Editing Mesechtas Berachos (section)

==== "We only call the Matriarchs to four" ====
[[Chazal]] said that "We only call the Patriarchs to three, and we only call the Matriarchs to four."

The Rebbe asks: Regarding the "Patriarchs" - it's understood that "we only call Patriarchs to three," Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, since every single Jew is a son of the three Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But regarding the "Matriarchs" - how can we say that every single Jew is a child of the four Matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah? Seemingly, if one is from the tribe of Joseph, he is not a son of Leah (but a son of Rachel), and if he is from the tribe of Judah, he is not a son of Rachel (but a son of Leah)?

The Rebbe explains that all 12 tribes are divided into two general categories - the children of Rachel and the children of Leah, which also include the children of Zilpah and Bilhah. As the verse states: "Like Rachel and Leah who both built the house of Israel." Based on this, every Jew has three Matriarchs just as he has three Patriarchs, and they are Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel, or Sarah, Rebecca and Leah.

This question is also asked in the Gemara in Berachot: "Regarding the Matriarchs as well, we don't know if we come from Rachel or if we come from Leah." And it concludes: "Rather, up to this point they are important, beyond that they are not important." But it is explained explicitly in Chassidic teachings that in every Jew there are aspects of all three Patriarchs and all the Matriarchs, meaning that even in the children of Leah there is an aspect of Rachel, and even in the children of Rachel there is an aspect of Leah.
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