AND ABRAHAM WAS OLD, WELL STRICKEN IN AGE. Scripture reiterates [Abraham’s old age although it has already mentioned it]⁵⁷ in order to inform us of the reason that he adjured his servant. Thus Scripture says that because Abraham saw himself to be very old and he thought that if he will send the servant to the land of his origin, perhaps before the messenger would return, he will have gone to his long home,⁵⁸ he therefore adjured his servant — whose counsel Isaac would follow since he ruled over all that he had⁵⁹ — that he should not take for him a wife from the daughters of Canaan. In Bereshith Rabbah,⁶⁰ the Rabbis said: “Here⁶¹. it was old age combined with vitality; further on⁶² it was old age without vitality.” By this the Rabbis wanted to explain that ba’im [literally: “coming” in days — mentioned above]⁵⁷ — means the beginning of the days of old age, as the word ba’im indicates the present, just as, ‘Haba’im’ (those that come) in at these gates.⁶³ But here it says that he was very old for already he was ba bayamim [literally: “he had come in days” — past tense], just as: Thy brother ‘ba’ (came) with subtlety.⁶⁴

footnotes: ⁵⁷ Above, 18:11. ⁵⁸ Ecclesiastes 12:5. ⁵⁹ Verse 2 here. ⁶⁰ 48:19. ⁶¹ That is, above, 18:11, where Scripture says, Now Abraham and Sarah were old ⁶² That is, in the verse before us. ⁵⁷ Above, 18:11. ⁶³ Jeremiah 7:2. ⁶⁴ Further, 27:35.

AND THE ETERNAL HAD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS. I.e., with riches, possessions, honor, longevity and children, which are all the treasures of man. Scripture mentions this in order to say that Abraham was perfect in every detail, lacking in no respect save seeing his son have children who would inherit his superior position and his honor. This was why he desired it. Now our Rabbis have a wonderful insight into this verse. They said:⁶⁵ “And the Eternal had blessed Abraham ‘bakol’ (in all things). Rabbi Meir said that Abraham was blessed in that he did not have a daughter. Rabbi Yehudah said that he did have a daughter. Acheirim⁶⁶ here refers to anonymous authorities or to the opinion of Rabbi Meir’s master, Elisha ben Abuyah, who was also known as Acheir. See Chagigah 15a. say that he did have a daughter and her name was Bakol.”⁶⁷ Rabbi Meir thus explained that Abraham did not have a daughter. This was a blessing for Abraham for he could not have married her except to the cursed sons of Canaan. If he were to send her to his country, she would also worship the idols as they did because a woman is subject to the authority of her husband. Indeed, Abraham did not want his worthy children from his wife Sarah to go outside the Land, and surely not that they worship the idols. Rabbi Yehudah, however, explained that Abraham did have a daughter since the Merciful One did not even cause him to lack a daughter, and that was the blessing implied by the expression, in all things, for he had everything that people desire, completely without exception. Then came Acheirim and mentioned the name of the daughter. Now truthfully, the intent of Acheirim and their controversy with Rabbi Yehudah were not merely to inform us of the name of this daughter. Far it be from them to expend the great and generalized blessing of Abraham on this matter, i.e., that Scripture is saying that G-d blessed him with one daughter with that name. However, Acheirim established a new interpretation on this verse, a very profound matter, and they explained with it one of the secrets of the Torah. Thus they said that the word bakol hints at a great matter, namely, that the Holy One, blessed be He, has an attribute called Kol (All), so called because it is the foundation of everything. It is with reference to this attribute that it says, I am the Eternal that maketh ‘Kol’ (all).⁶⁸ And this is also what Scripture says, And the profit of the earth is ‘bakol’ (in all),⁶⁹ that is to say, the profit of the earth and the abundant goodness that is bestowed upon all that come into the world is on account of this attribute Kol. It is the eighth attribute of the thirteen attributes.⁷⁰ And there is another attribute called bath [literally “daughter”] that emanates from it, and with it He moves everything. This is “the Court of the Holy One, blessed be He,” that is hinted at in the word, Vahashem (And the Eternal), in all places. It is called kalah (bride) in the book of The Song of Songs because it is comprised of hakol (the All), and it is this attribute which the Sages have surnamed Knesseth Yisrael (the assembly of Israel) in many places because it is the gathering of hakol (the All). It was this attribute which was to Abraham as a bath because he was the man of kindness, and he conducted himself in accordance with it. This was why Acheirim said that this blessing with which Abraham had been blessed in all things does not allude either to his having begotten a daughter from his wife Sarah, as Rabbi Yehudah said, or not, as Rabbi Meir claimed, but instead it hints at a great matter, i.e., that he was blessed with an attribute called bath which is contained in the attribute Kol, and is therefore also called Kol, being analogous to the expression, For My name is in him.⁷¹ Thus Abraham was blessed in heaven and on earth. This is why he said, By the Eternal, the G-d of heaven and the G-d of the earth.⁷² This matter is to be found hinted at in the traditions of our Rabbis in many places. Thus they said in the Midrash Chazita:⁷³. (Proverbs 22:29.) The Midrash quoted is found ibid., 3:21. “Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai asked Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yosi, ‘Have you possibly heard from your father of the meaning of the verse, *The crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him?’*⁷⁴ He said to him, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘How?’ He replied, ‘It is like a king who had an only daughter whom he loved very much, and he would call her “my daughter.” This did not completely express his love for her until he called her “my sister.” Still he was not satisfied until he called her “my mother.” In the same way, the Holy One, blessed be He, loved Israel in the beginning and called them “My daughter.” It is this which Scripture says, Hearken, O daughter, and consider.⁷⁵ This did not completely express His love for them until He called them “My sister,” as it is said, Open to me, my sister, my love.⁷⁶ Still He was not satisfied until He called them “My mother,” as it is said, Attend unto Me, O My people, ‘ule’umi’ (O My nation).⁷⁷ The word is written le’imi (O My mother).’ Then Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai arose and kissed him on his head, and he said to him, ‘Had I come to listen to this word of yours it would have been sufficient.’…” Now, had the commentator who prides himself on his knowledge of the Torah’s secrets⁷⁸, criticizes the interpretation by commenting that if that were the case, the word bakol should have had an additional letter beth preceding it and meaning “and G-d blessed Abraham ‘with’ bakol.” known this, his lips would be dumb and not deride the words of our Rabbis. Therefore, I have written this in order to silence those who speak arrogantly against the righteous one.⁷⁹

footnotes: ⁶⁵ Baba Bathra 16b. ⁶⁶ Literally “other ones,” other Rabbis besides those mentioned. Rabbi Meir is sometimes called by this name. Here, however, it could not refer to him since his opinion has already been stated. Acheirim ⁶⁷ The profounder meaning of this saying will be explained further in the text. ⁶⁸ Isaiah 44:24. ⁶⁹ Ecclesiastes 5:8. ⁷⁰ See Ramban Exodus 34:6. ⁷¹ Exodus 23:21. ⁷² Verse 3 here. ⁷³ Another name for the Midrash Rabbah on the Song of Songs. The name Chazita is derived from the first word in the verse with which this Midrash opens. ‘Chazita’ (Seest thou) a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings ⁷⁴ Song of Songs 3:11. ⁷⁵ Psalms 45:11. ⁷⁶ Song of Songs 5:2. ⁷⁷ Isaiah 51:4. ⁷⁸ Reference here is to Ibn Ezra who often prides himself on knowing the secrets of the Torah but who, in the case of this Midrash concerning Abraham’s having a daughter by the name of Bakol ⁷⁹ See Psalms 31:19.

AND I WILL MAKE THEE SWEAR BY THE ETERNAL. It would have been proper for Abraham to command his son Isaac that he should not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. But since it was his wish to dispatch someone during his lifetime to his country and his family, and he made the servant swear to do so whether in his lifetime or after his death, therefore Abraham found it necessary in any case to make the servant swear to go there. In addition he found it necessary to say to him, “I command you that you should not take a woman for my son of the daughters of Canaan. Instead you are to go to my country and take for him a wife from my father’s house.” Now having required the servant to swear to this, he no longer found it necessary to command Isaac at all for he knew that he would not transgress his father’s wish or the oath which he made his servant swear, as the matter was indeed known to Isaac. It is also possible that the servant Eliezer was the administrator of his possessions, and Abraham commanded him to marry off Isaac in accordance with his will and cause him to inherit his estate on this condition, [namely, that he marry in accordance with his father’s wish]. This is the significance of the expression, that ruled over all that he had.⁸⁰

footnotes: ⁸⁰ Verse 2 here.

THE G-D OF THE HEAVEN, AND THE G-D OF THE LAND.⁸¹ (the land) to mean “the land of Israel.” The Holy One, blessed be He, is called the G-d of the Land of Israel, as it is written, They know not the manner of the G-d of the land,⁸² and it is further written, And they spoke of the G-d of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the people of the earth.⁸³ There is a secret in this matter which I will yet explain⁸⁴ with the help of G-d. However [in Verse 7], further on where it says, Who took me from my father’s house, it does not say “the G-d of the land” because he [Abraham] was then in Haran or Ur of the Chaldees. So also the Rabbis have said:⁸⁵ “He who lives outside the land of Israel is as if he had no G-d, as it said, For they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of the Eternal, saying, Go, serve other gods.⁸⁶ However this verse teaches you that he who lives outside of the land of Israel is considered as if he worshipped idols. (Ibid.)

footnotes: ⁸¹ “Of the land.” From Ramban’s commentary it becomes obvious that he understood the word ha’aretz ⁸² II Kings 17:26. ⁸³ II Chronicles 32:19. ⁸⁴ See further, 26:5, and Leviticus 18:25. ⁸⁵ Ketuboth 110b. ⁸⁶ I Samuel 26:19. But who said to David, Go serve other gods?

PERADVENTURE THE WOMAN WILL NOT BE WILLING. The meaning [of the definite article in the word ha’ishah] is that it refers to “the woman to whom I will speak of all the women there”, or it may mean the woman who is fit for Isaac.

FROM MY FATHER’s HOUSE, ‘UMEI’ERETZ MOLAD’TI’ (AND FROM THE LAND OF MY NATIVITY). Rashi comments: “From my father’s house — from Haran. And from the land of my nativity — from Ur of the Chaldees.” If this is so, the expression, Unto my country and to ‘molad’ti’ thou shalt go,⁸⁷ must also refer to Ur of the Chaldees. But Heaven forbid that the sacred seed should mix with the sons of Ham,⁸⁸ the sinful one!⁸⁹ Even if one would say that Abraham had some family there from the seed of Shem, the fact is however that the servant went to Haran as his master said! Now perhaps the Rabbi [Rashi] thinks that eretz molad’to⁸⁷(the land of his birth) was Ur of the Chaldees, but molad’ti⁸⁷ means “my family,” and my country⁸⁷ means the land wherein he lived. But all these are futile words since here, in the verse before us, he said, And thou shalt take a wife for my son from there, [and according to Rashi, who explained ume’eretz molad’ti, mentioned in this verse, as meaning Ur of the Chaldees, it would follow that Abraham commanded Eliezer to go there to get a wife from the children of Ham]! Moreover, Abraham stayed in the land of Canaan for a longer period than he did in Haran, and so why should Haran be called his country simply because he lived there for some time? Instead, the meaning of the expression, unto my country and to ‘molad’ti’,⁸⁷ is “unto my country in which I was born,” [namely, Haran in Mesopotamia], for there he stayed and from there his ancestors came, as was already explained.⁹⁰ In Bereshith Rabbah we find:⁹¹ “From my father’s house — this is the house of his father. And from the land of my birth — this is the environs [of his father’s house].” It is possible that unto my country and unto ‘molad’ti’ means “Unto my country and unto my family,” for he did not want a wife to be taken for Isaac even from the people of his country but only from his family. Similarly in the verse, And thou shalt take a wife for my son from there, [the word misham (from there)] alludes to the expression, from my father’s house, mentioned at the beginning of the verse. And so did the servant say when quoting Abraham, And thou shalt take a wife for my son of my family, and of my father’s house,⁹² and again he said, quoting his master. Then shalt thou be clear from my oath when thou comest to my family.⁹³, Verse 41. These words were said by the servant to honor them so that they would listen to him.

footnotes: ⁸⁷ Verse 4 here. ⁸⁸ The Chaldees and the entire land of Shinar belonged to the sons of Ham. See Ramban, above, 11:28. ⁸⁹ Above, 9:22-24. ⁸⁷ Verse 4 here. ⁸⁷ Verse 4 here. ⁸⁷ Verse 4 here. ⁸⁷ Verse 4 here. ⁹⁰ See Ramban above, 11:28 and 12:1. ⁹¹ 59:13. ⁹² Further, Verse 40. ⁹³ Ibid.

AND WHO SPOKE ‘LI’ (UNTO ME). Rashi comments: “The word li means ‘in my interest,’ just as in the verse, which He spoke ‘alai’ (concerning me).⁹⁴ In the same way, in every case where li and lo and lahem follow the word dibur (speaking), they are to be explained in the sense of al (concerning). For proper usage of the verb dibur [in the sense of speaking to a person, the pronouns li and lo and lahem are not appropriate, and] only eilai and eilav and aleihem are appropriate, and their renderings in the Targum are imi and imei and imhon. In the case of the word amirah, however, the expressions li and lo and lahem are appropriate.” In the section of Vayeitzei Yaakov, Rashi brought [proof of his above mentioned principle which states that li or lecha, etc., following the word dibur, must be explained in the sense of al (concerning)] from that which is written there, *that which ‘dibarti’ (I have spoken) ‘lach,’*⁹⁵ [which must be interpreted to mean “in thy interest and concerning thee”] since He had never spoken to Jacob before this occasion. But this difference is not valid for we find: *And now go, lead the people unto the place of which ‘dibarti’ (I have spoken) ‘lach’;*⁹⁶ is found in connection with lach, and yet it means “to you,” and not “concerning you,” as Rashi claimed. *And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic;*⁹⁷ And thou shalt drive them out, and make them to perish quickly, as the Eternal hath spoken unto thee.⁹⁸ Similarly the verb amirah is used with both li and *eilai: And they shall say ‘li’ (to me), What is His name? What shall I say ‘aleihem’ (to them)?*⁹⁹ And as for [the verse which Rashi mentioned as his proof], *that which ‘dibarti’ (I have spoken) ‘lach,’*⁹⁵ [which must mean, as Rashi said, “concerning thee,” since He had never spoken to Jacob before this occasion], its interpretation is as follows: “that which I have said to you now that I will give the land to you and to your seed, and I will bless you.” [Thus the word lach (to you) follows the understood verb “give” and is not related to dibarti.]

footnotes: ⁹⁴ I Kings 2:4. ⁹⁵ Further, 28:15. ⁹⁶ Exodus 32:34. Here the word dibur ⁹⁷ Daniel 2:4. This too is a case similar to the above. ⁹⁸ Deuteronomy 9:3. This too is similar to the above. ⁹⁹ Exodus 3:13. ⁹⁵ Further, 28:15.

THEN THOU SHALT BE CLEAR FROM THIS MY OATH. Abraham did not permit him to take a wife for Isaac from the daughters of Canaan, but he would be free [from the oath if Isaac were to do it on his own] and the Eternal do that which is good in His sight.¹⁰⁰ But Rashi wrote, “And take a wife for him from the daughters of Aner, Eshkol or Mamre.” Now if they were Canaanites, far be it from him! And in truth they were of the seed of Canaan for Scripture says, Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshkol, and brother of Aner.¹⁰¹ And in Bereshith Rabbah, the Rabbis have said:¹⁰² “That thou shalt not take a wife, etc.¹⁰³ He warned him against the daughters of Canaan, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre.” For it was with reference to Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre that Abraham said, Among whom I dwell,¹⁰³ since he did not dwell among all the Canaanites as they were many nations. But he warned him against these his confederates, and all the more against the others. But the verse, Then thou shalt be clear from this my oath, means that the servant would be free from the oath if Isaac would want to do it on his own, and Abraham relied on his knowledge that his righteous son Isaac would listen to his father and that he would beware of them and go instead to Ishmael or to Lot and the other nations. It is possible that from this my oath is a hint to that which he said, And thou shalt take a wife unto my son from there,¹⁰⁴ since perhaps the oath was for everything, [meaning that the oath covered two points: a) that he should not take for him a wife from the daughters of Canaan, and b) that he should go to his family. In case they refused, he would be free from the second oath, while the first oath would always remain in effect]. Accordingly, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath does not allude to that which Abraham told him, Thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites,¹⁰³ [since he never freed him from this oath]. This explains the word zoth (this) — [thou shalt be clear from ‘this’ my oath — implying there was another oath from which he was not freed]. Therefore, the servant said, That I may turn to the right hand, or to the left,¹⁰⁵ and he did not say, “I would return [to the land of Canaan,” since he was not freed from the oath not to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan].

footnotes: ¹⁰⁰ II Samuel 10:12. ¹⁰¹ Above, 14:13. ¹⁰² 59:11. ¹⁰³ Verse 3 here. ¹⁰³ Verse 3 here. ¹⁰⁴ Verse 7 here. ¹⁰³ Verse 3 here. ¹⁰⁵ Further, Verse 49.

AND ALL THE GOODS OF HIS MASTER BEING IN HIS HAND. Rashi comments: “This refers to a deed of gift of all his possessions which he wrote in favor of Isaac so that they would be eager to send him their daughter.” And so it is also stated in Bereshith Rabbah,¹⁰⁶ “He carried with him a disposition of property.” According to this opinion, the verse stating, And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac,¹⁰⁷ means that he caused him to take possession of the belonging at the time of his death so that the other children would not contest his ownership, just as it is said, And he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived.¹⁰⁸, Verse 6. If so, the word “taking” applies also to the second part of the verse, And the servant ‘took’ ten camels, and departed, and all the goods of his master he took in his hand. Perhaps [the words of the verse are to be transposed as follows]: “And the servant took ten camels and all the goods of his master in his hand, and departed.” Others¹⁰⁹ explain the sense of the verse as meaning that immediately upon being sworn, the servant himself went and took many camels from his master’s camels because all his master’s goods were in his hand, he being the officer and captain over all and authorized to take from him whatever he desired, just as the verse says, that ruled over all that he had.⁸⁰ The correct interpretation appears to me to be that the meaning of this verse is similar to that of the verse concerning Hazael, general of Aram, And Hazael went to meet him [Elisha the prophet], and took a present with him, and every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden,¹¹⁰ [which means “and ‘of’ every good thing of Damascus].” Here too Scripture states that he took in his hand of all his master’s goods ten camels’ burden. The sense of the verse concerning Hazael is that the camels carried all that was good and excellent among those species of fruits and precious things that were found in Damascus or in his master’s house, and in addition they carried a present with them. In a similar sense is the verse, ten asses laden with the good of Egypt,¹¹¹ [which means laden with the good and excellent fruits of Egypt]. The verses, however, shorten expressions when the subjects are understood.

footnotes: ¹⁰⁶ 59:15. ¹⁰⁷ Further, 25:5. ¹⁰⁸ Ibid. ¹⁰⁹ This interpretation is found in the commentary of Chizkuni. ⁸⁰ Verse 2 here. ¹¹⁰ II Kings 8:9. ¹¹¹ Further, 45:23.

HER THOU HAST APPOINTED FOR THY SERVANT, EVEN FOR ISAAC. Rashi comments: “She is fit for him since she is charitable and worthy of admission into the house of Abraham. And thereby shall I know — this is a petition: ‘Let me know through her that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master.’” If so, Eliezer is saying, “I know for certain that You have appointed her for Your servant Isaac.” But in that case [his petition, which still indicates a doubt as to whether she was the appointed one,] does not connect well. Its interpretation however is as follows: “Make it happen to me this day that the girl to whom I will speak be the one that You have appointed for Your servant Isaac, and with this, show kindness to my master Abraham for with this I will know that You have shown kindness to him if she be of his family and of good mind and of beautiful appearance.” And so he said [when recounting the events of the day]: And let it come to pass, that the maiden, etc., let the same be the woman whom the Eternal hath appointed.¹¹²

footnotes: ¹¹² Further, Verses 43-44.

WHO WAS BORN TO BETHUEL THE SON OF MILCAH THE WIFE OF NAHOR, ABRAHAM’s BROTHER. Because Nahor also had children from his concubine Reumah,¹¹³ they always described the lineage of Bethuel by saying that he was the son of Milcah who was the mistress of the household. And because the girl mentioned her father’s mother first, as it says, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah¹¹⁴ — for such was customary among the girls, analogous to the verse, And she told her mother’s house¹¹⁵ — therefore Scripture mentions in the verse before us that he [Bethuel] was the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor. But the servant later said, And she said, The daughter of Bethuel Nahor’s son,¹¹⁶ for he corrected the matter as is ethically proper. However, he did say, whom Milcah bore unto him,¹¹⁶ in order to state that Bethuel was the son of the mistress and not the concubine.

footnotes: ¹¹³ Above, 22:24. ¹¹⁴ Further, Verse 24. ¹¹⁵ Verse 28 here. ¹¹⁶ Verse 47 here. ¹¹⁶ Verse 47 here.

AND THE SERVANT RAN TO MEET HER. Rashi comments: “Because he saw that the waters rose in the well when she approached it.” In Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis said,¹¹⁷ “And she filled her pitcher, and came up.¹¹⁸ All the women went down and filled their pitchers from the well. But this one, as the waters saw her they immediately rose. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her, ‘You are a sign of blessing to your children.’”¹¹⁹ It would appear that the Rabbis derived this interpretation upon observing the language, And she filled her pitcher, and came up,¹¹⁸ for it does not say, “and she drew water and filled [the pitcher].” Now this miracle happened to her only the first time for afterwards it is written, and she drew.¹²⁰ The servant, when recounting the day’s events to them, said: And she went down unto the well, and drew water.¹²¹ That was because he thought that perhaps they would not believe in the miracle.

footnotes: ¹¹⁷ 60:6. ¹¹⁸ Verse 16 here. ¹¹⁹ When Israel wandered in the desert, the waters in the well would rise as soon as they approached it. See Numbers 21:17 and Midrash Rabbah, ibid. ¹¹⁸ Verse 16 here. ¹²⁰ Verse 20 here. ¹²¹ Verse 45 here.

AND THE MAN TOOK A GOLDEN RING… AND TWO BRACELETS UPON HER HANDS. This verse omits the deed for it should have said: “And the man took a golden ring and put it upon her nose¹²² and two bracelets upon her hands.” Therefore I say that the interpretation of the verse is as follows: And the man took a golden ring and two bracelets which would be upon her hands, and he said to her, *Whose daughter art thou?*¹²³ And after she had told him, I am the daughter of Bethuel,¹²⁴ he put the ring upon her nose and the bracelets upon her hands, as he told them.¹²⁵ Here, however, Scripture omits the actual giving, and similarly in many places.

footnotes: ¹²² So it says in Verse 47 here. ¹²³ Verse 23 here. ¹²⁴ Verse 24 here. ¹²⁵ In Verse 47 here. He first asked her who she was, and then he gave her the presents. This interpretation differs from Rashi (in Verse 23) who says that after he had given her the presents, he asked her whose daughter she was, for he was confident that, on account of Abraham’s merit, G-d would make his journey successful. Later, however, in Verse 47, when he recounted the story, he changed the sequence of the two events so that they should not sense the inconsistency and say, “How could you give her anything when you did not know who she was?”

AND THE MAN CAME INTO THE HOUSE. Eliezer is the man who entered the house. And he ungirded the camels — this refers to Laban who acted ethically towards his guests, unharnessed their camels and gave them straw and fodder, and he also gave water to wash the feet of Eliezer and the feet of the men that were with him. It must refer to Laban for it would be unlikely that it was Eliezer who gave water to wash his own feet and those of his men. A similar case is the verse, And there passed by Midianites, merchantmen, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit.¹²⁶ The words, and they drew, refer back to the brothers of Joseph mentioned in the preceding verse, and not to the Midianites. And so in the verse, Then said Ziba unto the king [David]: According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do; but Mephibosheth eateth at my table as one of the king’s sons.¹²⁷ [The concluding words, but Mephibosheth eateth], are the words of David and not Ziba. There are many such verses. Now the purport of the expression, and he ungirded the camels, is that he unloosened the bands on their necks, as it was customary to lead them knotted, or perhaps they travelled with saddles girded upon them, just as is expressed in the verses: Let not him that girdeth on his armor boast himself as he that putteth it off,¹²⁸ Loose thyself from the band of thy neck.¹²⁹ Now Rashi wrote, “He removed their muzzles for he had closed their mouths so that they might not graze in other peoples’ fields.” And in the words of Bereshith Rabbah,¹³⁰ “He removed their muzzles. Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmiyah asked Rabbi Chiya the son of Rabbi Aba, ‘Were not the camels of our father Abraham like the ass of Rabbi Pinchas ben Ya’ir,¹³¹ etc.?’” This question is intended to contradict [the interpretation which maintains that the ungirding refers to] the removing of the muzzles for it is impossible that the piety in the house of Rabbi Pinchas been Ya’ir should have been greater than that in the house of our father Abraham, and just as the ass of Rabbi Pinchas ben Ya’ir did not have to be guarded against eating things which its master was forbidden to feed it, all the more so were the camels of our father Abraham. There was thus no need to muzzle them for no injustice befalleth the righteous.¹³²

footnotes: ¹²⁶ Further, 37:28. ¹²⁷ II Samuel 9:11. ¹²⁸ I Kings 20:11. ¹²⁹ Isaiah 52:2. ¹³⁰ 60:1. ¹³¹ A Sage of the Tannaitic period. He was a son-in-law of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai. He was celebrated for his great piety; even his ass refused to eat untithed corn. ¹³² Proverbs 12:21.

BEHOLD, REBEKAH CAME FORTH WITH HER PITCHER ON HER SHOULDER. This indicates that while he was in her house he heard her name, or perhaps she told him her name at the beginning even though it is not mentioned in Scripture.

AND REBEKAH AROSE, AND HER MAIDS. Scripture relates that after they gave permission for Rebekah and her nurse to go, as well as for Abraham’s servant and his men, Rebekah rose and called her maids. And they rode upon the camels, and followed the man because he led them on the way.

AND THE SERVANT TOOK REBEKAH, AND WENT HIS WAY. The purpose of this is to tell of his zealousness for after having left the city with all the women following him, the servant took Rebekah to him and did not part from her in order to guard her against any mishap along the way. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that it means that he walked with Rebekah and never felt the weariness of the journey until Isaac came and met him.

AND ISAAC ‘BA MIBO’ (HAD JUST COME) FROM THE WELL LAHAI-ROI. Scripture states that Isaac had just now come from the well Lahai-roi, having returned from the well of Lahai-roi to which he had previously come. Had the verse stated, “Ba (he came) from the well of Lahai,” it would have appeared as if he lived there. Therefore, it was necessary to explain ba mibo as meaning that he returned to his city from the temporary visit that he had made to the well of Lahai-roi, for he abode in the south country and he was returning to his city. It is possible that since the word mibo is an infinitive, it indicates that Isaac constantly went to that place since it was a place of prayer for him because of the revelation of the angel there,¹³³ and he abode in the south country near there. And so did Onkelos translate it, “He came from his coming,” [thus indicating that he was in the habit of so doing]. In Onkelos’ opinion this was Beer-sheba for he translated both between Kadesh and Shur¹³⁴ and between Kadesh and Bered¹³⁵, 16:14. as “Rekem and Chagra.”¹³⁶ If so, that place — the place of the tamarisk-tree of Abraham¹³⁷ — was suitable for prayer. Now Isaac came from that well while he was on his way to another city which was on the same road as his city, and he went out towards eventide to converse in the field with his companions and friends who were there. He met the servant and Rebekah, whereupon they all walked together to the city, and Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent.¹³⁸

footnotes: ¹³³ See above, 16:14. ¹³⁴ Above, 20:1. ¹³⁵ Ibid. ¹³⁶ Thus it is obvious that Shur and Bered are synonymous. Now Shur is in Gerar (above, 20:1), and Beer-sheba is in the land of the Philistines near Gerar (see Ramban, above, 21:32). The well of Lahai-roi, which is between Kadesh and Bered (above, 16:14), is thus near Beer-sheba. ¹³⁷ Above, 21:33. ¹³⁸ Verse 67 here.

AND SHE SAW ISAAC. Rashi comments: “She saw his lordly appearance and felt abashed¹³⁹ of him.” And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained that the latter verse, [namely, Verse 65, And she said unto the servant, What man is this], preceded Verse 64. Thus the expression, And she said unto the servant, means “And she had already said to the servant.” In Ibn Ezra’s opinion there are many such verses in the Torah. This is truly so, but here it is not correct, for in this case you would have to mix the verses and transpose their parts as follows: And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and she saw Isaac [Verse 64] — and she said unto the servant: What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant said: It is my master [Verse 65] — and she alighted from the camel [Verse 64] — and she took her veil, and covered herself [Verse 65]. In my opinion [we need not mix the verses, but the sense thereof is as follows]: When Rebekah saw a man walking in the field towards her, hastening on the road and walking in the field towards them, she knew that he had come to see them and greet them or to bring them into his house for lodging, and so she did as was ethically proper for women, and she stood modestly.

footnotes: ¹³⁹ “Abashed.” In our Rashi: “and she gazed at him in astonishment.”

AND SHE ALIGHTED (‘VATIPOL’) FROM THE CAMEL. Rashi comments: “She let herself slide towards the ground, as the Targum renders it, ‘She inclined herself [towards the earth but did not actually reach the ground]. Similarly, Let down thy pitcher¹⁴⁰ was translated by Onkelos to mean ‘incline.’ And He bowed down the heavens¹⁴¹ — the Targum translates: ‘and He bent.’ A similar case is the verse, Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down,¹⁴², 37:24. which means though he bends himself towards the earth, yet he shall not touch the ground.” But Onkelos’ opinion is not that she let herself slide off the camel to the earth, for if so, she actually fell off the camel and did not just incline herself. Similarly, all expressions of “inclining” merely mean a bending towards one side. Onkelos’ opinion, however, is that on the camel upon which she was riding she bent herself towards one side in order to turn her face away from him. A similar case, in my opinion, is the verse: *And when Naaman saw one running after him, ‘vayipol’ from upon the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?*¹⁴³ The word vayipol here only means that he bent himself in the chariot towards the runner who was on the ground to ask of him whether all is well. And so indeed it is said there, When the man turned back from his chariot to meet thee.¹⁴⁴, Verse 26. It is possible that as far as Onkelos is concerned, the expression, from on the camel, is like “on the camel,” [the letter mem in the word mei’al (from on) being redundant]. A similar case is the verse, For great ‘mei’al’ the heavens is Thy mercy,¹⁴⁵ [which means “for great on the heavens is Thy mercy,” and not “from on the heavens”]. A redundant letter mem like this is also found in these verses: There shall be no more ‘misham’ an infant of days, nor an old man,¹⁴⁶ [which means “there shall be no more there,” and not “from there”]; Ye waters that are ‘mei’al’ the heavens,¹⁴⁷ [which means “ye waters that are on the heavens,” and not “from on the heavens”]. In line with the plain meaning [of Scripture, however, the letter mem in the word mei’al is not redundant, but instead] it is like the mem in the verse, And, behold, there came many people ‘miderech’ (from a way) round-about.¹⁴⁸ [And thus in the verse before us, mei’al hagamal would mean that she alighted “from on the camel.”] There are many similar verses.

footnotes: ¹⁴⁰ Above, Verse 14. ¹⁴¹ Psalms 18:10. ¹⁴² Ibid. ¹⁴³ II Kings 5:21. ¹⁴⁴ Ibid. ¹⁴⁵ Psalms 108:5. ¹⁴⁶ Isaiah 65:20. ¹⁴⁷ Psalms 148:4. ¹⁴⁸ II Samuel 13:34.

AND ISAAC BROUGHT HER INTO HIS MOTHER SARAH’s TENT. The construct is missing here [for the noun ohel (tent) appears with the definite article, and in this form it cannot be used in construct with “his mother Sarah.” The verse then should be understood as if it were written, “and Isaac brought her into the tent which was the tent of his mother Sarah.”] There are many cases like this. The purport of the verse is to tell of the honor that Isaac bestowed upon his mother for from the time that Sarah died they did not take down her tent because they said, “Let not another woman come into the tent of the honorable mistress.” But when he saw Rebekah he brought her into that tent in her honor and there he took her as his wife. This is the meaning of the words, and he loved her, and he was comforted, indicating that he was deeply grieved for his mother, finding no comforter until he was comforted by his wife through his love for her. Otherwise, what reason is there for Scripture to mention a man’s love for his wife? But Onkelos explained: And Isaac brought her into the tent and, behold, she was like Sarah his mother. It is for this reason that Scripture mentions the love he had for her because it was on account of her righteousness and the aptness of her deeds that he loved her and was comforted by her. And so the Rabbis mentioned in Bereshith Rabbah,¹⁴⁹ “Before Sarah died there was a blessing of miraculous increase in the dough. [After her death it stopped, and when Rebekah came the blessing reappeared.”]

footnotes: ¹⁴⁹ 60:15.