כ״ד
י׳וַיִּקַּ֣ח הָ֠עֶ֠בֶד עֲשָׂרָ֨ה גְמַלִּ֜ים מִגְּמַלֵּ֤י אֲדֹנָיו֙ וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ וְכׇל־ט֥וּב אֲדֹנָ֖יו בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיָּ֗קׇם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־אֲרַ֥ם נַֽהֲרַ֖יִם אֶל־עִ֥יר נָחֽוֹר׃
10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and set out, taking with him all the bounty of his master; and he made his way to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
מגמלי אדוניו. נִכָּרִין הָיוּ מִשְּׁאָר גְּמַלִּים, שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹצְאִין זְמוּמִין מִפְּנֵי הַגֶּזֶל, שֶׁלֹּא יִרְעוּ בִשְׂדוֹת אֲחֵרִים (בראשית רבה):
מגמלי אדניו OF HIS MASTER’S CAMELS — These were distinguished from other camels by going out muzzled to avoid robbery — i.e. that they should not graze in other peoples’ fields (Genesis Rabbah 59:11).
וכל טוב אדוניו בידו. שְׁטָר מַתָּנָה כָּתַב לְיִצְחָק עַל כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּקְפְּצוּ לִשְׁלֹחַ לוֹ בִּתָּם (בראשית רבה):
וכל טוב אדניו בידו AND ALL THE GOODS OF HIS MASTER WERE IN HIS HAND — He wrote a deed of gift of all his possessions in favour of Isaac so that they would be eager to send him their daughter (Genesis Rabbah 59:11).
ארם נהרים. בֵּין שְׁתֵּי נְהָרוֹת יוֹשֶׁבֶת:
ארם נהרים MESOPOTAMIA (literally, ARAM OF THE TWO RIVERS) — it was situated between the two rivers, Euphrates and Tigris.
י״אוַיַּבְרֵ֧ךְ הַגְּמַלִּ֛ים מִח֥וּץ לָעִ֖יר אֶל־בְּאֵ֣ר הַמָּ֑יִם לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב לְעֵ֖ת צֵ֥את הַשֹּׁאֲבֹֽת׃
11He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city, at evening time, the time when women come out to draw water.
ויברך הגמלים. הִרְבִּיצָם:
ויברך הגמלים means HE MADE THEM KNEEL (Genesis Rabbah 59:11).
י״בוַיֹּאמַ֓ר ׀ יְהֹוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם הַקְרֵה־נָ֥א לְפָנַ֖י הַיּ֑וֹם וַעֲשֵׂה־חֶ֕סֶד עִ֖ם אֲדֹנִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם׃
12And he said, “O ETERNAL One, God of my master Abraham, grant me good fortune this day, and deal graciously with my master Abraham:
י״גהִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֵ֣ין הַמָּ֑יִם וּבְנוֹת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר יֹצְאֹ֖ת לִשְׁאֹ֥ב מָֽיִם׃
13Here I stand by the spring as the daughters of the townspeople come out to draw water;
י״דוְהָיָ֣ה הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֹמַ֤ר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ הַטִּי־נָ֤א כַדֵּךְ֙ וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה וְאָמְרָ֣ה שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה אֹתָ֤הּ הֹכַ֙חְתָּ֙ לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיִצְחָ֔ק וּבָ֣הּ אֵדַ֔ע כִּי־עָשִׂ֥יתָ חֶ֖סֶד עִם־אֲדֹנִֽי׃
14let the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please, lower your jar that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—let her be the one whom You have decreed for Your servant Isaac. Thereby shall I know that You have dealt graciously with my master.”
אתה הכחת. רְאוּיָה הִיא לוֹ שֶׁתְּהֵא גּוֹמֶלֶת חֲסָדִים, וּכְדַאי לִכָּנֵס בְּבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם; וּלְשׁוֹן הֹכַחְתָּ בֵּרַרְתָּ, אפרו"בישט בלע"ז:
אתה הכחת HER THOU HAST APPOINTED — She is fit for him since she will be charitable and will therefore be worthy of admission into the house of Abraham. The word הכחת means selected; old French approuvest; English thou hast selected.
ובה אדע. לְשׁוֹן תְּחִנָּה, הוֹדַע לִי בָּהּ:
ובה אדע This is a petition: “Let me know through her”.
כי עשית חסד. אִם תִּהְיֶה מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ וְהוֹגֶנֶת לוֹ אֵדַע כִּי עָשִׂית חֶסֶד:
כי עשית חסד THAT THOU HAST SHOWN KINDNESS — if she is of his family and a fit companion for him I shall know that thou hast shown kindness to my master.
ט״ווַֽיְהִי־ה֗וּא טֶ֘רֶם֮ כִּלָּ֣ה לְדַבֵּר֒ וְהִנֵּ֧ה רִבְקָ֣ה יֹצֵ֗את אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֻלְּדָה֙ לִבְתוּאֵ֣ל בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֔ה אֵ֥שֶׁת נָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְכַדָּ֖הּ עַל־שִׁכְמָֽהּ׃
15He had scarcely finished speaking, when Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder.
ט״זוְהַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד הָעַ֔יְנָה וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ וַתָּֽעַל׃
16The maiden was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known.bvirgin Or “young woman.” She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.
בתולה. מִמְּקוֹם בְּתוּלִים (בראשית רבה):
בתולה A VIRGIN — from the place of her hymen.
ואיש לא ידעה. שֶׁלֹּא כְּדַרְכָּהּ, לְפִי שֶׁבְּנוֹת הַגּוֹיִם הָיוּ מְשַׁמְּרוֹת מְקוֹם בְּתוּלֵיהֶן וּמַפְקִירוֹת עַצְמָן מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, הֵעִיד עַל זוֹ שֶׁנְּקִיָּה מִכֹּל:
ואיש לא ידעה AND A MAN DID NOT KNOW HER — not in its way (meaning, anally). Because the daughters of the nations would guard the place of their hymens, but abandon themselves from another place. It testifies about this one that she was clean from all [of this] (Genesis Rabbah 60:5).
י״זוַיָּ֥רׇץ הָעֶ֖בֶד לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הַגְמִיאִ֥ינִי נָ֛א מְעַט־מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ׃
17The servant ran toward her and said, “Please, let me sip a little water from your jar.”
וירץ העבד לקראתה. לְפִי שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁעָלוּ הַמַּיִם לִקְרָאתָהּ (בראשית רבה):
וירץ העבד לקראתה AND THE SERVANT RAN TOWARDS HER — because he saw that the waters rose in the well when she approached it (Genesis Rabbah 60:5).
הגמיאיני נא. לְשׁוֹן גְּמִיעָה, הומיי"ר בלע"ז:
הגמיאיני נא GIVE ME TO DRINK, I PRAY THEE — the word means sipping; old French humer.
י״חוַתֹּ֖אמֶר שְׁתֵ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתֹּ֧רֶד כַּדָּ֛הּ עַל־יָדָ֖הּ וַתַּשְׁקֵֽהוּ׃
18“Drink, my lord,” she said, and she quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and let him drink.
ותרד כדה. מֵעַל שִׁכְמָהּ:
ותרד כדה SHE LET DOWN HER PITCHER from off her shoulder.
י״טוַתְּכַ֖ל לְהַשְׁקֹת֑וֹ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֤ם לִגְמַלֶּ֙יךָ֙ אֶשְׁאָ֔ב עַ֥ד אִם־כִּלּ֖וּ לִשְׁתֹּֽת׃
19When she had let him drink his fill, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they finish drinking.”
עד אם כלו. הֲרֵי אִם מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר, אִם כִּלּוּ דַי סִפּוּקוֹן, שֶׁזּוֹ הִיא גְּמַר שְׁתִיָּתָן, כְּשֶׁשָּׁתוּ דֵּי סִפּוּקָן:
עד אם כלו literally, UNTIL THAT THEY HAVE FINISHED [DRINKING] — Here the word אם is used in the sense of אשר “that”. The words אם כלו the Targum renders by "That they have done enough drinking”. Though the verb כלה signifies to finish, to end, the Targum is right in translating it thus for this is the end of their drinking when they have drunk as much as they wanted (cf. Rashi on Genesis 43:2).
כ׳וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתְּעַ֤ר כַּדָּהּ֙ אֶל־הַשֹּׁ֔קֶת וַתָּ֥רׇץ ע֛וֹד אֶֽל־הַבְּאֵ֖ר לִשְׁאֹ֑ב וַתִּשְׁאַ֖ב לְכׇל־גְּמַלָּֽיו׃
20Quickly emptying her jar into the trough, she ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.
ותער. 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):
ותער AND SHE EMPTIED — It means “pouring out”. It occurs in this sense many times in the Mishna; e. g., (Avodah Zarah 72a), “He who pours (הטערה) from one vessel into another”, and we find it again in a similar sense in Biblical Hebrew: (Psalms 141:8) “O pour not out (תער) my soul”, and (Isaiah 53:12) “Because he poured forth (הערה) his soul unto death”
השקת. אֶבֶן חֲלוּלָה שֶׁשּׁוֹתִים בָּה הַגְּמַלִּים:
השקת THE TROUGH — a hollowed-out stone from which the camels drink.
כ״אוְהָאִ֥ישׁ מִשְׁתָּאֵ֖ה לָ֑הּ מַחֲרִ֕ישׁ לָדַ֗עַת הַֽהִצְלִ֧יחַ יְהֹוָ֛ה דַּרְכּ֖וֹ אִם־לֹֽא׃
21The man, meanwhile, stood gazing at her, silently wondering whether GOD had made his errand successful or not.
משתאה. לְשׁוֹן שְׁאִיָּה, כְּמוֹ שָׁאוּ עָרִים, תִּשָּׁאֶה שְׁמָמָה (שם ו'):
משתאה WAS WONDERING — The word really has the idea of being waste and desolate, as (Isaiah 6:11) “Until cities be waste (שאו) and the land become utterly desolate תשאה.
משתאה. 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):
משתאה means he was astonished and perplexed, because he saw that what he had said was nearly successful only that he did not know whether she belonged to Abraham’s family or not. Do not be puzzled by the ת in the word משתאה for you will find no word (verb) whose first root letter is ש where, when it is used in the Hithpael, the ת of the Hithpael-prefix does not come between the first two letters of the root, as e.g. משתאה (here) and (Isaiah 59:15) משתולל of the same root as שולל, and (Isaiah 59:16) וישתומם of the same root as שממה and (Micha 6:16) “For the statutes of Omri are kept (וישתמר )” from the same root as וישמר —so, also, here משתאה is of the same root as תשאה. Now, just as you find the expression שמם (which really means waste and desolate) applied to a person who is perplexed and speechless (with amazement) and sunk in deep thought (about what is happening) — e. g., (Job 18:20) “They that come after shall be astonished (נשמו) at his day”, and (Jeremiah 2:12) “Be astonished (שומו) ye heavens”, and (Daniel 4:16) “He was appalled אשתומם for a time” — so too you may explain the expression שאה (which also really means waste and desolate) in all its verbal or noun forms as referring to a person who is perplexed and sunk deep in thought. Onkelos translates it in the sense of lingering — “the man lingered” — i. e. he wailed, standing on one spot, to see “whether God had made his journey prosperous”. But one should not read in the Targum שתי in place of שהי, as the Targum of משתאה, (as evidently some versions of the Targum read), for the word משתאה certainly does not mean drinking, for א has no place in the Hebrew words which mean drinking root (שתה).
משתאה לה. מִשְׁתּוֹמֵם עָלֶיהָ, כְּמוֹ אִמְרִי לִי אָחִי הוּא (בראשית כ׳:י״ג) וּכְמוֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם לְאִשְׁתּוֹ (שם כ"ו):
משתאה לה means he was wondering about her, just as the ל has the meaning “about” in (20:13) “Say of me (לי), he is my brother”, and (26:7) “And the men of the place asked about his wife.
כ״בוַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר כִּלּ֤וּ הַגְּמַלִּים֙ לִשְׁתּ֔וֹת וַיִּקַּ֤ח הָאִישׁ֙ נֶ֣זֶם זָהָ֔ב בֶּ֖קַע מִשְׁקָל֑וֹ וּשְׁנֵ֤י צְמִידִים֙ עַל־יָדֶ֔יהָ עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מִשְׁקָלָֽם׃
22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose-ring weighing a half-shekel,chalf-shekel Heb. beqaʻ. and two gold bands for her arms, ten shekels in weight.
בקע. רֶמֶז לְשִׁקְלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּקַע לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת:
בקע BEKA (half a Shekel) — a symbol of the Shekels of the Israelites of which it is said (Exodus 38:26) “a Beka (half a Shekel) a head” (cf. Targum Jon).
ושני צמידים. רֶמֶז לִשְׁנֵי לוּחוֹת מְצֻמָּדוֹת:
ושני צמידים AND TWO BRACELETS (the word for bracelet signifies something joined or united) — a symbol of the two Tablets of stone, joined one to another (Genesis Rabbah 60:6).
עשרה זהב משקלם. רֶמֶז לַעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן:
עשרה זהב משקלם TEN SHEKELS OF GOLD WAS THEIR WEIGHT —a symbol of the Ten Commandments written on them (the Tablets) (Genesis Rabbah 60:6).
כ״גוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בַּת־מִ֣י אַ֔תְּ הַגִּ֥ידִי נָ֖א לִ֑י הֲיֵ֧שׁ בֵּית־אָבִ֛יךְ מָק֥וֹם לָ֖נוּ לָלִֽין׃
23“Pray tell me,” he said, “whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
ויאמר בת מי את. לְאַחַר שֶׁנָּתַן לָהּ שְׁאָלָהּ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה בָּטוּחַ בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהִצְלִיחַ הַקָּבָּ"ה דַּרְכּוֹ:
ויאמר בת מי את AND HE SAID, WHOSE DAUGHTER ART THOU? — He asked her this after he had given her these presents, for he was confident that, on account of the merit of Abraham, the Holy One blessed be He, had made his journey successful.
ללין. לִינָה אַחַת, לִין שֵׁם דָּבָר; וְהִיא אָמְרָה לָלוּן – כַּמָּה לִינוֹת:
ללין TO LODGE IN — the word means one night’s lodging. The word לין is a noun (of the same form as גיל ,שיר). She however said (Genesis 24:25) ללון (a verb, “to lodge” generally) meaning many nights’ lodging (Genesis Rabbah 60:6).
כ״דוַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו בַּת־בְּתוּאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֖ה לְנָחֽוֹר׃
24She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
בת בתואל. הֱשִׁיבַתּוּ עַל רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן וְעַל אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן:
בת בתואל DAUGHTER OF BETHUEL — She answered his first question first and his last last (cf. Avot 5:9).
כ״הוַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו גַּם־תֶּ֥בֶן גַּם־מִסְפּ֖וֹא רַ֣ב עִמָּ֑נוּ גַּם־מָק֖וֹם לָלֽוּן׃
25And she went on, “There is plenty of strawdstraw Heb. teben, shredded straw, which normally was mixed with feed; cf. v. 32. and feed at home, and also room to spend the night.”
מספוא. כָּל מַאֲכַל הַגְּמַלִים קָרוּי מִסְפּוֹא, כְּגוֹן תֶּבֶן וּשְׂעוֹרִים:
מספוא PROVENDER — All kinds of camels’ food is called מספוא e. g., straw and barley.
כ״ווַיִּקֹּ֣ד הָאִ֔ישׁ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃
26The man bowed low in homage to GOD