Spiritual and
Ethical Issues in the Historical Books of Tanach;
SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE BEREISHIT STORIES These four books ostensibly are merely the history of Israel from the entry into the Promised Land until the destruction of the Temple and the temporary loss of independent statehood. In fact they are actually, in a specifically Jewish sense, the most deeply religious and spiritual books of the Bible. One does not have to be specifically Jewish to see or feel the religion and spirituality in the revelations of the prophetic writings or in the words of the Tehillim. They speak to all people, as evidenced by the fact that the Bible is still the world's bestseller and there are millions of non-Jews who regularly recite the Psalms. However, it is specifically and intrinsically Jewish to understand that G-d is revealed in the prosaic material, in the political, social and military events in the lives of ordinary men and women, kings and leaders that are described in the Nevim Rishonim. Here are described the ideology and religious thoughts in Judaism, while in Chronicles we have the purely historical. "To find a wife for my son,
for Yitzchak" [3] Eliezer took 10 camels and set out with all the bounty of his master to Aram Naharaim. Ramban explains the bounty as the fruits and delicacies of Eretz Yisrael, just as the brothers took 10 donkeys with all the good of the country (Sh'mot 45:23). Radak and Or HaChayim see it as gold, precious stones and gems, to show Avraham's wealth. Rashbam suggests that all the bounty refers to all the important personages from Avraham's house that accompanied Eliezer. Rashi, quoting Shmot Rabba, writes that Eliezer took with him the contract attesting that Avraham ceded all his property to Yitschak except for the presents that he gave prior to his death to the sons of the concubine(s) (B'reishit 25:5-6). The explanation of Rabbi S. R. Hirsch, in contrast to these commentaries, seems more compatible with the test that was to select the wife for Yitschak. "Taking the verse literally we see that Eliezer walked to Haran and took the camels for the bride and her attendants, an old servant on foot without obvious wealth, who had to take riding camels somewhere. The presents that he gave Rivka could easily be carried in a jewel box on his person. Only so would the test which he had in mind to make of the character of the girl be real one". One verse speaks of Eliezer at the well (10) while a second (13) of a spring. In the archeological digs of many Canaanite and Israelite town and villages, we find the natural spring funneled or channeled to a well that collected the water, making access and use easier. Irrespective, the well outside the city was the place that a stranger would go in search of information. As refugees, both Moshe and Yaakov had gone there. Now Eliezer proposed asking one of the young girls who came to draw water and give him to drink. He felt that was a good place to observe the behavior of the young girls: to see the degree of chesed they possessed. There, away from their parents and family they would behave naturally and carefree, thus expressing their true characters, which they may not do when in their home environment. "He was not interested in a wealthy girl, rather one who would have to go herself to fetch water, not having servants to do so for her. Further- more, standing at the spring would be a further test of character. For someone not of a generous character, it would be easy to say: "You are strong and by the water, you can simply help yourself" (Malbim). Even if, however, the girl gave him to drink that alone would not be proof of her degree of chesed. Perhaps she did so either indulgently for an old traveler or in expectation of a reward. So, after drinking the water that Rivka had drawn for him, Eliezer waited to see if she would fulfill his condition, that if she followed her action by watering the 10 camels, then indeed she was suitable to be Yitschak's wife. To his astonishment, that is exactly what Rivka did. "Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman in the name of Rabbi Yonatan taught: "There were three (people) that made irresponsible and improper requests, two were fortunate in the reply they received and one was not. The latter was Yiftach (Shoftim 11:30-31) and the others were King Saul (Samuel Alef 17:25) and Eliezer, servant of Avraham. When he said that the girl who would volunteer to give the camels to drink in addition to himself would be the bride, perhaps she would have been blind or lame?" (Ta'anit 4a). "Eliezer would not have asked a girl who was blind or lame, but she may have turned out to be servant or not from Avraham's family. That is why in addition to the test he asked for Hashem's blessing" (Radak). However, Chizkuni points out that before giving her the presents, he asked her whose daughter she was (Ed. note: That is what happened in the account that Eliezer gave to Lavan and Betuel; the account in verses 23-24 is otherwise), so if she would not have been from the family he simply would not have given them to her. "The sign that Eliezer chose for finding the suitable wife was one that remains the most characteristic of the descendants of Avraham and Sara, gemilut chesed. This love of fellow man regardless of class distinction - which only slowly broke its way into the non-Jewish world through the direct and indirect influence of the teaching of the Avrahamides, Eliezer learnt in the tent of Avraham. It must have been rare, otherwise he would not have used it as a sign and test. Throughout, Rivka shows herself worthy with her Avrahamic feelings to take the place of Sara. Eliezer 'the servant', behaving as a slave, begs for just a little water to gulp down, to which she answered, 'drink my lord'. At first not a word about the camels, that came only after he had quenched his thirst. Had she said that at once, a trait that characterizes the true doer of chesed and the true Jewish woman, would have been missing; she would have been a conceited gossip bragging about her charitable deeds. Not only does she offer to give the camels a drink, that would have involved 10 journeys down to the well and 10 drawings up of water, rather she will fill the trough again and again until all 10 camels have drunk their fill. With all that, she hurried and ran to draw the water for them; she was not slow or dilatory in doing that humane work. At the same time she does not waste her energy or even the tiniest drop of water; she carefully empties the pitcher of the water remaining there after Eliezer finishes drinking back into the trough. Jewish nature is as economical with its possessions and resources as it is extravagant in using them for fulfilling a mitzva" (Rabbi S.R. Hirsch).' This is the 117th installment in Dr. Tamari’s series on “Tanach and its messages for our times” [The
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