Biblical Times Podcast Liora Ravid

The stories of the Bible, especially those in the Book of Genesis, are very concise, and we discussed the reason for this in episode 5.For the stories to convey more than the words written in them, the writers of the Bible used puns and words with multiple meanings numerous times (synergy). Each meaning plays a crucial role in the story.
However, wordplay cannot be translated from one language to another, and this limitation is especially evident in literal translations.The names that Leah gave to her sons and her maidservant's sons are not random, but rather names whose meanings illustrate how she improved her status with each birth.
The meaning of each name shows how the woman, who was hated by her, gradually became a happy and beloved woman.
Conversely, the meanings of the names that Rachel gave to her sons and her maidservant's sons illustrate the tragic decline of the young and miserable woman. They start from a low place and descend to the grave.

In this episode, we tell the story of Jacob and his two wives from two different perspectives: historical and theological. 
The historical part focuses on the marriage practices that were common in the ancient world and explains the reason why Jacob had to work for many years to pay the bride price for Rachel. It also explains why Rachel was considered a "senior wife," while her sister Leah had to get married with the inferior status of a "concubine wife."
The vulnerability of the barren Rachel and the reason for the hostility she felt towards her sister are also highlighted. 
The theological part of this episode points out that Leah was a "chosen woman," while Rachel was an "ordinary woman." Leah was chosen by God to be the ancient mother of the lineage of priests who belonged to the tribe of Levi, named after her third son, and the ancient mother of King David of the tribe of Judah. 
The fact that Leah was a "chosen woman" explains why in the competition between the two sisters, Rachel always ended up losing. The struggle between the two sisters continued even after their deaths. Saul, the first king of Israel, was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, which was named after Rachel's son. However, the kingship was meant for David, whose ancient mother was Leah.

The story of Sarah belongs to her – yet, it also sheds light on the world of other women from four thousand years ago, who are mentioned in the Bible. The story of Sarah’s journey opens a door to the world of women in the Bible, why girls got married when they were eleven or twelve years old, why at the age when our daughters are still studying in elementary school, watching TV or playing on their tablets, the women of the ancient world were already married women? We'll also talk about why the Bible speaks positively of polygamy, and of course, why the status of a barren woman fell to the lowest point on the social ladder. 
The Bible relates that men married wives who belonged to three classes: 'senior women' (or senior wives), concubines, and maidservants. If they took women war captives, they had children with them as well (Deut. 21:10-14). The Bible doesn’t give us an explanation of the difference between these three classes, so we’ll have to do that work ourselves.

One day, against all expectations Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac. As expected, she took back the special rights of the firstborn from Ishmael and transferred them to her own son. The Old Testament says that one day Sarah saw Ishmael “making merry.” The meaning of the word “making merry” has never been completely clarified. Still, something about Ishmael’s behavior incited Sarah’s anger, and she demanded that Abraham throw him and his mother out of their home.
It doesn't matter what made Sarah’s blood boil. Even if nothing specific made her angry, she still had to banish Ishmael and Hagar from her home. 

When Sarah lost all hope of having her own child, she gave Abraham her servant Hagar, so that Abraham would have a son through her.
Sarah intended to recognize Hagar's son Ishmael as her own son, and to give him the special status that ancient society reserved for the oldest son. She intended for him to be Abraham’s successor, the one who would continue his lineage.
For example, what right did Sarah have to give her maidservant to Abraham so that she would have a child for her? What were the legal relationships between her and Hagar? What status did Ishmael, the son born to Hagar, have?
Hagar exploited the fact that she gave birth to Abraham’s firstborn son to mock and humiliate Sarah. She felt that the pregnancy had turned the hierarchy of Abraham’s household upside down. Hagar was now in the superior position, able to mock Sarah for her barrenness.

According to the biblical story, God gave Abraham the mission to go on the journey, and so Abraham is the hero of the journey. God didn’t give Sarah any mission, so she was relegated to the sidelines. The main thing we remember about her is that she was barren. Abraham was righteous, and Sarah was barren!
But although God didn’t give Sarah any mission, she walked beside Abraham throughout the entire journey. She climbed mountains with him. She walked with him over the razor-sharp stones on the days they crossed the Sinai Desert. She survived snowstorms and sandstorms at his side, and together with him, she suffered from the very limited food supply.
Sarah lived in a world in which a woman’s sole role was to bear children for her husband.
Sarah did not fulfill this role. She did not give Abraham a son, and her social status in Abraham’s household fell to the lowest of the low.