Who was Avraham’s Servant?
In Parshat Lecha Lecha (Breisheet 15:2) we learn about the manager of Avraham’s household:
Avraham said: “My master, God, what will You give me since I continue to be childless, and the manager of my household is Eliezer of Damascus (Damesek)?”
Onkelos translates the words “the manager of my household” to mean “That my entire household is fed by his orders.”
According to Rashi, Avraham meant “He is my steward. But if I had a son then my son would be in charge of my possessions.”
Onkelos explains that we read the verse literally, meaning that Eliezer was from Damascus.
Breisheet Raba 44:9, points out that he was called “Damesek Eliezer” because he pursued the four kings to Damascus when Lot was taken captive.
In the Talmud, Yoma 28b, we learn that the word Damesek was used as an acrostic of “doleh u’mashke”, he draws water and gives to drink from the Torah of his master, to others.
Maharsha teaches that Eliezer was permitted to establish a yeshiva and teach Torah that he “drew” from Avraham.
Sixty years later, in Parshat Chayei Sara (Breisheet 24:1-4), we read about Avraham’s most trusted servant:
Avraham was old, advanced in years and God blessed Avraham with everything. Avraham said to his servant, the elder of his household, who was in charge of all that he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, God of heaven and earth that you will not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live. Instead, go to my land and birthplace, and there find a wife for Yitzchak, my son.”
Is this servant, the elder of Avraham’s household the same manager of his household from Parshat Lech Lecha?
Although the servant’s name is not used at all in Parshat Chayei Sara, Pirkei DeRebbi Eliezer 16 states that the servant is assumed to be Eliezer, the trusted servant mentioned in Chapter 14.
Rabbi David Zvi Hoffman teaches that 60 years before, Eliezer had been Avraham’s most trusted servant. Now he is not only the senior servant, but the elder of his household.
Breisheet Raba 59:9 says that the servant was Eliezer:
There is a verse in Hoshea (12:8) that says: “C’naan, the balances of deceit are in your hand, you love to exploit.” C’naan was Eliezer who is called “eved”, “servant”, a descendent of Cham, Noach’s son who was called a servant and was cursed. Eliezer had a daughter and he was hoping that Avraham would allow her to marry Yitzchak. Avraham responded, “My son is blessed, whereas you are cursed and one who is cursed cannot marry one who is blessed.”
Despite the fact that Eliezer did a lot of good deeds, his lineage would not permit his daughter to marry Yitzchak. Therefore Eliezer was sent to Avraham’s family to bring back a wife for Yitzchak.
