Leah

See how much you really know about our fourth matriarch, Leah!

The classical interpretation is that Leah and Dinah’s behavior is being condemned as unbecoming the Jewish woman’s virtue of “innerness.” But a careful analysis of the source texts shows the very opposite to be the case . . .

There are some moments in our lives when we are at peace with our inner, spiritual selves. The majority of our experiences are strenuous, often painful, and challenge us to overcome the negative urges of our psyche.

Leah’s soul stemmed from the world of thought; Rachel’s, from the world of speech. Leah was introspective, a master of meditation. Rachel was a communicator, charismatic and appealing.

In an age of instant messaging, instant coffee and instant soup, how long would you wait for a return on a favor before you wrote it off? Patience may be considered a virtue but for many, we are too impatient to be that virtuous...

From the rivalry between Leah and Rachel, through the animosity between Joseph and his brothers, the clash between Saul and David, the split between Judah and Israel, to the dual nature of the messianic redemption—a rift and twinship that extends across h...

What is the mystery of the spiritual qualities represented by these two sisters? What was the secret cosmic schism that would span centuries of history?

Genuine love not only respects the individuality of the other, but actually seeks to cultivate it. Love, like the act of creation, is the courageous act of creating space for the presence of the other.

The Price of a Wife, Jacob’s Children, Jacob’s Wealth

Eve, Sarah, Rachel, Miriam, Batsheva . . . From the outside, the women of the Bible appear to play only a supportive role in a drama dominated by men; from the inside emerges a very different story . . .