The Power Of An Oath

Why did Avrohom need to make Eliezer take an oath to take a proper wife for Yitzchak if he was a faithful servant?  The answer is that an oath is not just away to guarantee the faithfulness of the person but gives the person the power to fulfill his mission.   The shevua is what brings to the front the hidden power of the neshamah and its connection to Hashem.  The language of shevua -oath is related to the word savah-satiated because it fills the person with the power to complete his mission.   That is why Avrohom made Eliezer take a shevua; he was giving  him the power to overcome all obstacles that might stand before him.  Avrohom sensed the internal struggle that Eliezer had to go find a wife for Yitzchak and pass over his own daughter.  Therefore, Avrohom gave him the strength to overcome his personal interest in the mission being unsuccessful. See the Or Hachaim that when Avrohom made him swear he wouldn’t take a wife from Canaan the intent was at Eliezer.  That is why the neshamah is given an oath before it comes into the world to be a tzaddik and not a rasha (Niddah 30b) so that it has the power to overcome all the challenges of this world.(Based upon Likutay Sichos volume 1.)

The Midrash says that Eliezer for being a faithful servant left the category of the cursed Canaan and became blessed.  The Sfas Emes says that this is a lesson for every person.  We are servants of Hashem and if we fulfill our mission we become in the category of the blessed.  The Sfas Emes says that this happens specifically on Shabbos.  The midrash says that the face of Eliezer mirrored that of Avrohom.  The bracha of Avrohom became recognizable on Eliezer’s face.  So too on Shabbos our faces change as the bracha shines through. (Sifsai Tzaddik.)  By overcoming the challenges hurled our way through the power of the shevua administered to us we can awaken the hidden connection that we have to Hashem and become barach.