After Abraham purchased the field of Ephron the Hittite in Hebron, and after Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rivkah were buried in the Machpelah Cave, it was expected that Jacob and his wives would also be buried at the site. So it was surprising when Rachel passed away while giving birth to Benjamin, her second son, and was buried on a lonely roadside near Ephrath. The traditional site of Rachel’s Tomb now stands in Bethlehem, adjacent to the modern city of Efrat.
Rachel was intentionally buried in Bethlehem, on the side of the road on which the Jews were forcibly marched into exile following the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash. The solitude of Rachel’s
burial site, and her identity as a yearning mother, gave the people of Israel fortitude as they passed by her on their way to exile, reassuring them that God would keep his promise to return them (see Jeremiah 31:14-16):
Today, Rachel’s Tomb, considered the third holiest site in Judaism, has become a pilgrimage site for Jews to pray, especially women who, like Rachel was for so many years, are childless.
Come inside the very holy Tomb of Rachel in Bethlehem, where busloads of worshipers
come to pray in the merit of our Matriarch. Listen closely, to the beautiful English song called "Mama Rachel" which accompanies the video, and feel inspired by its message of hope and prayer for "Rachel’s children."