Chayei Sarah 24:14

וְהָיָ֣ה הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֹמַ֤ר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ הַטִּי־נָ֤א כַדֵּךְ֙ וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה וְאָמְרָ֣ה שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה אֹתָ֤הּ הֹכַ֙חְתָּ֙ לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיִצְחָ֔ק וּבָ֣הּ אֵדַ֔ע כִּי־עָשִׂ֥יתָ חֶ֖סֶד עִם־אֲדֹנִֽי׃

let the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please, lower your jar that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—let her be the one whom You have decreed for Your servant Yitzchak. Thereby shall I know that You have dealt graciously with my master.

Source Citation

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

מִכָּאן דְּאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָסוּר לְאָדָם לִטְעֹם קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּאֲכִיל לִבְהֶמְתּוֹ, הָנֵי מִילֵּי בַּאֲכִילָה, אֲבָל לִשְׁתִיָּה הָאָדָם קוֹדֵם, כִּדְאַשְׁכְּחַן בְּרִבְקָה שֶׁאָמְרָה שְׁתֵה וְגַם גְּמַלֶּיךָ אַשְׁקֶה.

English: From here [we learn] that although it is forbidden for a person to taste food before feeding his animal, that applies to eating; but regarding drinking, the person takes precedence, as we find with Rivkah who said “Drink, and I will also water your camels.”

On the daf / in context: The general rule prioritizes feeding one’s animals before oneself; the language of the servant’s request and Rivkah’s reply is used to distinguish drinking from eating.

What Is Learned

A person may drink before watering animals, even though one must feed animals before eating oneself; Rivkah’s offer of water first to the man and then to the camels supports the distinction.

Chayei Sarah 24:14 · unit 3

The Complete Passuk

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Core Text of Chazal

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What Is Learned