Ohr HaChaim Yomi: Yitzhak Levi’s weekly question and answer on Parashat Chayei Sara, drawing on the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar.
Question: In this week’s parasha, Avraham sends his servant Eliezer on a very important mission. Find a wife for Yitzchak.
Now, this isn’t exactly a simple shidduch. We’re talking about finding the future matriarch of the Jewish people!
You’d imagine Eliezer would have quite the checklist. Family background? Wealth? Intelligence? Perhaps a few references from her seminary?
But Eliezer focuses on something entirely different. He asks Hashem that the right girl should not only offer him water but also volunteer to water his camels.
And sure enough, Rivkah arrives. ” ת ֹּתְׁשִל ּוּלִּכ־םִא דַע בָאְׁשֶא Oיֶּלַמְגִל םַּג” “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” (Bereisheet 24:19)
Why was watering a few camels such an important test?
The Answer: Because Kindness Is More Than Doing What’s Asked
Here’s what makes this story extraordinary. Eliezer asks for a little water. Rivkah gives him water. Wonderful. Mitzvah accomplished!
But she doesn’t stop there. She notices ten thirsty camels and volunteers to water every single one until they’re satisfied.
And we’re not talking about ten goldfish here. Camels can drink enormous amounts of water. Rivkah is running back and forth to the well, carrying heavy jugs, for a complete stranger.
Nobody asked her to do this. Nobody offered to pay her. She didn’t even know who Eliezer was!
She saw a need and decided to fill it.
Rashi explains that Eliezer was looking for someone who performed acts of kindness and would therefore be worthy of joining Avraham’s household.
Reality Check
Let’s be honest. Someone asks us for a favor, and we immediately start calculating. “How long is this going to take?” “Is it on my way?” “Can I do it tomorrow?” And my personal favorite: “Of course! Just remind me.” Which is Jewish for, “I hope you forget.”
But Rivkah? She didn’t wait for someone to ask her to go the extra mile. She volunteered for the extra ten miles! And with ten camels, she probably needed them.
The Deeper Lesson: Don’t Wait to Be Asked
There’s an enormous difference between being nice and being a true Ba’al Chesed.
A nice person helps when asked. A Ba’al Chesed looks around and asks: “Who needs help before they even have to ask?”
And that’s what made Rivkah so special. Her kindness wasn’t simply a response to someone’s request. It was part of who she was.
Modern Application
Think about how often opportunities for chesed appear in our daily lives.
A coworker struggling with a project. A neighbor carrying groceries. A family preparing for Shabbat while dealing with a difficult week. A friend who seems unusually quiet.
We can wait until someone asks us for help.
Or we can take the Rivkah approach. Notice. Offer. Act. Because sometimes the greatest kindness isn’t the favor someone asks you to do.
It’s the favor you save them from having to ask for.
Final Thought
Eliezer traveled all that way to find someone worthy of building the next generation of the Jewish people.
And what convinced him? Not an impressive résumé. Not wealth. Not social standing.
A young woman who saw ten thirsty camels and decided they shouldn’t remain thirsty.
Perhaps that’s the lesson of Chayei Sarah.
Greatness isn’t always revealed in the extraordinary things we accomplish. Sometimes it’s revealed in the ordinary things we notice that everyone else walks right past.
Or, as my parents taught me: “When someone asks you for a glass of water, bring the pitcher. You never know who else might be thirsty.”