PART A: Study these texts below carefully. Then make a chart (each person making their own) with the names of the six different commentators down the left side, and the following two questions across the top:
1. Did Rivka "fall off her camel"? (Make sure you explain exactly what she did.)
2. What made her fall (or whatever she did exactly)? (Make sure you try to explain what she was thinking or feeling.)
PART B: After filling in the appropriate information on the chart, then answer the following prompt individually:
Which commentator's interpretation do you find to be most persuasive and why? Which one do you find least persuasive and why? Give complete and thoughtful responses.
***Make sure your document goes in your own HW folder. Print it out and bring to class.
(64) And she saw Yitzhak: She saw how majestic he was, and was gazing at him in wonder (Genesis Rabbah 60:15).
(ב) ותפל הִשְׁמְיטָה עַצְמָהּ לָאֶרֶץ, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וְאִתְרְכִינַת, הִטְּתָה עַצְמָהּ לָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא הִגִיעָה עַד הַקַּרְקַע.
(64) She fell: She lowered herself toward the ground, as [the Aramaic translation of the Torah] Onkelos renders it וארכינת, meaning, she inclined herself towards the ground, but did not actually touch the earth.
(64) And the meaning of She fell off the camel: Voluntarily, as in [verses where different people such as Abraham or Moses express respect or honor and there the Torah says] "He fell on his face." And the verse which comes after actually precedes, for "She said to the servant..." (verse 65) really means that she had said to the servant [just prior to this].
(א) ותפול מעל הגמל הכניעה ראשה בהיותה על הגמל לכבוד יצחק:
(64) She fell off the camel: She bowed her head while she was on the camel in honor of Yitzhak.
(64) And Rivka raised her eyes...and saw Yitzhak: While he was still standing in prayer, and at that moment he was like an angel of God, truly awe-inspiring. And as this is explained in Genesis Rabbah, that she saw his hands outstretched in prayer, so she was very startled.
(ב) ותפל מעל הגמל. מרוב פחד ואימה. אמנם לא ידעה ממי היא מתפחדת ואלו לא היתה יושבת עם העבד על גמל אחד והיתה יושבת מאחוריו עד שראתה שאח״כ האיש הולך לקראת העבד ועומד ומדבר עמו ככל אדם והי׳ דעתה מתקרר בתוך כך עד שבהודעה אח״כ מי הוא האיש הי׳ כבר סר הפחד ממנה.
(64) She fell off the camel. Out of fear and anxiety, although she did not know who it was that she was afraid of. But if she hadn't been sitting on the same camel with the servant, and [instead] had been coming up from behind [riding another animal], in the meantime she would have seen the man go up to greet the servant, standing and speaking with him like any man. And she would have calmed down during this, so that by the time she learned who he was, the fear would already have left her.
(64) She raised [her eyes]: Eliezer did not see him yet, only Rivka did because she sat up high on the camel and could see him.
(Ibid.) She fell: She inclined herself toward the ground toward the servant who was walking alongside the camel as [the Aramaic translation of the Torah] Onkelos renders it וארכינת, as Rashi explained.
(א) ותרא את יצחק ותאמר אל העבד מי האיש הלזה ההלך בשדה לקראתנו ויאמר העבד הוא אדני ואחר כך ותפל מעל הגמל ותקח הצעיף ותתכס, מרוב צניעות הפילה עצמה מרצונה כמו ויפול על פניו.
(64) She saw Yitzhak: [The text says in verse 65] "She said to the servant, 'Who's that man walking toward us through the field?' And the servant said, 'He is my master.'" And after this, "she fell off the camel," "took a scarf, and covered herself." Due to her great modesty she voluntarily dropped herself down, as in [different verses where it says] "He fell on his face" (see Ibn Ezra, above).
ואמר ותשא רבקה את עיניה ותרא את יצחק. להורות שהיא בת זוגו. וכמו שהוא נשא עיניו. כן היא נשאה עיניה וראתה במראה השכינה את יצחק והכירתו. ותפול מעל הגמל לרמוז שהשפילה עצמה ועיניה בענותנותה בראותה אותו. ואם לא הכירתו למה הפילה עצמה. ומה ששאלה מי האיש הלזה. הוא לאמת הענין. וכשאמר הוא אדוני ותקח הצעיף ותתכס.