Kli Yakar interprets Abraham's confidence that God would send an angel before the servant as assurance of providential assistance in finding Isaac's wife. The source lends a positive omen-like reading to the overseas search.
לָא תִקַּח אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי מִבְּנוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּוֹ. וְכִי עֲדַיִן לֹא יָדַעְנוּ שֶׁהוּא יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּוֹ, אֶלָּא שֶׁבָּא לְתָרֵץ בְּזֶה קֻשְׁיָא, וְזֶה כִּי מִסְתָּמָא צִוָּה שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַתֵּן בִּבְנוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי פֶּן יִלְמוֹד מִמַּעֲשֵׂיהֶם, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (דברים ז ג) ״וְלֹא תִתְחַתֵּן בָּם״ וְגוֹ׳ ״כִּי יָסִיר אֶת בִּנְךָ מֵאַחֲרַי״ וְגוֹ׳. וְאִם כֵּן, מַה יַּרְוִיחַ אִם יִשָּׂא אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת לָבָן וּבְתוּאֵל, כִּי גַם הֵמָּה עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה כְּמוֹ הַכְּנַעֲנִי? עַל כֵּן אָמַר ״אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּוֹ״, וְאָמַר ״פֶּן תָּשִׁיב אֶת בְּנִי שָׁמָּה״, כִּי אָמַר: פְּשִׁיטָא, אִם יִשָּׂא בְּנִי אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּוֹ, מִסְתָּמָא גַּם בְּנִי יָגוּר אֶצְלָם, וְאָז יֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ שֶׁמָּא יִלְמוֹד מִמַּעֲשֵׂיהֶם. וְאִם יִשָּׂא מִבְּנוֹת לָבָן וּבְתוּאֵל וְיָדוּר אֶצְלָם, אָז יֵשׁ גַּם כֵּן לָחוּשׁ שֶׁמָּא יִלְמוֹד מִמַּעֲשֵׂיהֶם. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיִּשָּׂא אִשָּׁה מִשָּׁם וְיָדוּר כָּאן, אָז מִמַּה נַפְשָׁךְ אֵין כָּאן בֵּית מֵחוּשׁ, כִּי מִלָּבָן וּבְתוּאֵל לֹא יִלְמוֹד, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא יָדוּר אֶצְלָם, וּמִן הַכְּנַעֲנִי לֹא יִלְמוֹד, כִּי לֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ הִתְעָרְבוּת עִמָּהֶם, וְאַדְּרַבָּה יִשְׂטְמוּ אוֹתוֹ עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא רָצָה לְהִתְחַתֵּן בָּם. אָמְנָם יֵשׁ חֲשָׁשָׁא אַחֶרֶת, וְהוּא שֶׁטֶּבַע הָאָבוֹת נִמְשָׁךְ גַּם לַבָּנִים, וְזֶה דַּוְקָא בְּאוֹתָן עֲבֵרוֹת הַבָּאִים מִפְּאַת הַחוֹמֶר, כַּאֲכִילָה וְזִמָּה וְכִילוּת וְקִנְאָה וְכָל הַמִּדּוֹת הָרָעוֹת הַנִּתְלִין בַּחוֹמֶר, נְגָעִים אֵלּוּ מִתְפַּשְּׁטִים מֵהָאָבוֹת לַבָּנִים, וְתוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶן כַּיּוֹצֵא בָהֶם. אֲבָל הָעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דָּבָר הַתָּלוּי בְּשִׂכְלוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, אֵינוֹ מִתְפַּשֵּׁט מֵאָבוֹת לַבָּנִים, כִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה שֻׁתָּפִין בָּאָדָם: הַחוֹמֶר בָּא מִן אָב וָאֵם, לְפִיכָךְ כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה אָבוֹת הַתְּלוּיִין בַּחוֹמֶר יִירְשׁוּ בָּנִים. אֲבָל הָאֱמוּנָה הִיא תְּלוּיָה בְּשִׂכְלוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, וַהֲרֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹתֵן בּוֹ נְשָׁמָה וְשֵׂכֶל, לָמָּה יִתְפַּשֵּׁט זֶה מֵאָבוֹת לַבָּנִים? עַל כֵּן הָיָה מַרְחִיק הַכְּנַעֲנִים שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁטוּפֵי זִמָּה וְכַמָּה מִינֵי עֲבֵרוֹת הַנִּתְלִים בְּחוֹמֶר הָאָדָם זוּלַת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְלֹא הִרְחִיק לָבָן וּבְתוּאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בָּהֶם כִּי אִם פְּחִיתוּת הָעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לְבַד. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לְכָךְ אָמַר ״אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּוֹ״, רְצוֹנוֹ לוֹמַר בְּתַבְנָא דְלִבָּא אֲנִי יְתִיב, וַאֲנִי כָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיהֶם לְפָנַי בָּאָה, כִּי אוּלַי לְמַרְאֵה עֵינַיִם תִּשְׁפּוֹט, כִּי יֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם צְבוּעִים הָעוֹשִׂים מַעֲשֵׂה זִמְרִי וּמְבַקְשִׁים שָׂכָר כְּפִנְחָס, וְתַחְשׁוֹב כִּי כְּשֵׁרִים הֵמָּה וּרְאוּיִים לְהִתְחַתֵּן בָּם. עַל כֵּן אָמַר כִּי מִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ שֶׁעָלַי, שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם עוֹשֶׂה טוֹב גַּם אֶחָד, כִּי אָנֹכִי דּוֹמֶה כְּאִלּוּ אֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקֶרֶב לִבָּם וְיוֹדֵעַ תּוֹכָם כְּבָרָם. וְעַל כֵּן שִׁנָּה אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְאָמַר ״אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּאַרְצוֹ״, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ לָבָן וּבְתוּאֵל: ״אִם כֵּן הוּא שֶׁנָּבִיא הוּא וּבוֹחֵן לְבָבוֹת, וַאֲנַחְנוּ רַמָּאִים, אֲבָל לֹא יוֹעִיל לָנוּ רַמָּאוּת שֶׁלָּנוּ, כִּי הוּא יוֹדֵעַ כָּל מַה שֶּׁבְּלִבֵּנוּ״, וְאוּלַי מֵחֲמַת זֶה יִמָּנְעוּ מִלְּהִתְחַתֵּן בּוֹ. עַל כֵּן שִׁנָּה וְאָמַר שֶׁאַבְרָהָם אָמַר ״אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּאַרְצוֹ״. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, שֶׁאָמַר ״אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּקִרְבּוֹ״ לְמַעֵט גַּם בְּנוֹת עָנֵר אֶשְׁכּוֹל וּמַמְרֵא אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבָּם הוּא יוֹשֵׁב, כִּי סוֹף סוֹף הֵם מִזֶּרַע אָרוּר. וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר חָשַׁב שֶׁאִם אוֹמֵר כֵּן תָּזוּחַ דַּעְתָּם, כִּי יֹאמְרוּ ״מֻכְרָח הוּא לְהִתְחַתֵּן בָּנוּ, כִּי אֵין לוֹ דֶּרֶךְ לִנְטוֹת יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל״, וְיַכְרִיחוּהוּ לָבֹא אֶצְלָם. עַל כֵּן אָמַר ״אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּאַרְצוֹ״, דְּהַיְנוּ סְתָם כְּנַעֲנִים, אֲבָל אוֹתָן אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבָּם הוּא יוֹשֵׁב מֻתָּר לוֹ לְהִתְחַתֵּן בָּם, עַל יְדֵי כָךְ לֹא תָּזוּחַ דַּעְתָּם עֲלֵיהֶם. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״וְאֶפְנֶה עַל יָמִין אוֹ עַל שְׂמֹאל״ (בראשית כד:מט), לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל לְפָנָיו. אֲבָל הָאֱמֶת שֶׁלֹּא הִתִּיר לוֹ מִבְּנוֹת עָנֵר אֶשְׁכּוֹל וּמַמְרֵא, וְכֵן פֵּרֵשׁ הָרַמְבַּ״ן.
“Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell.” Did we not already know that he was dwelling among them? Rather, this comes to resolve a difficulty: Presumably, he commanded not to intermarry with the Canaanite daughters lest he learn from their ways, as it is stated in the Torah You shall not intermarry with them… for they will turn your son away from following Me (Deuteronomy 7:3). If so, what would be gained by taking a wife from the daughters of Laban and Bethuel, since they too were idol worshippers like the Canaanites? Therefore, he emphasized among whom I dwell and said lest you return my son there. For he reasoned: Obviously, if my son marries a Canaanite woman, since I dwell among them, presumably my son will also live near them, and then there is concern that he might learn from their ways. And if he marries from the daughters of Laban and Bethuel and lives near them, there is also concern that he might learn from their ways. However, if he takes a wife from there but lives here, then from either perspective there is no concern: He won’t learn from Laban and Bethuel since he won’t live near them, and he won’t learn from the Canaanites because he won’t have interactions with them. On the contrary, they will hate him because he refused to intermarry with them. However, there is another concern, which is that the nature of the parents is passed on to the children. This applies specifically to those sins that come from the physical aspect of human nature, such as gluttony, sexual impropriety, stinginess, jealousy, and all negative character traits that are connected to the physical being. These flaws spread from parents to children, and their offspring are similar to them. But idol worship, which depends on a person’s intellect, does not spread from parents to children. For there are three partners in the creation of a person: The physical body comes from the father and mother, therefore all parental actions connected to the physical are inherited by children. But faith depends on a person’s intellect, and since the Holy One, Blessed be He, gives the soul and intellect, why should this spread from parents to children? Therefore, he distanced himself from the Canaanites who were steeped in sexual impropriety and many types of sins connected to the physical nature of humans apart from idol worship, but did not distance himself from Laban and Bethuel who only had the deficiency of idol worship alone. Another explanation: This is why he said among whom I dwell — meaning, I dwell in the inner chambers of their hearts, and I [can see] all their deeds and thoughts before Me. For perhaps you might judge by what your eyes see, as there are among them hypocrites who act like Zimri but seek the reward like Pinchas, and you might think they are proper and worthy to marry into. Therefore, he said that through my prophetic vision with the holy spirit that is upon Me, I see that there is not even one among them who does good. For I am as if I dwell within their hearts and know their inner nature as well as their outer appearance. This is why Eliezer changed [the wording] and said in whose land I dwell, so that Laban and Bethuel would not say, “If so, he is a prophet who examines hearts, and we are deceivers — but our deception will not benefit us because He knows everything in our hearts.” Perhaps because of this they would refuse to arrange the marriage. Therefore, he changed [the wording] and said that Abraham had said in whose land I dwell. And there are those who say that when he said among whom I dwell, it was to exclude even the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre, among whom he was dwelling, because ultimately they are from cursed seed. However, Eliezer thought that if he would say this explicitly, they would become arrogant and say, “He has no choice but to arrange a marriage with us, as he has no way to turn right or left,” and they would force him to come to them. Therefore, he [Eliezer] said among whom I dwell in his land referring to the Canaanites in general, but implying that those among whom he dwells [Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre] would be permitted for marriage. Through this, their minds would not become haughty. This is why he said and I will turn to the right or to the left, indicating that there were options of right and left before him. But the truth was that he did not permit marriage with the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre, and so explains the Ramban.