Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
Leah names her fourth child Yehudah.
וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה אֶת ה'
עַל כֵּן קָרְאָה שְׁמוֹ יְהוּדָה…
She again became pregnant and gave birth to a son and she said: “This time I will thank (odeh) God.”
That’s why she named him Yehudah…
Our פַּרְשָׁנִים (parshanim, commentators) wonder: What was it about Yehudah’s birth that made Leah want to give thanks?
הַפַּעַם אוֹדֶה – שֶׁנָּטַלְתִּי יוֹתֵר מֵחֶלְקִי, מֵעַתָּה עָלַי לְהוֹדוֹת.
This time, I will thank — Because I got more than my share, from now on I should give thanks.
Rashi draws from a midrash that Leah believed it would be fair for her to be the mother of three tribes. That’s because she knew, through prophecy, that there would be 12 in total, which meant that Leah, Rahel, Bilhah, and Zilpah could each have the same amount: three. When Leah had a fourth, she realized she had more than her fair share, and she said a special thanks to God for that gift.
הֲדָא זִמְנָא אוֹדֵי קֳדַם ה' דְּמִן בָּרִי דֵּין עָתִיד לְמִיפַּק מַלְכִין וּמִינֵּיהּ פּוֹק דָּוִד מַלְכָּא דְּעָתִיד לְאוֹדוֹיֵי קֳדַם ה'...
This time, I will thank God, that from this son kings shall come forth. This son will be an ancestor to King David, who will give thanks before God…
- Can you explain, in your own words, what was special about Yehudah’s birth, according to Rashi and according to the Targum?
- Leah is married to Yaakov, but the Torah tells us that Yaakov loves Rahel more. How do you think Leah might have felt?
- If you look at the names Leah gives her first three children, you can see her yearning for Yaakov’s love (see Bereishit 29:32-34). As far as we know, at the time of Yehudah’s birth, Leah’s relationship with Yaakov hadn’t changed. What can we learn from Leah’s ability to give thanks?
- When is it easy for you to give thanks? When is it more difficult?
-------------------
