The Matriarchs, known as the Ima-[h]ot in Hebrew, are four important women mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible. They are Sarah wife of Abraham, Rebecca wife of Isaac, and Leah and Rachel the wives of Jacob. They are considered to be the ancestral "mothers" of the ancient Children of Israel as well as of the Jewish people.
Thus classical Judaism considers itself to have three male Patriarchs and four mothers.
In fact, I now believe that a major function of Bible stories is to teach sexuality education: many of the stories and many of the laws contain information to help people understand the important role that sexuality plays in their lives.
However, the matriarchs of the Hebrew Bible are all initially infertile: "God chose three infertile women and one woman [Leah] who was not desirable to her husband to bear children who would inherit the covenant."1 God's direct intervention helps these women to conceive.
Bible stories and passages can help people identify and live according to their own values and to discriminate between sexual decisions that are life-enhancing or destructive.
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