When Rachel dies, Jacob buries her on the side of the road on the way to Efrat as his family makes their way back to their homeland. Her tomb is solitary, separated from that of her husband and the other matriarchs and patriarchs who are buried in the Cave of Machpelah. A Midrash reveals the critical significance of Rachel's burial "on the road" by explaining that centuries later, when the Jewish people were exiled after the destruction of the First Temple, they passed by her grave on their way out of their homeland...and Rachel wept for them, begging Hashem to be merciful toward her children. In response to her heartfelt pleas, Hashem promised Rachel, "There is hope for your destiny...the children shall return to their borders." (Pesikta Rabbati, piska 2)
But not only is Rachel the mother of children in exile, she herself also knows all too well the feeling of being stuck "in process," not yet at her desired destination. Much of Rachel's story chronicles the ways in which she is "on the way," close-but-not-quite-there. First, she must become the second wife of Jacob, when she should have been the first. Then, there are all the years in which she is barren, unable to conceive children while she watches Leah give birth to son after son. When she finally does give birth to Joseph, her first son, Rachel is prays to Hashem to give her another baby...but she dies bringing that much-desired second child, Benjamin, into this world.
I recently read an article about Rachel that describes her in this way:
"It seems that Rachel's entire existence symbolizes "the way," the process. Her life is a story of constant grappling with processes, and it is from Rachel we learn the significance of process.
Something that is attained easily is of lesser value in a person's eyes. When a person lacks something, he has a better understanding of its value. When he must work hard in order to attain something, he appreciates it more, and is more attached to it. In addition, the very process that he undergoes--even if he never achieves his final objective--causes his personality to grow and develop."
Recovery is a colossal process, if ever there was one. Although we're not exiled from our homelands anymore, we have endured the experience of being in exile from ourselves. We've been lonely, confused, lost, and scared...in fact, we may be feeling those emotions right now, depending on where we are in our process and how far removed we feel from where we want to be. Rachel is the quintessential comforter of people who feel stranded "on the road." She watches over us, shining her light on the path that we follow to our destinations. Rachel loves us unconditionally with a compassion that comes from having been through her own rocky process in the name of a greater vision. By caring so deeply for us, Rachel teaches us to care for ourselves--to be gentle with ourselves as we navigate the twists and turns on the roads leading back to our cores.
As we press forward on our journeys, may we be comforted by the wise, maternal love of Rachel Imenu...and may we use her tenderness to propel ourselves onward, out of exile and back to our true selves.
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