The second pasuk of our sedra tells us that ‘Yitzchak was 40 years when he married Rivkah…’ Why, asks the Netziv, is it important for us to know how old Yitzchak was when he got married? The Netziv answers that this is to praise Yitzchak. For Yitzchak did not just marry any girl when he realised he was getting old; he made sure he found the right one. Thus, when he realised that there were no appropriate girls in his area, Eliezer was sent to find a wife for Yitzchak from further a field. Indeed, the Netziv continues that this is why Yaakov did not marry until he was 80 years old – for he simply had not found the right girl for him. The message is to make sure one does not settle for any old partner just because one feels that they will find no-one else. A marriage is about caring for each other and facilitating each other’s maximisation of their potentials. If there’s no-one appropriate then do not sell yourself short. Indeed, the concept behind this stretches further than marriage; when you do something, make sure you do it properly!
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