(Genesis 28) The Mother of Twins
(Chat GPT translation from Chinese, edited by Mijiale, 中文在后面）
Genesis 28:5 says, ‘Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.’
In the context of introducing Jacob’s upcoming travel, why does the text mention, ‘…Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.’?
Rashi’s commentary here suggests that he doesn’t know what information the scripture is trying to convey in this context. Because the Jewish community considers Rashi an influential biblical commentator spanning over almost a millennium[1], there have been many discussions throughout history as to why Rashi would say so[2]. If he didn’t know, wouldn’t it suffice for him to say nothing? Perhaps he knew several different explanations, but none were satisfactory or he wasn’t sure which was most appropriate. Perhaps from this, we can see his honesty and humility (qualities necessary for good Bible learners —Pirkei Avot 5:7, 6:6[3][4]). Perhaps he believed that the narrative in this scripture surely implies something yet to be discovered.
I strongly agree with the last notion. I mentioned the biblical ‘principle of all being inspired’ in an article[5]. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, ‘All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work’ [6] (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Every part, aspect, and detail of the original scriptures is intentionally set by the Creator, regardless of whether the authors were aware. This is because the Creator is almighty, surpassing the limitations of the authors.
Applied to Genesis 28:5, we ask: since the scripture has already explained that Jacob is going to his uncle’s place to get married, couldn’t it continue from there? Why bring up his mother, Rebekah, and her being the mother of Jacob and Esau again? The Creator doesn’t speak unnecessarily. He allows such complex expressions for a reason!
Jewish people might find this difficult to understand or may have other explanations, but they do not accept the Christian New Testament, so they have some limitations in biblical interpretation. So, how might Christians explain this difficulty?
The superficial meaning of the scripture is to introduce Jacob’s journey. But as we ponder along with the hints in the scripture, following the guidance of the Spirit, Rebekah unexpectedly becomes the central figure in this verse, as she links her original family and her twin sons. Rebekah’s original family worshipped false gods (Genesis 31:19, 26, 30). She married into Abraham’s family, which worshipped the Creator, accepting a new faith. So, Rebekah symbolizes a person who turns to the Creator from an unbelieving environment, making the description of Rebekah in the Bible relevant to all believers following the Creator.
However, when Rebekah was pregnant with twins (Genesis 25:22), ‘The children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is thus, why do I live?” This symbolizes a baptized believer, carrying influences of both the old self and the new self. Rebekah’s lament is so similar to what Paul expressed in Romans 7:23-24: ‘But I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?’
When the twins grew up, one (Jacob) tried every means to gain the status of the firstborn that symbolizes belonging to the Lord (see Exodus 13:2, 22:29, Numbers 3:12, 41), while the other (Esau) disregarded it, valuing it less than a bowl of stew. But Rebekah firmly supported Jacob in striving for the firstborn status, allowing him to receive the blessing. This symbolizes that believers in the Creator should firmly stand on the side of the new self, supporting the spiritual pursuit of the new self.
When the symbol of the old self, Esau, posed a threat to the spiritual new life, symbolized by Jacob, Rebekah advised Jacob to leave Esau, symbolizing to flee from the influence of the old self. Jewish tradition speculates that after leaving home, Jacob first went to the yeshiva (religious school) of Heber and received 14 years of spiritual training, then went to his uncle Laban’s house, who had not yet accepted the Creator. Jacob went with a staff alone but returned with many people, livestock, and wealth (Genesis 32), bringing them out from the world symbolized by his uncle’s house, to be used for the Creator’s purposes.
Thus, from Genesis 28:5, a verse that unexpectedly mentions the names of Rebekah and her two sons, we learn a profound spiritual lesson: the body and material things themselves are not inherently bad. The key is that they shouldn’t interfere with spiritual life but rather, in harmony with the soul, should break free from the control of the old self and be used for the Creator in the new self.
Footnotes:
[1] Rashi: One of the Most Influential Thinkers in Judaism
[2] Why does Rashi Say ‘I Don’t Know’?
[3] Pirkei Avot 5:7
[4] Pirkei Avot 6:6
[5] The Eight Treasures of Biblical Interpretation
[6] 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – Shiyuese’s Less-Ancient Chinese Translation(Used in the Chinese version of this article.)
[8] The First Beit Midrash: The Yeshiva of Shem and Eber“
（创28）双生子的母亲
创世纪28:5 说，“以 撒 打 发 雅 各 走 了 ， 他 就 往 巴 旦 亚 兰 去 ， 到 亚 兰 人 彼 土 利 的 儿 子 拉 班 那 里 。 拉 班 是 雅 各 ， 以 扫 的 母 舅 。”
原文说“… 拉 班 是 利 百 加的兄弟，利 百 加是雅 各 和 以 扫 的 母 亲。”
Rashi解经在这里说，他不知道经文在这里教导我们什么信息。
因为犹太人认为Rashi是有近千年影响力的解经家【1】，所以有古往今来有很多人在探讨为什么Rashi要这样说【2】。如果他不知道，那么他什么都不说不就行了？也许他知道几种不同的解释，但都不满意或不知道那种最合适。也许从这里可以看出他的诚实和谦卑（这些是学好圣经的必要条件(Pirkei Avot 5:7, 6:6【3】，【4】），也许他认为这里经文的叙述方式肯定隐含着什么信息，有待挖掘。
我对最后一种看法很赞同。我在一篇文章【5】提过圣经的“皆默示”原则。提摩太后书3:16-17说， ““聖經皆由天主默示所作、有益於教誨督責、使人歸正、教人學義、 使事天主之人、得以純全練達、能行諸善事、”【6】（提摩太后书3:16-17）。圣经原本的所有部分，所有方面，和所有细节，都是造物主有意设定的，不论写书的人是否意识到。这是因为主是全能的，超出了写书人的限制。
应用到创世纪28:5，我们就要问，既然经文已经解释了雅各要去舅舅那里娶亲，不就可以继续了吗，为什么还要重新提起他的母亲利百加，和她是雅各、以扫的母亲？造物主不说多余的话，祂允许这样复杂的表达，一定是有作用的！
犹太人对此或者觉得难以理解，或者可能有一些其他的解释，但他们不接受基督徒的新约，所以他们在解经方面存在一些限制。那么，基督徒对这个疑难可以怎样解释呢？
经文的表面意思是介绍雅各的动向，但当我们随着经文的提示、跟随圣灵的带领来思考，利百加出人意料地成了本句话的中心人物，是她，衔接了经句里提到的她的娘家人和她的双生子。利百加的娘家人是拜假神的（创31:19，26，30）。她嫁到拜造物主的亚伯拉罕家族, 接受了新的信仰。所以利百加象征一个从不信主的环境里出来的信主的人，圣经对她的描述，于是对所有跟从造物主的信徒都有关。
但是，利百加怀双生子时（创25:22），“孩 子 们 在 她 腹 中 彼 此 相 争 ， 她 就 说 ， 若 是 这 样 ， 我 为 什 么 活 着 呢 ？（ 或 作 我 为 什 么 如 此 呢 ？ ） 。” 这象征受洗信主的人，身上还兼有旧我和新我的影响。利百加的感叹，与保罗在罗马书7:23-24所说是何等的想象：“但 我 觉 得 肢 体 中 另 有 个 律 ， 和 我 心 中 的 律 交 战 ， 把 我 掳 去 叫 我 附 从 那 肢 体 中 犯 罪 的 律 。 我 真 是 苦 阿 ， 谁 能 救 我 脱 离 这 取 死 的 身 体 呢 ？”
双生子长大后，一个（雅各）千方百计争取象征归主为圣的长子名份（参见：出13:2，22:29，民3:12，41），另一个（以扫）却轻看长子名份，看得不如一碗汤。而利百加坚决支持争取长子名分的雅各，让他得到祝福。这象征信主的人应该坚决站在新我的一边，支持新我的属灵追求。
当象征旧我的以扫，对象征属灵新生命的雅各构成了生存威胁，利百加让雅各离家，逃离象征老我影响的以扫。犹太人推测，雅各离家后，先去希伯的神学院接受了14年的属灵装备，然后去了尚未接受造物主的舅舅家【7】【8】。雅各携杖只身而去，回来时却带着很多人口、牲畜、财物（创32），从象征世界的舅舅家分别出来，为造物主所用。
所以，我们从创世纪28:5，这句在原文里把利百加和她两个儿子的名字出人意料地都提到的经文，学到一个很深的属灵功课：肉体和物质，本身不是坏的，关键是不能干扰属灵生命，反而应该与心灵一起，脱离旧我的控制，在新我里面为造物主所用。
附注：
【2】https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/11415/why-does-rashi-say-i-dont-know
【3】https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.5.7?lang=bi
【4】https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.6.6?lang=bi
【5】http://mijiale.mypressonline.com/解经原则八宝汤/
【6】https://www.bible.com/bible/2296/2TI.3.施約瑟淺文理譯本
【7】https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.28.9.1?lang=bi
【8】https://www.kolhamevaser.com/2014/11/the-first-beit-midrash-the-yeshivah-of-shem-and-eber/