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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From: "Prof. Levine" <A href="mailto:Larry.Levine@stevens.edu">Larry.Levine@stevens.edu</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>Bereishis 24: 3 says I will make you swear by God, the God of heaven
<BR>and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from among
the<BR>daughters of the Canaanites in whose midst I dwell.<BR><BR>Did Avraham
really think that if Eliezer brought Yitzchok a Canaanite <BR>woman to be his
wife that Yitzchok would have accepted such a <BR>Shidduch?
....</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>If this reasoning is correct, then I do not understand why Avraham
<BR>made Eliezer take this vow. Why not make Eliezer take a vow that he
<BR>would take a wife for Yitzchok from Avraham's family?<BR><BR>I have no
answer.<BR><BR>YL</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>Rashi says that if Eliezer couldn't bring back a wife for Yitzchak from
Avraham's family, then he was to find a wife for Yitzchak from the daughters of
Aner, Eshkol or Mamre. They were not of Canaanite stock. I'm not
sure but I think they were Shemites.</DIV>
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<DIV>Rashi also says that Eliezer himself couldn't be a mechutan to Avraham
because he /was/ of Canaanite stock, hence "cursed," and blessed cannot marry
cursed.</DIV>
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<DIV>Sometimes I wonder if Eliezer's daughter, who must have known Yitzchak well
(after all, her father was in charge of all of Avraham's holdings), was in love
with Yitzchak and was left with sad disappointment when Avraham rejected the
match outright.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><BR></FONT><B><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby
Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV>
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