Rachel's Tears at New Year

(15) ..... A voice is heard on high— Wailing, bitter weeping— Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted For her children, who are gone. (16) Thus said Hashem: Restrain your voice from weeping, Your eyes from shedding tears; For there is a reward for your labour —declares Hashem: They shall return from the enemy’s land.

(15) And when he heard me screaming at the top of my voice, he left his garment with me and got away and fled outside.”

(23) They embittered him and became antagonists; the arrow-tongued men hated him

(35) All his sons and daughters sought to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted.......

(35) ..... “I will go down mourning to my son in Sheol.” Thus his father wept for him.

(30) Returning to his brothers, he said, “The boy is gone! Now, what am I to do?”

(18) And Leah said, “God has given me my reward for having given my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

(1) When Rachel saw that she had borne Jacob no children, she became envious of her sister;

(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?” .....

(15)..... 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.

“not only have you usurped my position as the senior wife, seeing that I was married to him first, but...”

you should never have consented to become my competitor as another wife for Yaakov, as the Torah stipulated (in later years) “you must not have two sisters as wives simultaneously;” (Leviticus 18:18)

Reuben, Simeon, and all the other tribes were mentioned because of the future redemption of Israel.......Issachar: For thy ways shall be rewarded (Jer. 31:16).

At that moment, Rachel our Matriarch jumped forward before the Holy One Blessed be He and said ”Master of the Universe! it is known before You that Your servant Yacov’s love for me knew no bounds, and he worked for my father for seven years for me. When those seven years were completed and the time came for my marriage to my husband, my father advised exchanging me with my sister. This was exceedingly difficult for me, when I learned of his plan, I informed Yacov. I gave him signs so that he could distinguish between me and my sister, so that my father would not be able to exchange me. After that I regretted it, I suffered [to overcome] my desire – I had compassion for my sister, I didn’t want her to suffer disgrace, so I gave her all the signs that I had given to my husband, so that he would think that she was me (Rachel)…... I acted kindly with her, I was not jealous of her, and I did not cause her to be shamed and disgraced. What am I? Flesh and blood, dust and ashes! But I was not jealous of my ‘rival’ wife, and I did not allow her to be shamed and disgraced, but You, Merciful Living and Eternal King, why are You jealous of idolatry that is not at all important? You exiled my children who were slain by the sword, and allowed their enemies to do with them as they pleased?” Gd’s mercy was immediately aroused, and He said: “For your sake, Rachel, I shall return Israel to their place