח:
וימצא דודאים, a pleasant smelling herb, the fragrance stimulating the human organs related to conceiving and giving birth. Our sages (Baba Kamma 82) said garlic has a similar effect on people and that this is the reason why one eats garlic on Friday nights when the husbands cohabit with their wives. The Dudaim appear to have been known as producing a similar effect. It is possible that the Dudaim had an even better effect in stimulating the feelings of love between a man and his wife. This idea is based on Song of Songs 7,13-14 שם אתן את דודי לך, הדודאים נתנו ריח, “there I will give my love to you, the mandrakes yield their fragrance.” Our verse would testify both to Reuven’s righteousness and his intelligence. especially considering that at that time he could hardly have been older than 4 or five years old.
(ד) וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח יַעֲקֹ֔ב וַיִּקְרָ֖א לְרָחֵ֣ל וּלְלֵאָ֑ה הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה אֶל־צֹאנֽוֹ׃ (ה) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ן רֹאֶ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י אֲבִיכֶ֔ן כִּֽי־אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֵלַ֖י כִּתְמֹ֣ל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֔י הָיָ֖ה עִמָּדִֽי׃ (ו) וְאַתֵּ֖נָה יְדַעְתֶּ֑ן כִּ֚י בְּכׇל־כֹּחִ֔י עָבַ֖דְתִּי אֶת־אֲבִיכֶֽן׃ (ז) וַאֲבִיכֶן֙ הֵ֣תֶל בִּ֔י וְהֶחֱלִ֥ף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת מֹנִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־נְתָנ֣וֹ אֱלֹהִ֔ים לְהָרַ֖ע עִמָּדִֽי׃ (ח) אִם־כֹּ֣ה יֹאמַ֗ר נְקֻדִּים֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה שְׂכָרֶ֔ךָ וְיָלְד֥וּ כׇל־הַצֹּ֖אן נְקֻדִּ֑ים וְאִם־כֹּ֣ה יֹאמַ֗ר עֲקֻדִּים֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה שְׂכָרֶ֔ךָ וְיָלְד֥וּ כׇל־הַצֹּ֖אן עֲקֻדִּֽים׃ (ט) וַיַּצֵּ֧ל אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־מִקְנֵ֥ה אֲבִיכֶ֖ם וַיִּתֶּן־לִֽי׃ (י) וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֵת֙ יַחֵ֣ם הַצֹּ֔אן וָאֶשָּׂ֥א עֵינַ֛י וָאֵ֖רֶא בַּחֲל֑וֹם וְהִנֵּ֤ה הָֽעַתֻּדִים֙ הָעֹלִ֣ים עַל־הַצֹּ֔אן עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּבְרֻדִּֽים׃ (יא) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלַ֜י מַלְאַ֧ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים בַּחֲל֖וֹם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב וָאֹמַ֖ר הִנֵּֽנִי׃ (יב) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שָׂא־נָ֨א עֵינֶ֤יךָ וּרְאֵה֙ כׇּל־הָֽעַתֻּדִים֙ הָעֹלִ֣ים עַל־הַצֹּ֔אן עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּבְרֻדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י רָאִ֔יתִי אֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָבָ֖ן עֹ֥שֶׂה לָּֽךְ׃ (יג) אָנֹכִ֤י הָאֵל֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר מָשַׁ֤חְתָּ שָּׁם֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָדַ֥רְתָּ לִּ֛י שָׁ֖ם נֶ֑דֶר עַתָּ֗ה ק֥וּם צֵא֙ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וְשׁ֖וּב אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ מוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃ (יד) וַתַּ֤עַן רָחֵל֙ וְלֵאָ֔ה וַתֹּאמַ֖רְנָה ל֑וֹ הַע֥וֹד לָ֛נוּ חֵ֥לֶק וְנַחֲלָ֖ה בְּבֵ֥ית אָבִֽינוּ׃ (טו) הֲל֧וֹא נׇכְרִיּ֛וֹת נֶחְשַׁ֥בְנוּ ל֖וֹ כִּ֣י מְכָרָ֑נוּ וַיֹּ֥אכַל גַּם־אָכ֖וֹל אֶת־כַּסְפֵּֽנוּ׃ (טז) כִּ֣י כׇל־הָעֹ֗שֶׁר אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִצִּ֤יל אֱלֹהִים֙ מֵֽאָבִ֔ינוּ לָ֥נוּ ה֖וּא וּלְבָנֵ֑ינוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֧ר אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֵלֶ֖יךָ עֲשֵֽׂה׃
(4) Jacob had Rachel and Leah called to the field, where his flock was, (5) and said to them, “I see that your father’s manner toward me is not as it has been in the past. But the God of my father has been with me. (6) As you know, I have served your father with all my might; (7) but your father has cheated me, changing my wages time and again. God, however, would not let him do me harm. (8) If he said thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks would drop speckled young; and if he said thus, ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks would drop streaked young. (9) God has taken away your father’s livestock and given it to me. (10) “Once, at the mating time of the flocks, I had a dream in which I saw-b that the he-goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, and mottled. (11) And in the dream an angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here,’ I answered. (12) And he said, ‘Note well that all the he-goats which are mating with the flock are streaked, speckled, and mottled; for I have noted all that Laban has been doing to you. (13) I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now, arise and leave this land and return to your native land.’” (14) Then Rachel and Leah answered him, saying, “Have we still a share in the inheritance of our father’s house? (15) Surely, he regards us as outsiders, now that he has sold us and has used up our purchase price. (16) Truly, all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, do just as God has told you.”
Rachel and Leah were called to the field where Jacob was with his flocks to interpret his dream. A function of priests and priestesses in the Near East was to supply information about current or future events, whether important or trivial, thought to be known only to the deities with whom they were in some way in communication. The sisters' interpretation of the dream gave Jacob permission to flee from their father Laban.
Teubal, Sarah the Priestess, p. 98.
וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רָחֵל וְלֵאָה, (בראשית ל״א:ט״ז): כִּי כָל הָעֹשֶׁר אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֱלֹקִים מֵאָבִינוּ לָנוּ הוּא וּלְבָנֵינוּ. לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ דַּיְקָא, כִּי עִקַּר הָעֲשִׁירוּת – עַל־יְדֵי הָאִשָּׁה, וּבָהּ תְּלוּיִים הַבָּנִים כַּנַּ"ל. כִּי הָאִשָּׁה הִיא עִקַּר בְּחִינַת הָאִילָן, וְהָעֲשִׁירוּת הֵם הָעֲנָפִים שֶׁל הָאִילָן, וְהַבָּנִים הֵם הַפֵּרוֹת הַגְּדֵלִים בָּעֲנָפִים הָאֵלּוּ כַּנַּ"ל. וְזֶה סוֹד שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בבא קמא קיט): הַגּוֹזֵל אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ גּוֹזֵל מִמֶּנּוּ נֶפֶשׁ בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו:
This is also the meaning of what Rachel and Leah said: “All the wealth that God has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children” (Genesis 31:16)—specifically “belongs to us and to our children,” since one’s wealth is on account of one’s wife. And the children are dependent on her, because a wife is the tree itself, wealth is its branches, and the children are the fruits that grow on these branches, as explained above. This is the deeper meaning of what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “When someone robs another person, it is as if he robs him of… the souls of his sons and daughters” (Bava Kama 119a) .
(יט) וְלָבָ֣ן הָלַ֔ךְ לִגְזֹ֖ז אֶת־צֹאנ֑וֹ וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב רָחֵ֔ל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְאָבִֽיהָ׃
(19) Meanwhile Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
It is also important that it was Rachel who took the teraphim. Rachel, not Leah, is the protagonist of the story, not simply (as tradition implies) because she was the beloved of Jacob, but because she had an important function to accomplish. Rachel's function, like that of her predecessors Sarah and Rebekah, was concerned in part with group membership; one of the characteristics of the matriarchs' kinship group was ultimogeniture.
Teubal, Sarah the Priestess, p. 67.
(ל) וְעַתָּה֙ הָלֹ֣ךְ הָלַ֔כְתָּ כִּֽי־נִכְסֹ֥ף נִכְסַ֖פְתָּה לְבֵ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ לָ֥מָּה גָנַ֖בְתָּ אֶת־אֱלֹהָֽי׃ (לא) וַיַּ֥עַן יַעֲקֹ֖ב וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְלָבָ֑ן כִּ֣י יָרֵ֔אתִי כִּ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי פֶּן־תִּגְזֹ֥ל אֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֖יךָ מֵעִמִּֽי׃ (לב) עִ֠ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֣א אֶת־אֱלֹהֶ֘יךָ֮ לֹ֣א יִֽחְיֶה֒ נֶ֣גֶד אַחֵ֧ינוּ הַֽכֶּר־לְךָ֛ מָ֥ה עִמָּדִ֖י וְקַֽח־לָ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֣ע יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י רָחֵ֖ל גְּנָבָֽתַם׃ (לג) וַיָּבֹ֨א לָבָ֜ן בְּאֹ֥הֶל יַעֲקֹ֣ב ׀ וּבְאֹ֣הֶל לֵאָ֗ה וּבְאֹ֛הֶל שְׁתֵּ֥י הָאֲמָהֹ֖ת וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֑א וַיֵּצֵא֙ מֵאֹ֣הֶל לֵאָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֖א בְּאֹ֥הֶל רָחֵֽל׃ (לד) וְרָחֵ֞ל לָקְחָ֣ה אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֗ים וַתְּשִׂמֵ֛ם בְּכַ֥ר הַגָּמָ֖ל וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיְמַשֵּׁ֥שׁ לָבָ֛ן אֶת־כׇּל־הָאֹ֖הֶל וְלֹ֥א מָצָֽא׃ (לה) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־אָבִ֗יהָ אַל־יִ֙חַר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י כִּ֣י ל֤וֹא אוּכַל֙ לָק֣וּם מִפָּנֶ֔יךָ כִּי־דֶ֥רֶךְ נָשִׁ֖ים לִ֑י וַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂ וְלֹ֥א מָצָ֖א אֶת־הַתְּרָפִֽים׃
(30) Very well, you had to leave because you were longing for your father’s house; but why did you steal my gods?” (31) Jacob answered Laban, saying, “I was afraid because I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. (32) But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not remain alive! In the presence of our kinsmen, point out what I have of yours and take it.” Jacob, of course, did not know that Rachel had stolen them. (33) So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and Leah’s tent and the tents of the two maidservants; but he did not find them. Leaving Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. (34) Rachel, meanwhile, had taken the idols and placed them in the camel cushion and sat on them; and Laban rummaged through the tent without finding them. (35) For she said to her father, “Let not my lord take it amiss that I cannot rise before you, for the period of women is upon me.” Thus he searched, but could not find the household idols.
Rachel's [...] carrying off the teraphim both possess a religious aspect. Rachel had every right to the symbols of her position (if that is what the sacred objects represented to her), especially after the behavior of her father toward herself, her sister, and her husband. She understood perfectly the importance of her act and wisely decided to keep it secret even from her husband. Because possession of sacred images betokened clan leadership and spiritual power, Rachel could act without peril to her husband and ensure succession to her own offspring.
Teubal, Sarah the Priestess, p. 52.
Matrilocal residence and their own close ties to matri-kin gave Rachel and Leah extensive participation in decision making: they decided between themselves whom Jacob would service as sexual partner; they named their own offspring; they made decisions on the distribution of family wealth; they gave Jacob their approval when he decided to flee from Laban their father and to return to Canaan; and Rachel took the teraphim, the family religious symbols, on her own authority, against her father's wishes and without even the knowledge of her husband.
Teubal, Sarah the Priestess, p. 64.