Gratitude and It's Opposite or How to Change Destiny Parshat Vayeitze November 25, 2023/12 Kislev 5784

Another interpretation: Why was Leah hated? Not because she was more ugly than Rachel. In fact she was as beautiful as Rachel, as stated (in Gen. 29:16). LABAN HAD TWO (ShTY) DAUGHTERS. They were equal (ShWWT) in beauty, in loveliness, and in stature. Why does < Scripture > say (in Gen. 29:17): AND LEAH'S EYES WERE WEAK? Simply < this > : When Rebekah bore Esau and Isaac, there were born to Laban two daughters, Leah and Rachel. They sent letters to each other and agreed among themselves that Esau would take Leah; and Jacob, Rachel. Now Leah would ask about the conduct of Esau and would hear that his conduct was bad. So she would cry all the time < and > say: Thus my lot has fallen to this wicked man. And for this reason her eyes became weak, as stated (in Gen. 29:17): AND LEAH'S EYES WERE WEAK.

“Leah’s eyes were delicate and Rachel was of beautiful form and of beautiful appearance” (Genesis 29:17).
“Leah’s eyes were delicate” ....... They were delicate from weeping, as they would say: ‘These were the stipulations: The elder to the elder and the younger to the younger.’ She would weep and say: ‘May it be His will that I will not fall to the lot of that wicked man.’
Rav Huna said: Prayer is powerful, as it nullified the decree. Moreover, she preceded her sister.

Conversely, Leah spoke words of praise, and her offspring continued the tradition of praise. She declared: This time will I praise the Lord (Gen. 29:35); and of her son Judah it is said: Judah, thee thy brethren praise (ibid. 49:8).

“She said, you shall come to me … and he slept with her that night.” (Gen. 30:16) R. Abbahu said, God peered into her soul and saw that she only had intentions for the sake of heaven; therefore the Bible states, "And God listened to Leah" (G. 30:17)

(15) Thus said GOD:
A cry is heard in Ramah—
Wailing, bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children.
She refuses to be comforted
For her children, who are gone.

(16) Thus said GOD:
Restrain your voice from weeping,
Your eyes from shedding tears;
For there is a reward for your labor
—declares GOD:
They shall return from the enemy’s land. (17) And there is hope for your future
—declares GOD:
Your children shall return to their country.

At the same moment Rachel our foremother jumped up before the Holy One Blessed be He [sic} and said:

Lord of the Universe. You know that
Jacob loved me passionately and toiled
for my father to get me for seven years.
When the term was up and the time of
my marriage had come, my father urged
to substitute my sister for me. I was
chagrined to learn of the scheme and told
Jacob. I also gave him signs that he
would be able to distinguish between me
and my sister so that my father would
fail. But I soon consoled myself and
reined in my desire. I did not want my
sister to suffer any shame. That evening
when they switched us, I revealed to my
sister the signs I had given to Jacob. He
should think that she was I. Moreover,
I hid beneath the bed on which Jacob
lay with my sister. She was silent when he
talked and I responded for her, for her
voice would have given her away. In
short, I acted toward my sister with
compassion rather than jealousy. I would
not have her be shamed.

Now I, who am mere flesh and blood,
dust and ashes, did not envy my nemesis
nor humiliate her. You, in contrast, are the
one eternal and merciful King. Why should
You be jealous of idolatry which is without
substance and have my children exiled,
allowing them to be killed by the sword
and plundered by their enemies at will?”
This time, God was overcome by compassion
and said, “Rachel, for your sake will I
restore Israel to its land.” This is the
deeper meaning of the verses from Jeremiah.
(Eikhah Rabbah, petihta 24; translation by Rabbi/Dr. Ismar Schorsch)

https://www.jtsa.edu/torah/between-rachel-and-jeremiah/