2

The Jewish Encyclopedia cites Seder Olam Rabbah 2:2 as a rabbinical claim that Rachel and Leah were twins:

Rachel and Leah were twin sisters, fourteen years old when Jacob came to their father's house; consequently they were twenty-one years old at the time of their marriage to Jacob (Seder 'Olam Rabbah ii.).

I've seen this cited in numerous secondary sources as well, but when I go to the Seder Olam directly I find nothing about Leah and Rachel in the English translation.

Can someone clarify? Can this report be found elsewhere in Seder Olam Rabbah (a typo by the J.E. editors)? Or were they altogether mistaken or what?

note: I've been asked by a 'bot to clarify how this question differs from "how old were Rachel and Leah when they married Jacob?" My question seeks the source of the idea that they were twins. The other answer wants to know their ages when they married.


Addendum: Apparently the translation given at the Sefaria cite above is incomplete. Thanks to those who pointed me to the Hebrew text.

Dan Fefferman
  • 448
  • 1
  • 7
  • 1
    It's right there: נמצאו רחל ולאה נשאו בנות כ"ב כ"ב, שהיו תאומות – shmosel Mar 22 '23 at 19:32
  • 1
    נמצאו רחל ולאה נשאו בנות כ"ב כ"ב, שהיו תאומות – Shmuel Mar 22 '23 at 19:32
  • @shmosel same minds :) – Shmuel Mar 22 '23 at 19:33
  • @Mevaqesh in his answer to the above mentioned question links to the exact page, where the Hebrew text Shmosel and I referred to. – Shmuel Mar 22 '23 at 19:34
  • Thanks ... Is there a problem in the translation then?... I don't read Hebrew so I need help. The translation at the Sefaria site has some ellipses in it.. did they leave out the bit about their being twins? – Dan Fefferman Mar 22 '23 at 19:51
  • google translate did the trick... I'll try to notify the Sefaria folks that this should be included in the translation. Thanks again. – Dan Fefferman Mar 22 '23 at 19:53
  • @DanFefferman I guess Sefaria did not include a full translation of the full piece, rather they provided a little piece of it. You can add in your own translation to sefaria, so maybe someone translated some parts, but not the complete text. – Shmuel Mar 22 '23 at 20:55
  • The other answer wants to know their ages when they married. Yes, but your question is answered there as well. – shmosel Mar 22 '23 at 23:35
  • Fair enough I guess. The question is not a duplicate but it is indeed answered by the other answers... But I was already aware for the reference to Seder Olam. Our discussion here has been useful, because the Sefaria site's translation left out the salient info. – Dan Fefferman Mar 25 '23 at 04:49

0 Answers0