פרשת חיי שרה תש"ב - אשה ליצחק

"Thou shalt not bring my son back thither." He must remain in the land of Israel. Abraham said, "you shall not bring my son back" because he (Abraham) was the root.

Eliezer is the man that came into the home. The Pasuk switches the subject to Lavan. So Lavan unmuzzled the camels. Because Lavan is being a gentleman and feeds them and washes the men’s feet. It does not make sense to think Eliezer is the one who is doing all these things when he is a guest. An example from the selling of Yosef, later, The pasuk talking about the brothers and then about the buyers and then the brother’s again. (It keeps switching the subject.) AND HE UNTIED THE CAMELS. The idea of untying the camels was that he opened up the harnesses of their necks. For its common practice to lead camel when they are tied. Alternatively, the camels were walking with fastened saddle seats on them (and it was these seats that were untied.) Like the saying "Let the one who girds [his sword] not boast like one unfastens [it]!" and "undo the straps of your neck" But Rashi says: He untied their muzzle for he would muzzle their mouths so that they wouldn't graze in fields that were others.

את היי לאלפי רבבה MAYEST THOU BECOME THOUSANDS OF MYRIADS —May you and your seed receive that blessing which was promised to Abraham on Mount Moriah, (Genesis 22:17) “I will greatly multiply thy seed … [and let thy seed possess the gates of their enemies]”. May it be God’s will that that seed may proceed from you and not from another woman”.

ימים (literally, days) means a year — just as (Leviticus 25:29) “For a whole year (ימים) shall he have the right of redemption” — for the custom was to give a maiden twelve months to provide herself with a trousseau (literally, ornaments) (Genesis Rabbah 60:12).

על ימין TO THE RIGHT HAND — to take a wife of the daughters of Ishmael.