19 Nov CHAYEI SARAH: MIDDOS

The Siduro shel
Shabbos (vol.1 1:4)
tells about the many miracles that Eliezer
saw Rivkah perform. One miracle was
that when she came to draw water from
the well, the water came up to her, as it
states (24:17) “The servant ran towards
her,” and Rashi writes, “He ran because
he saw that the water came up towards
her.”
The Siduro Shel Shabbos explains that
it wasn’t only the water that came up to
Rivkah, but the entire well came to
Rivkah. The well picked itself up from
its place and moved towards Rivkah.
The proof is that Eliezer was standing by
the well, as it states (24:13) “Behold I
am standing by the fountain of water.”
Why did he have to run towards Rivkah?
It must be that the entire well came
towards Rivkah.
Another miracle that transpired was
that the camels drank just a little bit, and
they were satisfied, and they didn’t need

more. The Siduro Shel Shabbos discusses
these and other miracles that Eliezer
witnessed, but that wasn’t the primary
reason Eliezer understood that Rivkah
was fitting for
Yitzchak. The
main sign was
that Rivkah was
a baalas gemilas
chasadim, and
that she helped
Eliezer with
even more than
he requested.
That was the
most significant
sign that Rivkah
was a fitting
shidduch for
Yitzchak.
Yitzchak married Rivkah because of
her middos and not because of the
miracles that happened around her.
When Rivkah was brought to Sarah’s
tent, Yitzchak saw that the three miracles
that occurred with his mother had
returned in Rivkah’s merits. There was a

cloud over the tent, there was a blessing
in the dough, and the Shabbos lecht
remained lit until the following week.
Rashi (24:67) writes, “When Sarah was
niftarah, these
miracles stopped,
and Rivkah came,
and they returned.”
But it wasn’t
because of these
miracles that
Yitzchak married
Rivkah. He married
her because he
knew that she was a
baalas gemilus
chasadim. Rebbe
Yissachar Dov of
Belz zt’l proves
this from Targum
Yonason (24:67)
“He loved her because he saw that her
deeds were good like the deeds of his
mother.” He married Rivkah for her
good deeds and not for the miracles she
performed.
The Siduro Shel Shabbos explains that
this tells us that good middos is an
even greater praise than someone
who is able to perform miracles.
Let us discuss some examples of
Rivkah’s gemilus chasadim, as
expressed in the Torah and explained
by the commentaries:
Eliezer performed a test to determine
who was a fitting wife for Yitzchak.
He asked for a sip of water. If the
maiden would reply (24:14) “Drink
and I will also give water to your
camels, you have designated her for
your servant, Yitzchak.”
Things didn’t go exactly as planned.
He asked Rivkah for water, and she
gave it to him. At this point, she
didn’t yet mention the camels.
Then it states (24:19), “She finished
giving him to drink, and she said, “I
will also draw for your camels, until
they have finished drinking.” She
didn’t mention the camels until
Eliezer finished drinking. Why?
The Or HaChaim (24:18) explains
that Rivkah acted with greater piety
than Eliezer had tested her for.
“Rivkah didn’t tell Eliezer
immediately that she would give
water to his camels, demonstrating

her generosity. The
tzaddekes figured
that if she told
Eliezer right away
that she would draw
water for his camels,
too, he might gulp
his water down [and drink less than he
needed to quench his thirst] because he
knows that Rivkah still has a lot of work,
to draw water for all the camels. Rivkah
didn’t tell Eliezer her plans, so Eliezer
would drink at his own pace, as much as
he needed, because Eliezer thought she
was giving water just to him. After he
finished drinking, she said, ‘I will draw
for your camels.’”
The Shlah found in the parashah another
remarkable facet of Rivkah’s courtesy
and kindness. After Eliezer finished
drinking, it states (24:20) “She quickly
poured out the jug… And she ran to the
well…”
The Shlah HaKadosh zt’l (end of Chaya
Sara) writes, “After Rivkah gave water
to Eliezer, some water was left in the jug,
but Rivkah didn’t know what to do with
it. If she pours this water for the camels,
it will appear as if she compares them to
Eliezer, for she gives them both to drink
from the same utensil. On the other hand,
pouring water on the ground is
disrespectful. It might imply that since
Eliezer drank from the water, it isn’t
good anymore. Rivkah acted with
wisdom. She ran and rushed, making it
appear that due to her haste, she dropped
the jug, and the water spilled out. This
way, Eliezer’s honor was maintained.”
At the beginning of this episode, Eliezer
is called eved, a slave. For example, it
states (24:10, 17), Vayikach HaEved…
Vayaratz HaEved. Afterwards, Eliezer is
called Ish (see pasuk 21 and 26). What
caused the change?
I heard from a talmid chacham that the
change happened when Rivkah called
Eliezer Adoni, “my master.” As she said
(24:18), “Drink my master.” Eliezer was
a slave and wasn’t accustomed to people
addressing him with honor. She spoke to

him with respect, and this lifted his self-
esteem. And since he felt like an Ish, the

Torah also calls him that way.
It was because of these and her other
wondrous deeds of chesed that Rivkah
was chosen to be Yitzchak’s wife.