December 3, 1955
How could Jacob love Rachel more than Leah because she was beautiful? We know the words of our sages, “Who marries a woman for beauty?”
Answer: The Torah teaches us the ways of the Creator. There are two discernments in the work: 1) Hochma, 2), Hassadim. Hochma means, seeing and knowing, and it is called the “revealed world.” And there is a concealed world called “Leah.” This is the meaning of, “Leah’s eyes were soft,” which is Hassadim and faith above reason.
This is also the meaning of matter of Jacob and Laban. Jacob is called, “serving the Creator,” and Laban is called the “Creator,” who is the Emanator (the Holy ARI, in Tree of Life, Gate Akudim (tied) interprets that Laban is called the “upper whiteness,” namely the Emanator). He has two daughters, meaning two degrees: Leah, called the “concealed world,” and Rachel, called the “revealed world.”
The purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. It is on the revealed world. And the concealed world, which is called Leah, is called the “light of Dvekut (adhesion).”
“And Jacob loved Rachel,” meaning, he wanted to extend the light of the purpose of creation. But Laban said that first he must receive Leah, which is the light of Dvekut, called “light of Hassadim.”
“And the Lord so saw that Leah was hated,” meaning that Jacob was not pleased with Leah, so the Creator gave him multiplication specifically from Leah. That is, he showed him that specifically through light of Dvekut we are awarded with multiplication in Torah and work.
But at the same time, we need the correction of Rachel, meaning to extend the light of the purpose of creation, regarded as Hochma. For that, Rachel told him, “Give me sons, and if not, I will die.” This means that Jacob had to prepare all the required corrections for Rachel, so he would have multiplication at the degree of the revealed world, as well. This is so because if he does not have offspring, he will have no vitality in this work, and he will have to leave that degree. This is regarded as, “And if not, I will die,” meaning that he had to extend Hassadim into Hochma.
This is the meaning of, “And God remembered Rachel.” Our sages said, “the” (a word added only in Hebrew), meaning thanks to Leah, meaning by extending Hassadim into Hochma. That is, we can extend the revealed world on the basis of Hassadim.
May the Lord help us walk in the ways of the Lord with faith.