דברי תורה לכבוד שבת קודש פרשת חיי שרה
Eliezer, the servant of Avrohom Avinu, filled a great role in Parshas Chayei Sarah. He was sent to find the perfect Shidduch for Yitzchok Avinu. This means that Avrohom Avinu trusted him very much. The question is whether Eliezer was indeed a very great person, or maybe he was not such a great person? We find in Chaza”l some signs which point in different directions. On one hand, the Gemara (in Maseches Yomah on Daf כ"ח) says that Eliezer was זקן ויושב בישיבה - he became old and sat and learned in Yeshiva. Eliezer was also דולה ומשקה מתורתו של אברהם אבינו לאחרים - Eliezer spread the Torah of Avrohom Avinu to others. These are signs of Eliezer’s greatness. On the other hand we find that Eliezer is called an ארור; he came from Canaan who is considered cursed. Also, when Avrohom Avinu and Yitzchok Avinu came with Eliezer and Yishmael to the Akeida in Parshas Vayeira, Avrohom Avinu said to Eliezer and Yishmael, “שבו לכם פה עם החמור - stay here with the donkey,” and Chaza”l say that Avrohom Avinu told them that they are an עם הדומה לחמור - a nation compared to a donkey. These are signs of Eliezer’s lowliness. It is almost like a contradiction.
Chaza”l (in Vayikra Rabbah כ', ב') say that when they came to Har Hamoriah for the Akeida, Avrohom Avinu and Yitzchok Avinu saw the ענן קשור על ההר - they saw the Shechina resting on the mountain, and Eliezer and Yishmael did not see the Special Cloud. Avrohom Avinu said to them that just as the donkey does not see, they too do not see. We need to understand, is this what makes them comparable to a donkey? Maybe they were not as great as Avrohom Avinu and Yitzchok Avinu, they were not on the highest level, but why does this make them like donkeys?
Moreinu Rav Elya Svei Zatza”l has a great Shmuess about this and we will try our best to give it over as well as possible, B’ezras Hashem. The Gemara in Maseches Shabbos (on Daf קי"ב) says אם ראשונים כמלאכים אנו כבני אדם ואם ראשונים כבני אדם אנו כחמורים. This means that the Rishonim - the earlier generations, were not simply greater than us. Rather they were a totally different level of creation. When we talk about a דומם and צומח, we do not say that one is better and one is worse, rather they are totally different levels of creation. The same is with the ראשונים and us, and the same is with a person who could see the ענן קשור and a person who cannot see it. It is not a question of level, it is a question of which סוג, which type the person is. Avrohom Avinu said that a person who can see the ענן קשור has a קשר with Kedusha - a connection with holiness, and a person who cannot see the ענן קשור is disconnected - the Kedusha is blocked. Where does the blockage come from? It comes from the person’s חומריות, his Guf and his תאוות. A person must rule over his חומריות and desires in order to have a Kesher with Kedusha. If his חומריות rules over him, then there is no chance of having a Kesher with Kedusha. The title of this Shmuess is הכנעת החומר - Humbling the Matter, and this is the way to create a קשר with Kedusha. It comes out that indeed Eliezer had many מעלות - he learned in Yeshiva and was very great in his learning, but his חומריות held him back from any Kesher with Kedusha.
The Guf of a person is very important and the כח התאווה is very powerful. How does a person control them, and rule over them? How does a person do this? Rav Elya says that it comes from ענוה. A person who is able to recognize that everything is from Hashem, he will think less about himself, and more about his purpose in this world. He will be concerned about his Avodas Hashem, and not serving his Guf and תאוות.
Avrohom Avinu said that Eliezer was an ארור and Yitzchok Avinu is a ברוך. Chaza”l say that after Eliezer faithfully found Rivka Imeinu for Yitzchok Avinu, Eliezer’s status changed and he became ברוך too. Rav Elya said that we naturally consider ourselves in the category of ברוך because we come from the Avos Hakedoshim. However, this is not so simple, we need to work on ourselves. We all have Chesronos and to be a true ברוך requires a lot of Avodah. Rav Elya says that the main Avodah is to focus less on ourselves and more on our Avodas Hashem. This is the way to reach ענוה, which will humble the חומריות and help us create a strong Kesher with Kedusha.
Have a gutten and zeesen Shabbos,
רבי מ. גארפינקעל
