Mother Rachel

When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way (derech), some distance from Efrat in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way (derech) to Efrat, which is Bethlehem.                                                      Genesis 48:7

            The simple meaning of the verse is that Jacob apologized to the first-born son of his beloved wife for not having brought her to burial in the family tomb, in the Machpelah Cave, nor even buried her within the town of Bethlehem, as Rashi comments (based upon Pesikta Rabbati):

“And I buried her there” – And I did not take her even to Bethlehem to bring her into the (inhabited region of the) Land, and I know that you hold it against me; but you should know that I buried her there by Divine command, so that she will be of assistance to her children when Nebuzaradan exiles them. They will pass by there and Rachel will emerge from her grave, weeping and pleading for mercy on their behalf, as the verse says: “A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping, Rachel crying for her children.” [Jeremiah 31:14] And the Holy One, blessed be He, answers her “’There is reward for your work,’ says the Lord … “and the children shall return to their own border.’”  [Ibid., verses 15-16]

            Naḥmanides quotes Rashi’s comment, but apparently feels obligated to find a hint within the verse itself, suggesting that the double reference within the verse to “the way” hints at the way Rachel’s children will pass in the future, when they will be exiled from their Land.

            Midrash Sechel Tov has a small but extremely meaningful addition to the version Rashi presents:

“And I buried her there along the way to Bethlehem” – I buried her on the main road so when her children ascend to the Land of Israel, they will see her grave and remember her. And so we find that when Israel went into exile to Babylonia, when they passed the tomb of Rachel, her soul began to weep, as Scripture says “Thus says the Lord: ‘A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping, Rachel crying for her children,’” and the Holy One, blessed be He, answers her and says to her “Refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, etc.”

            Our Mother Rachel, as it were, stands ready on the main road which her children will pass not only on their way to exile, but also on their return to their Land; she is connected both to their exile and to their return.

            Perhaps the wording of the Midrash, “and so we find, etc.” teaches that it is specifically Rachel’s connection to her children’s return to the Land which connects her to their exile.

            Zohar [Breishit, Parashat vaYeḥi 215a] cites the comment of Rabbi Abba that God’s comforting words to Rachel “and the children shall return to their own border” are actually phrased in the present tense, indicating that the children can be considered as already having returned.

            Rachel, who weeps tears of sorrow for her children who are exiled from their Land will be privileged to cry tears of joy upon their return.

            As befits a good mother, Rachel remains close to her children both in times of their suffering and their times of joy.