Chaye Sarah - 5773

Parshas Chayei Sarah records two negotiations – that of Avraham with Ephron and the B’nai Ches for the purchase of the burial grounds in Chevron and that of Eliezer with Rivka’s family to arrange the marriage of Yitzchak. The contrast of Eliezer’s conduct with Avraham’s is striking. Eliezer wears his religion on his sleeve; he is constantly praying, thanking, and bowing to Hashem. Avraham, on the other hand, is gracious and well mannered – he bows to the B’nai Ches and Ephron – yet, we do not find any overt expressions of religious sentiment or piety. How can we account for this difference?

Chazal observe that the Torah devotes much space to the account of Eliezer’s mission and to Eliezer’s retelling of the story to Rivka’s family. At the same time, fundamental Torah laws are often derived from a single extra letter in the Torah. Explain Chazal (Midrash Rabba), “The conversation of the servants of the Avos is more precious than the legal discussions of the children of the Avos.” However, a difficulty still remains, because it is not only the legal discussions of the Avos’ children that are abridged. The conversations of the Avos themselves aren’t given the equivalent attention.

Sfas Emes (Chayei Sarah 5641) in a cryptic comment explains that the actions of the Avos defy understanding. Their bodies were loftier than our souls, as Chazal say, “The Avos comprise the Divine Chariot.” Only the actions of the servants can be fathomed and therefore it us only here that the Torah speaks of the prayers and the bowings. Yet, continues the Sfas Emes, we know that Eliezer is called (Bereishis 15:2) Damesek Eliezer because we drew the waters of his master’s teachings and gave others to drink (doleh u’mashkeh). This means that Eliezer’s practices were not of his own design; rather they were rooted in the teachings of his master.

I believe that the point of Sfas Emes is this: Eliezer functioned on two levels – the religious and the mundane. When he was engaged in mundane activities, he was the mere servant of a wealthy Middle Eastern sheik. When he was engaged in religious activities, his prayers and bowings testified to a lofty spiritual level. Avraham, on the other hand, was a totally integrated individual. Whatever he may have been doing, he was in a constant state of Deveikus – cleaving or bonding – to the Ribbono Shel Olam. Every ostensibly casual movement was a manifestation of the most profound devotion to the service of the Ribbono Shel Olam. To emphasize Avraham’s visible religious expressions would distort the reality that his seemingly ordinary movements were equally lofty.

Yet, this could not be perceived by the casual observer. Only Eliezer, who was Avraham’s closest disciple, could see the reality and draw from those very deep wellsprings of perfection. As the verse states (Mishlei 20:5), “The counsel of a man’s heart is as deep water, but a man of understanding can draw it up.” Thus he could serve as the doleh u’mashkeh, spreading the teachings of Avraham to the world.