Rochel was nifteres in Cheshvan. What do we start doing in Cheshvan? There has got to be a connection with Rochel and sustenance? ( Rebetzin Henny Machlis died in Cheshvan)........ Again a lesson of sustenance????
Where do we first meet Rochel Imeinu? Why is that significant?
Bread - What does bread represent?
What are we looking to bring from a far place?
משלי פרק לא - היתה כאניות סוחר
ממרחק תביא לחמה
מדרש שוחר טוב - זו רחל שהיתה מתבישת בכל יום ויום. לפיכך זכתה ויצא ממנה בן שהוא דומה לספינה שהיא מלאה
כל טוב שבעולם. כך יוסף. ונתקיים העולם בזכותו בשני רעבון.
Mishlei perek 31 - As a merchant ship she brought her bread from afar.
Medrash Socher Tov - This is Rochel Imeinu - She was embarrassed every day because she did not have children. Therefore, she merited that her son would be compared to a merchant's ship that is bountiful. This was Yosef who sustained the entire civilized world during the great famine.
(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.
The well is symbolic of digging deep into the earth to obtain water. Throughout Rochel Imeinu's life she would need to connect with her ability to " dig deep"
within herself to grow in her Avodas Hashem.
בְּבָשָׂר וָדָם הַמַּיִם מִלְּמַעְלָן וְהַלֶּחֶם מִלְּמַטָּן, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵינוֹ כֵן אֶלָּא הַמַּיִם מִלְּמַטָּן זוֹ הַבְּאֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כא, יז): עֲלִי בְאֵר וגו', וְהַלֶּחֶם מִלְּמַעְלָה: הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם וגו', הֱוֵי: אֵין כָּמוֹךָ בָאֱלֹהִים ה' וְאֵין כְּמַעֲשֶׂיךָ.
From this Medrash we can surely deduce that lechem, our sustenance comes from above. If we want to experience that emunah and develop the relationship with Hashem we have to tap into the wellspring within ourselves.
The Malbim comments that the neshama, the metaphor for the aishes chayil, must utilize every faculty of wisdom. intellect, and spiritual awareness to bring home the " lechem hanefesh " the spiritual sustenance that we all seek.
(יג) וְהַקֶּ֥רֶב וְהַכְּרָעַ֖יִם יִרְחַ֣ץ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְהִקְרִ֨יב הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־הַכֹּל֙ וְהִקְטִ֣יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עֹלָ֣ה ה֗וּא אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃ (פ)
(13) The entrails and the legs shall be washed with water; the priest shall offer up and turn the whole into smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, of pleasing odor to the LORD.
What connection is found with רח הניחח and Rochel Imeinu?
What connection can be found with nachas and the
pleasing odor to Hashem?
What is Nachas?
Rochel Imeinu gave her strength to Yosef. He was able to endure many struggles. Yosef sustained the entire world with " lechem ". Rochel's prayers for Klal Yisroel are still working and her nachas from afar lives in every one of us.