Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
When Avraham’s servant first arrives at Rivkah’s home, her brother, Lavan, and her father, Betuel, both speak to him, both expressing their support of Rivkah’s marriage to Yitzhak. But, after Avraham’s servant stays the night, Betuel vanishes from the story. Instead, only Lavan speaks, along with Rivkah’s mother:
וַיֹּאמֶר אָחִיהָ וְאִמָּהּ תֵּשֵׁב הַנַּעֲרָ אִתָּנוּ...
Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young girl (Rivkah) stay with us...”
What happened to Betuel? If both he and Lavan were speaking to Avraham’s servant before, why is Lavan speaking without him at this point? The following midrash suggests that Betuel is left out of the pasuk not by accident, but because he wasn’t around to speak anymore because he had died overnight!
וּבְתוּאֵל אֵיכָן הוּא? בִּיקֵּשׁ לְעַכֵּב וְנִיגָּף בַּלַּיְלָה.
Where was Betuel? He tried to prevent [the marriage] and was struck during the night.
- Can you find evidence to support the midrash? Can you think of other explanations why Betuel disappears from the story at this point that don’t involve him dying?
- Why would Betuel be punished so seriously for trying to stop Rivkah from marrying Yitzhak?
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