Eliezer arrives in Charan. Rivka gives him water to drink. The Torah states: “And she finished giving him to drink. And she said, ‘Also for your camels I will draw water until they finish drinking.’ “(Genesis 24:19) Why does the Torah specify that she will draw water rather than writing “I will give the camels to drink”? The great Spanish Rabbi, the Abarbanel, tells us that Rivkah was meticulously careful not to say anything that would be untrue. Therefore, she said she would draw water, as if to say, “I don’t know for sure if they will drink or not, but I will draw water for them. If they want to, they can drink.” Rabbi Shmuel Walkin adds that we see here how careful we should be to keep away from saying anything untrue. He cites as an example Rabbi Refael of Bershid who was always very careful to refrain from saying anything that was untrue. One day he entered his home while it was raining outside. When asked if it was still raining, he replied, “When I was outside it was raining.” He did not want to mislead in case it had stopped raining from the time he entered his home. Rabbi Zelig Pliskin explains: ‘This may seem to be ridiculous or inconsequential. However, if a person is careful with keeping to the truth in such instances, he will definitely be careful in more important matters. On the other hand, if a person is careless with the truth, he can even be tempted to lie in major ways.’
| “And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough and ran again unto the well to draw – and drew for all his camels.” (Genesis 24:20) |
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato takes note of the swiftness with which Rivka performed her act of kindness: “She hastened” and “ran again.” As the Midrash states, “All of the deeds of the righteous are done quickly” (Bamidbar Rabbah 10:7). Rabbi Luzzatto writes: “The man whose soul yearns to perform the will of his Creator will not be lazy in the performance of His mitzvos. His movements will be as the quick movements of a fire and he will not rest or be still until the deed has been completed” (Mesilas Yesharim, Chapter 6). Rabbi Isaac Sher commented on this that even a seeming minor action, such as giving someone water, can be spiritually elevated when prompted by the proper motivation. When Rivka gave water to Eliezer and his camels, she did it with a love for chesed (kindness) which was manifest in her speed. For this deed she was deemed worthy of becoming the mother of the Jewish People. Rabbi Sher encouraged people to elevate the level of their chesed. Most people perform many acts of kindness daily by mere habit. If we were to consider these seemingly insignificant acts not as automatic behavioral responses, but rather as opportunities to do the will of the Almighty, we would succeed in transforming the mundane into the sublime.
With regard to Rebecca, the Torah states: “Isaac brought her into the tent [of] his mother Sarah” (24:67) Rashi and Midrash Rabba comment that this verse can also be punctuated “Isaac brought her into the tent—his mother Sarah,” implying that when she came into the tent she became, in effect, his mother Sarah. For as long as Sarah lived, a cloud (signifying the Divine Presence) hung over her tent. When she died, the cloud disappeared; but when Rebecca came, it returned. As long as Sarah lived, her doors were wide open. At her death, that openhandedness ceased; but when Rebecca came, it returned. As long as Sarah lived, there was a blessing on her dough, and the lamp used to burn from the evening of the Sabbath until the evening of the following Sabbath. When she died, these ceased; but when Rebecca came, they returned.
Prepared by Devorah Abenhaim
