If you asked Eliezer, Avraham’s servant, what his proudest moment in life was, he probably would have told you at length the story about how he went to find a wife for Yitzchak. However, throughout this entire episode Eliezer’s name is not mentioned once; he is referred to as ‘the servant’ (and occasionally ‘the man’). Why is his name omitted from his greatest achievement in life?
The idea is that just the opposite is true. The word servant (eved) is the greatest accolade one can get when it is in reference to someone like Avraham Avinu. A servant is someone who is willing to blend into their master’s wishes as opposed to having their own agenda. Eliezer’s greatness lies in the fact that he was a true servant of Avraham Avinu – he believed in Avraham’s philosophy and taught others too. Just as Moshe’s great accolade is that he is called ‘eved HaShem’ so too Eliezer’s greatness is that he is ‘eved Avraham.’ And specifically on this mission to find a wife for Yitzchak, when Avraham was not with Eliezer and Eliezer could have used the trip to do things other than that which he was sent for, are we told that he was none other than Avraham’s servant – he kept loyally to the task in hand.
