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Why does the Torah (תורה) emphasize that Elazar married the daughter of Putiel without naming her? The shiur develops a yesod from the Rambam (רמב"ם): respect for avodah—doing mitzvos with a sense of privilege rather than mere obligation—is more fundamental than the act itself. This explains why Yisro's reverence for service, even when misdirected toward avodah zarah, became a ma'alah worth preserving through marriage.
The shiur begins with a striking observation about Elazar marrying the daughter of Putiel. Chazal identify Putiel as referring to both Yisro (who fattened calves for idolatry—shepateim es ha'egel) and Yosef (who resisted temptation—pitpeit beyitzro). Normally, marrying the daughter of an idol worshipper would only be justified if the woman herself possessed great qualities, as we find with Rivka and Rochel who married into Avrohom's family. Yet here the Torah (תורה) deliberately omits the woman's name, suggesting the marriage was based not on her personal merits but specifically on her lineage—on the ma'alah of her father. How can this be understood? The answer emerges from the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s teaching about Kayin and Hevel. From creation's dawn, there was a fundamental struggle: Kayin brought an offering from a sense of duty and obligation, while Hevel brought from his finest (yafeh min haChesbon). The Rambam emphasizes that this principle of giving from one's best applies not only to korbanos but to all avodas Hashem (ה׳), including bein adam lechaveiro—even when clothing another person, one must do so min hayafeh. The underlying principle is that serving Hashem must be done with a sense of privilege and zechus, not merely as discharging an obligation.
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Parshas Vaeira - Shemos 6:25 (Elazar's marriage to daughter of Putiel)
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