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Mandrakes In The Field
"And he (Reuben) found Mandrakes in the Field." Genesis 30:14-16
In reviewing the birth of Jacob's sons, we find two interruptions. The First, after the birth
of Leah's first four sons, the Torah records the difficult and emotional dialogue between Rachel and Jacob, when Rachel
gives her maidservant Bilha to Jacob. Then the Torah continues its listing of the birth of Jacob's sons. The second
interruption occurs after the two maidservants gave birth to two sons. At that point, we find the story of The Mandrakes.
(Genesis 30:14-16)
The need for the conversation between Jacob and Rachel (the first interruption) to be recorded is
pretty obvious: it has a tangible effect on the building of Jacob's household, resulting with Jacob taking Bilha, and later
also Zilpah, and thus completing the building of the House of Israel.
However, the story of the mandrakes (the second interruption) is rather surprising. We may assume that during the seven
years over the course of which Jacob's children were born, several other incidents took place. What is the relevance of the
story of the mandrakes in this context and in what way did it influence the establishment of Jacob's family and the birth
of his sons?
The story of the mandrakes opens with a description of Reuben's act: "And Reuven went, during the
wheat harvest, and he found mandrakes in the field." The expression "Reuben went" serves to introduce another episode
in the book of Genesis: "And Reuben went and lay with Bilha, his father's concubine." (Gen 35:22)
The connection between these two images is clear: in both instances Reuben actively tried to affect the
dynamics of the family relationships. In the story of the mandrakes, he served only as a background to the agreement
that was reached between Rachel and Leah. However, the very fact that the Torah tells us how the mandrakes reached Leah's
hands connects Reuben to the development of these events. These two stories are also connected on a deeper level.
The story of the Mandrakes took place "during the wheat harvest."
M andrakes grow in the wild. Considering the season when "Reuben went," we might expect
that he would return home with a bag full of grain, like Ruth did, upon her return from Boaz's field. But instead,
Reuben brought home mandrakes. Why?
Leah and Rachel regarded mandrakes as a magical fertility 'drug'. Immediately after Reuben found the
mandrakes, he brought them to Leah: "And he brought them to Leah his mother." The mention of the
family relationship ("his mother") in conjunction with Leah's name is greatly significant. It is echoed again in the subsequent
verses: "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes... Will you then also take my
son's mandrakes... in exchange for your son's mandrakes... I have indeed hired you with my
son's mandrakes."
The Torah seems to be emphasizing to us the exceptional
closeness between Reuben
and Leah. This emphasis will help us understand Reuben's motives in the story.
Reuben was Leah's first-born son. Night after night he slept close to her in the tent from which
his father Jacob was absent. Reuben's act of bringing mandrakes to his mother reflected a strong desire on his part to comfort
his mother, to bring her some happiness and to remind her that he was worth more to her than ten husbands.
Leah
defined Jacob as "my husband" (ishi) - not "our husband". This fact reflects the reality in which Leah
married Jacob first, and only afterwards did Rachel join the household as Jacob's beloved, though second, wife.
Jacob's passivity stands out in his reaction to Leah in the exchange agreement. "And Jacob came from the field in the evening,
and Leah went out towards him and she said... and he lay with her that night." Gen 30:16 The Torah makes no mention
of Jacob's feelings concerning this bizarre sale. Did he try to change Rachel's mind? Was he angry at his wives? Or perhaps
he actually understood Leah's distress and went to her tent willingly? The silence of the text speaks louder than any words
could ever convey.
The significance of the connection between this "sale" and the sale of the birthright is that it
highlights a change in Jacob's status. First it was Jacob who initiated the exchange agreement with his brother, and
now it is Jacob who becomes the object that is exchanged.
After the birth of Leah's four sons "she ceased to bear."
This statement is most surprising, considering the fact that over the course of seven years Leah bore a total of seven
children (six sons and a daughter). What does the expression "ceased to bear" mean if Leah bore three other children?
It is
evident that the birth of Leah's last three children should be seen as a divine response to the story of the mandrakes.
Yahveh heard Leah's cry (prayer) and blessed her with two more sons and a daughter, as a reward for giving up the mandrakes
in favor of Jacob. Through the mandrakes two great tribes of Israel came into being: Issachar and Zebulun.
"And Yahveh heard... and she conceived and bore." Genesis 30:17
This
introduction appears at the birth of Leah's first child, and again at Joseph's birth to Rachel. On these two occasions, Yahveh
gave the matriarchs their respective firstborns. But why does it appear the second time in connection with Leah?
The repetition at the birth of Leah's last children indicates that there was a need for special divine intervention in
Leah's case. Leah had truly already "ceased to bear" and it was only in the wake of the mandrakes episode that Yahveh opened
her womb again.
Rachel's attempts to seek fertility by "magical" means actually delayed her pregnancy even further,
while Leah, who relinquished her magic omens for Jacob, went on to bear two sons who would help build Jacob's household.
The story of the mandrakes reveals the tension hidden beneath the surface in Jacob's household.
There was Reuben, attempting to comfort his mother. The plight of the barren Rachel, who could not find a sympathetic ear.
The plight of lonely Leah, who felt that her husband was snatched from her. The inability of the sisters to communicate properly,
and Jacob, the husband who could not make peace between his wives.
Ultimately, their problems were solved by divine
intervention: "And Yahveh heard Leah" ~ "And Yahveh remembered Rachel... And Yahveh heard her." It was not some fertility
drug that solved the family's problems, but rather - prayer.
Significantly, Genesis 35:22 describes Reuben's sexual impropriety concerning Bilhah, and starts with "and Reuben
went..." as well. Both stories, the Mandrakes and Reuben's sexual episode with Bilhah, deal with men's attempt at
intervention. Rachel sought to seize the keys of reproduction ~ keys that belong to Yahveh alone, while Reuben sought
to determine the order of leadership in the family ~ an order for which Jacob alone was responsible for.
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