Ben Bag Bag dit: Retournez-la [Torah] encore et encore, car [vous y trouverez] tout. Et à travers cela, vous verrez. Et vieillissez-y, et ne bougez pas, car il n'y a pas de meilleur middah que lui. [Ne dites pas: j'ai appris la sagesse d'Israël; Je vais maintenant aller apprendre la sagesse des Grecs. Car il n'est permis de faire ce dernier que là où il n'est pas permis de méditer en paroles de Torah, comme dans les bains ou les toilettes. Lorsqu'ils ont demandé à R. Yehoshua s'il était permis d'enseigner la sagesse grecque à son fils, il a répondu qu'il était permis de le faire quand il n'était ni jour ni nuit, il est écrit (Josué 1: 8): "Et vous méditerez en jour et nuit. "]
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
We have learned in Tractate Avot 5,22, that the disciples of the Patriarch Abraham are distinguished by possesssing a generous eye, a self-deprecating manner and a humble spirit, whereas a person of the opposite characteristics is sure to be a disciple of Bileam. The behavioral traits described in the tractate quoted reveal the character traits of envy, greed and egotism which are at the core of causing man's self-destruction.
Behold, a man is obligated to guard all of the mitzvot in all of their fine details, doing so before any person, whoever it may be, and not be afraid or ashamed before him. Likewise, it is written: "I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed" (Tehilim 119:46). And we also learned "be brazen as a leopard..." (Avot 5:2).
When Eliezer examined who would be a suitable match for Isaac, he tested Rebeccah for precisely these traits. He did not have to examine Rebeccah concerning jealousy, seeing that Isaac had already been consecrated and could therefore never marry a slave girl, as distinct from Abraham. Rebeccah would therefore never have cause for that kind of jealousy. This is why he only examined whether Rebeccah was generous of heart and whether she was humble and modest. The signs that he determined this by are listed in 24,14. Rebeccah demonstrated generosity of spirit when she not only gave water to Eliezer and his men but also to his camels, and when she immediately volunteered lodging once she had been asked whether there was room in her house. When she responded to the question in 24,23: "is there room in your father's house ללין (to spend one night)," she offered lodging for more than one night, i.e. ללון. Rebeccah demonstrated her modesty when she addressed Eliezer as "my lord," and hastened to comply with his request for personal service. As soon as Eliezer noted this, he said "this girl is suitable for the house of an Abraham," and he viewed her like a lily amongst thorns; Laban was her exact opposite, just as Bileam was the exact opposite of Abraham. All of Laban's fawning on Eliezer was only so as to receive a generous monetary reward.