Removing hidden bias as Hashem's messenger

אא"ז מו"ר ז"ל הגיד בשם הרב הק' מקאצק על אלי כתיב.

My grandfather, my teacher, of blessed memory, said in the name of the holy Rav of Kotzk regarding "to me" (elai) it is written.

The Sefas Emes cites a teaching he received from his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim) in the name of the Kotzker Rebbe, on a grammatical nuance in Eliezer's account: where one would expect "to him," the verse uses "to me" (with a particular spelling).

כי כשהי' נוגע לא הרגיש נגיעתו כו'.

That when there was a personal bias (negiah), he did not feel his bias, etc.

The Kotzker's insight: the danger of a personal interest (negiah) is precisely that the one who has it does not even notice it. Eliezer, who wished his own daughter could marry Yitzchak, had a bias he could not sense.

ונראה שהחזירה תורה כל הפרשה שעל זה אמרז"ל יפה שיחתן כו'

And it appears that the Torah repeated the entire passage, concerning which Chazal said, "the conversation of the servants of the Patriarchs is more pleasing (than the Torah of the children)," etc.

The Torah retells Eliezer's whole story a second time. Chazal's praise of "the conversation of the servants" hints that this repetition itself carries a profound lesson worth more than many laws.

שגם הוא ירא שמא יש לו איזה נגיעה ואולי יקלקל השליחות ע"י.

For he too feared lest he had some bias, and that perhaps he might ruin the shlichus (mission) through it.

Eliezer himself was afraid he harbored some hidden self-interest that could spoil his mission to find a wife for Yitzchak. His repeated retelling reflects this anxious self-scrutiny.

כי ידע נאמנה כי רצון אאע"ה ימלא השי"ת.

For he knew faithfully that Hashem would fulfill the will of Avraham Avinu.

Eliezer had complete trust that, for Avraham's sake, Hashem would surely bring the mission to success.

רק ירא שלא יגרום קלקול בשליחותו.

He only feared that he himself might cause a flaw in his mission.

His sole worry was not whether Hashem would help, but whether his own hidden bias would interfere and mar the shlichus.

וז"ש מצליח דרכי כו' והחזיר לעצמו כל הענין והרגיש בנגיעתו.

And this is the meaning of "He has made my way successful," etc. — he reviewed the whole matter to himself and (thereby) became aware of his bias.

By replaying the entire episode to himself — "He has made my way successful" — Eliezer engaged in honest self-examination until he finally detected his own concealed negiah.

וכשנסתלק נגיעתו זכה להשלים השליחות כראוי.

And once his bias was removed, he merited to complete the mission properly.

Only after recognizing and clearing away that bias was Eliezer able to fulfill his mission as it should be done.

וגם ע"י שידע כי כל ההצלחה היה בזכות אאע"ה אף שגם הוא הי' צדיק.

And also through his knowing that all the success was in the merit of Avraham Avinu, even though he himself was also a tzaddik.

Eliezer's humility was key: though a righteous man in his own right, he attributed the entire success to Avraham's merit rather than his own.

וכן כל אדם צריך לידע כי הוא שליח השי"ת בעוה"ז.

And so every person must know that he is a shaliach (messenger) of Hashem in this world.

The lesson for all: each person should recognize that he is Hashem's emissary in this world, sent to carry out a mission.

וכפי שיודע זאת וכל מעשיו על כונה זו.

And to the degree that he knows this, and all his deeds are with this intention.

The more deeply one internalizes that he is Hashem's shaliach, directing all his actions toward that purpose.

וגם יודע שכל מה שיזכה לעשות ג"כ ע"י שרצונו ית' שיהיה נעשה רצונו.

And also knows that whatever he merits to accomplish is likewise because it is His will that His will be done.

One must further recognize that any success in fulfilling Hashem's will comes only because Hashem Himself wills that His will be carried out — even the ability to serve is a gift from Him.

אז חפץ ה' בידו יצליח:

Then "the desire of Hashem will prosper in his hand" (Yeshayahu 53:10).

When a person serves with this awareness — as Hashem's shaliach, free of personal bias, crediting all success to Hashem — then Hashem's desire succeeds through him.

Summary: Citing the Kotzker, the Sefas Emes explains that the danger of a personal bias (negiah) is that one does not feel it. Eliezer feared a hidden bias might spoil his mission, so he reviewed the whole episode to himself until he detected and removed it — and crediting all success to Avraham's merit, he completed his shlichus. Every person must likewise know he is Hashem's messenger in this world; when all his deeds carry that intention and he recognizes that even his ability to serve comes from Hashem's will, then "the desire of Hashem prospers in his hand."