Each of the three generations which these ancestors compose has a unique spiritual identity and role in the founding of the Israelite nation, whose purpose it is to embody – and thus reveal – G-dliness in the world.

But, while Abraham was married to Sarah, and Isaac to Rebecca, Jacob, the father of all the Twelve Tribes of Israel was married to two of our Matriarchs, Rachel and Leah; in addition, each of these two of Jacob’s wives had a maidservant, each also considered a wife of Jacob, who birthed many of those tribes.

Why did Jacob’s generation have two Matriarchs (instead of just one, like previous generations), and why were Rachel and Leah’s holy maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah, also mothers of Jacob’s offspring to be heads of the Twelve Tribes, not included among the Matriarchs?

Jewish mysticism teaches that there are three main archetypal spiritual qualities utilized to express G-dliness in the world. They are “chesed” – loving-kindness, “gevurah” – strength, and “tiferet” – the beautiful harmony of the previous two enjoined.

These three mystical forces were manifest by the three above generations which founded the Israelite nation. Abraham is associated with the spiritual energy of “chesed”, Isaac with “gevurah”, and Jacob with “tiferet”.¹ Kabbalists teach that in a perfect world there should/could have been just three Matriarchs, coupled with the Three Patriarchs.

While the spiritual roots of Abraham and Isaac's respective soul mates remained intact, Jacob's partner needed to be "divided up", in order to be repaired properly

The need to rectify that transgression demanded that numerous additional dimensions be actualized in order for the damaged details to be repaired.  While the spiritual roots of Abraham and Isaac’s respective soul mates remained intact, Jacob’s partner needed to be “divided up”, in order to be repaired properly.

Jewish mystical masters explain that his soul mate was essentially divided into four complementary identities:

her revealed intellectual (sometimes explained as “upper front”) aspect manifest as Leah; her hidden alter-intellect (“upper back”) manifest as Zilpah; her revealed emotional/physical aspect (“lower front”) manifest as Rachel; and her hidden physical aspect (“lower back”) manifest as Bilhah.

With each of these unique aspects of Jacob’s soul mate identified and localized, the particular fixing for each of their counterparts in the spiritual worlds could be more easily effected. In fact, the task of rectifying these particulars was also placed upon the specific tribes which issued from these respective mothers.

So, essentially, it can be said that there are an equal number of Patriarchs and Matriarchs – just that Jacob’s partner was first “split” into two (Rachel and Leah) and then into four (with Bilhah and Zilpah); our understanding of the maidservants being the concealed “backs” of the revealed Rachel and Leah, as described above, accounts for our not numbering them among the essential Matriarchs.

In the age of the Final Redemption, we will see that really there was only one essential soul mate of Jacob, also known as “Israel”. Our mystical masters teach that this is one of the secrets of the concept of the long anticipated Ingathering of the Exiles and the uniting of the Tribes, which have been dispersed for so long.

When all the Children of Israel finally come together, may it be soon in our days, the rectification and unification of this world – and indeed all the spiritual worlds – will be apparent and clear to all.