The Water Rose to Meet Her

Eliezer arrived at the well outside the city of Nachor toward evening, when the women came out to draw water. He made his ten camels kneel and asked Hashem for a sign: let the girl who answers his request for a drink by offering water to his camels as well be the one chosen for Yitzchak. Rashi explains his reasoning. A girl who does kindness like this is fit to enter the house of Avraham.

Before he had finished speaking, Rivkah came out with her jug on her shoulder. The Midrash relates that all the other women went down to the spring to draw, but when the water saw Rivkah it rose up toward her by itself. Hashem said to her that this was a sign for her children: just as the water rose for her, the well would one day rise for them in the desert.

The servant ran toward her, and Chazal say he ran toward her good deeds. He asked only for a sip. She answered, Drink, my lord, and lowered the jug for him. When he had finished, she offered to draw for his camels until they had drunk their fill, and she ran back and forth to the well until all of them were satisfied. Eliezer stood watching her in silence.

He gave her a gold nose ring and two bracelets and asked whose daughter she was, and whether there was room in her father's house to spend the night. She told him her family and said there was straw and feed in plenty, and a place to lodge. The Midrash notes that he had asked for one night, and she offered him many. The servant bowed and thanked Hashem.