In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Chayei Sarah, Avraham’s servant Eliezer is sent to find a wife for Yitzchak. At the village, Eliezer asks Hashem for a sign. He decides that when the women come to the well, he will ask for some water to drink, and the woman who will offer his camels water is the one for Yitzchak. Rivkah, the daughter of Abraham’s nephew, appears at the well and passes the “test.” Rivka and Eliezer return to Canaan and encounter Yitzchak praying in the field. Shortly after, they get married.
Before Avraham sent Eliezer on the mission, he made him promise that Yitzchak’s future wife would not be from Canaan or the seven nations. Why did Avraham make Eliezer swear?
Possibly, Avraham didn’t trust him. However, Eliezer was in charge of Avraham’s entire household, which proves that he must have had complete trust in him. But why didn’t Avraham trust him when it came to finding his son a wife?
This comes off a little strange since people generally trust each other when it comes to spiritual matters, yet with Avraham it’s the complete opposite. From Avraham’s ways, we learn that trusting someone spiritually is much harder since it could affect your own personal relationship with Hashem. The promise teaches us that money is just a materialistic thing and that it is incomparable to one’s spiritual relationship with Hashem.
Shabbat Shalom!
By: Daniella Shakib (11th Grade)