Vayetzeh

Yaakov finds himself married not just to Rachel but to Leah too and eventually Bilhah and Zilpah. But the mission and purpose of the marriages is hinted at in the story of the first one. In Chpt.29 Verse 20. it states......

"And Yaakov worked for Rochel for seven years. And they were in his eyes like a few days through his love for her."

The Rabbis point out that this verse contradicts human experience. If you are desperately looking forward to something, perhaps a holiday, how does the time pass? very slowly! If you are anticipating an event for which you are going to work hard, like an examination then time rushes towards you. As Yaakov was looking forward to his marriage to Rachel the time should have dragged along.

The reason it flew was because this was a period of intense preparation for them. This marriage was to bring together the founders of the Jewish nation. Yaakov's offer of working for seven years was hardly coincidental. Seven is the number which indicates a completed cycle of spiritual growth. There are seven days in a week, seven weeks from the Exodus to the revelation at mount Sinai etc. etc. Yaakov and his wives are prophets. They are aware that twelve sons will come from them and build the Jewish people. Logically they could have assumed that as there were four wives, then each could expect to bear three sons. When Leah has a fourth son she says in

Verse 35.......

" This time I give thanks to Ha-Shem and so she called his name Yehudah (thanks)"

Rashi comments that she gave thanks that she has had more than her share. It was therefore an innate sense of recognition of the source of her blessing that led her to offer Ha-Shem special thanks.

The Talmud asks what was it about her son Yehudah that made him uniquely gifted to found the royal house of Israel? The answer lies in the story of his confrontation with his daughter in law, in the Sedra of Vayeshev. When Tomor states that the father of her child is the owner of the three objects she displays ( for a brilliant explanation of this most enigmatic incidents in the Torah see Sefer Alshich). Yehudah who had inherited his mothers innate ability to recognise the truth and admit it, accepted paternity.

Reb Yerucham ponders this statement and emphasises that Yehudah was indeed merely displaying his natural gifts inherited from Leah. Why should that make him so suited to found the lineage of Jewish Kings?

He quotes a Medrash which says......

"Anyone who is particular to have his own place in Synagogue for prayer will be spoken of as a Tzaddik-Saint, an Onov-Humble man, one of the disciples of Abraham our father."

Why should such a simple act generate such praise?

I remember some years ago my wife commenting that my blazer was looking tattered and needed replacing. I went to the same shop I always buy the same blazer and returned home. I wore it and asked my wife what she thought and she replied that it looked fine. I glanced at it again in the mirror and was pleased with my purchase. Then I noticed my trousers. They had been perfectly acceptable before, but now compared to the new blazer, they looked poor indeed. I bought a new pair of trousers. Now as I looked at my new "ensemble" I felt much better. Then I noticed my shirt. I bought a new shirt. Then a new tie and of course new shoes.

If someone buys himself a place in Shul it suggests that he has a natural affinity to Davening-Prayer. If he is then told that G-d detests the prayers of an egotist then that will be his next task, to make his weakness for ego fit his enthusiasm for prayer. From there he will work on other deficiencies which are only revealed as such, by the perfection of the previous characteristic. Through focusing on just one innate character trait, one that is inherited naturally, a person can build a perfected whole; a whole person.

Reb Yerucham says the key to Yehudah's greatness was built on this principle. From the gift of Leah he perfected Yehudah!

The path to building a complete Jew is to build on the talents we have and let them "show up" the tattered state of the talents we need to develop.