Eliezer's Mission and the Three for Whom the Earth Leaped

"And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven" (Genesis 24:3) - until I made Him known to His creatures, He was God of heaven; but once I made Him known to His creatures, He is also God of the earth. "That you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite" - he warned him also against the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. "But you shall go to my land and to my kindred" (Genesis 24:4) - as people say, "the wheat of your own town, though poor, sow from it." "And the servant said to him, perhaps..." (Genesis 24:5) - this is the meaning of what is written, "Canaan, in whose hand are deceitful balances" (Hosea 12:8). "Canaan" - this is Eliezer. "In whose hand are deceitful balances" - for he sat and weighed his own daughter, whether she was worthy or not. "He loves to oppress" - he desired the beloved of the world, namely Isaac. He said, perhaps the woman will not be willing, and I will give him my daughter. Abraham said to him: you are cursed and my son is blessed, and the cursed cannot cleave to the blessed. "The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house" (Genesis 24:7) - this is my father's house; "and from the land of my birth" - this is my neighborhood; "and who spoke to me" - in Haran; "and who swore to me" - at the Covenant of the Pieces. "He will send His angel before you" - here is a specific angel. When Abraham said "He will send His angel," the Holy One, blessed be He, appointed for him two angels, one to bring out Rebecca and one to accompany Eliezer. "And if the woman is not willing... only you shall not bring my son back there" (Genesis 24:8). "Only" indicates a limitation: my son does not return, but my son's son may return. "And the servant took ten camels of his master's camels" (Genesis 24:10) - the camels of Abraham our father were recognizable, for wherever they went out they went out muzzled [to keep them from grazing in others' fields]. "And he went to Aram-Naharaim" - it was the same day; this accords with the view of Rabbi Berechiah, for it is written later, "and I came this day to the spring" (Genesis 24:42) - I set out this day and I arrived this day. This is the meaning of what is written, "You have made the earth tremble, You have split it open" (Psalms 60:4) - "made it tremble" in the days of Abraham, "split it open" in the days of Eliezer, "heal its breaches" in the days of Jacob, "for it totters" in the days of Yishbi of Nob. This is the meaning of what is written, "and Yishbi of Nob, who was of the descendants of the giant" (II Samuel 21:16). He brandished David upon his shield; David leaped backward eighteen cubits. Each was afraid of the other. This one was afraid, saying: if he leaped backward like this, how much more could he leap forward. And that one was afraid, saying: if he hurled me upon his shield like this, how can I stand against him. At that moment David said: would that I had one of my sister's sons to help me. Immediately, "and Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid" (II Samuel 21:17). Was he standing behind the gate? The rabbis say: even had he been at the end of the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, flew him and brought him, so that this righteous man should not stand in distress. Our rabbis taught: for three the earth leaped [contracted beneath them] - Eliezer the servant of Abraham, Jacob our father, and Abishai son of Zeruiah. Abishai, as written concerning Yishbi of Nob. Eliezer, as it is written, "and I came this day to the spring" - is it to say that he set out that same day? Rather, it teaches that the earth leaped for him. Jacob our father, as it is written, "and Jacob went out" (Genesis 28:10), and it is written, "and he reached the place and lodged there." Rather, when he reached Haran he said: is it possible that I passed the place where my fathers prayed and did not pray there? As soon as he resolved in his mind to return, immediately the earth leaped for him, and he came and prayed, as it is written, "and he reached [va-yifga] the place" - and "reaching" means nothing other than prayer. And there was still daytime to the day; after he had prayed he wished to return [to the holy place], but the Holy One, blessed be He, said: shall this righteous man come to my lodging-house and depart without staying the night? Immediately, "and he lodged there, for the sun had set." It is written, "and the sun rose for him" (Genesis 32:32) - and did it rise for him alone? Did it not rise for the whole world? Rather, the sun that had set on his account rose on his account.