30vayehi kir'ot et hanezem ve'et hatzemidim al yedei achoto uchshom'o et divrei Rivkah achoto lemor koh diber elai ha'ish vayavo el ha'ish vehineh omed al hagemalim al ha'ayin
52vayehi ka'asher shama eved Avraham et divreihem vayishtachu artzah la'Adonai
The aliyah opens with Abraham’s servant thanking God for leading him to his master’s family. Rebecca runs to tell those at home, and her brother Laban goes out to the man and invites him inside. The camels are cared for, water is brought for washing feet, and food is served. But just then, the servant stops the meal:
lo ochal ad im dibarti devarai
Translation: I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.
There is something he needs to say before he eats. Genesis 24:27-33
Here begins a story we have already heard. The servant recounts the mission Abraham gave him, his prayer by the well, and Rebecca’s arrival before he had finished speaking to God in his heart. This time, though, he tells the story to the family who must answer his request. Genesis 24:34-49
Why can the meal wait?
Rashbam explains that the servant had already seen that God had endorsed his undertaking, so he should not turn first to eating and drinking. The successful encounter is no reason to stop and rest before speaking about his mission. Rashbam on Genesis 24:33
And how does he begin?
eved Avraham anochi
Translation: I am Abraham’s servant.
He tells of the blessing Abraham received and the son Sarah bore him in her old age, then moves on to the oath: Abraham sent him to his family to find a wife for his son. Those in the house thus learn who has come to them, on whose behalf he speaks, and what he asks of them. Genesis 24:34-48
We already know the story. They do not
Radak explains that the servant recounts these events to show the family that God loves Abraham and fulfills his wishes: Abraham said that God would make his journey successful, and the encounter with Rebecca matched what he had asked for by the well. In this way, he shows them why they cannot withhold the young woman from him. Radak adds that the repeated account changes some words but preserves the meaning; this is the Torah’s way when it retells events. Radak on Genesis 24:39
From this, we can understand why the repetition is more than a reminder. We read the servant’s request and then saw Rebecca give water to him and his camels. Laban and Bethuel were not there. For them, the servant connects the prayer with what followed, setting before them the story on which his request rests.
But even after understanding why the family needs to hear it, a question remains: why does the Torah also give us his words at length, rather than simply saying that he told them what had happened?
Rashi cites Rabbi Acha on how dear the conversation of the patriarchs’ servants is before God, even more so than the Torah teachings of their descendants: the Torah tells Eliezer’s story twice, while many central matters of commandments and law are conveyed only through hints. It is a surprising comparison: the Torah dwells on a servant’s conversation about his mission, even where it is brief about laws that later generations will study. Rashi on Genesis 24:42
In this reading, there is also value in hearing the story from someone who took part in it. By the well, we saw him pray, wait and inquire. In the family’s home, we hear how he recounts all this and gives thanks for the way his mission has been guided.
After speaking, he bows again
The servant ends by asking for a clear answer. If the family is willing to show kindness and faithfulness to Abraham, they should tell him:
ve’im lo hagidu li
Translation: And if not, tell me.
Laban and Bethuel reply that the matter has come from God and agree that Rebecca should become the wife of his master’s son. Genesis 24:49-51
When the servant hears their answer, he bows to the ground before God. Rashi learns from this that one gives thanks for good news. Rashi on Genesis 24:52
At the beginning of the aliyah, the servant gives thanks for reaching the family. At its end, he gives thanks for their answer. Between these two expressions of gratitude, his story also leads Laban and Bethuel to acknowledge that the matter has come from God. He has told them how God led him to them; now they too see the encounter in the same light.