Tightening the Terrain
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
After the binding of Yitzchak and the death of his beloved Sarah, Avraham Avinu was faced with the task of actualizing the promise Hashem made him to make him the ancestor of a great nation through Yitzchak. It was time to find a shidduch for Yitzchak. Avraham entrusts this important task to his faithful servant, Eliezer, giving him detailed instructions and making Eliezer swear to follow these guidelines.
We are familiar with the unfolding of events: Eliezer arrives at the community well in Charan, prays to Hashem for success, and creates a sign that will determine the appropriateness of the girl as a wife for Yitzchak. He immediately sees Rivkah coming to the well, approaches her, and is amazed at how she exceeds all the terms of his test, running back and forth to quench both his thirst and that of his camels. After inquiring who she is, he asks for and receives an invitation for him and his animals to spend the night in her father's home.
Upon arriving at Betuel and Laban's home, Eliezer wastes no time in telling them of his mission. While he is completely truthful, the variations in his narrative from the specific instructions and original narrative, have led our Sages to say that, "The conversation of the slaves of the Patriarchs is more pleasing to the Omnipresent than the Torah of their descendants." We will begin our discussion by focusing on one word in Eliezer's monologue: "היום/Today I embarked and היום/today I arrived..." Given that the journey from Beer Sheva to Charan was usually seventeen days, our Sages extrapolate that Hashem had miraculously contracted the land so that Eliezer's journey would be completed in a single day. However, the return trip did take the full seventeen days. Why was it necessary to miraculously shorten the journey to Charan while maintaining a full seventeen days for the return trip, asks Rabbi Rebibo in Minchas Michael?. In fact, when Eliezer and Rivkah meet Yitzchak upon their return, Eliezer tells Yitzchak all the amazing details and miracles he did that helped him succeed in his mission.
Rabbi Hofstedter notes that Eliezer's words constantly acknowledge Hashem. In this context, Rabbi Druck also interprets "all that he did," as meaning, "all that He/Hashem did," rather than taking credit for himself. For Eliezer was on such a high spiritual level that he understood that even all that he himself did and accomplished was really the hand of Hashem working through him.
We are still left with the question of why such speed was necessary for the trip to Charan but not for the return journey. Rabbi Schorr and Rabbi Belsky zt”l provide some family background that provides an answer to our question. Rivkah was a young girl growing up in a family of liars and deceivers. She was naive enough to see her father and brother as gracious people while still being oblivious to their sly manipulations and thievery. She could absorb these good characteristics while her pure neshamah would not yet be influenced by their negative character. Therefore, it was necessary for Eliezer to remove her from that environment as quickly as possible, before she came under their negative influence. But that was not something he could tell Rivkah's family; to them, he said that the "coincidence" of this all happening so rapidly meant that they needed to seal the deal quickly and leave. That is indeed why Avraham made Eliezer swear, not because Avraham didn't trust him, but to give him extra support and encouragement against the wiles of the Satan who would try to stop this match from succeeding. As we learn, it is not good to remain in a negative environment that can easily impact us without our even being aware. The speed was imperative to remove her from that environment, but was no longer necessary for the return trip.
Eliezer further understood that Rivkah's running and his running to her were signs that alacrity was necessary, that this was an עת רצון/ an auspicious moment meant for success, a moment not to be quickly taken advantage of and not squandered, writes Rabbi Zaichick zt”l. When Hashem "shines His face" on you, adds Rabbi Shternbach, one must not delay, especially in reference to shidduchim, as here. When you think of an appropriate shidduch, act on the thought immediately.
Both Rabbi Schwab zt”l and Rabbi Druck note Eliezer's humility. Although Eliezer was instrumental in the success of this mission, he attributes the success to Hashem. As Rabbi Druck points out, when Eliezer speaks of all that "he" did, he is merely referencing his prayers, that Hashem wants the prayers of man to send down His bounty, just as He waited for Adam to be created so Adam would pray to bring forth the growth of the vegetation that lay dormant under ground until Adam prayed. Eliezer understands that this "contraction of land" was not in his merit, but in the merit of his master, Avraham.
It is for this reason that the first thing Eliezer does is daven. Even though he could have been motivated to fail in his mission, having a daughter he had hoped would become Yitzchak's wife, he devoted himself fully to his task, praying fervently for success. He never put his own interests first, writes Rabbi Reiss. Further, notes Rabbi Reiss, he bows in gratitude to Hashem to the ground, acknowledging the קפיצת הארץ/skipping/contracting of the earth that enabled his success rather than attributing it to his own effort.
We are still left with a question. Usually we use the term קפיצת דרך/contraction of the way or road. Here the term Rashi uses is קפיצת הארץ/ a contraction of the earth. So, Did Hashem teletransport Eliezer from Beer Sheva to Charan in just a few moments, or did the earth miraculously shift and contract, like a rotating background, while Eliezer remained essentially at a standstill? The Shvilei Pinchas posits that the earth itself moved rather than Eliezer. They use the acronym formed by the initial letters Eliezer's words and contrast that with the verses in the two narratives of creation. In the first chapter of Genesis, the Torah writes that Hashem created את השמים ואת הארץ/the heavens and the earth. In the second narrative, the Torah says, "...ביום/On the day [Hashem] created ארץ/earth ושמים/and heavens.." While the first verse has the heavens preceding the earth, the second verse leads with the earth followed by the heavens.
Eliezer, in relaying his message, says, "ואבא היום אל העין/Today I came to the well...," The א/ of ארץ/earth preceding the ה of השמים/the heavens, leading Rashi to conclude that indeed it was the earth that moved and contracted.
The Shvilei Pinchas further develops this acronym. The Torah states that Eliezer took all טוב/ good of his master with him. The numerical equivalent of of טוב is seventeen, equal to the numerical equivalent of the acronym of אקו"ק/the heavens and the earth. This acronym [from ‘he came today to the spring] is the kabalistic name fo Hashem that is used for the earth to contract.
Hashem interacts with the world on two levels, on the natural level and on the "supernatural" level which we term miraculous. although it is actually only another form of nature. Just as the earth itself wants to do Hashem's will, so must each of us elevate the earthly to the heavenly. When the ‘earth see’ that a person is completely driven to do the will of Hashem for altruistic purposes, the ground will contract for such a person, like Eliezer in our story. Just as here the earth "ran" and jumped to do Hashem's will, so should we all run for opportunities to connect our earth, even our simple pleasures, as a manifestation of our will to serve Hashem. With focus, every act can be in service to Hashem -- we eat to remain healthy to serve Hashem; we go to work to feed our families, Hashem's children, and to have money for tzedakah; etc. adds Rabbi Garfinkel.
Just as the earth "ran" to help Eliezer in his service, so will we be helped in our service to Hakodosh Boruch Hu when we are serving with dedication, encourages us the Shvilei Pinchas. But when that extraordinary method was no longer necessary, Hashem reverted to the "natural" method of running the world, and Eliezer's return journey with Rivkah took a full seventeen days.
If we are to elevate the earth to the heavens, there is evidently a hierarchy of heavens and the earth. However, there is an interesting convolution of the order in Moshe's last speech to Bnei Yisroel. Moshe says, "Behold! To Hashem your God are the heaven and highest heaven, the earth..." One would expect the order to begin with the earth and then ascend to the heaven, and finally to the highest heavens. Here the Shvilei Pinchas quotes the Alshich Hakadosh who points out that before the Torah was given, the earth was indeed on a lower level. But after we received the Torah, the potential for elevation was tremendous. If we are successful in our mission of Torah observance, we elevate the earth, and the order is indeed correct, for then the earth is even above the highest heavens. Eliezer understood this truth even before the Torah was given, and the acronym he used reflected the supremacy of earth over heaven. This mission would begin to be actualized through the union of Yitzchak and Rivkah, in giving birth to Yaakov Avinu the symbol of Torah, and therefore the earth contracted itself to facilitate the achievement of this goal.
Hashem desires to dwell with His creations in this world. But this is a world where Hashem's presence is usually hidden. In Eretz Yisroel, however, we are always connected to Hashem, writes Rabbi Kluger in every aspect of our mundane, physical lives.
It is the sanctity of Eretz Yisroel that is reflected in a well, the water of Torah that rises within it. The Sifsei Daas, citing the Sefas Emes zt”l, explains that the Written Torah comes from heaven, but the Oral Torah is given to man to grow and improve himself. This is most easily done in Eretz Yisroel where the practical and the spiritual merge. It is symbolized by the well of flowing water. The three who embody this connection of the Written and Oral Torahs, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Moshe, each met their helpmates at a well. When Eliezer was sent to Charan, Hashem sent the sanctity of Eretz Yisroel with him. It was not the path that was shortened, but the earth itself leapt with him. As Vayovenu Bamikra explains, Yitzchak Avinu was the embodiment of Eretz Yisroel. Since Yitzchak could not leave the Land, Hashem sent the aura of Yitzchak and Eretz Yisrael with Eliezer on this journey.
We could assume that if Hashem was so intent on hastening the marriage of Yitzchak and Rivkah, He would make the return journey as swift as the departing journey. The Chasam Sofer zt”l offers a beautiful insight into this question. We are told that when Eliezer was returning with Rivkah, they met Yitzchak on the path as he was returning from praying in the field. Hashem loves the prayer of tzadikim. Here especially we may assume that Yitzchak was praying that Eliezer find him an appropriate wife. Had Hashem shortened the journey, Hashem would not have had the "pleasure" of hearing Yitzchak's prayer. Lo and behold, as soon as Yitzchak finished his prayers, he lifted his eyes and beheld Rivkah.
Here we have another lesson in the power of prayer, especially on behalf of finding one's proper shidduch, spouse.
Time and space are fluid continuums that Hashem can bend and shape to His will. Whether it was the time or the space that contracted for Eliezer is less relevant for us than it is for us to appreciate that Hashem is always ready to help us when we are ready to grow and become the image of God He invested within us.