Drash Cards for VaYeitze (5761)

by Marc Mangel

• This year — of big sweeping issues (Christian year 2000) — I want to discuss mothers and sons.

• First point: mothers have ambitions for their sons.  For example, Sarah and Isaac in Ch 17, v 19; Ch 21, v 9; Ch 21, v 12-13

• Second point: mothers have preferences among their children (vs 27, 28). The Madras tells us that Rivka and Yitzchak were in dispute about who will carry on the covenant. But she knew and hence had to trick him.

• Now we come to Leah, Rachel, Bilah, and Zilpah.  Hirsch tells us that we learn from Leah how to deal with humiliation without revenge and how she trusted in HaShem.

• There is an interlude of Rachel’s prayer (Ch 30, v 1). Is she a petulant rich little girl? Does she have a superficial understanding of God?

• Compare Jacob’s response with Abraham’s hearing the voice of a barren Sarah.

• But in the end God harkened to the voices of Rachel and Leah.

• Overall — Mothers were essential to the success of the project of the Jewish people.