Did you know that one camel can drink up to 30 gallons of water in one sitting? Well now you know!
Why am I mentioning this? Well, we know in this week's Parsha Chayei Sarah, Eliezer desired water during his travels, and asked Rebecca for a drink. Rebecca quickly fulfilled this request, lowering her pitcher to give the servant water. After he finished drinking, Rebecca said, “Let me draw water for you camels, too, until they have drunk their fill” (Genesis 24:19).
Rebecca's response to Eliezer's request is extraordinary. She not only gave him water, but gave all of his camels water too (that's a lot of water). Her actions reveal her sensitivity to other’s needs and her ability to act generously without hesitation. Her kindness shows her chesed and leadership qualities, demonstrating similar qualities relating to Abraham and Sarah's tent being opened to all.
So what can we take away from Rebecca’s actions?
First, kindness is proactive. You don’t need to wait for someone to ask for help, true chesed is about anticipating others' needs, stepping up for the task without hesitation. Like Rebecca, we should look for opportunities to do good, even when they aren’t explicitly requested. Second, small acts of kindness can have major impacts. Offering water might seem like a small act, but in this case,
it determines Rebecca’s destiny. This reminds us that no act of kindness is too small; what may seem insignificant to us can mean a lot to another person.
Remember, if you see someone might need help, don’t hesitate and make sure to lend them a helping hand. You don’t know how far an act of kindness will take you, and you don’t know how much it can mean to another person. I hope you all can take these ideas, and try to apply them into your lives.
Shabbat Shalom!
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