Parshat Chayeii Sarah - Repaying Kindness
by Rabbi Lobel

Abraham appoints his most trusted servant, Eliezer, to find a wife for Isaac, his son. Eliezer swears to not choose a woman from the land of Canaan but rather to travel to Abraham's birthplace and find a proper spouse for Isaac.

Eliezer travels to Aram Naharaim, the city of Nachor , where Abraham once resided and his nephew, Besuel, still lived.

Upon reaching the city, Eliezer prayed to G-d that the right girl would come along and offer him a drink and to water his camels. Before Eliezer even completed his prayer, along came Rebecca who offered him a drink and to water his camels.

After Rebecca watered his ten camels, Eliezer gave her a golden ring and two golden bracelets and then asked for her name and who was her family.

The plain understanding is Eliezer gave Rebecca expensive gifts to entice her to leave her hometown and marry Isaac, whom she had never met. However, the Ralbag (Levi ben Gershon, 1288 -1344; Parshat Chayeii Sara, Eighth Toelet) offers an additional explanation – when repaying a kindness, we must do so with a gift of greater value to demonstrate our appreciation for both the act of kindness and the sacrifice. In this instance, Eliezer presented Rebecca with extravagant gifts, not simply for the water but for the effort and sacrifice in providing that water.

The Ralbag is not teaching us to repay favors with gold but rather to value every kindness as if it was gold. Had Eliezer simply paid Rebecca for the water, or given a gift of equal value, it would mean he valued the water but not her sacrifice. Yet, he gave her gold because he recognized her act of generosity was far more valuable than water.

Such is the appreciation we should have whenever we're treated with kindness and friendship.