Rivka’s Prophecies

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Rivka is a very confident woman. In Parshat Chayei Sarah, we
see her confidence when giving water to a stranger and his ten camels, inviting
him and his camels to stay over at her family’s home, following him to meet
Yitzchak and knowing right away that Yitzchak is “the one” for her. In Parshat
Toldot, she is confident in telling Yaakov to deceive his father and take
Esav’s blessing as well as when she tells Yitzchak that Yaakov must find a wife
in Padan Aram
(where her family lives).

 

Rivka’s confidence came from the fact that she was a prophetess.

 

For twenty years Rivka was unable to conceive. She is
finally expecting and is having a very difficult pregnancy but doesn’t understand
why. In Breisheet 25:22 “She went to inquire (lidrosh) of God”. According to
Ramban, “lidrosh” is used in the context of prayer. She went to pray to God.
His answer is in sentence 23: “God said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb
and two Kingdoms will separate from within you. One government will be mightier
than the other but the greater one will serve the smaller one.’”

 

This is clearly a prophecy of what is yet to come.

 

When Rivka sees that Esav chooses the dangerous profession
of a hunter and marries Cnaanite women who are a source of spiritual bitterness
(26:35) she knows that the prophecy is being fulfilled and that Esav is not
destined be the inheritor of the Land of Israel or the father
of the Jewish nation. Esav, the older son is destined to serve Yaakov, the younger
son.

 

Rivka is confident in carrying out her plan to make sure
that Yaakov receives the blessing of the firstborn even if deception has to be
used. Rivka tells Yaakov three times (27:8, 13, 43) to listen to her voice
(Shma bikoli). Rashi comments that when God told Avraham to listen to Sarah’s
voice, he was referring to the voice of prophecy as Sarah was on a higher level
of prophecy than Avraham. It is clear from here as well that Rivka was working
from a prophecy that Yitzchak had not been exposed to.

 

Midrash Tanchuma, Toldot 8 states that when Esav married
Cnaanite women, Yitzchak no longer received prophecy as he grew up in a pure
home and never confronted idol worship before. 
Rivka however continued to receive prophecy (as she was raised in a home
of idol worship so it had no effect on her).

 

After Esav found out that Yaakov tricked his father and took
his blessing we read: 27:41-42: “Esav hated Yaakov because of the blessing with
which his father blessed him. Esav said in his heart, ‘The mourning days for my
father are approaching. I will then kill my brother Yaakov.’ Rivka was informed
about these words of Esav, her oldest son and she sent a messenger to call
Yaakov, her younger son and she said to him: ‘Behold, your brother Esav is
consoled through you for he intends to kill you.’”

 

Breisheet Rabba explains that through prophecy (Ruach
HaKodesh) Rivka was informed of what Esav said in his heart. How else could she
possibly know what he said in his heart?

 

According to Breisheet Rabba, all of the Imahot (foremothers)
were prophetesses.

 

Rivka was driven by her prophecies and was therefore
confident with her actions even when they seemed out of the ordinary. She tried
to shelter Yitzchak as much as possible from Esav’s wickedness. While she told
Yaakov: 27:43: “Now my son, listen to me. Get up and flee to Lavan, my brother,
to Charan”, all she tells Yitzchak is “I am disgusted with my life because of
the daughters of Chet. If Yaakov marries a woman of Chet like these, from the
daughters of the land, what is life worth to me”, in other words Yaakov needs
to leave town because he needs to find a wife in Padan Aram. She
doesn’t have the heart to tell Yitzchak that Esav plans to kill Yaakov and
therefore he needs to run away.

 

Rivka did not gloat to Yitzchak about the prophecies that
she received. She actually kept them a secret from him. She learned from her
prophecies and from her life experience what needed to be done in order to
insure proper continuity. Yitzchak had never been exposed to the cruel outside
world that Rivka came from and she did her best to keep him as sheltered from
it as much as possible.

 

May we all have the confidence that Rivka had to do what we
know is right.

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