Rashi explains that Eliezer ran towards Rivkah Imeinu when he saw the water rising towards her. Clearly, this was an outstanding display of the supernatural. Rivkah must have been an impressive young woman to have merited such “reverence.” If this is the case, why did Eliezer feel the need to test her to see how she would react when he asked for water for his camels? What greater indication of her suitability for Yitzchak Avinu did he need than seeing nature altered for her? The well-known explanation, attributed to Horav Yechezkel, zl, m’Kozmir, is that a person is judged according to his middos tovos, positive character traits, not his ability to perform miracles. Delving in the supernatural is not an accurate measure of a man, since it says nothing about his middos.
This explains why Eliezer sought a girl who embodied the middah of chesed, kindness. What about emunah, faith, in Hashem? Surely, this must play a critical role in developing one’s spiritual character. Horav Yechezkel Levenstein, zl, teaches us a compelling lesson concerning the middah of chesed. Someone who instinctively performs chesed also recognizes when he is the beneficiary of someone else’s kindness. Such a person feels a sense of hakoras hatov, gratitude; thus, he will have a desire to repay the kindness that he has received. Eliezer understood that a girl who possesses such a powerful middah of chesed would ostensibly appreciate everything that Hashem does for her and would naturally gravitate to serving the Almighty.
