Why Did Hashem Make Rebecca Work Harder to Do a Mitzvah?

In this week's Torah portion, Parashat Chayei Sarah, we read about Rebecca (Rivka) and her extraordinary kindness toward Eliezer, Abraham's servant.

The Torah tells us:

"She quickly emptied her jug into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels." (Genesis 24:20)

At first glance, this seems like a straightforward description of Rebecca's generosity. She sees a traveler in need, offers him water, and then goes even further by drawing water for his camels.

But a closer look at the verses reveals something unusual.

When Rebecca first approaches the well, the Torah states:

"She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up." (Genesis 24:16)

Notice that the verse does not say she drew the water. It simply says that she filled her jug.

Later, however, when she provides water for Eliezer's camels, the Torah specifically tells us that "she drew for all his camels."

Why does the Torah describe these two seemingly identical actions differently?

And what can this small detail teach us about the true value of performing a mitzvah?

Why Did the Water Rise Toward Rebecca?

Rashi, commenting on Genesis 24:17, explains that Eliezer ran toward Rebecca because he witnessed something extraordinary: the water in the well miraculously rose to meet her.

This explains why the Torah does not initially describe Rebecca drawing water. She did not need to lower her jug into the well and pull it back up. The water rose toward her on its own.

But this raises an even greater question.

If Rebecca was worthy of such a miracle, why did it happen only when she was collecting water for herself?

Surely providing water for a stranger and his animals was an even greater act of kindness.

Why, then, did she have to work so hard the second time?

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, in his work Kedushat Levi, raises this very question.

He explains that the Ramban (Nachmanides) draws attention to the difference in wording between the verses. When Rebecca first fills her jug, there is no mention of drawing water, suggesting that it rose toward her miraculously. But when she waters the camels, the Torah explicitly describes her drawing the water herself.

The Kedushat Levi offers a beautiful explanation that reveals an important principle about mitzvot and the spiritual value of effort.

The True Value of a Mitzvah Lies in Our Intention

The Kedushat Levi begins with a fundamental idea: the intention behind an action gives it spiritual significance.

When we perform a mitzvah, we are not simply completing a physical task. We are consciously choosing to fulfill Hashem's will.

As he explains:

"The essence of a mitzvah is the thought that by doing it one is fulfilling the will of the Creator."

This distinction helps explain the two experiences Rebecca had at the well.

The first time, Rebecca was collecting water for her own personal needs.

There was nothing wrong with this, of course, but drawing water was simply a practical necessity. The purpose was to obtain the water, and the physical effort involved was merely a means to that end.

Because of Rebecca's righteousness, Hashem spared her the unnecessary labor by allowing the water to rise toward her.

But the second time was entirely different.

When Rebecca offered to water Eliezer's camels, she was performing an act of chesed, loving-kindness.

She was not acting for her own benefit. She was going out of her way to help someone else, fulfilling Hashem's will through her generosity.

And because her actions were now part of a mitzvah, every moment of effort carried spiritual value.

Why Hashem Didn't Make the Mitzvah Easier

We often assume that if Hashem wants us to perform a mitzvah, He should make it as easy as possible.

Wouldn't it have been wonderful if the water had risen toward Rebecca again, allowing her to fill the troughs without any effort?

But according to the Kedushat Levi, that would have taken away something precious.

When Rebecca was collecting water for herself, the effort was simply a practical step toward achieving her goal. There was no special spiritual benefit in making her work harder.

When she was helping Eliezer, however, the effort itself became part of the mitzvah.

Every time she lowered her jug, lifted the water, and carried it to the camels, she was performing another act of kindness.

Her physical labor was no longer merely a means to an end. It had become an expression of her devotion to Hashem.

As the Kedushat Levi explains:

"The first time, when her intent was to draw the water for her own needs, the water rose toward her so that she would not trouble herself."

But when her intention was to perform an act of kindness by watering Eliezer's camels, the water did not rise toward her.

Why?

"Because when a person performs a mitzvah, the act itself counts for more."

In other words, the absence of a miracle was not a punishment or a sign that Rebecca was less deserving of divine assistance.

Quite the opposite.

Hashem allowed her to experience the full spiritual value of the kindness she was performing.

Every Effort We Make for a Mitzvah Matters

This teaching offers a powerful lesson for our everyday lives.

Sometimes, doing the right thing requires considerable effort.

We may need to give up our time to help someone, go out of our way to perform a mitzvah, or overcome tiredness and inconvenience to fulfill a responsibility.

At those moments, we might wish things were easier.

But the Kedushat Levi teaches us that the effort itself can be spiritually meaningful.

When our actions are motivated by a sincere desire to fulfill Hashem's will, even the smallest steps along the way become part of the mitzvah.

Consider someone who spends hours preparing a meal for a family in need, travels a long distance to visit someone who is lonely, or makes an extra effort to help a stranger.

The value of these actions does not lie only in the final result.

The time, care, and energy invested in helping another person are also expressions of kindness.

Of course, this does not mean we should deliberately make mitzvot more difficult than necessary. Rather, when genuine effort is required, we can recognize that it has value instead of seeing it merely as an obstacle.

Rebecca's experience at the well reminds us that sometimes the greatest blessing is not having our work done for us, but being given the opportunity to do something meaningful ourselves.

When the water rose toward Rebecca, she received a miracle.

But when she had to draw the water herself, she received something equally precious: the opportunity to turn every moment of her effort into a mitzvah.

And that is a lesson we can carry into every act of kindness we perform.