11 Nov CHAYE SARAH- ELIEZER’S STRATEGY

The Torah in Parashat
Hayeh-Sara tells
the story of Eliezer,
the trusted servant
of Abraham Abinu,
who was sent to find
a suitable wife for Abraham’s son, Yishak.
Abraham told Eliezer to go to his homeland,
Aram Naharayim, and choose a girl from there.
Upon arriving at the well outside the town,
Eliezer prayed to G-d for assistance, asking
Him to arrange that the chosen girl would be
the one whom he would ask for water, and who
would then respond by offering water to him
and also to his camels. Sure enough, Ribka
– the daughter of Abraham’s cousin, Betuel –
came to the well, and after Eliezer approached
her to ask for water, she drew water also for
his camels. Ribka brought Eliezer home, and
he explained to her family why he had come.
He related to them his experiences at the well,
and they had no choice but to conclude that
this was Hashem’s doing, and Ribka was
destined to marry Yishak.
Rav Meir Simcha Ha’kohen of Dvinsk (843-
1926), in his Meshech Hochma, notes a subtle
discrepancy between the Torah’s account of
Abraham’s charge to Eliezer, and the way
Eliezer reported it to Ribka’s family. Abraham
told Eliezer not to bring a girl from the peoples
in Canaan, and to instead go bring a girl from
Abraham’s homeland (24:3-4). Apparently,

Abraham sensed that the girls in Aram were
worthier than the girls in Canaan. In speaking
with Ribka’s family, however, Eliezer said
that Abraham told him to go to “my father’s
home” and “my family” (24:38).
Rav Meir Simcha explains that Abraham did
not actually care whether or not the girl was
from his family; he cared only that she came
from Aram, as the people of Aram were of a
better character than the people of Canaan.
Eliezer therefore decided to choose the girl
who showed that she was kind and generous,
worthy of marrying Abraham’s daughter. His
concern was only the girl’s character, and not
whether or not she belonged to Abraham’s
family. But when he arrived at Ribka’s
home and spoke with her family, he feared
they might feel offended if they realized
that Abraham was not looking specifically
to choose someone from their family for
Yishak. Eliezer therefore said that Abraham
instructed him to go to “my father’s home”
and “my family,” so they would feel honored
by Abraham’s wish to have someone from
their family marry his son, and would not take
offense.
The Meshech Hochma notes that this
explanation answers a number of other
questions, as well, including the question of
how to reconcile Eliezer’s actions with the
prohibition of “Kishuf” – sorcery. It seems that
Eliezer made a random test to find the right

girl, which is prohibited, as the Torah
does not allow making decisions in
this manner, saying “If X happens
then I’ll do Y.” The Meshech Hochma
explains that this prohibition applies
only if there is no logical connection
between “X” and “Y,” in which case
this constitutes a form of witchcraft.
In Eliezer’s case, however, a clear,
logical system was arranged, as he
wanted to find a girl who excelled in
the area of kindness and generosity,
and who was thus worthy of marrying
into the family of Abraham Abinu.
When we study this story, and we see
the thought and effort that Eliezer
invested in order to ensure to find the
right match for Yishak, we come away
awed and inspired. The Sages teach
that Eliezer had a daughter whom
he very much wished would marry
Yishak. As such, he had vested interest in the
failure of his mission. If he would not find
the right girl, or if the girl’s family would not
allow her to go to Canaan to marry Yishak,
this would leave open the possibility of his
daughter marrying Yishak. And yet, Eliezer
did everything he could to ensure the success
of his mission, to find the right girl and see to
it that her family would agree to the match. We
learn from here that under all circumstances,
we are to do the right thing, even when this

seems to entail considerable sacrifice, and
trust in Hashem to make everything work out.
When Torah observance appears to not be in
our best interests, we must learn from Eliezer’s
example, and have the faith and conviction to
do the right thing anyway. Fulfilling Hashem’s
commands is always the most beneficial thing
we can do, even when it seems detrimental,
and so we must be prepared to obey despite
the sacrifices entailed, trusting that Hashem
will bring the most favorable outcome.