זוהר, וירא ח׳Zohar, Vayera 8

Segment 1א׳

וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתְּךָ. מַאי טַעְמָא לָא כְּתִיב וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְךָ, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּלָא יַחֲשֹׁב דְּהָא מִן הָגָר אִיהוּ כִּדְבְקַדְמִיתָא. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (מלאכי א׳:ו׳) בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב וְעֶבֶד אֲדוֹנָיו. בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב דָּא יִצְחָק לְאַבְרָהָם.

AND, LO, SARAH THY WIFE SHALL HAVE A SON. Why not “and thou shalt have a son”? In order that Abraham should not think that possibly he should be from Hagar, like the previous one. R. Simeon here discoursed on the text: A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master (Mal. 1, 6). He said: ‘A conspicuous example of a son honouring his father is presented by Isaac at the time when Abraham bound him on the altar with the intent of offering him up as a sacrifice.

Segment 2ב׳

אֵימָתַי כַּבִּיד לֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעֲקַד לֵיהּ עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא וּבְעָא לְמִקְרַב לֵיהּ קָרְבָּנָא, וְיִצְחָק בַּר תְּלָתִין וּשְׁבַע שְׁנִין הֲוָה, וְאַבְרָהָם הֲוָה סָבָא, דְּאִילוּ הֲוָה בָּעִיט (ס"א ביה) בְּרַגְלָא חַד לָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקַם קַמֵיהּ, (כל שכן למעבד ליה), וְאִיהוּ אוֹקִיר לֵיהּ לְאֲבוֹי וְעֲקַד לֵיהּ כְּחַד אִימְרָא בְּגִין לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּאֲבוֹי.

He was then thirty-seven years old, whilst his father was an old man; and though he could easily, by a single kick, have liberated himself, he let himself be bound like a lamb in order to do the will of his father.

Segment 3ג׳

(קמו ב) וְעֶבֶד אֲדוֹנָיו דָּא אֱלִיעֶזְרִ לְאַבְרָהָם. כַּד שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לְחָרָן, וְעֲבַד כָּל רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, וְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ד:א׳) וַיְיָ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אֲדוֹנִי וְגו'. וּכְתִיב (בראשית כ״ד:ל״ד) וַיֹּאמֶר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם אָנֹכִי, בְּגִין לְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם.

A servant’s honouring his master is illustrated by Eliezer’s conduct on the occasion when he was sent by Abraham to Haran; he there followed out all the wishes of his master and paid him great respect, as it is written, “And he said, I am Abraham’s servant; and the Lord blessed my master Abraham” (Gen. 24, 34-35).