Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah

Or HaChaim on Genesis 29:18/אור החיים על בראשית כ״ט:י״ח

אוַיֶּאֱהַב יַעֲקֹב אֶת רָחֵל. פֵּרוּשׁ, לֹא לְצַד יָפְיָהּ אֶלָּא לְצַד מַה שֶׁרָחֵל בַּת זוּגוֹ.
1 ויאהב יעקב את רחל. Jacob loved Rachel. The reason the Torah mentions her name again is to tell us that Jacob did not love Rachel on account of her beauty but on account of the fact that she was the life-partner destined for him.
באוֹ יֹאמַר עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת כה:) בְּדִין זִוּוּג תַּלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לוֹ אִשָּׁה נָאָה כְּנֶגֶד יֵצֶר הָרַע, וַהֲגַם כִּי יִשְׁתַּנֶּה יַעֲקֹב לְמַעֲלִיּוּתָא שֶׁמּוּשְׁלָל מִיֵּצֶר הָרַע, עִם כָּל זֶה הַתּוֹרָה תְּלַמֵּד לְאָדָם דַּעַת.
2Alternatively, we may approach the verse by citing Shabbat 25 where we are told that a Torah scholar should have an outwardly attractive wife so as to minimise temptations by the evil urge. Even though Jacob was on a spiritually far higher level and did not present much of a target for the evil urge, it is prudent to take whatever precautions against the evil urge that are feasible.
גאֶעֱבָדְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים. צַדִּיק זֶה יְכַוֵּן תָּמִיד לְהַכְנִיעַ עַצְמוֹ שֶׁבַע, וְגַם בְּהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָתוֹ לְאָחִיו שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים (בראשית ל״ג:ג), וְהוּא סוֹד (משלי כ״ד:ט״ז) ״שֶׁבַע יִפּוֹל צַדִּיק וָקָם״ אַחֲרֵי נָפְלוֹ. וְאוּלַי שֶׁנָּתַן שָׁוְיָהּ בְּמַה שֶׁשִּׁעְבֵּד עַצְמוֹ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר מִכְּדֵי שְׁנֵי עֶבֶד עִבְרִי (שמות כ״א:ב).
3אעבדך שבע שנים, "I shall serve you for seven years, etc." This צדיק had a habit of humbling himself by using the number seven. When he bowed down to Esau later on he is also reported as having done so seven times (Genesis 33,3). This is the mystical connection with Proverbs 24,16: "the righteous will rise even if he falls seven times." Perhaps he wanted to demonstrate that he considered Rachel worth more than the maximum servitude that a Hebrew servant serves with his master (Exodus 21,2).
דבְּרָחֵל בִּתְּךָ הַקְּטַנָּה. ״בְּרָחֵל״ וְלֹא בְּלֵאָה, ״בִּתְּךָ״ וְלֹא רָחֵל אַחֶרֶת מִן הַשּׁוּק, ״הַקְּטַנָּה״ שֶׁלֹּא תַחְלִיף שְׁמוֹת בְּנוֹתֶיךָ וְתִקְרָא לַגְּדוֹלָה רָחֵל, ״הַקְּטַנָּה״ אֲנִי אוֹמֵר וְלֹא הַגְּדוֹלָה, וְלֹא יוֹעִיל לְךָ שִׁנּוּי הַשֵּׁם שֶׁתִּקְרָא לָהּ רָחֵל.
4ברחל בתך הקטנה, for your smaller daughter Rachel. "For Rachel, and not for Leah; for your daughter and not another girl called Rachel; for the small one, and not someone whose name you have changed. הקטנה, the one who is the small one now and not someone whose name you may change."