הזהירות מלהתפאר במצוות
Being careful to glorify mitzvos
וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמְעַט קַחְתֵּךְ אֶת אִישִי וְלָקַחַת גַם אֶת דּוּדָאֵּי בְנִי וַתֹּאמֶר רָחֵּל לָכֵּן יִשְכַב עִמָךְ הַלַ יְלָה תַחַת דּוּדָאֵּי בְנֵּךְ: (ל :טו)
But she said to her, “Was your taking my husband insignificant? And to take even my son’s lilies!” Rochel said, “Therefore, he shall lie with you tonight in return for your son’s lilies.” (30:15)
Anyone who passes over this posuk cannot help to wonder what was Leah’s complaint to Rochel? Leah understood that initially she was designated for Eisav, and it was Rochel who was designated for Yaakov. The Gemara (Bava Basra 123a) explains that Leah how people were talking: “Rivka has two sons and Lavan has two daughters, the older one to the older one and the younger one to the younger one.” She would sit at the crossroads and ask, “What does the older one do?” They told her, “He is an evil man who robs people!” She then asked, “What does the younger one do?” They told her, “He is a wholesome man, residing in tents (Bereishis 25:27).” Since this was so, she would cry until her eyelashes fell out.
You see from here that Leah did not merit to be married to Yaakov except through chesed [an act of kindness], and yet she was antagonistic to Rochel, and what of her argument to Rochel, “Was your taking my husband insignificant”?
Leah also knew this, although her tefillos split open the skies and she was answered by Heaven, still, she needed the approval and help of her sister Rochel, the one who devotedly revealed the signs so she would be with Yaakov, and at that time she still did not know what her lot would be as a result of this waiver. This means that Rochel was willing to forego her entire world for her sister Leah, and if this is so, then how can the righteous Leah argue the way she did?
Even this is self-understood, for the next day it was clear that Rochel did not lose her portion, and she also merited to be with Yaakov. This was a great favor to Leah for had Rochel not merited this, Leah would not have been pleased that she took Rochel’s portion. This might have resulted in Rochel marrying someone else, and this was very dangerous for Rochel for might have then been selected as a wife for Eisev, and without a doubt, the righteous Leah did not want this, so her argument needs examination!
Perhaps the things can be explained based on the teaching of the Kadosh Yisrael of Rozhin in his explanation of the Tefillah of Yomim Noraim (Mussaf, Bircas Zichronos), 'כי זוכר כל הנשכחות אתה' – ‘for You remember all that was forgotten’. We say to HaKadosh Baruch Hu that He reminds the person everything he forgot. The intent is that if a person did a mitzvah and mentions it to Hashem and glorifies it, Then HaKadosh Baruch Hu makes it like He forgot about it and does not merit the person. Only if the person forgets about it and strengthens himself with humility as if he has nothing to hold onto, then the matter reminds Yisbarach, and the person is mentioned for good.
The same trait applies by a sin, chalilah. If a person stumbles with some sin and he recognizes his fault, and the matter is constantly before him to arouse him to do Teshuva, then HaKadosh Baruch Hu does not bring his sin before Him and does not remember him for bad. But if after one sins he forgets about it by doing a light Teshuva, then this sin is remembered and leaves an opening for the accuser to attack him.
Behold, our foremothers were prophetesses (see Bereishis Rabbah 67:9), and so perhaps Leah knew that Rochel had to mention this incident, for through this incident she became a defender for her children when they were exiled by the evil Nevuzaradan as mentioned in Medrash Aggadah (brought down in Rashi to Yirmiyahu 31:14). The forefathers and foremothers went to appease HaKadosh Baruch Hu because Menashe set up an idol in the Heichel [Bais HaMikdash]. HaKadosh Baruch Hu was not appeased until Rochel entered and said, “Ribono shel Olam [Master of the World], whose mercy is greater, Your mercy or the mercy of a flesh and blood? Of course, Your mercy is greater! Did I not bring my co-wife into my house, for all the work that Yaakov worked for my father was for me, and when he finished his term and I was supposed to enter the chuppah, they brought my sister in my stead, and not only was I silent, but I even gave her the signs. So too it should be with You. If Your children bring an idol into Your House, You should be silent.” HaKadosh Baruch Hu told her, “You have learned to defend well. There is reward for your work and righteousness that you gave the signs to your sister.
In light of this, we can say that the righteous Leah knew that her sister Rochel should have merited children in the merit of the great chesed that she did for her, and since she saw that her salvation was slow in coming, she was concerned that perhaps it was Rochel’s remembering this that held it back, for the accuser had an opening to say that reminding of these things was a result of their glorification chalilah, and so the matter did not go up as reminder, and was not reminded for good. Therefore, the righteous Leah wanted to demonstrate that there was no substance to the words of the accuser. Even though her sister Rochel remembered all that had happened, it was only to defend her later generations for good when needed, but she was not glorifying what she did.
Therefore, when Rochel came to ask for the lilies for her salvation, Leah wanted to sweeten the judgment from her, and she made herself as if she never owed Rochel anything. Not only this, but she also lost being with her husband. Rochel, who never took the benefit for herself, left subdued as if her sister was right, and she said, “Therefore, he will lie with you tonight...” By doing this she demonstrated that there was no reason for this exalted mitzvah to go up as a remembrance before Hashem, and she was also remembered for sons.
And so we see that before Rochel was remembered with sons, the Torah says (30:22) 'ויזכור אלקים את רחל' – ‘G-d remembered Rochel’, and Rashi explains, ‘He remembered on her behalf that she gave her signs over to her sister’. Were it not for our words, it would have been possible to ask, what held back this remembrance until now? But, based on our words, this remembrance went up nicely only after she showed that there was no glory in it.
Nevertheless, it is incumbent for us to learn from here that even if a person merits to fulfill an exalted mitzvah, he should be careful not to glorify it, for only then does his mitzvah make an impression in Heaven, and it stands before the Creator Baruch Hu so that it benefits him when needed.
