Rachel trades her husband’s favors for some mandrakes. And so, when Jacob came home, Leah said: “Thou must come in unto me, for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.” Presumably God, by telling us this edifying story, is teaching us something about sexual ethics. (30:15-16)
Respond: There is no sexual ethics has both the sisters were competing with each other and moreover both were wives of Jacob so if Leah hires Jacob or not after all it is between husband and wife, so stupid question, and waste of time. If we read (Gen 29:24-30) when Jacob realizes that Laban gave Leah has a wife instead of Rachel to Jacob, Laban said ‘it is not the custom in our country to give the younger before the elder”. Leah is conceived first because this was what Yahweh God saw that she was neglected or hated (Gen 29:31-35). Rachel was jealous of her elder sister Leah that she was unable to conceive so she gave her slave-girl Bilhah to Jacob so she can give a child. This is when Leah gets jealous of Rachel for Rachel gave her slave-girl Bilhah to Jacob and makes her an offer that if Rachel gives Jacob to Leah she will be pleased to give the mandrakes. Later Rachel conceives and gives a son named Joseph (Gen 30:22-24). We notice that it was God’s plan and not human intervention that Jacob bore a sons.