In the Torah portion of Chayei Sarah, we read the story of Eliezer, the servant of our patriarch Abraham, who was sent on a mission by Abraham to find a wife for his son Isaac, who was to continue Abraham’s path.
Eliezer arrives in Aram-naharaim, where Abraham’s family resides, and there, in the city of Haran, he encounters an extraordinary young woman. Eliezer, who was well acquainted with the spiritual and moral ways of Abraham, chose to test the young woman and presented her with a challenge: He asked her to draw water from the well for him and awaited her response. The young woman, who later turned out to be named Rebecca and was from Abraham’s family, did not merely provide water for the stranger but also offered, on her initiative, to give water to the camels that accompanied him on his journey.
Eliezer was searching for such a young woman, one characterized by kindness and an awareness of others’ needs, which made her suitable for Isaac. Indeed, Eliezer was invited to Rebecca’s family home, as was customary in those days, and there he introduced himself and proposed the match: Rebecca and Isaac.
After a lengthy discussion, Rebecca’s family agreed to let her decide whether she wanted to go with Eliezer to the land of Canaan, where Abraham resided. Rebecca expressed her willingness to embark on the journey to the land of Canaan, where she would meet Isaac and marry him. “And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother.”
WHEN REBECCA parted from her family, they blessed her with the following words: “Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the cities of their enemies” (Gen. 24:60).
This blessing may seem somewhat peculiar. The bride is about to marry Isaac, and instead of wishing her a happy, joyful, and fruitful life, her family chooses to bless her with the hope that her offspring will conquer her enemies. It does not seem like something with which any of us would typically bless a bride who is about to get married.
The power of unity
Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz (1550, Poland-1619, Prague), in his Torah commentary Kli Yakar, writes that this blessing is a natural outcome of Rebecca’s qualities and behavior. He explains that a person who practices kindness toward others gains many friends and much love. When trouble comes, they will stand by him. When Rebecca’s family blessed her, they wished that her good qualities would remain with her always. And if hard times were to come, she would have many loved ones who would help her.
The people of Israel throughout the generations is characterized by unity and love for others, which is revealed in times of trouble. However, it is a mistake to think that these wonderful traits are only manifested during difficult times and disappear in routine times. The unity revealed during difficult times is a natural result of the values of loving-kindness and giving to others. When a nation, in routine times, values giving to others as a central quality, this will burst forth with great strength in times of need, with unity being the natural result of these latent values.
Unity is powerful. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, it is said: “Two are better than one, since they have good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his friend, but woe to the one who falls and has no second one to lift him up. Moreover, if two lie down, they will have warmth, but how will one have warmth? And if a man prevails against the one, the two will stand against him, and a three-stranded cord will not quickly be broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
King Solomon likens unity to ropes. Every individual string can be easily torn apart, but when we intertwine them and make a thick cord, it becomes very difficult to break. When we live in unity, we are like intertwined strings that form a rope that is impossible to tear.
In unity and love, we will prevail. ■
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and holy sites.