Beauty

            Three of the four matriarchs are explicitly described as being beautiful women:

            Abraham, upon nearing Egypt, said to Sarah “I know that you are a beautiful woman.” [Genesis 12:11] Lest we think this was only Abraham’s subjective assessment, three verses later we read the Egyptians’ assessment: “When Abram reached Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she is exceedingly beautiful”.

            The Bible’s introduction of Rebecca includes the comment “the girl was of great beauty.” [Genesis 24:16] Netziv comments that Rebecca’s beauty was one of the reasons Eliezer, servant of Abraham chose to approach her as opposed to the other girls who had come to the well.  Malbim goes a step further and says it was Rebecca’s beauty which was the reason Eliezer approached her.

            Rachel is described as being “beautiful of form and beautiful in appearance” [Genesis 29:17].

            Leah is described (in the same verse which describes the beauty of Rachel) thus: “and Leah’s eyes were weak (rakot)”. Translation, by definition is also interpretation. Beginning with the first century Aramaic translation of Onkelos, many traditional commentaries understand the word rakot to mean tender or beautiful. Radak comments “Leah was beautiful, however her eyes were weak and teary.”

            Thus, it is possible that the Torah describes each of the matriarchs as being beautiful.

            Rabbi Kook comments that an appreciation of beauty and a sense of esthetics are spiritual strengths:

An appreciation of beauty is positive and expands the soul. One who is completely righteous and uses this appreciation positively acts well and pleasantly, for this great feeling towards beauty was not created for naught. Furthermore, an appreciation of beauty can develop one’s intellectual powers and as well expand one’s spiritual strength.

This Dvar Torah is dedicated to the memory of my wife Gloria, whose beauty was both spiritual and physical.