BIRTH OF BENJAMIN / DEATH OF RACHEL (GEN 35)
After leaving Bethal, Yisharal (Jacob) had almost arrived in Ephrath when Rachel went into labor. Her pain was very intense and she had great difficulty giving birth. But after her excruciating delivery, her midwife said to her “Don’t worry dear, it’s another beautiful boy for you”. But as her pain increased and the life was slowly draining from her, Rachel named her new son Ben-Oni (“son of my sorrow”) with her last dying breath.
A little later Yisharal (Jacob) altered his name to BENJAMIN (“son of my right hand”). So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Aphrath (Bethleham) and Yisharal (Jacob) built a stone column over her grave and mourned for his darling sweetheart. And this memorial can still be seen to this day.
Then Yisharal (Jacob) and the family kept travelling and pitched their tents beyond the Tower of Eder, and Yisharal (Jacob) went to see his father Isaac in Mamre, (where his grandfather Abraham had also dwelt) and Isaac breathed his last and died at the age of 180 years, and was buried by his sons Jacob and Esau.
