Thousands Visit Tomb of Rachel Imeinu for Annual Commemoration
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Thousands gathered at Rachel Imeinu's tomb on Thursday, November 10, for her annual commemoration. Revered as the "mother of all" Jews, she is prayed to for various needs. A 40-day custom of lighting candles, giving charity, and praying is observed, with many reporting answered prayers.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Thousands visited Rachel Imeinu's tomb on Thursday for her annual commemoration.
- Rachel is considered the "mother of all" Jewish people, not just her two tribes.
- Her tomb is located on the outskirts of Bethlehem.
- A 40-day custom involves daily candle lighting, charity, and prayer.
- The prayers are for salvation in marriage, childbirth, health, and livelihood.
- Some individuals have reported answered prayers through this custom.
Thousands of people visited the tomb of Rachel Imeinu (Rachel our mother) on Thursday, November 10, marking the annual commemoration of her passing, observed on the 11th of Cheshvan. Although Rachel was the mother of only two of the twelve tribes of Israel, she is revered as the "mother of all" the Jewish people.
Rachel's tomb, located on the outskirts of Bethlehem near the ancient road connecting Shechem and Hebron, is a significant historical site. She passed away at the age of 36 while giving birth to Benjamin and is the only matriarch not buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs. Her burial site is described in the Book of Genesis as being on the road to Ephrath, which is modern-day Bethlehem.
A widespread custom associated with Rachel Imeinu is the "40-day blessing," where individuals light a candle daily for 40 consecutive days in her memory, give charity, and recite a personal prayer. This practice stems from the belief that Rachel, who experienced personal sorrow, intercedes before God on behalf of her people.
Many women observe this custom, praying for salvation in areas such as finding a spouse, bearing children, healing, and financial sustenance. Some have shared testimonies on social media about their prayers being answered during or after the 40-day period. The tradition emphasizes maintaining the daily sequence, with candles lit before Shabbat begins on Friday evenings.
