After Jacob had served Laban seven years, he said to his uncle: "The
Lord destined me to be the father of twelve tribes. I am now
eighty-four years old, and if I do not take thought of the matter now,
when can I?"[160] Thereupon Laban consented to let him have his
daughter Rachel to wife, and he was married forty-four years after his
brother Esau. The Lord often defers the happiness of the pious, while
He permits the wicked to enjoy the fulfilment of their desires
soon.[161] Esau, however, had purposely chosen his fortieth year for
his marriage; he had wanted to indicate that he was walking in the
footsteps of his father Isaac, who had likewise married at forty years
of age. Esau was like a swine that stretches out its feet when it lies
down, to show that it is cloven-footed like the clean animals, though
it is none the less one of the unclean animals. Until his fortieth year
Esau made a practice of violating the wives of other men, and then at
his marriage he acted as though he were following the example of his
pious father. Accordingly, the woman he married was of his own kind,
Judith, a daughter of Heth, for God said: "This one, who is designed
for stubble, to be burnt by fire, shall take unto wife one of a people
also destined for utter destruction." They, Esau and his wife,
illustrated the saying, "Not for naught does the raven consort with the
crow; they are birds of a feather."[162]
Far different it was with Jacob. He married the two pious and lovely
sisters, Leah and Rachel, for Leah, like her younger sister, was
beautiful of countenance, form, and stature. She had but one defect,
her eyes were weak, and this malady she had brought down upon herself,
through her own action. Laban, who had two daughters, and Rebekah, his
sister, who had two sons, had agreed by letter, while their children
were still young, that the older son of the one was to marry the older
daughter of the other, and the younger son the younger daughter. When
Leah grew to maidenhood, and inquired about her future husband, all her
tidings spoke of his villainous character, and she wept over her fate
until her eyelashes dropped from their lids. But Rachel grew more and
more beautiful day by day, for all who spoke of Jacob praised and
extolled him, and "good tidings make the bones fat."
In view of the agreement between Laban and Rebekah, Jacob refused to
marry the older daughter Leah. As it was, Esau was his mortal enemy, on
account of what had happened regarding the birthright and the paternal
blessing. If, now, Jacob married the maiden appointed for him, Esau
would never forgive his younger brother. Therefore Jacob resolved to
take to wife Rachel, the younger daughter of his uncle.[163]
Laban was of another mind. He purposed to marry of his older daughter
first, for he knew that Jacob would consent to serve him a second
period of seven years for love of Rachel. On the day of the wedding he
assembled the inhabitants of Haran, and addressed them as follows: "Ye
know well that we used to suffer from lack of water, and as soon as
this pious man Jacob came to dwell among us, we had water in
abundance." "What hast thou in mind to do?" they asked Laban. He
replied: "If ye have naught to say against it, I will deceive him and
give him Leah to wife. He loves Rachel with an exceeding great love,
and for her sake he will tarry with us yet seven other years." "Do as
it pleaseth thee," his friends said. "Well, then," said Laban, "let
each one of you give me a pledge that ye will not betray my purpose."
With the pledges they left with him, Laban bought wine, oil, and meat
for the wedding feast, and he set a meal before them which they had
themselves paid for. Because he deceived his fellow-citizens thus,
Laban is called Arami, "the deceiver." They feasted all day long, until
late at night, and when Jacob expressed his astonishment at the
attention shown him, they said to him: "Through thy piety thou didst a
great service of lovingkindness unto us, our supply of water was
increased unto abundance, and we desire to show our gratitude
therefor." And, indeed, they tried to give him a hint of Laban's
purpose. In the marriage ode which they sang they used the refrain
"Halia," in the hope that he would understand it as Ha Leah, "This is
Leah." But Jacob was unsuspicious and noticed nothing.
When the bride was led into the nuptial chamber, the guests
extinguished all the candles, much to Jacob's amazement. But their
explanation satisfied him. "Thinkest thou," they said, "we have as
little sense of decency as thy countrymen?" Jacob therefore did not
discover the deception practiced upon him until morning. During the
night Leah responded whenever he called Rachel, for which he reproached
her bitterly when daylight came. "O thou deceiver, daughter of a
deceiver, why didst thou answer me when I called Rachel's name?" "Is
there a teacher without a pupil?" asked Leah, in return. "I but
profited by thy instruction. When thy father called thee Esau, didst
thou not say, Here am I?"[164]
Jacob was greatly enraged against Laban, and he said to him: "Why didst
thou deal treacherously with me? Take back thy daughter, and let me
depart, seeing thou didst act wickedly toward me."[165] Laban pacified
him, however, saying, "It is not so done in our place, to give the
younger before the first-born," and Jacob agreed to serve yet seven
other years for Rachel, and after the seven days of the feast of Leah's
wedding were fulfilled, he married Rachel.[166]
With Leah and Rachel, Jacob received the handmaids Zilpah and Bilhah,
two other daughters of Laban, whom his concubines had borne unto
him.[167]