We read in Parashat Hayeh-Sara the famous story of Abraham sending his trusted servant, Eliezer, to his hometown of Aram Naharayim for the purpose of finding a suitable match for Yishak.
The Midrash, cited by Rashi (Bereshit 24:39), reveals to us an astounding detail about this story, one which sheds Eliezer's character in an entirely new light. Eliezer, the Midrash tells, had a daughter, and he very much wished that she would marry Yishak. He wanted nothing more than to join the distinguished family of Abraham Abinu. This is why, the Midrash adds, Eliezer asked Abraham what would happen if the suitable girl in Aram Naharayim did not want to move to Eretz Yisrael to marry Yishak. Eliezer used the word "Ulai' – "perhaps," imagining the situation of the girl refusing to leave her hometown, but this word is spelled like the word "Elai" – "to me." Eliezer posed this question with ulterior motives, hoping that Abraham would at least allow for the possibility of Eliezer's daughter marrying Yishak.
However, the Midrash teaches, Abraham dismissed this possibility. He explained to Eliezer that as a descendant of Ham, Noah's son whom Noah had cursed, he cannot join the family of Abraham, which received a special blessing from Hashem.
Remarkably, this rejection had no impact whatsoever on Eliezer's mission. He proceeded to faithfully discharge his duty in the best way possible, doing everything he could to convince Ribka's family to allow her to leave and marry Yishak. Eliezer harbored no feelings of resentment, and felt no envy. He was the exemplar of a faithful, loyal servant, fulfilling his obligations to his master at the expense of his personal interests.
The Midrash concludes by telling us that Eliezer eventually transformed his status of "cursed" to that of "blessed." When he arrived at Ribka's home, Ribka's brother, Laban, greeted him by exclaiming, "Bo Beruch Hashem" – "Come, he who is blessed by G-d" (24:31). Hashem placed these words in Laban's mouth as a declaration that from this point, Eliezer was no longer "cursed," but "blessed."
The question then arises, in what way was Eliezer now "blessed"? His daughter was still ineligible to marry Yishak. So what exactly did this new "blessed" status offer Eliezer?
The answer, perhaps, is based on a teaching of the Arizal, that Eliezer's soul returned many years later, in the person of Kaleb, one of the twelve spies sent by Moshe Rabbenu to survey the Land of Israel. The Gemara (Sota 34b) teaches that when the spies arrived in the land, Kaleb separated from the others and went to Hebron, to pray at Me'arat Ha'machpela, the burial site of the patriarchs. Knowing that his comrades were scheming to speak negatively about the Land of Israel, Kaleb prayed for the strength and wherewithal to withstand the pressure and dissent. Having been a servant of Abraham Abinu in a previous life, he went to Me'arat Ha'machpela, his master's grave. Kaleb was then rewarded by receiving rights to the city of Hebron, which he had visited, and this is the "blessing" that he earned through his loyalty to Abraham.
This connection between Eliezer and Kaleb runs even deeper. The Zohar teaches that the spies betrayed Moshe Rabbenu's trust because of their personal agenda. These men were the leaders of the tribes, and they realized that they would lose their prestigious position once Beneh Yisrael cross into the land. They thus had an interest in luring Beneh Yisrael to refuse to proceed, so they could retain their leadership posts. Kaleb, possessing the soul of Eliezer, remained faithful to his mission despite the sacrifice entailed. Unlike his peers, he did not compromise his loyalty for the sake of pursuing his own personal agenda – continuing the quality shown by Eliezer.
Each and every one of us is a servant of Hashem. We must learn from Eliezer's example about the importance of steadfast, unwavering loyalty to our Master, even at the expense of our personal interests. Torah observance demands making sacrifices, and sometimes it demands making significant sacrifices – of time, of comfort, of convenience, and of money. And it is precisely when sacrifice becomes necessary that our loyalty is tested. Let us follow Eliezer's example of faithfulness, of uncompromising loyalty to our Master, so that we, too, will be "blessed" in every which way, Amen.