Komentarz do Rodzaju 24:17

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).

AND THE SERVANT RAN TO MEET HER. Rashi comments: “Because he saw that the waters rose in the well when she approached it.” In Bereshith Rabbah the Rabbis said,¹¹⁷60:6. “And she filled her pitcher, and came up.¹¹⁸Verse 16 here. All the women went down and filled their pitchers from the well. But this one, as the waters saw her they immediately rose. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her, ‘You are a sign of blessing to your children.’”¹¹⁹When Israel wandered in the desert, the waters in the well would rise as soon as they approached it. See Numbers 21:17 and Midrash Rabbah, ibid.
It would appear that the Rabbis derived this interpretation upon observing the language, And she filled her pitcher, and came up,¹¹⁸Verse 16 here. for it does not say, “and she drew water and filled [the pitcher].” Now this miracle happened to her only the first time for afterwards it is written, and she drew.¹²⁰Verse 20 here. The servant, when recounting the day’s events to them, said: And she went down unto the well, and drew water.¹²¹Verse 45 here. That was because he thought that perhaps they would not believe in the miracle.

הגמיאיני נא מעט מים, "let me please sip a little water, etc." Eliezer actually asked for less than he had originally stipulated, seeing he meant to ask her "to incline her jug in order to let him drink (extensively)." Not only did he only ask to take a sip, but he stressed that he wanted only a little water. He also failed to ask her to incline her jug in order to give him to drink. Our sages (Bereshit Rabbah 60,5) explain that Eliezer saw that the waters rose towards Rebeccah. This is when he realised that she was not a Canaanite girl and that she was destined for Isaac. He became afraid that he might forfeit an opportunity by insisting on the conditions he had made in his prayer, and proceeded to ask for the minimum possible. He wanted to make it easy for the girl to meet his request.

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.

וירץ העבד לקראתה, “the servant ran towards her.” He did so after witnessing that the waters in the well had risen in response to her approach. Our sages derive this from the wording of our verse ותמלא כדה ותעל, “she filled the jug and ascended.” There is no mention here of her having “drawn water,” ותשאב, something the Torah emphasis in verse 20 when she descended again in order to draw water for Eliezer’s camels. No miracle occurred in order to facilitate the watering of the camels. The first time the miracle occurred in order that Eliezer focus on the unusual speed with which this girl came up from the well, her jug already filled with water. Although, when Eliezer recounts the events at the table of Bethuel and Lavan he did not mention the miracle which had occurred, but described Rivkah as having drawn the water normally, (verse 45) he omitted mention of the miracle as he was afraid Lavan and Bethuel would not believe him and would consider his having fabricated that event in order to enhance his chances of obtaining their consent for Rivkah to travel back with him to the land of Canaan.

Because he saw the water rise toward her. Rashi is answering the question: Why does the verse say: “Toward her”? Since she already filled the pitcher and came up from the well, it should say he ran after her, as he had been standing by the well next to her, as it is written (v. 13): “Behold, here I stand by this well of water.” Perforce, “toward her” means he ran after her because of the water which rose toward her. (cited in the name of R. Avraham of Prague) Maharshal explains: It seems that Eliezer was not standing right at the well, but some distance from it. And Rashi deduced [his comment] from the fact that it is written, “The servant ran.” Why is it not written, “He ran,” similar to the preceding verses? Perforce, [it comes to say] that since he was Avraham’s servant he knew that Avraham was used to such miracles, as seen in (21:30) שבע כבשות האלה [where Rashi explains: “And the waters rose towards Avraham.” Thus,] Eliezer ran toward her, thinking: “She is worthy for the House of Avraham since the water even rises toward her, like for Avraham.”

(17-20) וירץ העבד, nicht Elieser, "der Knecht" in Knechtesgestalt eilte er ihr entgegen. Er bittet um "ein bischen Wasser" zu "schlürfen": Sie antwortet: "trinke!" und nennt ihn "mein Herr!" obgleich er als Knecht vor ihr stand. Und nun zeichnet Zug für Zug das Weib, das mit abrahamitischem Gemüte wert war, an Saras Stelle zu treten. Sie sagte von den Kamelen, wie Elieser gehofft hatte, zuerst nichts. Erst als sie seinen Durst vollständig gelöscht hatte, sprach sie: Auch für deine Kamele will ich schöpfen, bis sie völlig ausgetrunken haben. Hätte Rebekka dies gleich gesagt, es hätte ein Charakterzug gefehlt, der den wahren גומל חסד und das wahre jüdische Weib kennzeichnet; sie wäre eine eitle Schwätzerin gewesen, die sich auf ihr Gutestun etwas zu gute tut. Und nun erbietet sie sich nicht, auch den Kamelen etwas zu trinken zu geben, was doch auch schon eine ziemliche Mühe gewesen wäre, auch nur ein Krug für jedes Kamel gäbe zehn Wege und zehnmaliges Schöpfen, sondern: sie will schöpfen und in die Tränke schütten bis zehn Kamele sich voll getrunken haben!! Ein Kamel trinkt mit einemmale so viel, dass es auf viele Tage genug hat und des Wassers entbehren kann, vielleicht daher ja sein Name. Dabei, wie ist sie behend und hurtig, ותמהר ,ותמהר, sie besinnt sich nicht lange und ist nicht schwerfällig, zumal wo es gilt, ein menschenfreundliches Werk zu vollbringen. Was Elieser in dem Krug gelassen hatte, schüttet sie zuvor in die Tränke. Sie hätte es darin lassen oder auf die Erde schütten lönnen. Allein die jüdische menschenfreundliche Natur ist so ökonomisch mit Kräften und Werten, wie sie verschwenderisch damit ist. Eben weil ihr alles, auch das Geringste, Mittel zur מצוה, zur Pflichterfüllung ist, ist ihr alles heilig. Nutzlos verschwendet sie nicht den geringsten Splitter Kraft und nicht den geringsten Tropfen Wasser. Für einen guten Zweck kennt hingegen ihre Hingebung mil Kraft und Gut keine Grenzen.

הגמיאיני נא GIVE ME TO DRINK, I PRAY THEE — the word means sipping; old French humer.

הגמיאני נא, the word has a similar meaning to השקיני, “give me to drink!”