(יז) וַיָּ֖קׇם יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיִּשָּׂ֛א אֶת־בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶת־נָשָׁ֖יו עַל־הַגְּמַלִּֽים׃ (יח) וַיִּנְהַ֣ג אֶת־כׇּל־מִקְנֵ֗הוּ וְאֶת־כׇּל־רְכֻשׁוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁ מִקְנֵה֙ קִנְיָנ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָכַ֖שׁ בְּפַדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם לָב֛וֹא אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִ֖יו אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן׃ (יט) וְלָבָ֣ן הָלַ֔ךְ לִגְזֹ֖ז אֶת־צֹאנ֑וֹ וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב רָחֵ֔ל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְאָבִֽיהָ׃ (כ) וַיִּגְנֹ֣ב יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֶת־לֵ֥ב לָבָ֖ן הָאֲרַמִּ֑י עַל־בְּלִי֙ הִגִּ֣יד ל֔וֹ כִּ֥י בֹרֵ֖חַ הֽוּא׃ (כא) וַיִּבְרַ֥ח הוּא֙ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וַיָּ֖קׇם וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת־הַנָּהָ֑ר וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־פָּנָ֖יו הַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד׃
(17) Thereupon Jacob put his children and wives on camels; (18) and he drove off all his livestock and all the wealth that he had amassed, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. (19) Meanwhile Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household idols. (20) Jacob kept Laban the Aramean in the dark, not telling him that he was fleeing, (21) and fled with all that he had. Soon he was across the Euphrates and heading toward the hill country of Gilead.
Why did Rachel take her father's household gods?
ותגנב רחל את התרפים. לְהַפְרִישׁ אֶת אָבִיהָ מֵעֲ"זָ נִתְכַּוְּנָה (בראשית רבה):
ותגגב רחל את התרפים AND RACHEL STOLE THE TERAPHIM — her intention was to wean her father from idol-worship (Genesis Rabbah 74:5).
התרפים. ... וי"א שרחל גנבתם לבטל ע"ג מאביה, ואילו היה כן למה הוליכה אותם עמה, ולא טמנתם בדרך, והקרוב שהיה לבן אביה יודע מזלות, ופחדה שאביה יסתכל במזלות לדעת איזה דרך ברחו,
THE TERAPHIM. According to some commentators, Rachel's motive was altruistic: she was trying to rid her father's house of idolatry. But if that were the case, why did Rachel take the household gods with her, as opposed to simply burying them on the way? It is probably more accurate to say that Lavan was an astrologer and Rachel feared that her father would consult the stars to determine the route his escaping son-in-law had taken.
ולבן הלך לגזוז את צאנו.... רחל מצאה לגנוב את התרפים שהיו מדברים ואומ' ע"י מכשפים ולכך חמדתן רחל אבל לבן היה עובד אותן ועשה אותן ע"ז...:
...Rachel desired these household gods, which could be made to speak through sorcery. But Lavan worshipped these objects and used them in his idolatrous practices.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch:
Rachel stole the household gods to prove to her father how weak and ineffective these statues were. Since they were unable to protect themselves from abduction, how could they possibly take care of him?
Questions to consider:
- The four commentaries above can be divided into two groups: Rashi and Rabbi Hirsch on one hand, Ibn Ezra and Bekhor Shor on the other. How would you categorize each of the groups?
- What characteristic of Rachel does each of the above suggest that the Torah is highlighting?
- Which of the above makes the most sense to you regarding why she stole her father's household gods? Why?
- Which of the above do you find most disturbing in the way it portrays Rachel?
Rachel steals the idols belonging to her father Lavan. Why doesn't she throw them away? Why does she keep them? The Satmar Rebbe, in his Divrei Yoel, suggests that Rachel knew how to purify and cleanse avodah zara. The Talmud in Massekhet Avoda Zara explains that if one nullifies an object's idolatrous use, it becomes permissible to use it for other ends. But the question still remains why Rachel would want to do such a thing. Did she simply like the way the statues looked, wanting to use them for decoration? Perhaps the answer lies instead in the concept of elevation. The Sages teach that almost everything that God creates in this world can be redeemed. We can learn to elevate even the most despicable things from their impurity, and in doing so we make the world a better and purer place. This gets to the very heart of how we approach works of art produced by flawed or evil artists. Do we assume all ideas, music, and poetry produced by such people ought to be rejected out of hand? Perhaps Rachel is teaching us that there is value in seeking to redeem such things and find the good in them. - Koren Lev Lada'at Chumash