Literary Devices – Bereshit 24/0

Literary Devices – Bereshit 24

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Character Titles

Hashem

Throughout the chapter, Hashem is referred to by His proper name, Hashem. At times, though, this name is accompanied by an epithet:

• י"י אֱלֹהֵי אֲדֹנִי אַבְרָהָם – The servant refers to Hashem as "the God of his master Avraham" when praying in verses 12 and 27 (and in the account of that prayer in verses 42 and 48).
• י״י אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וֵאלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ – Avraham refers to Hashem in this manner in Bereshit 24:3 and as "אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם" alone n verse 7, the only places in Torah where this appellation is used.¹  It is not clear if the second term is simply a shortened form of the first or if there is significance to the alternative title. It is interesting that Avraham uses this term for Hashem when specifically when sending his servant to another part of the world to seek a wife for Yitzchak. Compare RashiBereshit 24:7About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki², Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 24:3About R. Avraham ibn Ezra,³ and RadakBereshit 24:7About R. David Kimchi⁴  for opinions as to why this specific name is used here.

Avraham's Servant

Avraham's servant is referred to in several ways throughout the chapter. Interestingly, though, he is never referred to by his name, perhaps emphasizing that his role in this chapter is that of a faithful representative.  

• עַבְדּוֹ זְקַן בֵּיתוֹ הַמֹּשֵׁל בְּכׇל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ – In verse 2, Avraham’s servant is introduced as “his servant, the elder of his household who ruled over all that was his,” perhaps to make clear from the outset the trustworthiness of his character. 
• הָעֶבֶד – In verses 5-17, when the servant speaks to Avraham and heads out on his journey, he is referred to as simply "הָעֶבֶד". Again, at the end of the story, when he concludes his negotiations in verse 52 and heads back to Avraham’s family, he is again referred to as “הָעֶבֶד” many times. It seems that when on Avraham's turf, the servant is described in reference to him. He similarly identifies himself as עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם in verse 34 when he introduces himself to Rivka's family, for it is only in that role that he is of interest to them.
• הָאִישׁ – In the middle of the narrative, beginning in verse 21 when the servant begins to check into Rivka's lineage, the title "servant" disappears and is replaced by “האיש”, mentioned seven times.  The new term is perhaps meant to underscore the independence and gravitas with which he fulfills his mission, and the respect he is accorded in Rivka’s house.

Type Scenes

Robert Alter has identified a convention of Biblical narrative in which a basic narrative sequence appears multiple times in Tanakh, each time with modifications that serve the needs of the specific unit. Paying attention to the deviations from the expected template often reveals the hidden messages of the individual story.

Meeting at a Well

• Narratives of meeting one’s spouse at a well comprise one of the most significant Biblical type-scenes. Comparing the account regarding Avraham's servant with the stories of Yaakov meeting Rachel (Bereshit 29) and of Moshe in Midyan (Shemot 2) can be revealing.

Articles

• For a full analysis of this type-scene, see Robert Alter’s Biblical Type-Scenes and the Uses of Convention.
• Michael W. Martin, ‘Betrothal Journey Narratives’, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 70, 3 (2008), 505-23, builds off Alter's thesis, identifying other typical elements in the type scene and exploring variations of the type scene throughout Tanakh, apocrypha and the New Testament.
• See R. Elhanan Samet's The Meeting at the Well, who suggests that each story highlights the principal trait of one partner in the eyes of the other (Rivka's kindness, Yaakov's love, and Moshe's sense of justice). For the Hebrew version, see here.
• See also י. גרוסמן, יעקב: סיפורה של משפחה (ראשון לציון, 2019):225-227 who compares the stories of Chapters 24 and 29, noting how the Divine hand which is evident in the former, is much less evident in the story of Yaakov.

Allusion

Our chapter contains several allusions to the Avraham narratives:

• Avraham's command to the servant that he go to Avraham's homeland, "אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ" (Bereshit 24:4) , alludes back to Hashem's original command to leave that very place: " לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ" (Bereshit 12:1). Tanakh Lab demonstrates that this is one of many parallels between Bereshit 24 and Bereshit 12.
• RashiBereshit 24:60About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R"Y KaraBereshit 24:60About R. Yosef Kara and others note that the blessing to Rivka of “May you become thousands of myriads, and may your offspring inherit the gates of their enemies” (24:60) parallels the blessing given to Avraham after the Akeidah: “I will surely bless you and greatly multiply your offspring... Your offspring will inherit the gates of their enemies” (22:17).

The allusions highlight Rivka's similarity to Avraham. She, too, makes the decision to leave her family for a larger mission.  As such, she merits to be part of Avraham's legacy and blessings.

Characterization

Tanakh rarely describes a personality outright; instead, it often paints character through subtle hints.

Lavan

An example of this technique is found in Bereshit 24:30, which states that Lavan noticed the jewelry given to Rivka before inviting Avraham’s servant into his home.  This hints that Lavan’s hospitality, as opposed to that of Avraham and Lot, appears tinged by self-interest.

Articles

• See Robert Alter’s article Character in the Bible, as well as his chapter on characterization in The Art of Biblical Narrative, for exploration of methods of characterization in Tanakh.

Strategic Repetition

The Search for a Wife for Yitzchak

Bereshit 24 artfully utilizes the technique of repetition, recording not only the narrative account of Avraham's servant's search for a wife for Yitzchak but also the servant's recounting of that search to Rivka's family.  The doubling leads the reader to question the need for the repetition, and the slight differences between the accounts make one question which account is the true one and why either the servant or narrator might have veered from the facts. 

Articles

See The Search for Yitzchak's Wife and the Servant's Retelling for a comprehensive table comparing the two accounts and analysis of the differences. The article notes that many of the servant's additions or omissions might stem from the norms of polite discourse and a desire to honor Avraham's family and best convince them to agree to sending Rivka. In the places where the two accounts actively disagree with one another, commentators either try to harmonize and equate the accounts or choose one version as the accurate one, while explaining why the other presented the story differently.

¹ If one highlights the phrase ""י״י אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם in the Mikraot Gedolot on Bereshit 24:3 and chooses search or concordance from the drop-down, one sees that the only occurrences of the phrase in Torah are in our chapter, though it appears four more times in Tanakh.

² Rashi maintains that it implies that when Avraham was in his homeland, Hashem was only God of the heavens for no one on earth recognized Him, but now Avraham has succeeded in spreading word of Hashem on earth.

³ Ibn Ezra suggests that it implies that marriage partners on earth are determined in heaven.

⁴ Radak and others suggest that this appellation is meant to convey God's providence on earth, to remind the servant that Hashem will hold him accountable for the fulfillment of his oath.