The holy Rav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld, zt”l, was one of the great tzaddikim of Yerushalayim in the early part of the 20th century. A talmid of the Ksav Sofer and one of the founders of the Eida Chareidis, he was respected as a scholar and posek, as well as for his unwavering commitment to tradition during a turbulent time. An account of his life is told in the multi-volume sefer, “HaIsh al haChomah.” Rav Zonnenfeld’s daughter, Rebbetzin Rochel Breindel Friedman, shared the following memory of her great father:

“Once when she was a young girl, her father was particularly late in returning from the beis midrash. Concerned about his whereabouts, Rochel Breindel’s mother sent her to go and see if anything was wrong. On the way, she found her father filling up pails of water for two little children. ‘Tatty, what’s going on? Are you the new vasertreiger, the new water-schlepper in town?’

‘My dear,’ he replied, ‘as I was coming home, I saw these two children standing dangerously close to the edge of the well trying to draw water; I admonished them to move away, that it was unsafe, and told them to let the waterboy bring it to your house!’

The older of the children replied that they couldn’t afford to have water delivered. I asked where their parents were. Their mother had  recently given birth, and their father was sick in bed with a fever and unable to leave the house. I’ve been drawing pails for them to bring home to fill the water tank …

‘But Tatteh, you’re wearing a kaftan and are the rav of the neighborhood; what will people say?’ She asked her father. ‘It’s not kavodik, it is below your dignity.’

‘What will people say? What would the Ribbono Shel Olam say if I didn’t help these children? Could I go home and calmly eat my breakfast; while these poor young children are endangering their lives, in order to bring water for their incapacitated parents?’

Rav Zonnenfeld straightened up and looked his daughter lovingly in the eye. ‘Please remember, my child, there is nothing more mechubad, nothing more honorable, than helping other Yidden.’”

Our sedra recounts Eliezer’s mission to Aram Naharayim, to find a wife suitable for Yitzchak Avinu. Eliezer davens that Hashem will perform a chesed for his master, Avraham, namely a clear indicator that he has found the right match: a young woman among the maidens at the city’s well — a central meeting spot — who would be forthcoming and gracious in offering water for him and his camels. Before even finishing his tefillah, Eliezer spots Rivka:

“… And behold, Rivka came out … and her pitcher was on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and she filled her pitcher and ascended.”

“The servant ran toward her and said, ‘Please, let me sip a little water from your pitcher.’”

‘Drink, my lord,’ she said, and she quickly lowered her pitcher upon her hand and let him drink.” (24:15-18)

Rashi explains why Eliezer was excited and ran toward Rivka: לְפִי שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁעָלוּ הַמַּיִם לִקְרָאתָהּ, seeing that the water rose up from within the spring to greet her; he understood that she was a tzaddeikes, a righteous woman, who merited a miraculous event. Witnessing this, Eliezer sensed it might be the answer to his prayer, and this was confirmed, as Rivka generously offered him a drink and to fetch more water for his camels and entourage. This time, however, there was something different as Rivka approached the spring:

“… And she ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.” (24:20)

Unlike the first time, Rivka approached the wellspring and the water rose up to greet her; this time, there was no supernatural event. In fact, she had to expend considerable effort — lowering the jug, filling it and then lifting the heavy vessel onto her shoulder.

The Kedushas Levi, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, zt”l, shares an important insight, suggesting why this is so:

When Eliezer saw Rivka for the first time, she was simply getting herself a drink to quench her thirst. In order to honor the needs of the tzaddeikes, the Ribbono Shel Olam performed a miracle, and the water rose to greet her. The world is in service of the righteous …

However, with her second trip to the spring, when Rivka’s intention was to serve Eliezer — to draw water not for her own needs, but for him and the camels — no miracle was forthcoming and the water did not rise to greet her.

For what is most essential in a mitzvah — and in performing an act of chesed, in particular — is the hard work, investment and effort we expend. There are no shortcuts in giving to others, because a shortcut might diminish the reward  — as expressed in the piyut, Yigdal, recited in our daily prayers:

“Hashem repays the righteous ‘for his actions,’ and punishes the wicked in proportion to their wickedness.”

While we are held accountable for the wrongdoings that we commit “k’rishaso — according to their negativity,” the acts of chesed and goodness that we have done are rewarded “k’mifalo — according to our action.” And the reward for this is generous, as it takes into account all of our intention, investment and effort.

“Yitzchak went out to converse with God in the field at dusk, and he raised his eyes and saw, behold, camels were arriving …” (24:63)

The Torah’s choice of language, that Yitzchak lifted up his eyes and saw גמלים, “camels,” is puzzling. One would expect more of an “uplifting vision,” for instance, like seeing his wife-to-be, Rivka Imeinu! Rebbe Meir of Premishlan, zt”l, explains: Yitzchak did see Rivkah, and then “lifted his eyes,” looking into the future. He was “uplifted,” when he foresaw that their descendents would have the trait embodied by his bride — they would be גומלים, “givers,”actively generous and kind.

May we — the physical and spiritual descendents of our great-grandmother, Rivka — continue her precious legacy. And may we merit to “uplift” our great-grandfather, Yitzchak, by taking up the great honor of “schlepping water” for one another.

Rav Judah Mischel is executive director of Camp HASC, the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. He is the mashpiah of OU-NCSY,  founder of Tzama Nafshi and the author of “Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva.” Rav Judah lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife, Ora, and their family.