(יג) הִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֵ֣ין הַמָּ֑יִם וּבְנוֹת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר יֹצְאֹ֖ת לִשְׁאֹ֥ב מָֽיִם׃ (יד) וְהָיָ֣ה הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֹמַ֤ר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ הַטִּי־נָ֤א כַדֵּךְ֙ וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה וְאָמְרָ֣ה שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה אֹתָ֤הּ הֹכַ֙חְתָּ֙ לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיִצְחָ֔ק וּבָ֣הּ אֵדַ֔ע כִּי־עָשִׂ֥יתָ חֶ֖סֶד עִם־אֲדֹנִֽי׃ (טו) וַֽיְהִי־ה֗וּא טֶרֶם֮ כִּלָּ֣ה לְדַבֵּר֒ וְהִנֵּ֧ה רִבְקָ֣ה יֹצֵ֗את אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֻלְּדָה֙ לִבְתוּאֵ֣ל בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֔ה אֵ֥שֶׁת נָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְכַדָּ֖הּ עַל־שִׁכְמָֽהּ׃
(13) Here I stand by the spring as the daughters of the townsmen come out to draw water; (14) let the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please, lower your jar that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—let her be the one whom You have decreed for Your servant Isaac. Thereby shall I know that You have dealt graciously with my master.” (15) He had scarcely finished speaking, when Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder.
(א) ויהי הוא, והנה נזדמן לו כאשר שאל. ממשפחת אברהם בת בן אחיו ושהיתה הנערה טובה ובתולה. (ב) טרם כלה לדבר, עוד הדבר בפיו או בלבו וכן טרם יקראו ואני אענה (ישעיה ס"ה):
(1) ויהי הוא, and here indeed he was gratified that the first girl whom he addressed met all the qualifications he had stipulated. Not only was she a member of Avraham’s family, but she was also physically attractive, revealed a number of character virtues immediately on acquaintance, and she was a virgin. (2) טרם כלה לדבר, while he was still formulating his prayer, G’d was already setting in motion the answer to his prayer as soon or even before he had articulated all of it. (compare Isaiah 65,24).
This is our first introduction to Rebecca. What do we see was considered her most important identifier?
(טז) וְהַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד הָעַ֔יְנָה וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ וַתָּֽעַל׃ (יז) וַיָּ֥רָץ הָעֶ֖בֶד לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הַגְמִיאִ֥ינִי נָ֛א מְעַט־מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ׃ (יח) וַתֹּ֖אמֶר שְׁתֵ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתֹּ֧רֶד כַּדָּ֛הּ עַל־יָדָ֖הּ וַתַּשְׁקֵֽהוּ׃ (יט) וַתְּכַ֖ל לְהַשְׁקֹת֑וֹ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֤ם לִגְמַלֶּ֙יךָ֙ אֶשְׁאָ֔ב עַ֥ד אִם־כִּלּ֖וּ לִשְׁתֹּֽת׃ (כ) וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתְּעַ֤ר כַּדָּהּ֙ אֶל־הַשֹּׁ֔קֶת וַתָּ֥רָץ ע֛וֹד אֶֽל־הַבְּאֵ֖ר לִשְׁאֹ֑ב וַתִּשְׁאַ֖ב לְכָל־גְּמַלָּֽיו׃
(16) The maiden was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. (17) The servant ran toward her and said, “Please, let me sip a little water from your jar.” (18) “Drink, my lord,” she said, and she quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and let him drink. (19) When she had let him drink his fill, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they finish drinking.” (20) Quickly emptying her jar into the trough, she ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.
(א) וירץ, לפי שראה אותה יפה, ועל שאלותיו סמך על האל. (ב) הגמיאני נא, כמו השקיני:
(1) וירץ, seeing that he saw her beauty, plus the fact that his request seemed to have been answered so promptly, he ran towards her, relying on the fact that he had enjoyed a heavenly assist. (2) הגמיאני נא, the word has a similar meaning to השקיני, “give me to drink!”
(א) וירץ העבד לקראתה. לְפִי שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁעָלוּ הַמַּיִם לִקְרָאתָהּ (בראשית רבה):
(1) וירץ העבד לקראתה AND THE SERVANT RAN TOWARDS HER — because he saw that the waters rose in the well when she approached it (Genesis Rabbah 60:5).
(א) עד אם כלו לשתות, אבל אם כלו לשתות אז אחדל, כלומר אשאב להם, עד אם כלו לשתות, או יהיה אם במקום אשר, עד אשר יכלו לשתות:
(1) ותכל...עד אם כלו לשתות, she meant that she would continue drawing water for the camels until she could ascertain that they would stop drinking. Alternately, the word אם is a substitute for the word אשר.
(א) ותמהר כי המהירות בעבודת המשרת יורה על היות הנעבד נחשב אצלו:
(1) ותמהר, by being quick in what one does, a person performing a service indicates that the one whom she serves is someone esteemed highly in his eyes. Rivkah expressed this by the speed with which she went about her tasks.
(כה) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו גַּם־תֶּ֥בֶן גַּם־מִסְפּ֖וֹא רַ֣ב עִמָּ֑נוּ גַּם־מָק֖וֹם לָלֽוּן׃
(25) And she went on, “There is plenty of straw and feed at home, and also room to spend the night.”
(א) ותאמר, השיבתהו על השאלה השניה ואמרה לו יותר ממה ששאלה, להודיע כי רחבת לב היתה שאמרה לו גם תבן וגו'.
(1) ותאמר, she answered his second question, volunteering more information than Eliezer had requested. She wanted to portray the generous nature of her family by mentioning that they would also provide straw and fodder. She volunteered all this before Eliezer had given her anything. (until after she had answered his questions.)
What do we see of Rebecca's personality from the Torah and the rabbi's interpretations? How do we think these behaviors will allow her to fit in with her future husband's family?
(כח) וַתָּ֙רָץ֙ הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ וַתַּגֵּ֖ד לְבֵ֣ית אִמָּ֑הּ כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
(28) The maiden ran and told all this to her mother’s household.
(א) ותרץ, רצה לבית בשמחה ואמר לבית אמה, כי הבת עם האם ספוריה ודבוריה לא עם האב.
(1) ותרץ, she ran home full of joy and told what happened in her mother’s house. She did not tell anything in her father’s house for a daughter shares her experiences with her mother and not with her father.
(נח) וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ לְרִבְקָה֙ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יהָ הֲתֵלְכִ֖י עִם־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַתֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלֵֽךְ׃
(58) They called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will.”
(א) ותאמר אלך. מֵעַצְמִי, וְאַף אִם אֵינְכֶם רוֹצִים:
(1) ותאמר אלך AND SHE SAID, I WILL GO — of my own accord even though you do not consent (Genesis Rabbah 60:12).
(סד) וַתִּשָּׂ֤א רִבְקָה֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא אֶת־יִצְחָ֑ק וַתִּפֹּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל הַגָּמָֽל׃ (סה) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־הָעֶ֗בֶד מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַלָּזֶה֙ הַהֹלֵ֤ךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה֙ לִקְרָאתֵ֔נוּ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הָעֶ֖בֶד ה֣וּא אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתִּקַּ֥ח הַצָּעִ֖יף וַתִּתְכָּֽס׃
(64) Raising her eyes, Rebekah saw Isaac. She alighted from the camel (65) and said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” And the servant said, “That is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself.
(א) ותרא את יצחק. רָאֲתָה אוֹתוֹ הָדוּר וְתוֹהָא מִפָּנָיו (בראשית רבה):
(1) ותרא את יצחק AND SHE SAW ISAAC — She saw his lordly appearance and gazed at him in astonishment (Genesis Rabbah 60:15).
(א) ותתכס כי יראה מהביט על דרך ויסתר משה פניו:
(1) ותתכס, for she was afraid to look more closely, similar to Moses being afraid to look more closely at the burning bush in Exodus 3,6.
What shift do we see in Rebecca's behavior upon her meeting of Isaac? What might we predict of her future based on our introduction to her in this parasha? Or, for those familiar with the later texts, how might we understand her evolution as a character based on this introduction?