Lamentations Rabbah, Proem 24

Lamentations Rabbah, Proem 24 — Sefaria version 'The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022' (CC-BY) (CC BY)

At that moment, Rachel our matriarch interjected before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe, it is revealed before You that Your servant Jacob loved me abundantly and worked for my father seven years for me. When those seven years were completed and the time for my marriage to my husband arrived, my father plotted to exchange me with my sister for my husband. The matter was extremely difficult for me when I became aware of that plot, and I informed my husband and gave him a signal to distinguish between my sister and me so that my father would be unable to exchange me. Afterward, I regretted what I had done and suppressed my desire. I had mercy on my sister, so that she would not be led to humiliation. In the evening they exchanged me with my sister for my husband, and I transmitted to my sister all the signals that I had given to my husband, so that he would think that she is Rachel. Moreover, I entered beneath the bed on which he was lying with my sister. He would speak with her and she would be silent, and I would respond to each and every matter that he said, so that he would not identify my sister’s voice. I performed an act of kindness for her, I was not jealous of her, and I did not lead her to humiliation. If I, who is flesh and blood, was not jealous of my rival, and I did not lead her to humiliation and shame, You who are a living and eternal merciful King, why were You jealous of idol worship that has no substance, and You exiled my descendants, and they were killed by sword, and the enemies did to them as they pleased?’ Immediately, the mercy of the Holy One blessed be He was aroused and He said: ‘For you, Rachel, I will restore Israel to its place.’ That is what is written: “So said the Lord: A voice is heard in Rama, wailing, bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be consoled for her children, as they are not” (Jeremiah 31:14). And it is written: “So said the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, as there is reward for your actions.… And there is hope for your future, the utterance of the Lord, and your children will return to their borders” (Jeremiah 31:15–16).

Abraham and Moses plead for Israel unheard; when Rachel intercedes God relents: 'For your sake, Rachel, I will restore Israel to their place' — the strongest Jewish precedent for a mother's intercession.

Petichta 24 is very long (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the Torah and the letters plead first); only the concluding Rachel section extracted, from 'At that moment, Rachel our matriarch interjected' to the Jeremiah 31 proof-texts. Sefaria wording: 'For you, Rachel, I will restore Israel to its place' (key phrase given as 'For your sake, Rachel...'). Sefaria cites Jeremiah 31:14–16 (= 31:15–17 in English Bibles).