Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Genesis 30:2/אור החיים על בראשית ל׳:ב׳
אוַיִּחַר אַף וְגוֹ׳. הַטַּעַם לְפִי שֶׁהוֹצִיאָה מִפִּיהָ דְּבַר קְלָלָה שֶׁאָמְרָה ״מֵתָה אָנֹכִי״, וְדִבְרֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים אֲפִילוּ בְּסֵדֶר זֶה יַעֲשׂוּ רוֹשֶׁם, וְצֵא וּלְמַד (בראשית רבה עד:ט) מִמַּה שֶׁקִּלֵּל הוּא עַל תְּנַאי וְכוּ׳, לָזֶה חָרָה אַפּוֹ. וְלָזֶה דִּקְדֵּק לוֹמַר בְּרָחֵל פֵּרוּשׁ בִּשְׁבִילָהּ, גַּם לְפִי שֶׁאָמְרָה ״הָבָה לִי״ וְגוֹ׳ וְלֹא אָמְרָה הִתְפַּלֵּל עָלַי.
1 ויחר אף יעקב, Jacob became agitated, etc. Jacob's agitation was due to her having uttered a curse, i.e. declaring that she would die. When the righteous utter a curse, even conditionally, this makes an indelible impression. We know from Bereshit Rabbah 74,9 that Rachel died prematurely because Jacob himself uttered a curse when he decreed death on the thief who stole Laban's Teraphim. This is why the Torah added the word ברחל, i.e. on her account. He was also upset because she demanded children, הבה לי בנים, instead of having asked her husband to pray on her behalf.