When you look at the scriptures consistently some things seems to be repeatedly like the birth of one child and the explanation of the name before or after the birth.

But for me my friends, I am looking the things that are unique, the pattern that is not a pattern; for this matter I am going to speak today about Issachar, the son of Jacob and lea.

Issachar was born as the fifth son of Jacob and lea. He was number nine in the order of the children of Israel. At this point all the wives of Jacob gave birth to a child except Rachel. Rachel felt depressed with the situation, because Jacob loved her and still no child has been born to them with this kind of love.

In order to solve the problem of Rachel being a barren woman Rachel is trying to do everything. She gave Jacob her made bilhah, she is bagging Jacob to help her with, and she even said to him those words:

“וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל-יַעֲקֹב הָבָה-לִּי בָנִים, וְאִם-אַיִן מֵתָה אָנֹכִי”

“And she said unto Jacob: ‘Give me children, or else I die.’” (Genesis 30:1)

At this point the nature is the only solution that can help, at the days of harvest Reuben, the first born of Jacob, is going outside to seek for the plant of mandrake.

Rachel continued to beg, this time to lea as written:

“וַיֵּלֶךְ רְאוּבֵן בִּימֵי קְצִיר-חִטִּים, וַיִּמְצָא דוּדָאִים בַּשָּׂדֶה, וַיָּבֵא אֹתָם, אֶל-לֵאָה אִמּוֹ; וַתֹּאמֶר רָחֵל, אֶל-לֵאָה, תְּנִי-נָא לִי, מִדּוּדָאֵי בְּנֵךְ”

“And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah: ‘Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.’”

Next time we will see the child that has been born as a result of using the mandrake- Issachar, we will also explain to different meaning of his name!

Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

Eli@eteachergroup.com