Chasidut su Genesi 24:47
וָאֶשְׁאַ֣ל אֹתָ֗הּ וָאֹמַר֮ בַּת־מִ֣י אַתְּ֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל֙ בֶּן־נָח֔וֹר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽלְדָה־לּ֖וֹ מִלְכָּ֑ה וָאָשִׂ֤ם הַנֶּ֙זֶם֙ עַל־אַפָּ֔הּ וְהַצְּמִידִ֖ים עַל־יָדֶֽיהָ׃
L’interrogai, e dissi: Di chi sei figlia? E disse: Figlia di Bethuèl figlio di Nahhòr, cui gli partorì Milcà. Io le posi il pendente sul naso, ed i manigli sulle braccia.
Kedushat Levi
Genesis 24,14. “and through her I shall know that You have done a kindness with my master.” These words of Eliezer have been explained in the Zohar where the author states that in the time of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai even small children possessed some special wisdom that enabled them to know what other adults do not know. [The children being innocent. Ed.] They were endowed with this superior wisdom as part of the spiritual rays radiating from the saintly personality of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is quoted as an example of the influence exerted on his environment by every righteous person, each one in varying degrees according to his spiritual stature. They are to be perceived as a microcosm of Hashem, Who as the macrocosm, disseminates spiritual influence throughout His universe through His very existence.
There is no question but that Avraham’s major attribute was חסד and that he had a profound influence on his immediate environment, not only recognized but paid tribute to, by the people of Kiryat Arba, when they described him as a “prince of G’d” in their midst. (Genesis 23,6) Avraham personified on earth, what the Creator personifies in the entire universe, i.e. the dispensing of largesse.
The expression ילדה is not appropriate for males, as they only הוליד, beget, plant seed, but do not bring it to gestation. The proper meaning of the word “yuldah” as it appears here suggests an immaculate birth, a birth that had not been preceded by insemination. Seeing that this is a difficult process for us to grasp, the idea that Avraham’s good deeds “spilled over” even to people such as Betuel, is meant to set our mind at rest over the fact that Rivkah, with a father such as Betuel, and a brother such as Lavan, could have been such a righteous matriarch as she clearly was.
During the meal, Eliezer recounts what had occurred at the well, and anyone who has read the Torah’s report of what transpired is aware that Eliezer rewrote some of this “history,” i.e. the sequence of events. Rashi points this out (in his commentary on Genesis 24,47) implying that during the meal, in the presence of Betuel, Eliezer could not bring himself to imply that this man had been endowed with part of Avraham’s soul. [Perhaps the fact that if even a Betuel could exclaim that this match had been made in heaven (Genesis 24,50) is the best support for our author’s theory that some of Avraham’s spirit had spilled over even into the soul of a Betuel. Ed.]
There is no question but that Avraham’s major attribute was חסד and that he had a profound influence on his immediate environment, not only recognized but paid tribute to, by the people of Kiryat Arba, when they described him as a “prince of G’d” in their midst. (Genesis 23,6) Avraham personified on earth, what the Creator personifies in the entire universe, i.e. the dispensing of largesse.
The expression ילדה is not appropriate for males, as they only הוליד, beget, plant seed, but do not bring it to gestation. The proper meaning of the word “yuldah” as it appears here suggests an immaculate birth, a birth that had not been preceded by insemination. Seeing that this is a difficult process for us to grasp, the idea that Avraham’s good deeds “spilled over” even to people such as Betuel, is meant to set our mind at rest over the fact that Rivkah, with a father such as Betuel, and a brother such as Lavan, could have been such a righteous matriarch as she clearly was.
During the meal, Eliezer recounts what had occurred at the well, and anyone who has read the Torah’s report of what transpired is aware that Eliezer rewrote some of this “history,” i.e. the sequence of events. Rashi points this out (in his commentary on Genesis 24,47) implying that during the meal, in the presence of Betuel, Eliezer could not bring himself to imply that this man had been endowed with part of Avraham’s soul. [Perhaps the fact that if even a Betuel could exclaim that this match had been made in heaven (Genesis 24,50) is the best support for our author’s theory that some of Avraham’s spirit had spilled over even into the soul of a Betuel. Ed.]
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