AND THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED. R. Eleazar said: ‘It is written: “Who sets aright the foundation (‘aqereth, lit. barren woman) of the house, a joyful mother of children. Hallelukah” (Ps. 113, 9). “The foundation of the house” is an allusion to Rachel, whereas by “a joyful mother of children” is meant Leah.
According to another explanation, the “foundation of the house” is an allusion to the Sabbatical year, which constitutes the basis of this world; and “a joyful mother of children” signifies the Jubilee year, on which depend the joy and gladness of all the worlds; and this verse comprehends them all in a sacred symbolism, and hence the concluding word, “Hallelukah”.
We can now understand why it says here that “Leah was hated”. This seems strange, in view of the fact that children of a hated woman are of a low type, whereas all Leah’s children were of a high type. But the truth is that the Jubilee is a veiled world nothing of which is disclosed to human intelligence; hence Jacob was wholly unaware of it.
Now the lower world is intelligible, and is the starting point for the ascending grades. Just as the Supernal Wisdom is a starting point of the whole, so is the lower world also a manifestation of Wisdom, and a starting point of the whole. This world, therefore, is named “Thou” (attah), being symbolic of the Sabbatical year, and is intelligible,
whereas the upper world, symbolic of the Jubilee, is named He (hu’=he, or it), as it is wholly veiled from human understanding. Hence there is an inner significance in the words “and he lay with her that (hu’) night”. Hence, too, it is written: “And the Levite shall serve hu (him)” (Num. 18, 23), so as to draw blessings for every one from it, namely from the upper world, which remains for ever veiled. Jacob, however, had no mind to attach himself to the undisclosed, but only to the disclosed, in harmony with the recondite meaning of the verse, “and he shall cleave to his wife” (Gen. 2, 25).
Also, from the words: “And the Lord saw that Leah was hated” we may learn that a man is not naturally tempted by his mother, and that hence he may remain alone with his mother in any place whatever without any scruple.
(בראשית כ״ט:ל״א) וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה וְגו'. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח, מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת (תהילים קי״ג:ט׳) אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה הַלְלוּיָה. מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת, דָּא רָחֵל דְּאִיהִי עִקְרָא דְבֵיתָא. אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה, דָּא לֵאָה.
AND THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED. R. Eleazar said: ‘It is written: “Who sets aright the foundation (‘aqereth, lit. barren woman) of the house, a joyful mother of children. Hallelukah” (Ps. 113, 9). “The foundation of the house” is an allusion to Rachel, whereas by “a joyful mother of children” is meant Leah.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת דָּא שְׁמִטָּה, דְּאִיהִי עִקָּרָא, דְּהַאי עַלְמָא, עֲלֵיהּ אִתְדַּבַּר. אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה, דָּא יוֹבְלָא. דְּכָל חֵידוּ וְכָל חֶדְוָה דְּכֻלְּהוּ עַלְמִין בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָין. וְהַאי קְרָא, כְּלָלָא דְכֹלָּא הוּא. בְּגִין דְּהַאי כָּלִיל כֹּלָּא, בְּרָזָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַל דָּא סִיּוּמָא דִקְרָא, הַלְלוּיָה.
According to another explanation, the “foundation of the house” is an allusion to the Sabbatical year, which constitutes the basis of this world; and “a joyful mother of children” signifies the Jubilee year, on which depend the joy and gladness of all the worlds; and this verse comprehends them all in a sacred symbolism, and hence the concluding word, “Hallelukah”.
וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה, וְכִי אַמַּאי הִיא שְׂנוּאָה, וְהָא בְּנֵי שְׂנוּאָה לָאו בְּנִי מַעַלְיָא נִינְהוּ. וַחֲזִינָן דְּכָל אִינוּן בְּנִי מַעֲלֵי מִלֵּאָה נָפְקוּ, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה. אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי יוֹבְלָא אִיהוּ תָּדִיר עַלְמָא דְאִתְכַּסְּיָא, וְכָל מִילּוֹי לָאו (בני) בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא נִינְהוּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, יַעֲקֹב אִתְכַּסְּיָין מִנֵּיהּ כָּל עוֹבָדוֹי.
We can now understand why it says here that “Leah was hated”. This seems strange, in view of the fact that children of a hated woman are of a low type, whereas all Leah’s children were of a high type. But the truth is that the Jubilee is a veiled world nothing of which is disclosed to human intelligence; hence Jacob was wholly unaware of it.
תָּא חֲזֵי, עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא אִיהוּ, וְהוּא שֵׁירוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, לְסַלְּקָא בְּדַרְגּוֹי. כְּמָה דְחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה הוּא שֵׁירוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, הָכִי נָמֵי עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, חָכְמָה אִיהוּ, וְהִיא שֵׁירוּתָא דְכֹלָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, קָרֵינָן אַתָּה, (שמות קל"ח ע"ב) בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ שְׁמִטָּה, וְאִתְגַּלְּיָא.
Now the lower world is intelligible, and is the starting point for the ascending grades. Just as the Supernal Wisdom is a starting point of the whole, so is the lower world also a manifestation of Wisdom, and a starting point of the whole. This world, therefore, is named “Thou” (attah), being symbolic of the Sabbatical year, and is intelligible,
וְעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ יוֹבְלָא, קָרֵינָא הוּא, דְּכָל מִלּוֹי בְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא אִינוּן. וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה דְלֵאָה, דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ל׳:ט״ז) וַיִּשְׁכַּב עִמָּהּ בַּלַּיְלָה הוּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (במדבר י״ח:כ״ג) וְעָבַד הַלֵּוִי הוּא. בְּגִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא מִנֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן לְכֹלָּא. הוּא, עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא תָּדִיר, וְיַעֲקֹב בְּמָּה דְּאִתְכַּסְּיָא לָא אִתְדָּבַּק בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא בְּמָּה דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, וְרָזָא דָא דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:כ״ד) וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ.
whereas the upper world, symbolic of the Jubilee, is named He (hu’=he, or it), as it is wholly veiled from human understanding. Hence there is an inner significance in the words “and he lay with her that (hu’) night”. Hence, too, it is written: “And the Levite shall serve hu (him)” (Num. 18, 23), so as to draw blessings for every one from it, namely from the upper world, which remains for ever veiled. Jacob, however, had no mind to attach himself to the undisclosed, but only to the disclosed, in harmony with the recondite meaning of the verse, “and he shall cleave to his wife” (Gen. 2, 25).
(בראשית כ״ט:ל״א) וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי שְׂנוּאָה לֵאָה. מֵהָכָא, דְּסָאנֵי בַּר נָשׁ עֶרְיָין דְּאִמֵּיהּ, (ואחותיה) וְיִתְיַחֵד בַּר נָשׁ עִם אִמֵּיהּ בְּכָל אֲתַר וְלָא יִתְחֲשָׁשׁ. וְהָא אִתְעָרוּ, בֵּן מִתְיַחֵד עִם אִמּוֹ. וְכֹלָּא אִתְכַּסֵּי מִיַּעֲקֹב, דְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה לָא אִתְגַּלְּיָא כְּלָל.
Also, from the words: “And the Lord saw that Leah was hated” we may learn that a man is not naturally tempted by his mother, and that hence he may remain alone with his mother in any place whatever without any scruple.