EXTRA · classical (not a TT unit)

Chayei Sarah 24:23 · EXTRA

Parashas Chayei Sarah · Passuk 24:23

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בַּת־מִ֣י אַ֔תְּ הַגִּ֥ידִי נָ֖א לִ֑י הֲיֵ֧שׁ בֵּית־אָבִ֛יךְ מָק֥וֹם לָ֖נוּ לָלִֽין׃

“Pray tell me,” he said, “whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Rashi on Bereishis 24:23 (classical source on this passuk; not listed as a numbered Torah Temimah unit here).

Lemma / focus: בת מי את.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
ויאמר בת מי את. לְאַחַר שֶׁנָּתַן לָהּ שְׁאָלָהּ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה בָּטוּחַ בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהִצְלִיחַ הַקָּבָּ"ה דַּרְכּוֹ: ללין. לִינָה אַחַת, לִין שֵׁם דָּבָר; וְהִיא אָמְרָה לָלוּן – כַּמָּה לִינוֹת:

English: He asked her this after he had given her the presents, for he was confident that, on account of the merit of Avraham, the Holy One had made his way succeed.

On the daf / in context: Eliezer gives the gifts before asking her identity; the order is taken as a mark of confidence in Avraham’s merit.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Rashi) — not a formal named middah of the 13: the narrative order (gift before question) is read as deliberate trust in the merit of his master.

What Is Learned

Eliezer gave the gifts before asking whose daughter she was; he relied on Avraham’s merit that the path had already been made successful.