Being thankful has person- ally been a difficult character trait to attain. For many, it is hard to acknowledge the things Hashem has given us because at such a young age we were nurtured to expect and normalize all that we have.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: מִיּוֹם שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ לֹא הָיָה אָדָם שֶׁהוֹדָה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עַד שֶׁבָּאתָה לֵאָה וְהוֹדַתּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה׳״.
And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From the day the Holy One, Blessed be He, created the world, no one thanked the Holy One, Blessed be He, until Leah came and thanked Him, as it is stated: “And she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she said, ‘This time I will give thanks to God,’ and thus he was called Judah” (Genesis 29:35).
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai discusses that in this week’s Parsha, Leah was the first in the Torah to thank Hashem. Why is this the first time within the Psukim that any one of our characters is thanking Hashem? Was there something so special that happened to Leah?
In the middle of the parsha, Leah declares:
In the middle of the parsha, Leah declares:
(לב) וַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ רְאוּבֵ֑ן כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ בְּעׇנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי׃
(32) Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuben;*Reuben Understood as “See a son.” for she declared, “It means: ‘יהוה has seen*has seen Heb. ra’ah, connected with the first part of “Reuben.” my affliction’; it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me.’”*will love me Heb. ye’ehabani, connected with the end of “Reuben.”
This occurs after she has given birth to her fourth child, Yehuda. Why specifically after this child, did Leah say thanks to Hashem?
(א) (ותקרא שמו ראובן רַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ, אָמְרָה רְאוּ מַה בֵּין בְּנִי לְבֶן חָמִי שֶׁמָּכַר הַבְּכוֹרָה לְיַעֲקֹב, וְזֶה לֹא מְכָרָהּ לְיוֹסֵף וְלֹא עִרְעֵר עָלָיו, וְלֹא עוֹד שֶׁלֹּא עִרְעֵר עָלָיו אֶלָּא שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִן הַבּוֹר) (ברכות ז'):
(1) ותקרא שמו ראובן AND SHE CALLED HIS NAME REUBEN — Our Rabbis explained it thus: she said, “See (ראו) the difference between (בין) my son and my father-in-law’s son who himself sold the birthright to Jacob and yet wished to kill him afterwards. This (my son) did not sell it (his birthright) to Joseph (it must be remembered that Joseph being the founder of two tribes was regarded as the first-born of Jacob’s sons since the eldest son took a double portion in the father’s property), yet he did not raise any protest to him being regarded as the first-born and not only did he not raise a protest but he even wished to take him out of the pit and so rescue him from death (Berakhot 7b).
He is giving a very logical answer. Yaakov had four wives, Leah and Rachel, and their midwives Bilhah and Zilpah, and because we knew there were going to be 12 tribes, each wife should be allotted three children. Thus, after Leah was given more than her portion, she thanked Hashem.
Rav Soloveitchik gives an amazing insight into this Rashi. He points out that Leah was always the runner-up to Rachel. Only after Yehuda was born did Leah finally accept the truth of her relationship with Yaakov, meaning that a woman in a relationship wants two things: to be loved and to have children to love.
Leah realized that the fact that she would have more children than any of the other wives did not alter the dynamic of her marriage; i.e. she would remain in the shadows of Rachel. However, after Yehuda’s birth, Leah finally gave up hope of being Yaakov’s favorite and understood the truth of the relationship. Yet she amazingly was able to be thankful to Hashem that she had children to nurture and care for.
I also realized that Leah should have been the last person to say thanks. She gave thanks, even though, she was only married to him on a technicality. Even though she will never have the same attention and love from Yaakov that Rachel received. Even though:
Rav Soloveitchik gives an amazing insight into this Rashi. He points out that Leah was always the runner-up to Rachel. Only after Yehuda was born did Leah finally accept the truth of her relationship with Yaakov, meaning that a woman in a relationship wants two things: to be loved and to have children to love.
Leah realized that the fact that she would have more children than any of the other wives did not alter the dynamic of her marriage; i.e. she would remain in the shadows of Rachel. However, after Yehuda’s birth, Leah finally gave up hope of being Yaakov’s favorite and understood the truth of the relationship. Yet she amazingly was able to be thankful to Hashem that she had children to nurture and care for.
I also realized that Leah should have been the last person to say thanks. She gave thanks, even though, she was only married to him on a technicality. Even though she will never have the same attention and love from Yaakov that Rachel received. Even though:
(יז) וְעֵינֵ֥י לֵאָ֖ה רַכּ֑וֹת וְרָחֵל֙ הָֽיְתָ֔ה יְפַת־תֹּ֖אַר וִיפַ֥ת מַרְאֶֽה׃
(17) Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
Her sister was prettier than she was. Even though, as Rashi says in Parshat Vayigash:
(א) בני רחל אשת יעקב. וּבְכֻלָּן לֹא נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶן אֵשֶׁת, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיְתָה עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁל בַּיִת:
(1) בני רחל אשת יעקב THE SONS OF RACHEL, JACOB’S WIFE — In the case of all the other wives of Jacob the term אשת “wife” is not mentioned. But the reason is because she was the chief mistress of the household (Genesis Rabbah 73:1).
Rachel was the main wife of the house! She had so many reasons to feel unwanted and upset at the circumstances but was still the first one in the Torah to say thanks.
The concept of giving thanks involves expressing gratitude to Hashem for what we have been given, whilst accepting that we can not acquire everything we want.
Only after her fourth son was born Leah realized that we have to give thanks over “natural” experiences like giving birth. Therefore, Leah introduced us to the fact that one must give thanks even for the mundane things that go on around us and this is how we are to understand the Gemara in Brachot.
In tefilla, many give tzedaka during ויברך דוד, when we say:
The concept of giving thanks involves expressing gratitude to Hashem for what we have been given, whilst accepting that we can not acquire everything we want.
Only after her fourth son was born Leah realized that we have to give thanks over “natural” experiences like giving birth. Therefore, Leah introduced us to the fact that one must give thanks even for the mundane things that go on around us and this is how we are to understand the Gemara in Brachot.
In tefilla, many give tzedaka during ויברך דוד, when we say:
(יב) וְהָעֹ֤שֶׁר וְהַכָּבוֹד֙ מִלְּפָנֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּה֙ מוֹשֵׁ֣ל בַּכֹּ֔ל וּבְיָדְךָ֖ כֹּ֣חַ וּגְבוּרָ֑ה וּבְיָ֣דְךָ֔ לְגַדֵּ֥ל וּלְחַזֵּ֖ק לַכֹּֽל׃
(12) Riches and honor are Yours to dispense; You have dominion over all; with You are strength and might, and it is in Your power to make anyone great and strong.
Here we are acknowledging that everything we have is from Hashem, our ruler. Accordingly, we thank Him for what He has given us by giving to others.
To sum everything up, our name as Jews stems from this story, the first time thanks was given to Hashem. We are called the יהודים, which comes from יהודה, because the essence of being Jewish is giving thanks, in any circumstance, just as Leah did.
To sum everything up, our name as Jews stems from this story, the first time thanks was given to Hashem. We are called the יהודים, which comes from יהודה, because the essence of being Jewish is giving thanks, in any circumstance, just as Leah did.