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Chewing the Cud: Chapter 24

 

 

12And he said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please cause to happen to me today, and perform loving kindness with my master, Abraham.   יבוַיֹּאמַר֓ | יְהֹוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם הַקְרֵה־נָ֥א לְפָנַ֖י הַיּ֑וֹם וַֽעֲשֵׂה־חֶ֕סֶד עִ֖ם אֲדֹנִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם:
13Behold, I am standing by the water fountain, and the daughters of the people of the city are coming out to draw water.   ×™×’×”Ö´× ÖµÖ¼Ö›×” אָֽנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֵ֣ין הַמָּ֑יִם וּבְנוֹת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר יֹֽצְאֹ֖ת לִשְׁאֹ֥ב מָֽיִם:
14And it will be, [that] the maiden to whom I will say, 'Lower your pitcher and I will drink,' and she will say, 'Drink, and I will also water your camels,' her have You designated for Your servant, for Isaac, and through her may I know that You have performed loving kindness with my master."   ידוְהָיָ֣ה הַנַּֽעֲרָ֗ה(כתיב הנער) ×Ö²×©Ö¶×Ö¨×¨ אֹמַ֤ר אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ הַטִּי־נָ֤א כַדֵּךְ֙ וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה וְאָֽמְרָ֣ה שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה אֹתָ֤הּ הֹכַ֨חְתָּ֙ לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיִצְחָ֔ק וּבָ֣הּ אֵדַ֔ע כִּֽי־עָשִׂ֥יתָ חֶ֖סֶד עִם־אֲדֹנִֽי:
her have You designated: She is worthy of him, for she will perform acts of kindness, and she is fit to enter the house of Abraham; and the expression הֹכַחְתָּ means “You chose,” esprover in Old French.   אותה הכחת: ×¨××•×™×” היא לו שתהא גומלת חסדים וכדאי ליכנס בביתו של אברהם. ולשון הוכחת ביררת, אפרוביש"ט בלע"×– [להראות בבירור]:
and through her may I know: An expression of supplication:“Let me know through her.”   ובה אדע: ×œ×©×•×Ÿ תחנה, הודע לי בה:
that You have performed loving-kindness: If she will be from his family and fit for him, I will know that You have performed loving-kindness.   ×›×™ עשית חסד: ×× תהיה ממשפחתו והוגנת לו, אדע ×›×™ עשית חסד:
15Now he had not yet finished speaking, and behold, Rebecca came out, who had been born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, and her pitcher was on her shoulder.   טווַֽיְהִי־ה֗וּא טֶ֘רֶם֘ כִּלָּ֣ה לְדַבֵּר֒ וְהִנֵּ֧ה רִבְקָ֣ה יֹצֵ֗את אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֻלְּדָה֙ לִבְתוּאֵ֣ל בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֔ה אֵ֥שֶׁת נָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְכַדָּ֖הּ עַל־שִׁכְמָֽהּ:
16Now the maiden was of very comely appearance, a virgin, and no man had been intimate with her, and she went down to the fountain, and she filled her pitcher and went up.   טזוְהַנַּֽעֲרָ֗ה (כתיב והנער) ×˜Ö¹×‘ַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד הָעַ֔יְנָה וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ וַתָּֽעַל:
a virgin: from the place of her virginity. — [Gen. Rabbah 60:5]   בתולה: ×ž×ž×§×•× בתולים:
and no man had been intimate with her: in an unnatural way. Since the daughters of the gentiles would preserve their virginity but were promiscuous in unnatural ways, Scripture attests that she was completely innocent. — [Gen. Rabbah ad loc.]   ואיש לא ידעה: ×©×œ× כדרכה, לפי שבנות הגוים היו משמרות מקום בתוליהן ומפקירות עצמן ממקום אחר, העיד על זו שנקיה מכל:
17And the servant ran toward her, and he said, "Please let me sip a little water from your pitcher."   יזוַיָּ֥רָץ הָעֶ֖בֶד לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הַגְמִיאִ֥ינִי נָ֛א מְעַט־מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ:
And the servant ran toward her: Because he saw that the water had risen toward her. — [Gen. Rabbah ad loc.]   וירץ העבד לקראתה: ×œ×¤×™ שראה שעלו המים לקראתה:
Please let me sip: An expression of swallowing, humer in Old French.   הגמיאיני נא: ×œ×©×•×Ÿ גמיעה, הומיי"ר בלע"×– [לגמוא]:
18And she said, "Drink, my lord." And she hastened and lowered her pitcher to her hand, and she gave him to drink.   יחוַתֹּ֖אמֶר שְׁתֵ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתֹּ֧רֶד כַּדָּ֛הּ עַל־יָדָ֖הּ וַתַּשְׁקֵֽהוּ:
and lowered her pitcher: from her shoulder.   ותורד כדה: ×ž×¢×œ שכמה:
19And she finished giving him to drink, and she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they will have finished drinking."   יטוַתְּכַ֖ל לְהַשְׁקֹת֑וֹ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֤ם לִגְמַלֶּ֨יךָ֙ אֶשְׁאָ֔ב עַ֥ד אִם־כִּלּ֖וּ לִשְׁתֹּֽת:
until they will have finished drinking: Here the word אִם is used in the sense of אִשֶׁר, that   עד אם כלו: ×”רי אם משמש בלשון אשר, אם כלו, די ספקון, שזו היא גמר שתייתן כששתו די ספוקן:
they will have finished: Onkelos renders: until they have had enough, because that is the end of their drinking, when they have drunk their fill.    
20And she hastened, and she emptied her pitcher into the trough, and she ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.   כוַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתְּעַ֤ר כַּדָּהּ֙ אֶל־הַשֹּׁ֔קֶת וַתָּ֥רָץ ע֛וֹד אֶל־הַבְּאֵ֖ר לִשְׁאֹ֑ב וַתִּשְׁאַ֖ב לְכָל־גְּמַלָּֽיו:
and she emptied: ×•Ö·×ªÖ°Ö¼×¢Ö·×¨ is an expression of emptying. There are many examples in the language of the Mishnah:“One who empties (הַמְעָרֵה) from one vessel to another.” It is also found in Scripture (Psalms 141:8):“Do not cast out (תְּעַר) my soul” ; (Isa. 53:12):“That he poured out (הֶעֱרָה) his soul to death.”   ותער: ×œ×©×•×Ÿ נפיצה, והרבה יש בלשון משנה (עבודה זרה ×” ×–) המערה מכלי אל כלי, ובמקרא יש לו דומה (תהלים קמא ×—) אל תער נפשי, (ישעיה × ×’ יב) אשר הערה למות נפשו:
the trough: A hollow stone from which the camels drink.   השקת: ××‘ן חלולה ששותים בה הגמלים:
21And the man was astonished at her, standing silent, [waiting] to know whether the Lord had caused his way to prosper or not.   כאוְהָאִ֥ישׁ מִשְׁתָּאֵ֖ה לָ֑הּ מַֽחֲרִ֕ישׁ לָדַ֗עַת הַֽהִצְלִ֧יחַ יְהֹוָ֛ה דַּרְכּ֖וֹ אִם־לֹֽא:
was astonished: Heb. מִשְׁתָּאֵה, an expression of desolation, as in (Isa. 6:11):“[until] the cities become desolate (שָׁאוּ) …and [the ground] lies waste (תִּשָׁאֶה) and desolate.”   משתאה: ×œ×©×•×Ÿ שאייה, כמו (ישעיה ו יא) שאו ערים, תשאה שממה:
was astonished: ×žÖ´×©Ö°××ªÖ¸Ö¼×Öµ×” [means that] he was astonished and startled because he saw his efforts on the verge of succeeding, but he did not yet know whether she was of Abraham’s family or not. Do not be surprised by the letter“tav” in the word מִשׁ ְתָּאֵה [since the root is שׁאה], because there is no word [verb] whose first root-letter is a “shin,” which is used in the reflexive [Hitpa’el] form, in which a“tav” does not separate the first two letters of the root, e.g. מִשְׁתָּאֵה [here]; or (Isa. 59:15) ×žÖ´×©Ö°××ªÖ¼×•Ö¹×œÖµ×œ which is from the same root as תּשׁוֹלָל or (ibid. 59:16) וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵם, from the same root as שְׁמָמָה or (Micah 6:16):“And the statutes of Omri shall be observed (וַיִּשְתַמֵּר),” from the same root as וַיִּשְׁמֹר. Here too, מִשְׁתָּאֵה is from the same root as תִּשָׁאֶה. And just as you find the expression מְשׁוֹמֵם used concerning a person who is astonished, dumbfounded, and engrossed in thought, as in (Job 18:20):“Those who come after shall be astonished (נָשַׁמּוּ) at his day” ; or (Jer. 2:12):“O heavens, be ye astonished (שׁוֹמּוּ)” ; or (Dan. 4: 16):“He was bewildered (אֶשְׁתּוֹמַם) for awhile”; so can you explain the expression שְׁאִיָה as referring to a person who is astonished and engrossed in thought. Onkelos, however, renders it as an expression of waiting (שְׁהִיָה) :“and the man waited (שָׁהֵי) ,” [meaning that] he waited and stood in one place to see“whether the Lord had made his way prosper.” However, we cannot translate מִשְׁתָּאֵה as meaning שָׁתֵי,“to drink,” because [the word מִשְׁתָּאֵה] does not mean drinking, for the “aleph” does not occur in the verb“to drink” (שְׁתִּיָה).   משתאה: ×ž×©×ª×•×ž× ומתבהל על שראה דברו קרוב להצליח. אבל אינו יודע אם ממשפחת אברהם היא אם לאו. ואל תתמה בתי"ו של משתאה שאין לך תיבה שתחלת יסודה שי"ן ומדברת בלשון מתפעל שאין תי"ו מפרידה בין שתי אותיות של עיקר היסוד כגון משתאה מגזרת שאה, (ישעיה נט טו) משתולל מגזרת שולל, (שם נט טז) וישתומם מגזרת שממה, (מיכה ו טז) וישתמר חקות עמרי מגזרת וישמר, אף כאן משתאה מגזרת תשאה, וכשם שאתה מוצא לשון משומם באדם נבהל ונאלם ובעל מחשבות, כמו (איוב ×™×— ×›) על יומו נשמו אחרונים, (ירמיה ב יב) שומו שמים, (דניאל ד טז) אשתומם כשעה חדא, כך תפרש לשון שאייה באדם בהול ובעל מחשבות. ואונקלוס תרגם לשון שהייה וגברא שהי, שוהא ועומד במקום אחד לראות ההצליח ×”' דרכו. ואין לתרגם שתי, שהרי אינו לשון שתיה, שאין אל"×£ נופלת בלשון שתיה:
was astonished at her: [לָהּ means] he was astonished about her, as in [above 20:13]:“Say about me (לִי) , ‘He is my brother’ ” ; and as in [26:7]:“The people of the place asked about his wife (לְאִשׁתּוֹ) .”   משתאה לה: ×ž×©×ª×•×ž× עליה כמו (לעיל ×› ×™×’) אמרי לי אחי הוא, וכמו (לקמן כו ×–) וישאלו אנשי המקום לאשתו:
22Now it came about, when the camels had finished drinking, [that] the man took a golden nose ring, weighing half [a shekel], and two bracelets for her hands, weighing ten gold [shekels].   כבוַיְהִ֗י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר כִּלּ֤וּ הַגְּמַלִּים֙ לִשְׁתּ֔וֹת וַיִּקַּ֤ח הָאִישׁ֙ נֶ֣זֶם זָהָ֔ב בֶּ֖קַע מִשְׁקָל֑וֹ וּשְׁנֵ֤י צְמִידִים֙ עַל־יָדֶ֔יהָ עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מִשְׁקָלָֽם:
half [a shekel]: This alludes to the shekels of Israel, half a shekel per head. — [Targum Jonathan]   בקע: ×¨×ž×– לשקלי ישראל בקע לגלגלת:
and two bracelets: An allusion to the two Tablets paired together. — [Gen. Rabbah (60:6), Targum Jonathan]   ושני צמידים: ×¨×ž×– לשני לוחות מצומדות:
weighing ten gold [shekels]: An allusion to the Ten Commandments [inscribed] on them. — [Gen. Rabbah 60:6]   עשרה זהב משקלם: ×¨×ž×– לעשרת הדברות שבהן:
23And he said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there place for us for lodging in your father's house?"   כגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ בַּת־מִ֣י אַ֔תְּ הַגִּ֥ידִי נָ֖א לִ֑י הֲיֵ֧שׁ בֵּֽית־אָבִ֛יךְ מָק֥וֹם לָ֖נוּ לָלִֽין:
And he said,"Whose daughter are you?: He asked her this after giving her [the gifts] because he was confident that in the merit of Abraham, the Holy One, blessed be He, had caused his way to prosper.   ויאמר בת מי את: ×œ××—ר שנתן לה שאלה, לפי שהיה בטוח בזכותו של אברהם שהצליח הקב"×” דרכו:
for lodging: ×œÖ´×™×Ÿ means one night’s lodging. - לִין is a noun. But she replied, לָלוּן, meaning many lodgings. — [Gen. Rabbah 60:6] [Since לָלוּן is a verb, it does not limit the number of lodgings.]   ללין: ×œ×™× ×” אחת. לין שם דבר והיא אמרה ללון כמה לינות:
24And she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."   כדוַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו בַּת־בְּתוּאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽלְדָ֖ה לְנָחֽוֹר:
the daughter of Bethuel: She answered his first question first and his last question last.  

בת בתואל: ×”שיבתו על ראשון ראשון ועל

אחרון אחרון:
61And Rebecca and her maidens arose and rode on the camels, and they followed the man; and the servant took Rebecca and left.   סאוַתָּ֨קָם רִבְקָ֜ה וְנַֽעֲרֹתֶ֗יהָ וַתִּרְכַּ֨בְנָה֙ עַל־הַגְּמַלִּ֔ים וַתֵּלַ֖כְנָה אַֽחֲרֵ֣י הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּקַּ֥ח הָעֶ֛בֶד אֶת־רִבְקָ֖ה וַיֵּלַֽךְ:
62Now Isaac was on his way, coming from Be'er Lachai Ro'i, and he dwelt in the land of the south.   סבוְיִצְחָק֙ בָּ֣א מִבּ֔וֹא בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י וְה֥וּא יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַנֶּֽגֶב:
coming from Be’er Lachai Ro’i: where he had gone to bring Hagar to Abraham his father, that he should marry her (Gen. Rabbah 60:14).   מבוא באר לחי ראי: ×©×”לך להביא הגר לאברהם אביו שישאנה:
and he dwelt in the land of the south: Near that well, as it is said (above 20:1): “And Abraham traveled from there to the south land, and he dwelt between Kadesh and Shur,” and there the well was located, as it is said (above 16:14):“Behold it is between Kadesh and Bered.”   יושב בארץ הנגב: ×§×¨×•×‘ לאותו באר, שנאמר (לעיל ×› א) ויסע משם אברהם ארצה הנגב וישב בין קדש ובין שור, ושם ×”×™×” הבאר, שנאמר (שם טז יד) ×”× ×” בין קדש ובין ברד:
63And Isaac went forth to pray in the field towards evening, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were approaching.   סגוַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים:
to pray: ×œÖ¸×©×‚וּחַ is an expression of prayer, as in (Ps. 102:1):“He pours out his prayer (שִׂיחוֹ).” - [Gen. Rabbah 60: 14, Ber. 26b] \b 64\b0   לשוח: ×œ×©×•×Ÿ תפלה, כמו (תהלים קב א) ישפוך שיחו:
64And Rebecca lifted her eyes, and saw Isaac, and she let herself down from the camel.   סדוַתִּשָּׂ֤א רִבְקָה֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא אֶת־יִצְחָ֑ק וַתִּפֹּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל הַגָּמָֽל:
and saw Isaac: She saw his majestic appearance, and she was astounded by him (Gen. Rabbah 60:14).   ותרא את יצחק: ×¨××ª×” אותו הדור ותוהא מפניו:
and she let herself down: She slipped off toward the earth, as the Targum כִינַת, “and she leaned.” She leaned towards the earth but did not reach the ground, as (above verse 14):“Please lower (הַטִּי) your pitcher,” [which the Targum renders:] אַרְכִינִי [tilt]. Similar to this, (II Sam. 22:10):“And He bent (וַיֵּט) the heavens,” [which the Targum renders:] וְאַרכִין, an expression of leaning towards the earth, and similarly (Ps. 37: 24):“Though he falls (יִפֹּל), he will not be cast down,” meaning that if he falls toward the earth, he will not reach the ground.   ותפל: ×”שמיטה עצמה לארץ, כתרגומו ואתרכינת הטתה עצמה לארץ ולא ×”×’×™×¢×” עד הקרקע, כמו (פסוק יד) הטי נא כדך, ארכיני, (ש"ב כב ×™) ויט שמים, וארכין, לשון מוטה לארץ, ודומה לו (תהלים לז כד) ×›×™ יפול לא יוטל, כלומר אם יטה לארץ לא ×™×’×™×¢ עד הקרקע:
65And she said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field towards us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." And she took the veil and covered herself.   סהוַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־הָעֶ֗בֶד מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַלָּזֶה֙ הַֽהֹלֵ֤ךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה֙ לִקְרָאתֵ֔נוּ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הָעֶ֖בֶד ה֣וּא אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתִּקַּ֥ח הַצָּעִ֖יף וַתִּתְכָּֽס:
and covered herself: ×•Ö·×ªÖ´Ö¼×ªÖ°×›Ö¸Ö¼×¡ is in the reflexive form, as in (below 35:8) ַותִּקָּבֵר (and she was buried); (I Sam. 4:18) ×•Ö·×ªÖ´Ö¼×©Ö¸Ö¼××‘ֵר (and it was broken).   ותתכס: ×œ×©×•×Ÿ ותתפעל, כמו ותקבר, ותשבר:
66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.   סווַיְסַפֵּ֥ר הָעֶ֖בֶד לְיִצְחָ֑ק אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה:
And the servant told: (Gen. Rabbah 60:15) He revealed to him [Isaac] the miracles that were wrought for him, that the earth had shrunk for him and that Rebecca had come to him providentially as a result of his prayer.   ויספר העבד: ×’לה לו נסים שנעשו לו שקפצה לו הארץ ושנזדמנה לו רבקה בתפלתו:
67And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted for [the loss of] his mother.   סזוַיְבִאֶ֣הָ יִצְחָ֗ק הָאֹ֨הֱלָה֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־רִבְקָ֛ה וַתְּהִי־ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֶּֽאֱהָבֶ֑הָ וַיִּנָּחֵ֥ם יִצְחָ֖ק אַֽחֲרֵ֥י אִמּֽוֹ: