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Why did Avrohom seek a wife for Yitzchok from Lavan's corrupt family rather than from his righteous servant Eliezer's family? The shiur argues that Eliezer, despite his righteousness, had a slave mentality lacking personal ambition and growth drive. Lavan's family possessed the essential human qualities of initiative and aspiration that could be channeled positively, making them better material for building the Jewish nation than even righteous people without personal drive.
Rabbi Zweig tackles one of the most challenging questions in Parshas Chayei Sarah: why would Avrohom Avinu specifically seek a shidduch for Yitzchok from his family in Aram, who were swindlers, murderers, and idol worshippers, rather than from his faithful servant Eliezer, whose every word was recorded in the Torah (תורה) as pearls of wisdom? The question becomes even more perplexing when considering that Eliezer was completely immersed in Avrohom's Torah and was described as a complete tzaddik. The Rabbi first addresses the Kotzker Rebbe's explanation that Eliezer had subconscious self-interest regarding his own daughter, evidenced by the Torah's spelling of 'ulai' (perhaps) with and without a vav in different contexts. However, Rabbi Zweig rejects this approach, arguing that if Avrohom suspected such bias, he would have addressed it directly rather than allowing it to surface later.
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Parshas Chayei Sarah - Avraham's servant finding a wife for Yitzchak
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