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In this week’s Torah portion, Abraham’s servant searches for a wife for Isaac. We read of his encounter with Rebecca at the well three times: as the servant is praying, as it happens, and as the servant recounts the tale to Rebecca’s family. Why is this story told three times? The sages tell us that sometimes, more can be learned from the conversation of the patriarchs and matriarchs than from the depths of the later writings of the Torah.
Though the details of the story may seem mundane, they indicate who the patriarchs are and what they will become. Life is found in these moments and details. Every moment counts, even those spent waiting for someone to draw water.
Shabbat Shalom!
The story repeated 3 times indicates how important it would be to the Bible’s larger story. On the testimony of 2 or 3, everything is established. The story itself is not at all mundane. It is highly prophetic of how God would choose a spotless virgin bride for His Son who would be obedient to Him.
I wouldn’t call this biblical account mundane. I never thought of it being a testimony but that’s how we learn from each other and it makes sense because there are other places in the Bible that speak about the testimony of two or three witnesses. The going back to choose a bride from their family line was about keeping it’s DNA pure, not about virgin brides per se although that was important too.
“He brought his days with him” references the good and the bad. It is a living memorial and testament to his faith and at times faithlessness. We can use Abraham’s “Days” to encourage, uplift and transcend this world by keeping our eyes, always fixed on Abraham’s God and becoming salt and light ourselves.