.
● Gen 29:14b-15 . .When he had stayed with him a month's time, Laban said to Jacob: Just because you are a kinsman, should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?
It's curious that Laban would offer Jacob employment. I'm guessing that Jacob had offered to help out around Laban's ranch only just long enough for the heat blow over back home; but Laban became impressed with Jacob's work ethic and wanted him on permanently. Sometimes good help is very hard to find; and worth paying for.
● Gen 29:16-17a . . Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes;
According to Jewish folklore, Leah had weak eyes from crying all the time at the prospect of being forced to marrying Esau.
The word for "weak" is from rak (rak) which means, variously: tender, soft, weak, and/or gentle.
So rak doesn't necessarily mean that something is feeble. It can also mean that something is kind and/or gentle as opposed to harsh and/or cruel. And in this case, where the beauty of two girls is being compared, I don't think the author of Genesis meant to convey that Leah's eyesight was weak; only that she had nice eyes, but little else to offer.
Pity. Leah was a good girl; but just about bankrupt in what really matters to most guys; and as any woman with assets can vouch; most men think better with their eyes than with their brains. In other words: when it comes to women, men's brains switch off and it's all about the view after that: if you know what I mean.
● Gen 29:17b-18a . . Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel;
Duh. Why does that not surprise us? You know, Jacob was fortunate about something. In those days, a man didn't have to win a woman's heart. He had to win her custodian's heart. So men could pick out a girl like they might pick out a shirt or a new car. Girls, through no fault of their own, could easily get stuck with a very disagreeable man.
But there is something very missing in this story-- Rachel's love for Jacob. The man was ga-ga over her. But how did she really feel about him?
● Gen 29:18b-19 . . so he answered; I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel. Laban said; Better that I give her to you than that I should give her to an outsider. Stay with me.
Done! And just like that; a girl became engaged. Jacob traded seven years of his life for Rachel. But it wasn't really about money, and they actually dickered over wages later. What Jacob actually proposed was a service commitment; like the contracts musicians sign with recording companies; and professional athletes sign with big league teams like the Blazers or the Mets; and like the terms of service to which young men commit themselves to the armed forces.
So Jacob didn't really buy Rachel with money. She was more like a bonus for signing up as a full-time employee with Laban. And the seven years weren't Laban's idea. They were Jacob's; and I think he made it so many years because he wanted to offer Laban a deal so lucrative that he couldn't possibly refuse it.
● Gen 29:20 . . So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
It's a fact of human experience that men will sell their souls to satisfy their wants. But I'm guessing there was more to Rachel than just her looks. After seven years living in such close proximity, Jacob still wanted her. If she had been one of those tough, thin skinned, defensive, obtuse, chafing and demeaning Tomb Raider kind of girls, I'm pretty sure Jacob would have lost interest by then. I say "pretty sure" because there are some men who will live with a witch in spite of the abuse they endure just so's they can sleep with the woman of their dreams; viz: a trophy wife rather than a man's best friend forever.
_
● Gen 29:14b-15 . .When he had stayed with him a month's time, Laban said to Jacob: Just because you are a kinsman, should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?
It's curious that Laban would offer Jacob employment. I'm guessing that Jacob had offered to help out around Laban's ranch only just long enough for the heat blow over back home; but Laban became impressed with Jacob's work ethic and wanted him on permanently. Sometimes good help is very hard to find; and worth paying for.
● Gen 29:16-17a . . Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes;
According to Jewish folklore, Leah had weak eyes from crying all the time at the prospect of being forced to marrying Esau.
The word for "weak" is from rak (rak) which means, variously: tender, soft, weak, and/or gentle.
So rak doesn't necessarily mean that something is feeble. It can also mean that something is kind and/or gentle as opposed to harsh and/or cruel. And in this case, where the beauty of two girls is being compared, I don't think the author of Genesis meant to convey that Leah's eyesight was weak; only that she had nice eyes, but little else to offer.
Pity. Leah was a good girl; but just about bankrupt in what really matters to most guys; and as any woman with assets can vouch; most men think better with their eyes than with their brains. In other words: when it comes to women, men's brains switch off and it's all about the view after that: if you know what I mean.
● Gen 29:17b-18a . . Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel;
Duh. Why does that not surprise us? You know, Jacob was fortunate about something. In those days, a man didn't have to win a woman's heart. He had to win her custodian's heart. So men could pick out a girl like they might pick out a shirt or a new car. Girls, through no fault of their own, could easily get stuck with a very disagreeable man.
But there is something very missing in this story-- Rachel's love for Jacob. The man was ga-ga over her. But how did she really feel about him?
● Gen 29:18b-19 . . so he answered; I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel. Laban said; Better that I give her to you than that I should give her to an outsider. Stay with me.
Done! And just like that; a girl became engaged. Jacob traded seven years of his life for Rachel. But it wasn't really about money, and they actually dickered over wages later. What Jacob actually proposed was a service commitment; like the contracts musicians sign with recording companies; and professional athletes sign with big league teams like the Blazers or the Mets; and like the terms of service to which young men commit themselves to the armed forces.
So Jacob didn't really buy Rachel with money. She was more like a bonus for signing up as a full-time employee with Laban. And the seven years weren't Laban's idea. They were Jacob's; and I think he made it so many years because he wanted to offer Laban a deal so lucrative that he couldn't possibly refuse it.
● Gen 29:20 . . So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.
It's a fact of human experience that men will sell their souls to satisfy their wants. But I'm guessing there was more to Rachel than just her looks. After seven years living in such close proximity, Jacob still wanted her. If she had been one of those tough, thin skinned, defensive, obtuse, chafing and demeaning Tomb Raider kind of girls, I'm pretty sure Jacob would have lost interest by then. I say "pretty sure" because there are some men who will live with a witch in spite of the abuse they endure just so's they can sleep with the woman of their dreams; viz: a trophy wife rather than a man's best friend forever.
_
