The commentators are divided as to whether the teraphim were or were not considered idols. Rashi, based on his understanding of the Midrash in Bereshit Rabbah 74, equates the teraphim with idols. This interpretation is based on Lavan's own statement when he confronts Ya'akov over the theft of the teraphim:

"למה גנבת את אלהי?"– “Why have you stolen my gods?” (Bereshit 31:30) The use of the term “אלהי” would indicate that the teraphim were indeed idols.

Yet, Ramban claims that the teraphim were not idols, but came to take on the importance of gods in the eyes of Lavan. Ramban's opinion reflects a number of commentators, including Ibn Ezra and Rashbam, who identify the teraphim as astrological instruments that have the power to provide information about the future. This opinion is based on a number of Biblical sources. Both Ramban and Ibn Ezra point to the fact that there were teraphim in the House of David as indicated in

Shmuel I 19:13:

ותקח מיכל את התרפים ותשם אל המטה ואת כביר העזים שמה מראשותיו ותכס בבגד.

And Michal took the teraphim and laid them on the bed and put a pillow of goats hair at its head, and covered it with a cloth.

How, they ask, could teraphim be found in David's domain if they were idols? Furthermore, the term “teraphim” is found in a number of prophetic orations in a context that indicates that they were not idols:

כי ימים רבים ישבו בני ישראל אין מלך ואין שר ואין זבח ואין מצבה ואין אפוד ותרפים. (הושע ג:ד)

For the Children of Israel shall remain for many days having no king, nor prince, nor sacrifice, nor ephod nor teraphim. (Hoshea 3:4)

כי התרפים דברו און והקוסמים חזו שקר וחלומות השוא ידברו הבל ינחמון על כן נסעו כמו צאן יענו כי אין רעה. (זכריה י:ב)

For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have forseen a lie, and the dreams tell falsehood, they comfort in vain; therefore, they went their way as a flock, they were afflicted because there was no shepherd. (Zechariah 10:2)

Why Did Rachel Steal The Teraphim?

There are two schools of thought among the commentators regarding Rachel's motivation in taking her father's teraphim, corresponding to the two schools of thought regarding the nature of the teraphim.

Those commentators who view the teraphim as idols contend that Rachel took the teraphim in order to protect her father by weaning him from idol worship:

ותגנוב רחל את התרפים אשר לאביה: והיא לא נתכוונה אלא לשם שמים. אמרה: "מה אנא מיזיל לי ונשבוק הדין סבא בקלקוליה?"

“And Rachel stole her father's teraphim”: Yet her purpose was indeed noble, for the sake of heaven, for she said: “Shall we go and leave this old man (Lavan) in his errors?” (Bereshit Rabbah 74)

רש"י: "ותגנב רחל את התרפים": להפריש אביה מעבודה זרה נתכוונה.

Rashi: “And Rachel stole the teraphim”: Her intention was to separate her father from idol worship.

רבינו בחיי: ורבינו חננאל כתב כי מה שגנבה אותם כדי שיחזור בו ושיאמר אלוה הגנוב אין בו ממש.

Rabbeinu Bachya: Rabbeinu Hananel wrote: The reason that she stole them was so that he (Lavan) would repent and say that gods that can be stolen are powerless.

According to Rashi and the Midrash, Rachel may have taken the teraphim so that Lavan would not be able to worship them, or, as Rabbeinu Bachya suggests, in order to demonstrate that his gods were really powerless.

This approach is questioned by Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel. Ibn Ezra asserts that if that was indeed Rachel's goal, she could have achieved it in a better manner:

ויש אומרים שרחל גנבתם לבטל עבודה זרה מאביה, ואילו היה כן, למה הוליכה אותם עמה ולא טמנתם בדרך.

And there are those who say that Rachel stole them in order eliminate idol worship by her father, but if so, why did she take them with her and not bury them along the way?[1]

Ibn Ezra questions why Rachel would keep real idols, which were an abomination, in her possession when she could have achieved her goal by simply burying them. Abarbanel's objection, on the other hand, is based on the assumption that taking the teraphim would in any case be an ineffective way of convincing Lavan to abandon his idol worship.

איך נתפתתה רחל לגנוב את התרפים אשר לאביה? האם חשבה להרחיקו מעכו"ם כדבריהם ז"ל? באמת סכלות גדולה יהיה זה לה בחושבה שלעת זקנותו ישנה דעתו, ואם היות שנגנבו ממנו התרפים יעשה לו אלוהים אחרים תחתיהם. או אם חשקה בהם רחל לעובדם כאביה זה לא יתכן חלילה וחס.

How could Rachel be tempted to steal the teraphim that were in her father's house? Did she think that she would distance him from idolatry, as the earlier commentators suggest? Was it realistic of her to think that in his old age, he would change his ways? And if he found that his idols had ben stolen, he could make others in their place. If you contend that Rachel wanted to use them as her father had – this could not be – heaven forbid !

The second school of thought, consisting of those commentators who view the teraphim as astrological or magical devices, claim that Rachel took them in order to protect her family.

אבן עזרא: והקרוב שהיה לבן אביה יודע מזלות ופחדה שאביה יסתכל במזלות לדעת איזה דרך ברחו.

Ibn Ezra: And the most logical explanation is that her father Lavan knew astrology, and she feared that he would observe the signs and discover which direction they had fled.

רשב"ם: שלא יגידו ויודיעו ללבן כי יעקב רוצה לברוח.

Rashbam: So they would not tell and inform Lavan that Ya'akov wished to flee.

According to this opinion, Rachel believed that the teraphim would enable Lavan to locate Ya'akov and his family. Her theft of the teraphim was, thus, a preventive measure designed to protect her family.

Ya'akov's Reaction

Clearly, Ya'akov did not believe that anybody in his family would have taken Lavan's teraphim. He, therefore, makes a rash statement in response to Lavan's accusation that someone in Ya'akov' camp has stolen the teraphim:

עם אשר תמצא את אלהיך לא יחיה נגד אחינו הכר לך מה עמדי וקח לך… (בראשית לא:לב)

Anyone with whom you find your gods, let him not live. Before our brethren, discern what that is yours is with me, and take it…(Bereshit 31:32)

The commentators disagree as to whether Ya'akov's declaration ultimately led to the death of Rachel. Rashi assumes that it did:

רש"י: לא יחיה - ומאותה קללה מתה רחל.

Rashi: Let him not live - And because of that curse, Rachel died.

Ibn Ezra, on the other hand, indicates that Ya'akov was only implying that he would kill the person, presumably one of his servants, in whose possession the teraphim would be found:

אבן עזרא: לא יחיה - רק אהרגנו. ויש אומרים שהוא דרך תפילה על כן מתה רחל. אם כן יודיעני מי התפלל על אשת פנחס.

Ibn Ezra: Let him not live - Only I will kill him. And there are those who say that it is a prayer, and therefore Rachel died. If so, let him inform me who prayed about the wife of Pinchas.

Ibn Ezra challenges Rashi's understanding by implying that Rachel's demise was a case of death in childbirth, which was a common occurrence in Biblical times. He cites as support, the death of the wife of Pinchas in childbirth, which occurred without any prayer or curse having been uttered. Baal HaTurim follows Ibn Ezra's line of thinking, claiming that Ya'akov's declaration was simply a figure of speech that underscored the gravity of the offense in Ya'akov's eyes.

בעל הטורים: לא יחיה - ראוי לתלות כגנב – וידי תהיה בו ראשונה להמיתו.

Baal HaTurim: Let him not live - It would be appropriate for him to hang like a thief – and my hand would be the first against him to kill him.

In any case, according to all three commentators, Ya'akov considered the theft of the teraphim as a grave and inappropriate act. Certainly, if the teraphim were idols, it would mitigate against their being taken and kept in the possession of Ya'akov's family. The same would be true, however, if the teraphim were only magical or astrological instruments, in accordance with the Ramban's understanding of the injunction in Devarim 18:13: “You shall be whole-hearted with the Lord your God” (מים תהיה עם ה' אלהיך).

שנייחד לבבנו אליו לבדו ונאמין שהוא לבדו עושה כל והוא היודע אמתת כל עתיד, וממנו לבדו נדרוש העתידות, מנביאים או מאנשי חסידיו רצוני לומר אורים ותומים. ולא נדרוש מהוברי שמים ולא מזולתם, ולא נבטח שיבואו דבריהם על כל פנים.

This implies that we direct our hearts exclusively to Him, believing that he alone is the doer of all and it is He who knows the truth regarding the future and it is from Him that we should ask what is to come, from His prophets and pious ones, meaning the “urim vetumim”. We should not consult soothsayers nor believe that their words will be authenticated.

It is clear that this is a value to which Ya'akov, the “ish tam” (איש תם), would aspire.

[1] Ibn Ezra's reference to the burial of the idols may be connected to Bereshit 35:4: “And they gave to Ya'akov all of the strange gods that were in their hands, and all of the earrings that were in their ears, and Ya'akov buried the under the oak which was by Shechem.”