Before He Finished

Abraham summoned his servant, Eliezer, and charged him with the mission of finding a suitable wife for his son Isaac in Aram, his native land. Eliezer set out for his master's homeland and evening time found him beside the city’s well. He prayed for success in his mission, and asked for a heavenly sign to confirm his choice of a girl for Isaac. He would ask a maiden for a drink of water, and the one who would answer: "Certainly, and I'll also give your camels to drink as well," would be the proper choice for Isaac.

Even before he finished his prayers, a young lady approached and in response to the servant's request for a drink, she offered to give his camels to drink too. Upon questioning her, he discovered that she was Abraham's great-niece, Rebecca.

Isaac, growing up in Abraham’s home, was a very holy young man. Because he was almost brought up as an offering, he was considered a “Complete Sacrifice,” and wasn’t allowed to leave Israel.

Rebecca, on the other hand, came from a low place, Charan. The Hebrew word charan is associated with anger, referring to the arousal of G‑d's anger, due to the many sins of the people there.

Eliezer’s mission was to bridge these two seemingly contradictory worlds, by arranging the marriage between Isaac and Rebecca. He recognized the impossibility of completing the task on his own, and turned to G-d for help. And his request was answered even before he finished his prayer.

This is our mission each and every day. We are charged with the mission of bridging the mundane world and G-dliness, by making our everyday holy. On our own, it’s an impossible task. We need to turn to G-d for help and we will be answered right away. We need to trust that He will help, and He will.

Shabbat Shalom!

Candle lighting time is at 4:17 PM