Rebecca at the Well and the Sign of the Camels

Midrash Rabbah Bereshit Rabbah 60:3 View source
Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team ·

As we learn in Bereshit Rabbah 60, it's a theme that runs through some pretty significant stories in our tradition.

The passage opens by quoting (Genesis 24:13-15), the story of Eliezer, Abraham's servant, seeking a wife for Isaac. He's standing by a well, praying for a sign. "May it be," he asks, "that the girl to whom I will say: Tilt your jug, please, and I will drink, and she will say: Drink, and I will also give your camels to drink; it is she You have confirmed for Your servant, for Isaac."

Now, the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) picks up on something interesting here. Was Eliezer's request really that well-considered? What if a mere servant girl had offered him water? Would he have presented her as a bride for Isaac? It seems a bit… risky, doesn't it?

But here’s the thing: the Holy One, Blessed be He, steps in. Before Eliezer even finishes his prayer, Rebecca arrives. The text emphasizes, "It was before he concluded to speak, and behold, Rebecca was coming out…" Talk about divine intervention!

This sets the stage for a broader discussion about people who make, shall we say, less than brilliant demands of God. The Midrash identifies four such individuals: Eliezer, Caleb, Saul, and Yiftach.

Let's look at Caleb. He declares that whoever conquers Kiryat Sefer will win his daughter Akhsa's hand in marriage (Judges 1:12). Again, the question is posed: what if a slave had accomplished this feat? Would Caleb really have given his daughter to him? Thankfully, Otniel, Caleb's kinsman, steps up. As the verse states, "Otniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s…brother, captured it; and he gave him Akhsa his daughter as a wife” (Judges 1:13). Crisis averted!

Saul makes a similar proclamation regarding whoever defeats Goliath (1 (Samuel 17:2)5). The Midrash asks, what if a non-Israelite, or even a slave, had won? Would Saul have honored his pledge? Here, too, divine providence seems to intervene, as David, "the son of that nobleman" (1 (Samuel 17:1)2), emerges victorious.

But then there's Yiftach. Oh, Yiftach. He vows that whatever comes out of his house first to greet him upon his return from battle will be offered as a burnt offering (Judges 11:31). Now, think about this for a moment. What if a dog had greeted him? Would he have sacrificed it? According to the Midrash, this is where things go terribly wrong. "Yiftach came…and behold, his daughter came out to greet him" (Judges 11:34).

Unlike the previous cases, this time, the "appropriate arrangement" is… inappropriate.

The text delves into a debate between Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish. Rabbi Yoḥanan suggests Yiftach was at least obligated to pay a monetary redemption for his daughter, as she was now considered consecrated property that couldn't be used. Reish Lakish, however, argues that Yiftach’s vow was null and void, like consecrating an impure animal. He draws on the mishna from Temura 5:6 to support his point.

The tragedy deepens. The Midrash tells us that Pinḥas, the high priest, wasn't there to annul Yiftach's vow. Each man thought the other should take the initiative. "Between the two of them," the text laments, "that young woman was lost."

There’s a chilling proverb cited here: "Between the midwife and the mother in childbirth, the son of the wretched woman is gone." It's a stark reminder of how, when people pass the buck, the innocent suffer.

Both Pinḥas and Yiftach were punished. Yiftach's limbs supposedly fell off one by one, and he was buried in separate cities, as hinted at in (Judges 12:7). As for Pinḥas, the Divine Spirit departed from him, as reflected in the shift from "is chief" to "had been chief" in (1 (Chronicles 9:2)0).

What are we to take away from this? Perhaps it’s a cautionary tale about the power of our words and the importance of thinking before we speak – especially when making promises, deals, or vows, with implications that extend beyond ourselves. The story of Yiftach serves as a stark reminder that sometimes, even with the best intentions, our actions can have devastating and unintended consequences. It’s a call for careful consideration, humility, and a willingness to seek guidance when we're in over our heads. After all, we're all just trying to navigate this complex world, and sometimes, we need a little help along the way.

Themes

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