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Biblical accounts of fertility travails most always ended with a
happy resolution. As each woman coped with infertility, the Torah
records and validates an array of emotions, among them jealousy and
depression.
God told her husband, Abraham, that he would father descendants
who would outnumber the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5). Sarah
knew all about the prophecy and as she became old and still no
baby arrived, she encouraged her husband to be with her maid,
Hagar, so he could have children with her. Sarah utilized Hagar
as a sort of surrogate, giving her the opportunity to bear
children with Abraham. However rather than expressing gratitude
to Sarah, Hagar taunted Sarah and demeaned her for her inability
to conceive. “When [Hagar] saw that she had conceived, her
mistress was despised in her eyes (Genesis 16:5). Three angels
and one miracle later her son Isaac arrived (Genesis 21:1).
Sarah’s daughter-in-law Rebecca (Rivkah) faced a similar trial, she did
not conceive for the first twenty years of her marriage to
Isaac. The Talmud (Yebamot 64a) identifies Isaac as the one with
the fertility issues. Prayer worked for the couple, and Rebecca
conceived. Though having to bear a difficult pregnancy, Rebecca
was awarded with twin sons Jacob and Esau, who became patriarchs
of the Jewish and Edomite nations respectively.
In the next generation, the complexities of fertility vs.
infertility were played out between two of Jacob’s four wives,
the sisters Rachel and Leah. “And when God saw that Leah was
hated, He opened her womb and Rachel was barren.” During
biblical times, generations after that and even in certain
circles today, women were valued for their ability to bear
children – especially boys. Leah gives birth to four boys, and
Rachel is consumed with envy. She pleads with Jacob: “Give me
children or else I die” (Genesis 30:2). To encourage Rachel to
pray to God Jacob responds “Am I in the place of God who has
withheld from you the fruit of your belly.”
God does finally listen to Rachel beseeching prayers as she has
to first bear the shame of not only her sister having more sons,
but their respective maids as well.
“God remembered Rachel and God heard her and God opened her
womb” (Genesis 30:22). After giving birth, Rachel says: “God has
taken away my shame.”
Samson, one of the judges of Israel, turned warrior who fought
bravely against the Philistines, was also the offspring of a
couple who struggled many years with infertility. Manoah and his
wife were childless for many years, and they too turned to
prayer for salvation.
After years of prayer, an angel appears to Samson’s mother and
says “Now you are barren and have not given birth. You will
become pregnant and give birth to a son.” There are conditions
and stipulations associated with this promise. The angel leaves
explicit instructions on how this child is to be raised, as well
as how the mother is to behave during the pregnancy, since that
too would affect the growing fetus. The angel returns at
Manoah’s request to verify what he had told his wife, and
shortly thereafter the woman conceives and later bears a son she
names Samson.
“And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the
child grew and the Lord blessed him. And the spirit of the Lord
began to move him…” (Judges 13:24-25)
The great prophet Samuel was also conceived by a women who had
to contend with infertility for many years. Hannah was married
to Elkana, who had a second wife named Penina. Unlike Hannah who
was barren, Penina was very fertile, Talmudic commentators
speculate that she had as many as seven children. While taunted
by Penina, Hannah was showered with love and concern by her
husband, who tried to assuage her pain.
Three times a year the family would trek to Jerusalem to partake
in the festivities of the three Jewish Holidays of Sukkot,
Passover and Shavuot. On one of those occasions, Hannah ventured
on her own to the temple courtyard. There she wept and beseeched
God to bless her with child. She promised, as she feverishly
prayed, that if she bore a son, she would dedicate him to
serving God. Eli, the high priest was watching the distraught
Hannah as she poured her heart to God, mumbling the prayer
thought her drunk. It was only after she explained her plight
and her woeful plea to God that Eli promised to pray for her to
have her wish granted. Hannah conceived soon after and bore a
son who was become the great prophet Samuel anointer of two
great Jewish kings, Saul and David.
Why did God put the trial of infertility before so many major
figures of the Torah? “God desires to hear the prayers of the
righteous,” answer the rabbis of the Talmud. While many
descriptions of infertility are explained this way, there are
some instances where infertility is thought to come as a result
of Divine displeasure.
Generations later, there is another allusion to infertility as
punishment. Michal, daughter of King Saul, criticized her
husband King David for dancing wildly before the Ark of the Lord
as it was returned to Jerusalem. “As the Ark of the Lord entered
the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul look out of the
window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord;
and she despised him for it (2 Samuel 6:16). After rebuking him
for acting without regal composure, the verses continue. “And to
her dying day, Michal daughter of Saul had no children” (2
Samuel 6:23).
Even those who believe in Divine reward and punishment would not
have the audacity to identify a personal shortcoming as God’s
reason for causing infertility. “Even if a person would live
thousands of years, one could never understand God’s accounting”
(Yah Ribbon Olam, a Sabbath song).
Michal’s predicament could better be explained as a result of
marital discord than a reproductive problem. Isn’t it logical
that David could have ended his sexual relationship with Michal
after she chastised him? This is especially since he had several
other wives, including the beautiful Bathsheba to occupy his
time.
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