Our Parasha recounts the thrilling and miraculous events of the matchmaking between Rivka and Yitzchak through the faithful slave-servant Eliezer. Avraham commands Eliezer to go to Charan, Avraham’s homeland, to find a bride for Yitzchak. Avraham makes Eliezer swear to not take a wife from the Canaanites and the Midrash adds; that he warned him that the goal is to find Rivka and to bring her back. Eliezer asks, what if she refuses to come? Avraham expresses his confidence in Hashem and says; “Hashem in heaven who took me from my father’s house and from my homeland and who spoke to me and who swore to me: to your descendants I will give this land. He will send his angel before you to help you find a wife for my son.” However, when Eliezer arrived at Bethuel’s home and recounted the details of the mission he was ordered to performed, he modified some words; “And I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not follow me? He replied to me, ‘The LORD, whose ways I have followed, will send His angel with you and make your errand successful; and you will get a wife for my son from my kindred, from my father’s house.” What’s a little puzzling is that according Avraham’s words, it’s clear he had no idea of the outcome, though according to Eliezer’s recounting, Avraham was sure it would be a success. The other seemingly unsignificant change was that Avraham said, “He will send his angel before you” and Eliezer reported; “He will send his angel with you.” Why did he find the need to change these details? The answer can be understood with a Story of the Baal Shem Tov. One of the greatest disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Zeev Wolf Kitsis, was so poor he could not afford to marry his eldest daughter. The Baal Shem Tov asked him one day: Why are you not trying to marry your daughter? The student replied: I cannot even support my family; how can I think of marriage expenses? The Baal Shem retorted, send a messenger to the city Yasi to ask the Matchmakers to propose a suitable groom to your daughter. You must also promise the groom a dowry of two thousand rubles. The student was astonished but followed his Rabbi’s instructions and sent a messenger. The envoy described RABBI Wolf, as a righteous man and being the closet disciple of the Baal Shem, and on top he promised to give a dowry of two thousand rubles. Proposals flowed and he concluded by selecting the Son of a rich man, who was exceptionally great in Torah. The deal was concluded, and the “conditions” were signed. The emissary returned and told RABBI Wolf the entire story who approved the choice. When RABBI Wolf went to inform the Baal Shem, before uttering a word he greeted him with a Mazal Tov, and told him not to worry about anything, as help would come very soon. It was the custom to send gifts to the groom, and the groom’s father wondered that weeks were passing, and nothing was received. He decided to enquire and wrote his Mechutan a letter. Rabbi Wolf, feeling the pressure, went to show the letter to the Baal Shem Tov who told him not to worry that his salvation was close. Several more weeks passed, and the father-in-law continued wrote another letter, why does not send the gifts to the groom, did he have a change of heart? But RABBI Wolf, who had full confidence in the words of the Baal Shem, did not reply. Seeing that there was no reply to his enquiries, the groom’s father sent a scolding letter and informed RABBI Wolf, if he did not receive a response, he would cancel the engagements. RABBI Wolf’s heart sank while reading the letter and ran to the Baal Shem to show it. The Baal Shem Tov told RABBI Wolf to reply that the gifts and the dowry will be both given prior to the wedding. Thus, the groom and his family should arrive a few days before the wedding so they could have a few days to enjoy each other. Rabbi Wolf complied and the groom’s father was indeed delighted by the news. A few days before the wedding he received a letter from the groom’s mother that they would be immediately traveling with their entire family. Rabbi Wolf had reached his limits and was totally panicked. He visited again the Baal Shem to show him the letter. On his way, a man asked him where the Baal Shem lived. I happen to the Baal Shem told him Rabbi Wolf, come along. As soon as they arrived, the Baal Shem Tov said to the guest: Let me tell you a story: A merchant took a large amount of lumber to sell it in Prussia. He was lucky to find immediately buyers at the exorbitant price of forty thousand rubles. The merchant had an elegant chariot and a gentile carter. On their way back, the satisfied merchant fell asleep, and the gentile found the opportunity to get off the road and to drive the cart deep in the forest. He woke up the merchant and demanded the money, otherwise he will kill him with the ax he was waving over his head. The merchant was panicked and begged the carter to leave him half of the money. But the carter would not budge and demanded the entire sum, and if even one rubble was missing he will immediately kill him/ When the merchant saw there was no avail to anger the gentile more, he handed over the forty thousand rubles. After the carter got all the money he said, if I live you alive you will certainly report me to the police and I will be arrested. I have no choice but to kill you! Understanding his end was near, the merchant begged him to at least give him the opportunity to say a last prayer. The carter apologized for this, tied him to a tree, lest he run away, and let him say hisa confession. The merchant began to say the Viduy, outpouring his soul, and swore Hashem: “Lord of the world, if I can be saved from the hands of this murderer, I will give tithes of all this money to charity.” The forest ranger arrived suddenly and had his riffle pointed at the carter. There was no need for words to described what was taking place. The ranger grabbed the carter and handcuffed him, then untied the merchant. The carter immediately confessed, and the money was returned to the merchant. However, the merchant had a burning question for the ranger: How did you know to come exactly here far away for the road? The ranger replied, I heard heartbreaking sobbing and I followed the sound. The merchant enquired: where do you live? To which the ranger told him the name of the city, which was miles away. The merchant understood it was nothing else than a miracle! When he returned to his home, several weeks had passed since the incident. The merchant forgot his vow and gave nothing to charity. The merchant had a son and a daughter, his daughter fell suddenly ill. He did not correlate that it was in punishment of him not keeping his promise, the vow was long forgotten. Then his only son also fell ill, he paid for great doctors to come and visit, and their diagnostic was grim, the situation was desperate and there was no remedy that could save them. He was extremely distressed, and understood it was not a coincidence that both his children become so sick. He decided to visit the Baal Shem Tov about whom he heard that he was a miracle doer. When the Baal Shem Tov finished his story, the same merchant was aghast more bewildered than when the incident happened to him. The reality impacted him with such a violence that he could not regain his countenance. He though managed to utter: “I am ready and willing to give immediately the tithe money, to whomever the Rabbi will instruct me!” The Baal Shem told him to give it immediately to Rabbi Wolf. It was Rabbi Wolf’s turn to be astonished. Despite witnessing countless times the miracles performed by the Baal Shem, they take another dimension if one is a party. Thus, receiving the four thousand rubbles enabled him to regain his countenance and his happiness had no boundaries. While the merchant, upon his return, he was greeted with the news that his children had miraculously recovered. Back to our Parasha: Eliezer’s essence was as he himself testified “I am Avraham’s servant.” So, when Avraham said, “He will send his angel before you”, Eliezer knew that the deal was closed and the mission would succeed. “But Eliezer changed and said, “He will send his angel with you.” The reason being, that while Eliezer was negotiating the terms with Bethuel, there was no point informing that Hashem’s Angel had already settled the deal as then Bethuel would be free to make any claim. True success is obtaining the Divine Blessing, as success is then assured. It is not reliant upon one’s action or intelligence, but only upon Hashem’s blessing. Therefore, upon hearing the story, Bethuel replied: “We cannot speak to you evil or good” as Eliezer was not the committer but Hashem. Hence, the Torah prolonged the story of Eliezer [67 Verses] so much, to instruct that each of us is on a mission in this world. Every moment of our day, every action we undertake is a mission in itself. Despite the obligation to undertake every possible action to succeed, a Jew should bear in mind that ultimately the success could only be achieved with Hashem’s blessing. The actions are solely the vessel to receive the blessing. The proof being that one can only control his actions and is powerless towards someone’s else action. However, with Hashem’s blessing he can even control the laws of nature. Eliezer taught us that to deserve Hashem’s blessing, one must nullify himself “Eved Avraham Anochi” “I am just Avraham’s servant.” Hashem’s light does not shine upon haughty people, only upon humble people.

By Rabbi Fridmann * [email protected] * 305.985.3461

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