Genesis 29:20: “So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.”
Jacob served the years assigned to him by his uncle with great enthusiasm. Time flew as his love for Rachel grew. At the conclusion of the seven years, Laban and Jacob met in his shop. “It’s time”, Jacob reminded his uncle. “Give me my bride – now that I have fulfilled my obligations and fully paid the bride price.” His uncle smiled and said: “Yes! Congratulations, my son – the wedding is on!” Jacob was so happy he cried. Soon he would hug his bride. Then Laban’s facial expression turned wistful as he said to his nephew: “Oh I remember the day when I brought my bride home. She gave me four children before she died in child birth.” Jacob looked a little puzzled at the unexpected turn of their conversation and said: “I didn’t know you lost your wife so soon.” From the corner of his eye Laban observed his nephew’s reaction and then addressed him with all the earnestness he possessed. “Cherish her, Jacob. Life is short.” Jacob nodded and said a bit perplexed: “Of course I will. I love her.”
As Laban expected, his remarks unsettled his nephew; and now he broached a rather sensitive topic – the wedding night. Laban said: “You honor my daughter by observing our wedding traditions. When she comes into your tent, she is not allowed to speak, and you are not supposed to unveil her face before making love to her. Our wedding tradition states that you discover her inner beauty before you get to see her face in the morning.” Jacob first hesitated, but in the end he agreed to follow these albeit strange wedding traditions. “I will honor her to my dying breath”, he promised, and his uncle nodded and smiled. “Of course you will”, he said.
Wedding preparations were in full swing while Leah was consumed with worries. “How is Jacob not going to notice that he is being duped?” Leah said to Rachel. “What humiliation if he recognizes me and this whole scandal blows up, right into my face. I’ll never get married after that. Who would want a rejected bride?” Leah sobbed and Rachel’s heart melted. – “Remember what our father said: Don’t speak a word during the wedding night. And don’t take off your veil.” She hugged her sister and added: “I have a token that Jacob gave to me in secret after our engagement had been announced.” Leah wiped her tears and gazed at her sister questioningly saying, “A token?” Rachel nodded and produced a pendant that she had worn concealed under her garments and explained: “I wear this around my neck at all times. Now I want you to have it. Wear this necklace on your wedding night. When Jacob sees it he will be pleased and will be less inclined to question your identity.”
Leah took the pendant and looked her sister in the eye. “Rachel, this is the most selfless act I have ever seen. I cannot thank you enough – but I still doubt that this pendant is going to save me from the humiliation of being discovered as the wrong bride.” Rachel sighed and with sadness in her eyes she agreed, “Leah, he will recognize you in the morning, after the wedding is over. And by then this marriage is official.” Leah still looked unconvinced. Rachel encouraged her: “We need to pray to our goddess and she will see us through this terrible wedding.”
Wedding day came and went. Laban had organized a big feast with plenty of food and wine. After lunch, the women formed a circle and began to dance. The festivities continued late into the night. Meanwhile Jacob and his bride retired to their private quarters. A large black tent surrounded by camels was their honeymoon suite. As requested, no word was exchanged between the two of them. Jacob followed the wedding traditions to the T, but immediately noticed the pendant his bride was wearing. “She’s showing her devotion by wearing my necklace”, Jacob happily thought to himself.
The veils came off in the morning – and there was Leah. Jacob lost it. “Your father tricked me! I bet there is no such thing as a wedding tradition that forbids speaking during the wedding night. What a fool I have been! I was so gullible too!” Angrily Jacob stormed off and Leah cried until she had no more tears left.
Jacob barged into Laban’s shop unannounced. “How could you!” he exclaimed. “You lied to me! Where is Rachel?” Laban turned around to face his son-in-law. His expression was neutral. “We don’t give away the younger daughter before the older one,” he calmly replied. Jacob snorted derisively. “That would have been a useful piece of information before the wedding night”, he noted sarcastically. Laban directed him to the backroom to continue their conversation in private and said, “Finish Leah’s bridal week, and in a week’s time I will give you my daughter Rachel, in return for additional seven years of work.” Angrily Jacob interjected: “I already served seven years for Rachel.” Laban unflinchingly replied: “You worked for Leah. And if you are unwilling to put in the time I designated for my daughter Rachel, then the engagement is null and void and I will give her to another.” With rigid demeanor Jacob asked his uncle: “Is this a threat?” Relaxed, Laban leaned back and said, “No, this is reality my son. And the reality is, you have no means to pay the bride price unless you work for me.”
And so there was nothing else left for Jacob to do except agreeing to his uncle’s conditions. The trickster got tricked. For the first time in his life, Jacob got the bitter taste of his own medicine.