Rochel was jealous of her sister. She said to Yaakov, ”Give me children!“
When we first meet Leah, we are told that her “eyes were tender.” The gemara offers us the back-story. The talk of the “street” was the shidduchim-to-be between the sons of Yitzchok and the daughters of Lavan. Everyone knew what would happen: the older daughter would go to the older son. Naturally, Leah had some interest in this story, and began inquiring about her apparent intended. She quickly learned that his reputation preceded him – but not in a good way. The more she learned about Esav, the more Leah was repulsed by him – and took to crying incessantly. When Hashem saw how much Leah hated Esav’s lifestyle and misadventures, He had pity upon her, and gave her the gift of the ability to bear children.
Rochel, on the other hand, led a charmed life. She was aware of the blessing of her attractiveness. More importantly, she knew she was destined to marry Yaakov the tzaddik. Her demeanor was one of happiness and thankfulness – and hence her dilemma. She understood that her sister had achieved great merit in fully reacting against Esav’s deeds with disgust. Because Leah thought she was going to be drawn into his life, she was able to personalize the rejection of his evil. While Rochel certainly rejected Esav’s evil, she knew that she could not feel it as intensely as her sister. Lacking that merit, she turned to her husband to daven for her, hoping that his merit could compensate for what she could not supply. We know that Yaakov spurned her request – and used some sharp, acerbic language to boot.
Rochel was not only rejected, but Yaakov’s apparent coldness got her thinking. Perhaps, if I can’t provide children to Yaakov, he won’t really need me. He will consider divorcing me. If he does, what will happen if Esav then sets his eyes on me? (Rashi, in fact, on pasuk 22 writes that even though there was no divorce contemplated, Esav did set his eyes upon Rochel, and desired to make her his!)
The upshot of this nightmare was that Rochel began to react to Esav exactly the way her sister had! In her new position of vulnerability, she was able to look upon Esav with heightened contempt. When that happened, Hashem rewarded her with a pregnancy.
Our meforshim are troubled that Yitzchok could father an Esav after his experience at the Akeidah. There, he had become a pure, elevated olah. How did Esav become part of his family?
Some of them pin the nature of Esav on Rivka, Yitzchok’s wife. There was an ample font of evil in her familial roots; she had not purged herself entirely of its burden. Some of the unresolved evil in her background took shape in the person of Esav. (These commentators find support for this theory in the verse that predicted the clashing personalities of the two children she would bear. “There are two nations in your womb.” Here, the Torah means to localize the source of Esav and his evil; because he was a product of Rivka’s womb – and not of the purity of Yitzchok alone – Esav was well-connected to the evil that was a legacy of Rivka’s forebears).
Divine Providence had a different plan for Yaakov. His progeny had to be united in their commitment to their father’s principles and message. Somehow, the residual evil in the family had to be dealt with. First Leah, and then Rochel, were placed in situations where they would develop a fierce contempt for Esav and all that he stood for. Only in this way could they become suitable mothers of the shivtei Kah; only this way would they merit having children.
