Questions tagged [eliezer]

Questions about Eliezer, the most trusted servant of Abraham.

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2 votes
3 answers
187 views

Why did they want to murder Eliezer?

Various Midrashim say that Rivka's family put poison in front of Eliezer, in an attempt to kill him (Bereishis Rabbasi by Rav Moshe HaDarshan to Genesis 24:30 and v. 33; Yalkut Shimoni Chayei Sarah § ...
2 votes
0 answers
38 views

If Avraham Already Knew Who Yitzchak’s Wife Would Be Why Not Just Tell Eliezer Which Girl To Go To? [duplicate]

Rashi (dibbur hamatchil אחרי הדברים האלה ויוגד וגו׳ of Bereishit 22:20) says: בשרו הקב״ה שנולדה רבקה בת זוגו If Hashem already informed Avraham exactly who Yitzchak’s wife would be why not just tell ...
2 votes
0 answers
61 views

Reconciling Eliezer's beginnings

I am trying to make sense of Eliezer's beginnings / yichus. When I started writing this, a related question popped up here but perhaps we can develop it. On the one hand we are told in Bereishis ...
5 votes
1 answer
166 views

Repeating elements in the story of Eliezer

As I was reading the weekly portion Chayei Sarah, it caught my attention that Eliezer's promise is repeated many times. When Eliezer leaves to get a wife for Isaac, he promises (Bereishit 24:14): ...
7 votes
2 answers
304 views

Why is the name of Eliezer often missing?

Very often in the Torah Eliezer's proper name is omitted when he is discussed. Examples include the story of finding a wife for Yitzhak where he is referred to as eved or ish, his accompanying Avraham ...
10 votes
0 answers
118 views

Eliezer's daughter and descendants

Medrash Rabah Parshas Chayai Sara 59:9 says that Eliezer had a daughter and was hoping that she would marry Yitzchak. Avraham told him you are cursed (come from a cursed family) and my son is blessed. ...
5 votes
4 answers
629 views

Was Eliezer a tzaddik or a rasha?

Derech Eretz Zuta (1:5) says that Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, was one of the people to have entered Gan Eden alive, while in Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer (16:14) we are told Eliezer is the same person ...
5 votes
3 answers
124 views

Angel helping to find a proper wife?

At one point in time Avraham asks his servant Eliezer to go out and search a wife for his son. In Bereshit 24:7 Avraham tells him that HaShem will send His messenger (malach) before him.. Eliezer ...
3 votes
1 answer
221 views

Is Eliezer a Canaanite?

I have heard people assert Eliezer was a Canaanite but is there any proof of this other than the mere fact that his daughter was deemed unsuitable for Isaac? Damascus isn't within Eretz Yisroel ...
2 votes
0 answers
145 views

Is Eliezer's daughter anybody?

Rashi to Breishit 24:39 mentions Eliezer's daughter. Oftentimes unnamed characters have traditions linking them to named characters. Is Eliezer's daughter anybody? (and don't say "oh, she was the ...
14 votes
2 answers
777 views

Why did Avraham prefer the daughters of Aner, Eshkol and Mamre over Eliezer's daughter?

Rashi on Bereishis 24:39 says that Abraham said to [Eliezer] “My son is blessed, and you are cursed [Eliezer was a descendant of Canaan who had been cursed by Noah], and an accursed one cannot ...
3 votes
1 answer
620 views

What is the significance of the gifts that Eliezer gave to Rivka?

The verse states (24:22): ויקח האיש נזם זהב בקע משקלו ושני צמידים על ידיה עשרה זהב משקלם the man took a golden nose ring, weighing half [a shekel], and two bracelets for her hands, weighing ...
6 votes
1 answer
232 views

In the story about Eliezer searching for a wife for Yitzchak, why does the Torah alternate terminology about him between "slave" and "man"?

In viewing the story in Breishit 24, regarding Eliezer searching for a wife for Yitzchak, we see that the Torah first calls him עבד - slave (starting from the point that Eliezer leaves Avraham's home) ...
1 vote
2 answers
136 views

Why does Eliezer address his prayer to Hashem, [24(12)], “Hashem, the G-d of my master Avrohom”?

Why does Eliezer address his prayer to Hashem, 24(12), “Hashem, the G-d of my master Avrohom” and repeat this formulation in verses 27 and 42. He himself was after all a believer. In verse 35, he is ...
1 vote
1 answer
132 views

Why doesn't the Gemara learn kiddushei kesef from Eliezer initiating kiddushei kesef as a shaliach for Yitzchak?

I'm learning Kiddushin this year and while I haven't yet gotten to the Sugya which delves deeply into the issue of how to derive kiddushei kesef from the gzera shava "Kicha Kicha" I know ...
1 vote
1 answer
54 views

Where do we see that Avraham explicitly asked Eliezer to go to Avraham's family?

Genesis 24:40 (from Sefaria - modified English by me): וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י יְהוָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּי לְפָנָ֗יו יִשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכ֤וֹ אִתָּךְ֙ וְהִצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכֶּ֔ךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ אִשָּׁה֙ ...
2 votes
1 answer
94 views

Eliezer did not know that he should praise Hashem first and then pray?

Rav Simloi in the Gem Brochos 32a says לעולם יסדר אדם שבחו של הקב"ה ואחר כך יתפלל A person should always praise Hashem first and then pray. We learn it from Moshe Rabeinu. Why did not Eliezer ...
6 votes
4 answers
641 views

Who was Eliezer's Father?

Who was Eliezer (i.e. servant of Avraham) father?
6 votes
1 answer
191 views

Why didn't Eliezer go straight to Avraham's family?

Avraham made Eliezer promise that he would only find a wife for Yitzchak from his family. It seems to follow then, that as soon as Eliezer would arrive in Aram Naharaim he'd go straight to Avraham's ...
4 votes
1 answer
329 views

The status of Eliezer as a slave

I am going to piece together a variety of bits of information, so please bear with me. Eliezer was in charge of Avraham's house already before Avraham had his name changed (Bereishit 15:2) Eliezer ...