Genesis 24:55

But as they were talking in the evening, Bethuel had eaten of that prepared food; and in the morning they found that he was dead. And the brother and mother said therefore, Let the damsel dwell with us the days of one year or ten months, and then she shall go.

Her brother and mother said. Since they were the ones who received the gifts, they were the ones who spoke up. Alternatively, Lavan spoke in his father’s stead because he was the cleverer of the two.

ימים או עשור, so that she has a chance to get used to the idea of moving to a foreign country where she will not have the support of her family. Sudden changes are less likely to be something one can adjust to successfully.

ויאמר אחיה ואמה , when there are both major and minor characters in a story, the Torah attributes what is happening primarily to the major character. Although Rivkah’s mother was senior to Lavan, he, in his capacity as the manager of this household was mentioned first. We find something similar in Numbers 12,1 where Miriam, who was junior to Aaron is mentioned first since she did the talking and Aaron only listened. This is also why Esther is mentioned first in Esther 9,29, although the position as prime minister occupied by Mordechai was senior to that of the queen. The initiative of what is reported in the verse was Esther’s, hence her name is mentioned first.

ימים או עשור. a year or at least 10 months. The word ימים meaning “a year” also occurs in Leviticus 25,29. Our sages arrived at the conclusion that this verse is the source for giving a bride a period of 12 months during which she may provide for herself economically before moving in with her husband.

ועשור, a general, as opposed to a specific adjective, including any number. This does not apply to such verses where the number is an ordinal number such as בעשור לחודש “on the tenth of the month” in Leviticus 23,27 and other places in the Torah. In those verses the word עשור is an adjective describing the tenth day of the month.

ויאמר אחיה ואמה, “Her brother and mother said;” Rashi, noticing that Betuel, Rivkah’s father is not quoted as making a response to Eliezer, says that he actually wanted to prevent the marriage so that an angel was dispatched by G–d to kill him in order to prevent him from carrying out his objection. He says so although the Torah had quoted both Lavan and Betuel as agreeing to the match being made in heaven in verses 50-51. An alternate interpretation explaining Betuel’s “silence.” He had meant to poison Eliezer so as to prevent the marriage. An angel switched plates while Eliezer was speaking and when Betuel started eating he died from his own poison.