The Birth of Binyamin and Rochel's Soul Transmigrating Into Him

Rabbi Zweig analyzes the difficult pesukim in Parshas Vayishlach surrounding the birth of Binyamin and Rochel's death. The Torah (תורה) states that while traveling, Rochel gave birth and had difficulty in childbirth (vatikash belidasa). The midwife tells her "al tiri ki gam zeh lach ben" (don't fear, for this is also a son for you). As Rochel's soul was departing "ki meisa" (because she was dying), she named him Ben-Oni, but his father called him Binyamin. The shiur asks multiple textual questions: Why does the pasuk say "vateled Rochel" (and Rochel gave birth) before describing the difficulty? What does "ki gam zeh lach ben" mean—why "gam" (also)? What comfort is there in telling a dying woman she has a son? Why does the Torah add the seemingly redundant phrase "ki meisa"? Most fundamentally, what kind of name is Ben-Oni to give a child, essentially telling him "you killed your mother"? And why does the father have the right to change the name the mother gave? Rabbi Zweig suggests that Rashi (רש"י)'s comment about twins born with Binyamin may indicate a multiple birth—perhaps Rochel first gave birth to twin daughters without difficulty, and then had trouble delivering Binyamin. This would explain "gam zeh lach ben" (this also is a son for you, in addition to the daughters). The midwife wasn't just announcing the gender but highlighting that after the daughters came a son. The shiur notes that only by Binyamin does the Torah mention a midwife speaking, raising questions about why this detail appears here uniquely.