Genesis 30

Wow, what a lot of pettiness.  Especially, "Give me children or I shall die!", what a drama queen.  But also shows how much a woman's identity/self-worth was wrapped up in bearing children, this whole part of the chapter does.  Again with the maidservants!  I really wonder how they felt about all this--I think it would be horrible to have your children taken away to be raised by someone else, but still have to see them every day.  Then the incident with the mandrakes.  That, I think, shows the relationship between Rachel and Leah very clearly.  Love how Leah says "You must come in to me; for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes."  Why would you tell him that?  I feel like she was trying to rub in her victory, but I also think it was mostly just awkward.  Have I mentioned before that Jacob can't have disliked Leah that much since they had 6 sons and must have been having a lot of sex?  Then the story with Jacob and the speckled sheep and goats.  I always used to really like the story, but now I think it was just horrible from Jacob, just more deception on his part.  Especially when he chooses to try and make only the good sheep have speckled babies.