<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">The question has been asked why Rachel’s name is mentioned before Leah’s. Several good <div>explanations have been put forth, but there is an excellent one which has been advanced</div><div>and I believe it comes from the gemara Nazir. There is the well known dictum: <i>Mitzvah </i></div><div><i>haba’ah b’aveira</i>. <br><br>As we know, Rachel loved her father and therefore she wanted to emancipate him from the witchcraft </div><div>of his idols. So what does she do? She rids the house of the images, but Laban is agitated by the sudden<br>disappearance of his deities. So because her intentions were noble, she was given the distinction<br>of being named before her sister, Leah. Nevertheless, the bottom line in Judaism is explicit: <br><i>The ends do not justify the means</i>. Accordingly, the talmud goes on to say that Rachel’s otherwise<br>legitimate act is still stealing and becomes a sin. Accordingly, she paid a big penalty, and dies as she </div><div>gives birth to her son, Benjamin. </div><div>What is interesting though, is that in spite of what is obviously a harsh punishment, Rachel <br>is still memorialized by her name preceding Leah’s. <br><br><i>A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits…</i><br><span style="font-size: 14px;">Anonymous</span><br><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></body></html>