Eliezer was Avraham Avinu’s most trusted servant and student. He was the senior servant and also the elder of the household. He had, however, one failing: not his fault – but tainted yichus, lineage, is never one’s fault. Eliezer was either Nimrod’s son or grandson. Nimrod was evil incarnate, Avraham’s archenemy who attempted to kill him. Yet his descendant was Avraham’s most trusted aide. This says something about Eliezer’s character, both physical and spiritual. Nonetheless, when he alluded to Avraham that he would like his son to marry his own daughter, Avraham replied, “Sorry, you are a Canaanite, an accursed people.” Ein arur misbadeik b’baruch, “One who is cursed cannot cling with one who is blessed.” What Avraham was intimating was, “Eliezer, you are truly my closest, most trusted student and aide. This is despite your flawed lineage. However, the flawed lineage representing curse cannot and will not ever form a lasting relationship with one who is blessed.”
Eliezer emerged from a background of spiritual depravity to reach the summit of spirituality reserved for the most righteous. Imagine how he must have felt when his master to whom he had wholly devoted himself, basically rejected him/his daughter, due to a spiritual deficiency in their lineage. He could be the most righteous person, but his family background was flawed: he was arur, cursed. In contrast, Yitzchak was baruch, blessed. The two can never cleave to one another.
Eliezer listened, accepted Avraham’s decision and moved on. A lesser person would have felt dejected, complained and moved on begrudgingly. Not Eliezer. He maintained his sense of dignity and continued his mission as if nothing had happened. Eliezer’s devotion to his mission, his loyalty to his master, did not go unnoticed. Chazal (Sanhedrin 58A) teach that Eliezer stands by the opening of the Me’oras HaMachpeilah and does not allow anyone to enter. One Tanna, Rabbi Banaah, asked permission, and it was granted. This teaches us the importance of a shlichus, mission.
Each and every one of us has been sent down to this world with a tafkid, purpose, mission in life. Unfortunately, many of us are too involved with ourselves to look at the larger picture. We spend most of our time satisfying our material desires, such that we forget that we were not sent down to build a larger house than our neighbor, take a more exotic vacation than our friends, or drive ourselves deeper into debt, so that we can keep up appearances. We are the am ha’nivchar, selected by Hashem for our spiritual DNA and what we can achieve l’sakein olam b’ malchus Shakai. Instead, we occupy ourselves with frivolity, schemes and anything that can take our mind off our real purpose in life. Ultimately, the test of true faith is to move us to act counter to what makes us feel good, but to accomplish the mission for which Hashem created us.
This is exactly what the Tanna in Pirkei Avos (2:4) means when he says, Bateil retzonecha mipnei Retzono, “Negate your will before His.” When we obediently act in accordance with Hashem’s Plan for us, He will see to it that our plans will also achieve positive fruition. Rabbi Yitzchak (Irving) Bunim, zl, would relate the story of a man in South Africa who had amassed a large fortune of money — $100,000. Stories do not provide for inflation, but, when the story was narrated, it was a large sum of money. The time had come when he was informed that he was unwell and had just a short time to live. His wife, to whom he had been sending money, was in Poland. They had no banks in which to deposit his fortune; or no safe deposit boxes where his money could be left for safekeeping. He soon heard of a neighbor who was returning to the old country. (It was not unusual for husbands to cross the sea to a friendly country where they could earn a living to bring back to their families.) He called his neighbor and said, “Here is all the money that I saved — $100,000. I will not live to see my family again. I ask a favor of you, a favor to please take the money and give it to my wife. For your troubles, I would like you to take what you want and give my wife what you want.”
The neighbor returned to Poland where he met with the man’s wife, shared with her the tragic news of her husband’s demise and reported his last request. He repeated the husband’s words verbatim, “Take what you want and give my wife what you want.” The man concluded, “Therefore, I am giving you $10,000 and keeping for myself the remaining $90,000.”
At first, the woman, overcome by grief was not thinking. After a few days, she realized that she was being financially exploited. This man, in his calm, arrogant manner, was fleecing her of her husband’s money. She immediately went to the Rav of the city and asked him to intervene.
Having listened carefully to the woman, the Rav now asked the man to state verbatim what had been the husband’s instructions. “He said, ’Take for yourself what you want and give my wife what you want.’”
“Very well,” said the Rav. “Give the widow $90,000 and you take the $10,000.”
“Why?” was the man’s angry retort. The Rav responded, “Because you either did not understand or did not want to understand the dying man’s instructions. He said, ‘Take what you want and that amount that you want give to my wife.’ If you want $90,000, that is what you are to give to her, per her husband’s instructions.”
We are exhorted to do the will of Hashem as though it were our will. When it is for us, we make the effort and expend the time. Can we at least do the same for Hashem? He will then bless us as if our wishes were His wishes.
