Omer 2016 Day 23: Leah

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Day 23: Gevurah in Netzach, Strength in Endurance

"Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes; Rachel was shapely and beautiful." (Genesis 29:16-17)

Rashi interpreted Leah's weak eyes to be from crying, because she thought that, as Laban's oldest daughter, she would have to marry Isaac's oldest son, Esau. According to the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA), "After discovering that Esav would not make a good husband, Leah defies her destiny by refusing to marry him. She is strong in the face of adversity and does not give up."