parshat Chayyei Sarah: The Account Of Betuel's Death By Poison #1

There is a famous midrash that Betuel tried to kill Eliezer (in order to prevent him from taking Rivkah) by poisoning his food, but an angel switched around the food and Betuel ended up eating it. We can consider this midrash from three different perspectives.

1) What apparent problem in the text does this midrash solve?
2) What is the textual basis for the resolution?
3) How does this midrash fit within the overall theme of the parsha?

In terms of what problem the midrash is solving, this is readily apparent. First Betuel appears, and then he doesn't. That is, in Bereishit 24, in parshat Chayyei Sarah, we see:

נ וַיַּעַן לָבָן וּבְתוּאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ, מֵה' יָצָא הַדָּבָר; לֹא נוּכַל דַּבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ, רַע אוֹ-טוֹב.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: 'The thing proceedeth from the LORD; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

So Betuel is there. Then, suddenly, he is not. We see:

נד וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ, הוּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר-עִמּוֹ--וַיָּלִינוּ; וַיָּקוּמוּ בַבֹּקֶר, וַיֹּאמֶר שַׁלְּחֻנִי לַאדֹנִי.	54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said: 'Send me away unto my master.'
נה וַיֹּאמֶר אָחִיהָ וְאִמָּהּ, תֵּשֵׁב הַנַּעֲרָ אִתָּנוּ יָמִים אוֹ עָשׂוֹר; אַחַר, תֵּלֵךְ.	55 And her brother and her mother said: 'Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.'
נו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַל-תְּאַחֲרוּ אֹתִי, וַה' הִצְלִיחַ דַּרְכִּי; שַׁלְּחוּנִי, וְאֵלְכָה לַאדֹנִי.	56 And he said unto them: 'Delay me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.'

It is suddenly her mother and brother. Where did her father disappear to?

Also a bit earlier:

נג וַיּוֹצֵא הָעֶבֶד כְּלֵי-כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב, וּבְגָדִים, וַיִּתֵּן, לְרִבְקָה; וּמִגְדָּנֹת--נָתַן לְאָחִיהָ, וּלְאִמָּהּ.

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

the servant gives this to the brother and mother, but not to the father.

There are various ways of answering this, on a peshat level. For example, some try to claim this was an erroneous insertion of "her father" in the first verse, based on the fact that Betuel had been mentioned, and really, he was never in this story at all. One need not say that. One could just say, "nu nu," and point out that earlier, her mother never said anything, though her brother did. It may simply be the case that historically, different family members said different things at different points, and interacted with Eliezer at different points. So it need not be such a question. However, this is the type of thing that commentators like to pick up upon, and most certainly that the midrash likes to notice and comment upon.

So, why is Betuel missing? The answer of this midrash is that Betuel died, trying to poison Eliezer. So we have the answer to (1) What apparent problem in the text does this midrash solve?

On to point 2. What textual basis do we have for this, besides for Betuel's diappearance? Well, the textual basis is:

לג ויישם (וַיּוּשַׂם) לְפָנָיו, לֶאֱכֹל, וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֹכַל, עַד אִם-דִּבַּרְתִּי דְּבָרָי; וַיֹּאמֶר, דַּבֵּר.

33 And there was set food before him to eat; but he said: 'I will not eat, until I have told mine errand.' And he said: 'Speak on.'

when they set food before Eliezer. The pasuk states ויישם (וַיּוּשַׂם) לְפָנָיו. Note that sam means place, but also means poison. Thus, poison was set before him, that is Eliezer, most probably. We also have the krei and ketiv, where the word is pronounced vayusam, but rather than a vav, there is a yud in the ketiv. This would be the difference between active and passive. With the yud, it would be "and he placed," or "and he poisoned," but as we pronounce it, it is "and it was placed" or "and it was poisoned." We then link this with Betuel's disappearance and note that Betuel tried to place and poison, but instead it was placed (by the angel) before him and he was poisoned.

Further, Eliezer refuses the food initially, until he finishes speaking. Thus, he is saved from death, and this is when the angel switches the food.

It is then quite dramatic that immediately before his death, Betuel declares that he will not interfere:

נ וַיַּעַן לָבָן וּבְתוּאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ, מֵה יָצָא הַדָּבָר; לֹא נוּכַל דַּבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ, רַע אוֹ-טוֹב.	50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: 'The thing proceedeth from the LORD; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
נא הִנֵּה-רִבְקָה לְפָנֶיךָ, קַח וָלֵךְ; וּתְהִי אִשָּׁה לְבֶן-אֲדֹנֶיךָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה.	51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken.'
נב וַיְהִי, כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם אֶת-דִּבְרֵיהֶם; וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַרְצָה, לַה.	52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto the LORD.
נג וַיּוֹצֵא הָעֶבֶד כְּלֵי-כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב, וּבְגָדִים, וַיִּתֵּן, לְרִבְקָה; וּמִגְדָּנֹת--נָתַן לְאָחִיהָ, וּלְאִמָּהּ.	53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
נד וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ, הוּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר-עִמּוֹ--וַיָּלִינוּ; וַיָּקוּמוּ בַבֹּקֶר, וַיֹּאמֶר שַׁלְּחֻנִי לַאדֹנִי.	54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said: 'Send me away unto my master.'
נה וַיֹּאמֶר אָחִיהָ וְאִמָּהּ, תֵּשֵׁב הַנַּעֲרָ אִתָּנוּ יָמִים אוֹ עָשׂוֹר; אַחַר, תֵּלֵךְ.	55 And her brother and her mother said: 'Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.'

According to the way this works out, Betuel must have declared this, knowing that Eliezer would be poisoned, then took a bite of his food and died, or maybe he died that night. Then Eliezer eats and drinks, and subsequently speaks solely to the brother and mother.

What about from the perspective of theme? Well, we see them say that they cannot do anything to prevent it, and then try, in a tricky manner, to prevent it. After saying that this has come from God and they won't prevent it, they say "let her tarry יָמִים אוֹ עָשׂוֹר, which either means "a few days or ten day," or else "a year or ten months," to which Eliezer replies:

נו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַל-תְּאַחֲרוּ אֹתִי, וַה הִצְלִיחַ דַּרְכִּי; שַׁלְּחוּנִי, וְאֵלְכָה לַאדֹנִי.

56 And he said unto them: 'Delay me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.'

and then they suggest putting it up to Rivkah, in the hopes that she will agree with them. This midrash, in which Betuel overtly agrees but takes hidden, tricky steps to prevent it, works in well with the theme.