Sefira can be a bit of a weird time for moms. Besides for calculating when your toddler can get their next haircut and keeping tabs on how many days you have left to plan your Shavuos menu… what are you supposed to feel? How does this relate to you as a mom?

The days of the Omer give us a glimpse into the lives of Rebbe Akiva and his wife Rachel. And trust me, after you learn this, you’ll never feel the same way about Sefira again. 

Two mothers, one soul

Rachel Immeinu played an enormous role in building the Jewish nation. As the wife of Jacob, the legal mother of Dan and Naftali, and the biological mother of Yosef and Binyamin, she was one of the cornerstones of Am Israel. Yet Rachel died in childbirth, at a young age – and was buried alone on the roadside. She never merited to raised her own children and complete her life’s mission.

1,500 years later, another Rachel lived an equally painful, impactful and intriguing life. As the daughter of the wealthy and powerful Kalba Savua, this Rachel gave up everything she had—wealth, comfort and status – to marry a poor and unlearned shepherd named Akiva. Why? Because she saw the untapped potential of Akiva’s beautiful soul.

She sent him to learn Torah for 24 years. She lived alone with her children, estranged from her father, scraping by in poverty and disgrace. And when Akiva returned as Rebbe Akiva, a Torah giant surrounded by 24,000 students, he famously said:

שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלָּכֶם שֶׁלָּהּ הוּא

“All that is mine and yours—belongs to her.”
(Ketubot 63a)

Rachel the wife of the Rebbe Akiva didn’t just support Torah. She sacraficed everything for it, and brought it into the world though her very will. Many Kabbalistic teachings see this as the completion of Rachel Immeinu’s original mission. The soul of Rachel Immeinu returned to ensure that Torah would not only survive, but carry the future generations of Jewry, for all of history. And that’s exactly what happened.

Completing Rachel’s mission

Rebbe Akiva as a Spark of Jacob:
The Arizal tells us that Rebbe Akiva was a reincarnation of Yaakov Avinu. Just as Jacob spent years laboring for his Rachel and endured hardship in exile, Rebbe Akiva endured years of poverty and separation in pursuit of Torah. Both men start as shepherds, working for their father-in-law, and later become spiritual giants. Both names—Yaakov and Akiva—share the same root, עקב, symbolizing humility, persistence, and transformation.

Rebbe Akiva’s journey to Torah began by watching drops of water slowly hollowing out a stone. If something as soft as water could carve through rock, he reasoned, then the power of Torah – fierce and eternal – could carve its way into his heart.

Centuries earlier, Yaakov rolled a massive stone off the mouth of a well to give water Rachel’s sheep. But Chassidic sources teach that this was more than an act of strength or kindness – it was a spiritual unveiling. In that moment, Yaakov saw a glimpse of the future: another Rachel, standing by another kind of well. Bringing forth not water, but Torah. Not sheep, but students.

Just as water has the power to hollow stone, just as love clears obstacles, just as sacrifice births Torah—Yaakov rolling the mammoth stone off of the well foreshadowed the moment Akiva’s heart would soften, and a flood of Torah would begin to flow.

Rachel as a Tikkun for Rachel:
Rachel Immeinu died in childbirth—her life ended just as she brought new life into the world. She never merited to raise her children, and was not even given the chance to rest beside her husband in burial. Her whole life’s story is a song incomplete, a sad and poignant longing for what could be. What should be.

15 centuries later, another Rachel took up the mission. Rebbe Akiva’s wife gave up everything to build a future rooted in Torah. And through her sacrifice, she created a generation of 24,000 Torah students. Through her surrender and unwavering faith, she carried the body and soul of the Jewish people forward.

Rachel Immeinu’s life stopped short as she was bringing new life into the world. Rachel, wife of Rebbe Akiva, completed the mission: life was not just created, but filled with purpose and passed on. By building Rebbe Akiva’s students, Rachel mirrored her earlier existence as the spiritual mother of Am Yisrael.

Death, grief and despair

But then: heartbreak.

In the span of 33 days, Rebbe Akiva’s 24,000 students all died. His Torah empire, born through decades of mental and spiritual toil – wiped out in a matter of weeks.

How can Rachel bear this? The woman who waited alone for 24 years, scraping by, dreaming of a Torah future. Who lived for this. Yearned for this. Prayed for this. Gone.

The grief was unbearable.

And it sounds familiar…

Rachel Imeinu died in childbirth, as she was creating new life. She brought something holy into the world, and lost her own life in the process.

Rebbe Akiva’s 24,000 students died during the days of the Omer. For Rachel and her husband, this meant losing their life’s work and spiritual legacy.

Two stories, one pattern: something spiritual, powerful and creative is born.

And then – it’s gone.

Each Rachel gave everything to bring something sacred into existence. And both were met with heartbreak, at the moment of birth.

Love runs deeper than surrender

And then… another plot twist.

Neither story ends in despair.

From Rachel Imeinu’s death came Binyamin—a child born in heartbreak (you want to talk about birth trauma?!) whose tribe would become a symbol of strength in exile. Who would carry resilience and passion, and house the Beis Hamikdash in their portion of land.

From the ashes of Rachel and Rebbe Akiva’s loss came five new students – five seeds of redemption. Chief among them: Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, mystic, rebel, revealer of secrets.

Two Rachels. One story.

Creation and grief are inseparable.

And yet, what was created still lives on.

Binyamin became a powerful tribe that persevered through exile.
Rebbe Akiva rebuilt from the ground up through his five students, carrying on Torah learning through the ages.

We all carry Rachel within us

According to Chassidus, Rachel represents the Shechinah—the Divine Presence and manifestation of Mother. She embodies nurturing, protection, and profound maternal love. Many souls – especially those of women who are especially nurturing or endure hardship with grace – are believed to carry sparks of her soul.

This isn’t just ancient history – it’s the raw and living truth of motherhood.

To create, to nurture, to pour your entire being into something – is to risk losing it.

A baby who grows but leaves you aching in ways you never expected.

Dreams you cradle that change shape or fade as the years go by.
Parts of yourself that feel lost beneath the weight of it all.

Motherhood doesn’t protect us from loss.
It often opens us to it.

And yet, like Mother Rachel, we keep creating, nurturing, loving and holding on to what lives on, even when it feels hopeless.

Because what we birth – whether children, dreams, or legacies – carries a life and meaning beyond grief.

The loss is real. And so is the love and truth that remains.

Motherhood is full of these moments: deep love mixed with loss, pain alongside hope. And like Rachel Immeinu, Rachel wife of Rebbe Akiva, and the Rachel inside of us, we integrate it all — grieving, loving, and believing that what we’ve brought into the world, carries on.

Motherhood isn’t just about the children you raise – it’s about the legacy you build. It’s more than nurturing children; it’s about mending wounds, guiding souls, and shaping futures. Motherhood bridges generations, healing and completing missions that began long before. Mothers shape the world.

Your motherhood matters

The days of the Omer reminds us: motherhood is sacred work. It’s filled with unseen sacrifices, long waits, and quiet faith that can move mountains and change the course of history.

Rachel teaches us that motherhood is timeless, uniting past and present of millennia. She shows us that the love, strength, and vision a mother holds can ripple through history—changing lives in ways we can barely begin to imagine.

So next time you feel worn down, overwhelmed or invisible, when your sacrifice feels unseen, remember: 

You’re carrying a legacy older than time. You are standing with Rachel Immeinu and Rachel, wife of Rebbe Akiva – and you’re the next in line, bearing the light for generations yet to come.

This work is sacred. It is eternal.

Motherhood is a spiritual mission that echoes across lifetimes, planting seeds of faith and endurance. It is a living Torah that sustain generations. Your role shapes the future in ways you may never fully see – and your impact will echo through generations.