Parashat Chayei Sarah · Bereshit (Genesis) 24:10-27
Rivka at the Well
Also known as Rebecca at the Well
רבקה ליד הבאר
Avraham’s servant asks for a little water, and Rivka waters all his camels too.
The story
Avraham’s servant brings ten camels to the city of Nachor. In the evening, when the women go out to draw water, he has them kneel by the well. He prays to God for kindness to Avraham and for a sign: the girl who, asked for a drink, says “Drink” and offers water for his camels too, is God’s choice for Yitzchak.
וְאָמְרָה שְׁתֵה וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה
Bereshit 24:14
Before he has finished speaking, Rivka, Betuel’s daughter from Avraham’s family, comes out with her jar on her shoulder. She goes down to the spring, fills the jar and comes up. The servant runs towards her and asks for a little water from her jar. She tells him to drink, quickly lowers the jar and gives him a drink.
וַתֹּאמֶר שְׁתֵה אֲדֹנִי וַתְּמַהֵר
Bereshit 24:18
When she has finished giving him a drink, she says she will draw for his camels too, until they have finished drinking. She quickly empties her jar into the trough, runs back to the well and draws for all his camels. The man gazes at her in silence, to learn whether God has made his journey a success.
When the camels have finished drinking, the man takes a gold ring and two bracelets, and asks whose daughter she is and whether there is room in her father’s house for them to spend the night. She answers that she is Betuel’s daughter, and adds, “We have plenty of straw and feed, and room to stay as well.”
The man bows low and blesses God, the God of his master Avraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from his master, and who led him on the way to the house of his master’s kin. He used the word “kindness” in his prayer at the well, and now it appears again in his blessing.
When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.”
Words from the verse
וַתְּכַלand she finished
לְהַשְׁקֹתוֹgiving him a drink
אִם־כִּלּוּthat they have finished
What it teaches: Hospitality
Welcoming a guest gladly, quickly and with an open heart.
The servant asked for a little water for himself. Rivka hurried, ran to the well and watered all his camels too, and when he asked about a place to stay, she offered plenty of straw and feed as well. The Torah teaches that a warm welcome is quick and generous, and notices what the guest has not said.
A question to sit with
When someone asks you for something small, what else might they need that they have not asked for?
Questions about the story
What did the servant ask Rivka for when he ran towards her?
A place to stay at her father’s house
Water for him and all his camels
A little water from her jar
Answer
c. A little water from her jar
He asked only for a little water from her jar, for himself. Rivka hurried to lower the jar and give him a drink.
What did the man do while Rivka watered the camels?
He helped her draw water
He gazed at her in silence
He gave her the jewellery
Answer
b. He gazed at her in silence
The Torah says the man gazed at her in silence, to learn whether God had made his journey a success. He took out the jewellery only once the camels had finished drinking.
The lesson
True hospitality hurries to give more than was asked.
For this week
Next time someone comes to you, at home or at work, try offering one thing they did not ask for, like a glass of water or a seat.
From the sources
Rashi distinguishes between the servant’s word and Rivka’s. The servant asked if there was room to lodge, lalin, which Rashi explains as “one night.” Rivka answered with lalun, which he explains as “several nights.” In his reading, the servant asked for one night and she offered several.
The verses are from Miqra according to the Masorah (Wikisource, CC BY-SA 4.0), via Sefaria, without the cantillation marks. On this site the four-letter Name is written ה׳.
