Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

… Avraham had become old and advanced in days and Hashem blessed Avraham in everything."(24, 1)

Hashem and His Court

Our Sages ob'm tell us that it is well known that the Name of G-d Elokim is the Name of the Trait of Justice while the Name Hashem is Name of total Kindness and Mercy. But our Sages say that when the word "and" is added on to the name of Hashem "וה'"- then it means "Hashem and His Court", which is the combination of the Trait of Mercy with the Trait of Justice, where both of them agree to the same thing.

We can ask: Before Avraham sent Eliezer (to find a mate for Yitzchak), the verse says "… Avraham had become old and advanced in days and G-d blessed Avraham in everything." Why does it say "and Hashem" blessed Avraham in everything? What does "Hashem and His Court" have to do with Avraham Avinu?

We will start the explanation with the disagreement between Eliezer and Lavan and Betual. When Eliezer, Avraham's slave, came to their home and wanted to take Rivka for Yitzchak, Betuel said to him, "Let the maiden abide with us a year or ten months, after that she may go." But Eliezer told him, "Detain me not and G-d has made my way so prosperous".

The Chatam Sofer explains: "W know that the evil powers have no power over the name of Hashem, which is the Name of Kindness and Mercy. Its main source of power is from the name Elokim which is the Trait of Justice."

Accordingly, the Chatam Sofer says, it is clearly understood why Lavan and Betuel said to Eliezer "the matter has proceeded from Hashem, we cannot say anything to you bad or good." Since the matter proceeded from Hashem, and we have no power over this Source, we therefore cannot delay Rivka and therefore, "Here is Rivka before you, take her and go."

But in their great wickedness they wanted to outsmart him and they therefore said, "Let the maiden abide with us a year or ten months, after that she may go." – for they thought that perhaps in that time they would succeed in arousing the Trait of Justice from the Name Elokim in order to hold back the match of Yitzchak and Rivka.

But Eliezer, who grasped the depth of their evil thought, told them wisely that they were wasting their time for nothing, and he therefore said, "Detain me not ". Do you perhaps think that you will succeed in arousing the Trait of Justice and holding back this match? Certainly not! Because "and G-d has made my way so prosperous".

Eliezer told them "and Hashem"- i.e. Hashem and His Court – both the Trait of Mercy and the Trait of Justice have agreed to this match of Yitzchak and Rivka. Therefore, there is no point of waiting thinking that you may succeed in arousing the Trait of Justice regarding this match – and he therefore told them, "let me go away so that I may go to my master".

But we still have to understand – how did Eliezer know that the Trait of Justice also agreed with the Trait of Mercy regarding this match?

We can therefore say that that is why the verse said first "… Avraham had become old and advanced in days and Hashem blessed Avraham in everything."As we have said, wherever it says "and Hashem" it means "Hashem and His Court" That means that Avraham had merited to be blessed "in everything" – both the Trait of Mercy as well as the Trait of Justice. Eliezer therefore understood that since he was a messenger of Avraham, certainly Avraham has merited, in this match as well, that the Trait of Justice was agreeing with the Trait of Mercy – and so he said to Lavan and Betuel "detain me not, and Hashem has made my way so prosperous.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!