"She went to inquire of the LORD, and the LORD answered her…" (Gen 25:22-23, JPS).
Pregnant with two sons who are already warring within her womb, Rebecca goes "to inquire of the Lord", regarding her distressing pregnancy.
There is something about her inquiry that catches our attention and causes us to pause, to question and to ‘dig deeper’ into the sacred text. In one sense Rebecca's inquiry is consistent with her story and personality; and yet there is something else about it that appears inconsistent or odd. Can you pick it? (Read the verse in the context of 25:19-26, and bring to bear your wider knowledge of Genesis, too.)
First, the consistency. Rebecca approaches the Lord in a manner that is direct, confident and forthright. She is not a timid woman. This fits with the initial picture we have of her, when Abraham’s servant first encounters her at the well in Chapter 24. There, Rebecca is physically and socially proactive, reaching out hospitably and moving “quickly” (24:18,20) to draw water for her visitor and his camels. Likewise, she seems spiritually proactive, not hesitating to go directly to God, seeking answers with regard to her difficult pregnancy.
And the inconsistency? This arises when we read the verse immediately prior to her inquiry: "Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord responded to his plea, and his wife Rebekah conceived" (Genesis 25:21).
Why did Rebecca not approach the Lord directly when she was in the distressing situation of not being able to conceive?
Why did Rebecca not approach the Lord directly when she was in the distressing situation of not being able to conceive? Instead, we are told that it was Isaac who approached the Lord "on behalf of his wife" (suggesting that she was present at the time). Why did Rebecca not pray herself? Especially about something of such direct and intimate concern to herself?
Think about this question. Ponder the sacred text (Genesis 25:19-26), before reading on.
One reply could be to argue that in fact Rebecca was praying along with Isaac. After all, the text does not specify that she did not plead with the Lord; it simply doesn't say that she did. Still, we are left with the question: why is Isaac the only one mentioned here?
Step back two verses, and a clue can be found in verse 19:
"This is the story of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac" (Genesis 25:19)
The Jewish sages are quick to point out what appears to be a superfluous repetition. We are told that Isaac is the son of Abraham, so why the addition of "Abraham begot Isaac"? Such repetition in the text is always a signal to delve more deeply, according to Jewish interpretative methods.
Notice the sequence here: the emphasis on Abraham’s paternity in relation to Isaac (v.19), followed by reference to Isaac's marriage to Rebecca (v.20), followed by Isaac pleading with the Lord that his wife might conceive (v.21).
It makes sense when we remember that the story of Genesis is not simply about a human family, but a family called to live in a special relationship, a "covenant", with God, as God's promise to Abraham extends to his descendants, from parent to child. Verses 19-21 highlight this, through the emphasis on Abraham begetting Isaac (v.19), through the expectation raised as Isaac takes Rebecca as his wife (v.20), and then by depicting Isaac's concern that God's blessing continue through his own offspring, hence his ardent prayer ('pleading' with the Lord) that his wife will conceive and bear a child (v.21).
In this light, we can hear Rebecca's exclamation ("Why do I exist?") and her subsequent inquiry to God (v.22) as the next step in the sequence of covenantal concerns. Rebecca is aware of her own active role in ensuring that God's covenant is maintained. She is a pregnant woman experiencing pain, yes, but she is also a woman who is searching out the depths of her vocation, having married into this extraordinary family, called by the Creator of the universe to bear God's name to the world, so as to be a blessing for all the families of the earth. Note how the Lord acknowledges her awareness by answering in terms of the future relations between her two sons, "two nations", whose lives will profoundly impact the world into which they are born.
What can we take from all this? Many angles are possible, but perhaps one insight is the appreciation of our own capacity to be history-makers and meaning-makers, especially through the task of bringing children into the world.
Think about it: Each time a child is conceived and born, the world is never quite the same again. Something shifts forever, certainly in the lives of the child's parents and siblings, but also in humanity's story, so enmeshed is each of us in a web of social relations. Every newborn child alters history, simply by being born! History shifts, too, in view of the immense possibilities that lie ahead for a newborn child, the potential to leave their mark on the world. In this sense, every parent is profoundly engaged in history and meaning-making.
Today’s Torah portion draws us to reflect on these deeply human vocational realities. In a special way, it can speak to those parents who are conscious of being part of a people in covenant with God. In partnership with God, they are aware of shaping not only history, but salvation history.
Continue to ponder this story in Genesis. Bring your own reflections and questions to the Torah discussion, with close attention to the scripture text. In what way does God's word speak to you, when you hear that Rebecca "went to inquire of the LORD"?
***
Bibliography: Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Andrea L. Weiss, eds., The Torah. A Women’s Commentary (New York: URJ Press and WRJ, 2008); The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989); Jonathan Sacks, Covenant & Conversation (Maggid Books and The Orthodox Union, 2009); Scripture: JPS
© Teresa Pirola, 2024. lightoftorah.net. Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted with acknowledgement of website.
Light of Torah is a grassroots ministry, encouraging Christians to reflect on Torah with the help of Jewish insights. More... The reflection above refers to Parashat Toledot (Genesis 25:19 - 28:9), the Torah portion read this week in the annual Jewish liturgical cycle.
As our year of Torah reading proceeds, download your free Jewish and Christian Liturgical Calendar, thanks to the generosity of Etz Hayim-Tree of Life Publishing.
Comments