Why Charan

The question was asked as to why Avraham Avinu sent Eliezer to his family in חרן, who were idol worshippers, instead of marrying off Yitzchak to one of the idol worshippers in Canaan.

Rabbi Twerski explains that there was a difference between Avraham’s family and the Canaanites. The attachment to idol worship with his family, was only on an intellectual level. They were influenced by the people of their time, but did it mainly because everyone else was doing it.

In the case of the Canaanites, their idol worship was an expression of their ingrained evil. It was as if decadence was in their genes. Uprooting such evil is extremely difficult.

However, when one’s attachment to a movement is only intellectual, it is much easier to bring about change.

This was the reason Avraham went to the trouble of sending Eliezer on his mission. And it certainly paid off. Because Rivka was already a gem and very special despite her surroundings.