Genesis Chapter 24

53And the servant took out silver articles and golden articles and garments, and he gave [them] to Rebecca, and he gave delicacies to her brother and to her mother.   נגוַיּוֹצֵ֨א הָעֶ֜בֶד כְּלֵי־כֶ֨סֶף וּכְלֵ֤י זָהָב֙ וּבְגָדִ֔ים וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לְרִבְקָ֑ה וּמִ֨גְדָּנֹ֔ת נָתַ֥ן לְאָחִ֖יהָ וּלְאִמָּֽהּ:
and… delicacies: Heb. וּמִגְדָּנוֹת. An expression of sweet fruits (מְגָדִים), for he had brought with him various kinds of fruits of the Land of Israel.   ומגדנות: לשון מגדים, שהביא עמו מיני פירות של ארץ ישראל:
54And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and they lodged, and they arose in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."   נדוַיֹּֽאכְל֣וּ וַיִּשְׁתּ֗וּ ה֛וּא וְהָֽאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־עִמּ֖וֹ וַיָּלִ֑ינוּ וַיָּק֣וּמוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שַׁלְּחֻ֥נִי לַֽאדֹנִֽי:
and they lodged: Wherever lodging is mentioned in Scripture, it refers to one night’s lodging.   וילינו: כל לינה שבמקרא לינת לילה אחד:
55And her brother and her mother said, "Let the maiden stay with us a year or ten [months]; afterwards she will go."   נהוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אָחִ֨יהָ֙ וְאִמָּ֔הּ תֵּשֵׁ֨ב הַנַּֽעֲרָ֥ה (כתיב הנער) אִתָּ֛נוּ יָמִ֖ים א֣וֹ עָשׂ֑וֹר אַחַ֖ר תֵּלֵֽךְ:
And her brother and her mother said: And where was Bethuel? He wanted to stop [Rebecca’s marriage]; so an angel came and slew him. — [Gen. Rabbah 60:12]   ויאמר אחיה ואמה: ובתואל היכן היה, הוא היה רוצה לעכב ובא מלאך והמיתו:
a year: יָמִים [means] a year, as in (Lev. 25:29): “the time of its redemption shall be one full year (יָמִים).” For a maiden is granted a period of twelve months to outfit herself with ornaments. — [Kethuboth 57].   ימים: שנה, כמו (ויקרא כה כט) ימים תהיה גאולתו, שכך נותנין לבתולה זמן שנים עשר חדש לפרנס את עצמה בתכשיטים:
or ten: [Meaning] ten months, for if you say that יָמִים is [to be understood literally as] days, it is not customary for people who make requests to request a small thing and [to say,] “If you are unwilling, give us more than that.” - [Kethuboth 57].   או עשור: עשרה חדשים. ואם תאמר ימים ממש, אין דרך המבקשים לבקש דבר מועט ואם לא תרצה תן לנו מרובה מזה:
56But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my way prosper. Send me away, and I will go to my master."   נווַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ אַל־תְּאַֽחֲר֣וּ אֹתִ֔י וַֽיהֹוָ֖ה הִצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכִּ֑י שַׁלְּח֕וּנִי וְאֵֽלְכָ֖ה לַֽאדֹנִֽי:
57And they said, "Let us call the maiden and ask her."   נזוַיֹּֽאמְר֖וּ נִקְרָ֣א לַנַּֽעֲרָ֑ה (כתיב לנער) וְנִשְׁאֲלָ֖ה אֶת־פִּֽיהָ:
And ask her: From here we learn that we may not marry off a woman except with her consent. — [Gen. Rabbah 60: 12]   ונשאלה את פיה: מכאן שאין משיאין את האשה אלא מדעתה:
58And they summoned Rebecca, and they said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."   נחוַיִּקְרְא֤וּ לְרִבְקָה֙ וַיֹּֽאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יהָ הֲתֵֽלְכִ֖י עִם־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַתֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלֵֽךְ:
and she said, “I will go.”: of my own accord, even if you do not desire it.   ותאמר אלך: מעצמי, ואף אם אינכם רוצים:
59So they sent away Rebecca their sister and her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men.   נטוַיְשַׁלְּח֛וּ אֶת־רִבְקָ֥ה אֲחֹתָ֖ם וְאֶת־מֵֽנִקְתָּ֑הּ וְאֶת־עֶ֥בֶד אַבְרָהָ֖ם וְאֶת־אֲנָשָֽׁיו:
60And they blessed Rebecca and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the cities of their enemies."   סוַיְבָֽרְכ֤וּ אֶת־רִבְקָה֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לָ֔הּ אֲחֹתֵ֕נוּ אַ֥תְּ הֲיִ֖י לְאַלְפֵ֣י רְבָבָ֑ה וְיִירַ֣שׁ זַרְעֵ֔ךְ אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר שֽׂנְאָֽיו:
may you become thousands of myriads: May you and your seed receive that blessing that was stated to Abraham on Mount Moriah (above 22:17): “and I will surely multiply your seed, etc.” “May it be His will that those children shall be from you and not from another woman.”   את היי לאלפי רבבה: את וזרעך תקבלו אותה ברכה שנאמר לאברהם בהר המוריה (לעיל כב יז) הרבה ארבה את זרעך וגו'. יהי רצון שיהא אותו הזרע ממך ולא מאשה אחרת:
61And Rebecca and her maidens arose and rode on the camels, and they followed the man; and the servant took Rebecca and left.   סאוַתָּ֨קָם רִבְקָ֜ה וְנַֽעֲרֹתֶ֗יהָ וַתִּרְכַּ֨בְנָה֙ עַל־הַגְּמַלִּ֔ים וַתֵּלַ֖כְנָה אַֽחֲרֵ֣י הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּקַּ֥ח הָעֶ֛בֶד אֶת־רִבְקָ֖ה וַיֵּלַֽךְ:
62Now Isaac was on his way, coming from Be'er Lachai Ro'i, and he dwelt in the land of the south.   סבוְיִצְחָק֙ בָּ֣א מִבּ֔וֹא בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י וְה֥וּא יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַנֶּֽגֶב:
coming from Be’er Lachai Ro’i: where he had gone to bring Hagar to Abraham his father, that he should marry her (Gen. Rabbah 60:14).   מבוא באר לחי ראי: שהלך להביא הגר לאברהם אביו שישאנה:
and he dwelt in the land of the south: Near that well, as it is said (above 20:1): “And Abraham traveled from there to the south land, and he dwelt between Kadesh and Shur,” and there the well was located, as it is said (above 16:14): “Behold it is between Kadesh and Bered.”   יושב בארץ הנגב: קרוב לאותו באר, שנאמר (לעיל כ א) ויסע משם אברהם ארצה הנגב וישב בין קדש ובין שור, ושם היה הבאר, שנאמר (שם טז יד) הנה בין קדש ובין ברד:
63And Isaac went forth to pray in the field towards evening, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were approaching.   סגוַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים:
to pray: לָשׂוּחַ is an expression of prayer, as in (Ps. 102:1): “He pours out his prayer (שִׂיחוֹ).” - [Gen. Rabbah 60: 14, Ber. 26b]   לשוח: לשון תפלה, כמו (תהלים קב א) ישפוך שיחו:
64And Rebecca lifted her eyes, and saw Isaac, and she let herself down from the camel.   סדוַתִּשָּׂ֤א רִבְקָה֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא אֶת־יִצְחָ֑ק וַתִּפֹּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל הַגָּמָֽל:
and saw Isaac: She saw his majestic appearance, and she was astounded by him (Gen. Rabbah 60:14).   ותרא את יצחק: ראתה אותו הדור ותוהא מפניו:
and she let herself down: She slipped off toward the earth, as the Targum כִינַת, “and she leaned.” She leaned towards the earth but did not reach the ground, as (above verse 14): “Please lower (הַטִּי) your pitcher,” [which the Targum renders:] אַרְכִינִי [tilt]. Similar to this, (II Sam. 22:10): “And He bent (וַיֵּט) the heavens,” [which the Targum renders:] וְאַרכִין, an expression of leaning towards the earth, and similarly (Ps. 37: 24): “Though he falls (יִפֹּל), he will not be cast down,” meaning that if he falls toward the earth, he will not reach the ground.   ותפל: השמיטה עצמה לארץ, כתרגומו ואתרכינת הטתה עצמה לארץ ולא הגיעה עד הקרקע, כמו (פסוק יד) הטי נא כדך, ארכיני, (ש"ב כב י) ויט שמים, וארכין, לשון מוטה לארץ, ודומה לו (תהלים לז כד) כי יפול לא יוטל, כלומר אם יטה לארץ לא יגיע עד הקרקע:
65And she said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field towards us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." And she took the veil and covered herself.   סהוַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־הָעֶ֗בֶד מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַלָּזֶה֙ הַֽהֹלֵ֤ךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה֙ לִקְרָאתֵ֔נוּ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הָעֶ֖בֶד ה֣וּא אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתִּקַּ֥ח הַצָּעִ֖יף וַתִּתְכָּֽס:
and covered herself: וַתִּתְכָּס is in the reflexive form, as in (below 35:8) ַותִּקָּבֵר (and she was buried); (I Sam. 4:18) וַתִּשָּׁבֵר (and it was broken).   ותתכס: לשון ותתפעל, כמו ותקבר, ותשבר:
66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.   סווַיְסַפֵּ֥ר הָעֶ֖בֶד לְיִצְחָ֑ק אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה:
And the servant told: (Gen. Rabbah 60:15) He revealed to him [Isaac] the miracles that were wrought for him, that the earth had shrunk for him and that Rebecca had come to him providentially as a result of his prayer.   ויספר העבד: גלה לו נסים שנעשו לו שקפצה לו הארץ ושנזדמנה לו רבקה בתפלתו:
67And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted for [the loss of] his mother.   סזוַיְבִאֶ֣הָ יִצְחָ֗ק הָאֹ֨הֱלָה֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־רִבְקָ֛ה וַתְּהִי־ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֶּֽאֱהָבֶ֑הָ וַיִּנָּחֵ֥ם יִצְחָ֖ק אַֽחֲרֵ֥י אִמּֽוֹ:
to the tent of Sarah his mother: He brought her to the tent, and behold, she was Sarah his mother; i.e., she became the likeness of Sarah his mother, for as long as Sarah was alive, a candle burned from one Sabbath eve to the next, a blessing was found in the dough, and a cloud was attached to the tent. When she died, these things ceased, and when Rebecca arrived, they resumed (Gen. Rabbah 60:16).   האהלה שרה אמו: ויביאה האהלה והרי היא שרה אמו, כלומר, ונעשית דוגמת שרה אמו, שכל זמן ששרה קיימת היה נר דלוק מערב שבת לערב שבת, וברכה מצויה בעיסה, וענן קשור על האהל, ומשמתה פסקו, וכשבאת רבקה חזרו:
for…his mother: It is the way of the world that, as long as a person’s mother is alive, he is attached to her, but as soon as she dies, he finds comfort in his wife. — [Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 32.]   אחרי אמו: דרך ארץ כל זמן שאמו של אדם קיימת כרוך הוא אצלה, ומשמתה הוא מתנחם באשתו: