Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 24

10The servant then took ten of his master’s camels and set out with a document listing all his master’s wealth and affirming its transfer to Isaac in his hand. He rose up and made his way to Aram Naharayim, to Charan, the city where Nachor, Abraham’s brother, had settled.   יוַיִּקַּ֣ח הָ֠עֶ֠בֶד עֲשָׂרָ֨ה גְמַלִּ֜ים מִגְּמַלֵּ֤י אֲדֹנָיו֙ וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ וְכָל־ט֥וּב אֲדֹנָ֖יו בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיָּ֗קָם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־אֲרַ֥ם נַֽהֲרַ֖יִם אֶל־עִ֥יר נָחֽוֹר:
מִגְּמַלֵּי אדוניו - Of his master’s camels. They were distinguishable from other camels in that they would go out muzzled in order to avoid stealing – so that they would not graze in other people’s fields.   מִגְּמַלֵּי אדוניו.  נִכָּרִין הָיוּ מִשְּׁאָר גְּמַלִּים, שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹצְאִין זְמוּמִין מִפְּנֵי הַגֶּזֶל, שֶׁלֹּא יִרְעוּ בִשְׂדוֹת אֲחֵרִים (בראשית רבה):
וְכָל־טוּב אדוניו בְּיָדוֹ - With all his master’s wealth in his hand. Abraham wrote Isaac a deed giving him everything that was his as a gift, in order that people would be eager to send him their daughter.   וְכָל־טוּב אדוניו בְּיָדוֹ.  שְׁטָר מַתָּנָה כָּתַב לְיִצְחָק עַל כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּקְפְּצוּ לִשְׁלֹחַ לוֹ בִּתָּם (בראשית רבה):
אֲרַם נַֽהֲרַיִם - Aram Naharayim. It was so called because it was situated between two rivers (נְהָרוֹת).   אֲרַם נַֽהֲרַיִם.  בֵּין שְׁתֵּי נְהָרוֹת יוֹשֶׁבֶת:
11Eliezer made the camels kneel outside the city near a well of water in the afternoon, when women go out to draw water.   יאוַיַּבְרֵ֧ךְ הַגְּמַלִּ֛ים מִח֥וּץ לָעִ֖יר אֶל־בְּאֵ֣ר הַמָּ֑יִם לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב לְעֵ֖ת צֵ֥את הַשֹּֽׁאֲבֹֽת:
וַיַּבְרֵךְ הַגְּמַלִּים - He made the camels kneel means: He made them crouch.   וַיַּבְרֵךְ הַגְּמַלִּים.  הִרְבִּיצָם:
12He said: “God, God of my master Abraham, arrange events for me this day such that You grant a favor to my master, Abraham.   יבוַיֹּאמַר֓ | יְהֹוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם הַקְרֵה־נָ֥א לְפָנַ֖י הַיּ֑וֹם וַֽעֲשֵׂה־חֶ֕סֶד עִ֖ם אֲדֹנִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם:
13Here I stand by the spring of water, and the daughters of the townsmen are coming out to draw water.   יגהִנֵּ֛ה אָֽנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֵ֣ין הַמָּ֑יִם וּבְנוֹת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר יֹֽצְאֹ֖ת לִשְׁאֹ֥ב מָֽיִם:
14Let it be that the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please tilt your pitcher so that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also give water to your men and camels,’ will be the one whom You have designated for Your servant Isaac. I will know through her that You have acted kindly with my master.”   ידוְהָיָ֣ה הַנַּֽעֲרָ֗ה (כתיב הנער) אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֹמַ֤ר אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ הַטִּי־נָ֤א כַדֵּךְ֙ וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה וְאָֽמְרָ֣ה שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה אֹתָ֤הּ הֹכַ֨חְתָּ֙ לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיִצְחָ֔ק וּבָ֣הּ אֵדַ֔ע כִּֽי־עָשִׂ֥יתָ חֶ֖סֶד עִם־אֲדֹנִֽי:
אֹתָהּ הֹכַחְתָּ - Will be the one whom You have designated - i.e., she is fit for him, for she will be charitable and thus worthy of entering Abraham’s household. The expression הֹכַחְתָּ means here “proved”; “aprivest” in Old French.   אֹתָהּ הֹכַחְתָּ.  רְאוּיָה הִיא לוֹ שֶׁתְּהֵא גּוֹמֶלֶת חֲסָדִים, וּכְדַאי לִכָּנֵס בְּבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם; וּלְשׁוֹן הֹכַחְתָּ בֵּרַרְתָּ, אפרו"בישט בלע"ז:
וּבָהּ אֵדַע - I will know through her. This is a plea: Let me know through her –   וּבָהּ אֵדַע.  לְשׁוֹן תְּחִנָּה, הוֹדַע לִי בָּהּ:
כִּֽי־עָשִׂיתָ חֶסֶד - That You have acted kindly - i.e., if she will be from my master’s family and suitable for him as a wife, I will know that You have acted kindly with my master.   כִּֽי־עָשִׂיתָ חֶסֶד.  אִם תִּהְיֶה מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ וְהוֹגֶנֶת לוֹ אֵדַע כִּי עָשִׂית חֶסֶד:
15He had not yet finished speaking to God when Rebecca came out. She had been born to Bethuel son of Milkah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nachor. Her pitcher was on her shoulder.   טווַֽיְהִי־ה֗וּא טֶ֘רֶם֘ כִּלָּ֣ה לְדַבֵּר֒ וְהִנֵּ֧ה רִבְקָ֣ה יֹצֵ֗את אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֻלְּדָה֙ לִבְתוּאֵ֣ל בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֔ה אֵ֥שֶׁת נָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְכַדָּ֖הּ עַל־שִׁכְמָֽהּ:
16The maiden was of very beautiful appearance. She was a virgin, whom no man had known carnally in any way. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came back up.   טזוְהַנַּֽעֲרָ֗ה (כתיב והנער) טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד הָעַ֔יְנָה וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ וַתָּֽעַל:
בְּתוּלָה - A virgin - indicating that she has preserved her hymen.   בְּתוּלָה.  מִמְּקוֹם בְּתוּלִים (בראשית רבה):
וְאִישׁ לֹא יְדָעָהּ - Whom no man had known - even in an unnatural way. Since the gentile girls would preserve their hymens and be promiscuous elsewhere, the Torah testifies about Rebecca that she was completely free of immoral conduct.   וְאִישׁ לֹא יְדָעָהּ.  שֶׁלֹּא כְּדַרְכָּהּ, לְפִי שֶׁבְּנוֹת הַגּוֹיִם הָיוּ מְשַׁמְּרוֹת מְקוֹם בְּתוּלֵיהֶן וּמַפְקִירוֹת עַצְמָן מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, הֵעִיד עַל זוֹ שֶׁנְּקִיָּה מִכֹּל:
17The servant ran toward her and said, “If you would, let me sip a little water from your pitcher.”   יזוַיָּ֥רָץ הָעֶ֖בֶד לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הַגְמִיאִ֥ינִי נָ֛א מְעַט־מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ:
וַיָּרָץ הָעֶבֶד לִקְרָאתָהּ - The servant ran toward her - because he saw that the water had risen towards her.   וַיָּרָץ הָעֶבֶד לִקְרָאתָהּ.  לְפִי שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁעָלוּ הַמַּיִם לִקְרָאתָהּ (בראשית רבה):
הַגְמִיאִינִי נָא - If you would, let me sip. This is an expression of גְּמִיעָה “sipping”; “humer” in Old French.   הַגְמִיאִינִי נָא.  לְשׁוֹן גְּמִיעָה, הומיי"ר בלע"ז:
18She said, “Drink, sir,” and quickly lowered her pitcher from her shoulder onto her hand and gave him a drink.   יחוַתֹּ֖אמֶר שְׁתֵ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתֹּ֧רֶד כַּדָּ֛הּ עַל־יָדָ֖הּ וַתַּשְׁקֵֽהוּ:
וַתֹּרֶד כַּדָּהּ - She…lowered her pitcher. from her shoulder.   וַתֹּרֶד כַּדָּהּ.  מֵעַל שִׁכְמָהּ:
19When she had finished giving him to drink, she said, “Let me draw water for your camels, too, until they have drunk their fill.”   יטוַתְּכַ֖ל לְהַשְׁקֹת֑וֹ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֤ם לִגְמַלֶּ֨יךָ֙ אֶשְׁאָ֔ב עַ֥ד אִם־כִּלּ֖וּ לִשְׁתֹּֽת:
עַד אִם־כִּלּוּ - Until (lit.) that they have finished. Here the word אִם is used in the sense of אֲשֶׁר “that.” means as Onkelos translates it: דִּי סַפְּקוּן “when they have enough,” because it is when they have drunk their fill that they finish drinking.   עַד אִם־כִּלּוּ.  הֲרֵי אִם מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר, אִם כִּלּוּ דַי סִפּוּקוֹן, שֶׁזּוֹ הִיא גְּמַר שְׁתִיָּתָן, כְּשֶׁשָּׁתוּ דֵּי סִפּוּקָן:
20She quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough and ran to the well again to draw water, and she drew water for all his camels.   כוַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתְּעַ֤ר כַּדָּהּ֙ אֶל־הַשֹּׁ֔קֶת וַתָּ֥רָץ ע֛וֹד אֶל־הַבְּאֵ֖ר לִשְׁאֹ֑ב וַתִּשְׁאַ֖ב לְכָל־גְּמַלָּֽיו:
וַתְּעַר - She…emptied. An expression of pouring out. This verb is used many times in Mishnaic language, e.g., “if one pours (הַמְעָרֶה) from one container to another.” 1 In Scripture it is used in a similar sense: “Do not cast out (תְּעַר) my soul”; 2 and “that he cast out (הֶעֱרָה) his soul, even unto death.” 3   וַתְּעַר.  לְשׁוֹן נְפִיצָה, וְהַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן מִשְׁנָה הַמְעָרֶה מִכְּלִי אֶל כֶּלִי, וּבַמִּקְרָא יֵשׁ לוֹ דּוֹמֶה אַל תְּעַר נַפְשִׁי (תהילים קמא), אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱרָה לַמָּוֶת נַפְשׁוֹ (ישעיהו נ"ג):
הַשֹּׁקֶת - is a hollowed-out stone from which camels drink.   הַשֹּׁקֶת.  אֶבֶן חֲלוּלָה שֶׁשּׁוֹתִים בָּה הַגְּמַלִּים:
21The man wondered about her if she would prove to be from Abraham’s family. He thought silently, wanting to know whether or not God had made his journey successful.   כאוְהָאִ֥ישׁ מִשְׁתָּאֵ֖ה לָ֑הּ מַֽחֲרִ֕ישׁ לָדַ֗עַת הַֽהִצְלִ֧יחַ יְהֹוָ֛ה דַּרְכּ֖וֹ אִם־לֹֽא:
מִשְׁתָּאֵה - This is an expression of desolation (שְׁאִיָּה), as in: “the cities lie in waste (שָׁאוּ)…and the land will be utterly deserted (תִּשָּׁאֶה).” 4   מִשְׁתָּאֵה.  לְשׁוֹן שְׁאִיָּה, כְּמוֹ שָׁאוּ עָרִים, תִּשָּׁאֶה שְׁמָמָה (שם ו'):
מִשְׁתָּאֵה - 

means “he was astonished and perplexed,” for he saw his mission close to success, but he did not yet know if she was from Abraham’s family or not. Do not be puzzled by the ת of מִשְׁתָּאֵה, for you do not find any word whose first root letter is ש that, when used in the hitpa’el (reflexive) form that usually has a ת before the root letters, does not have this ת separating between the first two letters of the root instead, e.g., מִשְׁתָּאֵה; מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל 5 of the same root as שׁוֹלֵל; וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵם 6 of the same root as שְׁמָמָה; and “the statutes of Omri will be kept (וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר)” 7 of the same root as וַיִּשְׁמֹר. Here, too, מִשְׁתָּאֵה is of the same root as תִּשָּׁאֶה.

Now, just as you find the expression מְשׁוֹמֵם, usually meaning “desolate,” applied to a person who is shocked, speechless with amazement, and deep in thought about what is happening, as in: “Those who come after him will be astounded (נָשַׁמּוּ) at his day of misfortune”; 8 “Heaven, be astounded (שֹׁמּוּ)”; 9 “he was dumbstruck (אֶשְׁתּוֹמַם) for a time”; 10 similarly you should explain the expression שְׁאִיָּה, also usually meaning “desolate,” as referring to a person who is perplexed and deep in thought. Onkelos, however, translates מִשְׁתָּאֵה in the sense of “waiting” (שְׁהִיָּה): וְגַבְרָא שָׁהֵי “the man waited” – i.e., he was waiting and standing in one spot to see “whether God had made his journey successful.” מִשְׁתָּאֵה cannot be translated שָׁתֵי “drinking,” for it is not an expression of שְׁתִיָּה “drinking,” since the letter א does not appear in the words of the root שתה (“to drink”).

  מִשְׁתָּאֵה.  מִשְׁתּוֹמֵם וּמִתְבַּהַל עַל שֶׁרָאָה דְבָרוֹ קָרוֹב לְהַצְלִיחַ, אֲבָל אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ אִם מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת אַבְרָהָם הִיא אִם לָאו. וְאַל תִּתְמַהּ בַּת' שֶׁל מִשְׁתָּאֵה, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ תֵּבָה שֶׁתְּחִלַּת יְסוֹדָהּ שִׁי"ן וּמְדַבֶּרֶת בִּלְשׁוֹן מִתְפַּעֵל שֶׁאֵין תָּי"ו מַפְרִידָה בֵּין שְׁתֵּי אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל עִקָּר הַיְסוֹד כְּגוֹן מִשְׁתָּאֵה, מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל מִגִּזְרַת שׁוֹלָל, וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵם מִגִּזְרַת שְׁמָמָה, וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר חֻקּוֹת עָמְרִי (מיכה ו') מִגִּזְרַת וַיִּשְׁמֹר, אַף כָּאן מִשְׁתָּאֵה מִגִּזְרַת תִּשָּׁאֶה, וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא לְשׁוֹן מְשׁוֹמֵם בְּאָדָם נִבְהָל וְנֶאֱלָם וּבַעַל מַחֲשָׁבוֹת, כְּמוֹ עַל יוֹמוֹ נָשַׁמּוּ אַחֲרֹנִים (איוב י"ח), שֹׁמּוּ שָׁמַיִם (ירמיהו ב'), אֶשְׁתּוֹמַם כְּשָׁעָה חֲדָא (דניאל ד'), כָּךְ תְּפָרֵשׁ לְשׁוֹן שְׁאִיָּה בְּאָדָם בָּהוּל וּבַעַל מַחֲשָׁבוֹת (וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם לְשׁוֹן שְׁהִיָּה, וְגַבְרָא שָׁהֵי, שׁוֹהֵא וְעוֹמֵד בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד לִרְאוֹת הַהִצְלִיחַ ה' דַּרְכּוֹ; וְאֵין לְתַרְגֵּם שָׁתֵי, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵינוֹ לְשׁוֹן שְׁתִיָּה, שֶׁאֵין אָלֶף נוֹפֶלֶת בִּלְשׁוֹן שְׁתִיָּה):
מִשְׁתָּאֵה לָהּ - (lit.) Astounded to her - means: he was bewildered about her (עָלֶיהָ), as we find similarly: “say about me (לִי): He is my brother”; 11 and: “The local people asked about his wife (לְאִשְׁתּוֹ).” 12   מִשְׁתָּאֵה לָהּ.  מִשְׁתּוֹמֵם עָלֶיהָ, כְּמוֹ אִמְרִי לִי אָחִי הוּא (בראשית כ׳:י״ג) וּכְמוֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם לְאִשְׁתּוֹ (שם כ"ו):
22When the camels had drunk their fill, the man took a gold nose-ring weighing a beka [half a shekel] and two gold bracelets weighing 10 gold shekels for her arms, and gave them to her.   כבוַיְהִ֗י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר כִּלּ֤וּ הַגְּמַלִּים֙ לִשְׁתּ֔וֹת וַיִּקַּ֤ח הָאִישׁ֙ נֶ֣זֶם זָהָ֔ב בֶּ֖קַע מִשְׁקָל֑וֹ וּשְׁנֵ֤י צְמִידִים֙ עַל־יָדֶ֔יהָ עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מִשְׁקָלָֽם:
בֶּקַע - Beka. An allusion to the shekels that the Israelites would contribute, about which it says: “A beka per head, which is a half-shekel.” 13   בֶּקַע.  רֶמֶז לְשִׁקְלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּקַע לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת:
וּשְׁנֵי צְמִידִים - And two bracelets. An allusion to the two Tablets of stone, which were paired together (מְצֻמָּדוֹת).   וּשְׁנֵי צְמִידִים.  רֶמֶז לִשְׁנֵי לוּחוֹת מְצֻמָּדוֹת:
עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב מִשְׁקָלָֽם - Weighing 10 gold shekels. An allusion to the Ten Commandments written on the Tablets.   עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב מִשְׁקָלָֽם.  רֶמֶז לַעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן:
23He said, “Whose daughter are you? If you would, tell me if there is room in your father’s house for us to spend the night.”   כגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ בַּת־מִ֣י אַ֔תְּ הַגִּ֥ידִי נָ֖א לִ֑י הֲיֵ֧שׁ בֵּֽית־אָבִ֛יךְ מָק֥וֹם לָ֖נוּ לָלִֽין:
וַיֹּאמֶר בַּת־מִי אַתְּ - He said, “Whose daughter are you?”. He asked her this after having given her the presents, for he was confident that on account of Abraham’s merit, the Holy One, blessed be He, had made his journey successful.   וַיֹּאמֶר בַּת־מִי אַתְּ.  לְאַחַר שֶׁנָּתַן לָהּ שְׁאָלָהּ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה בָּטוּחַ בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהִצְלִיחַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דַּרְכּוֹ:
לָלִֽין - literally means “for a night’s stay.” The word לִין is a noun. But she replied: לָלוּן, 14 a verb meaning “to stay,” implying: you may lodge with us for several nights.   לָלִֽין.  לִינָה אַחַת, לִין שֵׁם דָּבָר; וְהִיא אָמְרָה לָלוּן – כַּמָּה לִינוֹת:
24She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nachor.”   כדוַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו בַּת־בְּתוּאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽלְדָ֖ה לְנָחֽוֹר:
בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל - The daughter of Bethuel. She answered his first question first and his last one last.   בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל.  הֱשִׁיבַתּוּ עַל רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן וְעַל אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן:
25She then said, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as a place to spend many nights.”   כהוַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו גַּם־תֶּ֥בֶן גַּם־מִסְפּ֖וֹא רַ֣ב עִמָּ֑נוּ גַּם־מָק֖וֹם לָלֽוּן:
מִסְפּוֹא - Fodder. All kinds of camels’ food is called מִסְפּוֹא, e.g., straw and barley.   מִסְפּוֹא.  כָּל מַאֲכַל הַגְּמַלִים קָרוּי מִסְפּוֹא, כְּגוֹן תֶּבֶן וּשְׂעוֹרִים:
26Hearing this, the man bowed his head and prostrated himself to God.   כווַיִּקֹּ֣ד הָאִ֔ישׁ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לַֽיהֹוָֽה: