וַיָּ֥רָץ הָעֶ֖בֶד לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הַגְמִיאִ֥ינִי נָ֛א מְעַט־מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ׃
Lalu hamba itu berlari menyongsong dia dan berkata, “Izinkanlah aku kiranya meneguk sedikit air dari buyungmu.”
Midrash Tanchuma
(Numb 28:2:) “Guard to offer it to Me at its set time.” This text is related (to Prov. 13:25), “The righteous man eats to satiate his soul.” This is Eliezer who said to Rebekah (in Gen. 24:17), “Please let me sip a bit of water,” enough to sip. (Prov. 13:25, cont.:) “But the belly of the wicked is lacking.” That is Esau who said to Jacob (in Gen. 25:30), “Please stuff me (haliteini).” R. Isaac bar Zeira said, “He opened his mouth wide like a camel and said, ‘I will open my mouth and you put it in.’” It is taught there (Mishnah Shabbat 24:3), “One may not forcibly overfeed a camel on Shabbat and one may not force-feed it. However, one may place food into its mouth (malitin).” Another interpretation (of Prov. 13:25), “The righteous man eats to satiate his soul”: This is Ruth about whom it is written (in Ruth 2:14), “and she ate her fill and had some left over.” As blessing dwelt in the mouth of that righteous woman. (Prov. 13:25, cont.:) “But the belly of the wicked is lacking.” That is the gentiles. There was a story about a gentile who made a banquet for all the people of his city: R. Dustai said, “He invited me to that banquet, with all the people of his city, and his table was not lacking any of the tasty foods of the world except for perekh nuts alone. What did he do? He took the serving table that was in front of us that was worth more than sixty talents of silver and he broke it. I said to him, ‘Why did you do this?’ He said to me, ‘You say that this world is ours and the next world is yours. If we do not [get to] eat now, when will we eat [it[?’ I read [as being] about him (Prov. 13:25, cont.), ‘but the belly of the wicked is lacking.’” (Numb. 28:3:) “And you shall say to them, ‘This is the burnt offering which you shall offer to the Lord: two yearling lambs without blemish.’” Not two simultaneously, but (as in vs. 4), “The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second lamb you shall offer at twilight.” R. Judah bar Simon said, “None ever lodged in Jerusalem with sin on their hands.37Numb. R. 21:21. How so? The sacrifice of the morning atoned for the transgressions which were committed during the night, and the daily sacrifice at twilight atoned for transgressions which were committed during the day.” In any case none lodged in Jerusalem with sin on their hands, as stated (in Is. 1:21), “righteousness lodges38Although the biblical context requires a past tense for this verb, the sense of the midrash assumes a present or a future. Such a translation also fits the later use of the imperfect tense used here. there (i.e., in Jerusalem).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Israelites, “In this world you offer shewbread, but in the world to come I will prepare a great table for you, with the idolaters looking on in shame. It is so stated (in Ps. 23:5), “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies….” It also says (in Is. 65:13), “Behold, My servants shall eat, [but you shall go hungry]….”
Bamidbar Rabbah
“[My offering, My food…], you shall observe to present to Me at its appointed time” (Numbers 28:2) – this is what the verse said: “The righteous eats to his own satisfaction” (Proverbs 13:25). This is Eliezer, who said to Rebecca: “Please let me sip a little water from your jug” (Genesis 24:17) – a sip. “And the belly of the wicked will lack” (Proverbs 13:25) – this is Esau, who said to Jacob: “Please pour for me [haliteni]” (Genesis 25:30). Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Rabbi Ze’eira said: He opened his mouth wide like a camel. He said: ‘I will open my mouth, and you will insert it.’ There we learned: “One may not forcibly overfeed a camel, and one may not force feed it; however, one may place food into its mouth [malitin].30 Shabbat 155b.
“The righteous eats to his own satisfaction” (Proverbs 13:25) – this is Ruth the Moavite, in whose regard it is written: “She ate, was satiated, and left over” (Ruth 2:14) – there was blessing in the mouth of that righteous woman.31Although she ate little, she was satiated. “And the belly of the wicked will lack” (Proverbs 13:25) – these are the nations of the world. There was an incident involving an idolater who invited all the residents of his city. Rabbi Dostai said: He invited me to that feast with all the residents of his city, and of all the delicacies in the world only brittle nuts were lacking. What did he do? He took from before us the board of the table, which was worth six silver talents, and he broke it.32He broke the board because he was angry that the brittle nuts were lacking. I said to him: ‘Why did you do that?’ He said to me: ‘You say that this world is ours and the World to Come is yours. If we do not eat now, when will we eat?’ I read in his regard: “And the belly of the wicked will lack.”
“The righteous eats to his own satisfaction” (Proverbs 13:25) – this is Ruth the Moavite, in whose regard it is written: “She ate, was satiated, and left over” (Ruth 2:14) – there was blessing in the mouth of that righteous woman.31Although she ate little, she was satiated. “And the belly of the wicked will lack” (Proverbs 13:25) – these are the nations of the world. There was an incident involving an idolater who invited all the residents of his city. Rabbi Dostai said: He invited me to that feast with all the residents of his city, and of all the delicacies in the world only brittle nuts were lacking. What did he do? He took from before us the board of the table, which was worth six silver talents, and he broke it.32He broke the board because he was angry that the brittle nuts were lacking. I said to him: ‘Why did you do that?’ He said to me: ‘You say that this world is ours and the World to Come is yours. If we do not eat now, when will we eat?’ I read in his regard: “And the belly of the wicked will lack.”
Bereshit Rabbah
“The servant ran toward her, and he said: Please allow me to sip a little water from your jug” (Genesis 24:17).
“The servant ran toward her” – toward her good deeds.22Since he saw the water rise for her, he realized she must be exceptionally righteous.
“Please allow me to sip a little water from your jug” – [just] one sip.
“She said: Drink, my lord, and she hastened to lower her pitcher into her hand, and she gave him to drink” (Genesis 24:18).
“When she had finished giving him to drink, she said: I will draw for your camels also, until they have finished drinking” (Genesis 24:19).
“She hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels” (Genesis 24:20).
“The man was astonished at her; he was silent, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not” (Genesis 24:21).
“The man was astonished at her…” – Rabbi Yoḥanan of Tzippori said: He was squinting23To see her more clearly. and looking at her [to see] if “the Lord had made [his journey] successful.”
“When the camels concluded drinking, the man took a gold nose ring whose weight was one half shekel, and two bracelets to put on her hands, whose weight was ten gold shekels” (Genesis 24:22).
“When the camels concluded drinking, [the man] took…” – Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Yosef: There was a precious stone in it that weighed half a shekel.
“And two bracelets to put on her hands” – corresponding to the two tablets [of the Ten Commandments]. “Whose weight was ten gold shekels” – corresponding to the Ten Commandments.
“He said: Whose daughter are you; please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night?” (Genesis 24:23).
“He said: Whose daughter are you; please tell me. [Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night [lalin]?]” – a stay for one night.
“She said to him: I am the daughter of Betuel, son of Milka, whom she bore to Naḥor” (Genesis 24:24).
“She said to him: Both straw and feed is plentiful with us, as well as room for lodging” (Genesis 24:25).
“She said to him: I am the daughter of Betuel, son of Milka…as well as room for lodging [lalun]” – to lodge for several nights.24Although he asked her about staying over for one night, she replied that he could stay for many nights.
“The man bowed and prostrated himself to the Lord” (Genesis 24:26).
“The man bowed and prostrated himself to the Lord” – from here we learn that one should express thanks [to God] for good tidings.
“He said: Blessed is the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who did not withhold His kindness and His truth from my master; I, the Lord guided me on the way to the house of my master’s brethren” (Genesis 24:27).
“He said: Blessed is the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who did not withhold His kindness…” – from the fact that the path was miraculously shortened, I knew that “the Lord guided me on the way to the house of my master's brethren.”
“The servant ran toward her” – toward her good deeds.22Since he saw the water rise for her, he realized she must be exceptionally righteous.
“Please allow me to sip a little water from your jug” – [just] one sip.
“She said: Drink, my lord, and she hastened to lower her pitcher into her hand, and she gave him to drink” (Genesis 24:18).
“When she had finished giving him to drink, she said: I will draw for your camels also, until they have finished drinking” (Genesis 24:19).
“She hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels” (Genesis 24:20).
“The man was astonished at her; he was silent, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not” (Genesis 24:21).
“The man was astonished at her…” – Rabbi Yoḥanan of Tzippori said: He was squinting23To see her more clearly. and looking at her [to see] if “the Lord had made [his journey] successful.”
“When the camels concluded drinking, the man took a gold nose ring whose weight was one half shekel, and two bracelets to put on her hands, whose weight was ten gold shekels” (Genesis 24:22).
“When the camels concluded drinking, [the man] took…” – Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Yosef: There was a precious stone in it that weighed half a shekel.
“And two bracelets to put on her hands” – corresponding to the two tablets [of the Ten Commandments]. “Whose weight was ten gold shekels” – corresponding to the Ten Commandments.
“He said: Whose daughter are you; please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night?” (Genesis 24:23).
“He said: Whose daughter are you; please tell me. [Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night [lalin]?]” – a stay for one night.
“She said to him: I am the daughter of Betuel, son of Milka, whom she bore to Naḥor” (Genesis 24:24).
“She said to him: Both straw and feed is plentiful with us, as well as room for lodging” (Genesis 24:25).
“She said to him: I am the daughter of Betuel, son of Milka…as well as room for lodging [lalun]” – to lodge for several nights.24Although he asked her about staying over for one night, she replied that he could stay for many nights.
“The man bowed and prostrated himself to the Lord” (Genesis 24:26).
“The man bowed and prostrated himself to the Lord” – from here we learn that one should express thanks [to God] for good tidings.
“He said: Blessed is the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who did not withhold His kindness and His truth from my master; I, the Lord guided me on the way to the house of my master’s brethren” (Genesis 24:27).
“He said: Blessed is the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who did not withhold His kindness…” – from the fact that the path was miraculously shortened, I knew that “the Lord guided me on the way to the house of my master's brethren.”