Why Did Leah Cry So Much? Genesis 29:17 - The Soul of Humanity
- Rabbi Moshe Perets
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
By Rabbi Moshe Perets
Why do some people seem to be born into faith…while others must fight for every inch of spiritual ground?
Why does one soul walk naturally in holiness…while another falls, rises, breaks, rebuilds, and rises again?
In Genesis 29:17, the Torah introduces us to two sisters — Rachel and Leah — and reveals a hidden truth about the two types of souls in the world.
“And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.”
Leah did not have weak eyes.She had eyes that had cried too much.
But why?
Understanding Genesis 29:17
The Midrash and the Sages explain that Leah cried because she heard she might be married to Esau — a fallen man.
But this explanation goes deeper.
Her tears were not just emotional.They were spiritual.
Leah wasn’t crying because of fear alone.
She was crying because she did not want to fall away from God.
Rachel and Leah: Two Types of Souls
In today’s world, we can understand these two sisters as a symbol of two spiritual paths:
✡️ Rachel – The Jewish Soul
Rachel represents the Jewish soul.
A soul born into:
• Torah
• Mitzvot
• Divine service
• A natural spiritual environment
Rachel’s beauty is not only physical. It is the inner beauty of a soul that is already connected.
🌍 Leah – The Soul of Humanity
Leah represents all of humanity.
Those who were not born into divine servicebut must work for it.
Leah is the soul who:
• Falls
• Gets up
• Struggles
• Fails
• Improves
• Refines
• Returns to God
Her tears are not weakness.
They are the tears of transformation.
Leah represents:The non-Jew.The seeker.The struggler.The one who grows through effort.
And through her tears, she becomes…the mother of kings.
The Universal Message for Humanity
Leah teaches us something powerful:
Not being born into holinessdoes not make you less.
Sometimes…it makes your journey greater.
Leah’s soul speaks to:
• Noahides
• Seekers
• People searching for truth
• Humanity striving for God
She teaches that falling is not failure.
Struggling is not weakness.And crying does not make you small.
It makes you real.
Leah and the Noahide Path
The Seven Noahide Laws represent the path of Leah.
Not a path of perfection from birth…but a path of elevation through effort.
This is why the future King David comes from Leah.
This is why redemption comes through struggle.
Because humanity does not rise without effort.
Leah’s tears built a crown.
A Message to Our Global Noahide Communities
In our growing Noahide communities in:
🇵🇭 Philippines
🇮🇩 Indonesia
🇮🇳 India
and many other countries…
We see Leah’s soul awakening.
People who fall…rise again…study…pray…change…become better.
You are not Rachel.
You are Leah.
And that is not a weakness. It is a divine mission.
Join Us Here at the Noahide Academy of Israel
If you feel connected to Leah’s journey and humanity’s spiritual role:
Take Your First Steps
Start here:
Conclusion
Leah cried. But those tears didn’t blind her.
They opened her eyes to eternity.
By Rabbi Moshe Perets
Rabbi Moshe Perets is the President of the Noahide Academy of Israel, Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva and his medical studies at the University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium.
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