If any parent was sensitive to this issue, it should have been Jacob. Every child longs for love from their parents. Even when children are grown they still want the approval and affirmation of their parents. Many adults grow up feeling that they cannot measure up. I suspect that the sons of Leah, Billhah and Zilpah spent their lives looking for the approval and love of their father.
Some children feel inferior because they are step children.
Others feel less valuable because they are not as academically oriented as a brother or sister. Some feel unloved because they are not outgoing. You can feel this way if you are an only child or if you are one of many. I think we would be shocked at how many people in this sanctuary question the depth of their parents love for them. I think we would be saddened by how many in this sanctuary feel they have been a disappointment to their parents.