Parashas Chaiyei Sarah
In this week’s parashah, we read of Eliezer’s expedition to Aram Naharaim to seek a wife for Yitzchak. When Eliezer arrived there, he prayed to Hashem (Bereishis 24:12): “Hashem, God of my master Avraham, please arrange it for me today, that You will do kindness for my master Avraham.” The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 60:1) links this entreaty with the following verse (Yeshayah 50:10): “Who among you is God-fearing, heeding the voice of His servant? Even when walking in darkness, with no light to guide him, he constantly trusts in the Name of Hashem, and relies upon his God.” The Midrash states:
Who among You is God-fearing? This refers to Eliezer. Heeding the voice of His servant – the voice of Avraham, who was the servant of Hashem. … Even when walking in darkness – when going out to bring Rivkah. … He constantly trusts in the Name of Hashem, and relies upon his God. Thus, he prayed: “Hashem, God of my master Avraham, please arrange it for me today, that You will do kindness for my master Avraham.”
The Maggid explains that Eliezer’s choice to make Avraham his master was motivated solely by his fear of Hashem and of those who serve Him. He wished to devote himself to heeding the voice of Avraham, Hashem’s noble servant. We can see Eliezer’s dedication through his attitude toward his mission. When he went on his search, he was in the dark – he did not know where to look. An ordinary servant, one who is merely doing a job to make a living, would balk at such an assignment and try to get himself out of it. But Eliezer was no ordinary servant. He was not acting out of his own interests; rather, his sole aim was to do what Avraham wished. Even when given a seemingly impossible mission, he strove with all his heart to carry it out, devising all kinds of strategies to achieve the goal. And he trusted that Hashem would arrange for him to succeed. Moreover, when he prayed to Hashem for success, what he put at the fore was Avraham’s interests, not his own – “do kindness for my master Avraham.” Eliezer’s conduct throughout the expedition showed clearly that was a loyal servant with true fear of Hashem.
David Zucker, Site Administrator
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