Key Figures in the Torah
Through its narratives of early Jewish leaders, known collectively as the patriarchs and the matriarchs,, the Torah has shaped the ethical dimensions of the religion and culture:
Patriarchs
Avraham, meaning “father of many” the first patriarch is considered the first Jew. Leading the Israelites to Canaan, he entered into a covenant that established modern monotheism as the basic for Judaism. The father of Isaac and husband of Sarah, Abraham is best known for Akedat Yitzchak (the “binding of Isaac”), where the intervention of an angel at Mount Moriah saved his son from sacrifice. Yitzchak, the only son of Abraham and Sarah remained in Canaan throughout his life. His marriage to Rebekah produced Esau and Jacob, important figures in Jewish history. The father of twelve sons and a daughter during his marriages to Leah and Rachel, Jacob wrestles with an Angle who declares he with then be called Yisrael (Israel, or “one who has struggled with the Lord”) upon his return to Canaan.
Matriarchs
Sarah (also known as “Sarai” earlier in the Torah), the wife of Abraham, is known for her beauty and intelligence. As the first matriarch, she is widely admired for her poise and was protected by an angel in Egypt, later giving birth to Isaac after her youth was restored by a miracle. Issac’s wife, Rebekah (or “Rivka”) was chosen on the basis of her character after helping Eliezer, Avaraham’s servant, through the desert. Rachel fell in love with, and married, Jacob after he was cajoled into marrying her sister Leah (by her father, Laban) hidden by a veil at the ceremony for seven years - Leah later gave birth to six sons and a daughter during their marriage. As a result of the veiling, modern Jewish wedding traditions require a bridal unveiling during the ceremony.