[Avodah] basic parsha question from Toldos -- Ulai

[via Avodah]

Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2015 19:40:17 -0500
From: Sholom Simon via  Avodah <avodah at lists.aishdas.org>

Much ado is made of the world  "Ulai" that the servant {Eliezer] used 
(at 24:5) when he said "perhaps the  woman" will not want to come back 
-- as though he wished that possibility  would happen.  As opposed to 
if he had used the word "pen".

But  in Toldos (29:12) [ed note: that should be 27:12] Yaakov says the same 
thing:  "Ulai" my father 
will discover me.  I looked at a Mikraos Gedolos and  didn't really 
see anything on that word (not that I'm very fluent).   Surely 
somebody must talk about the similarity in language, no?

(My  own thought is that perhaps Yaakov (Mr. Emes) was so 
uncomfortable that he  had subconscious thoughts that we wanted to get 
caught).

Thoughts  anyone?

-- Sholom

 
 
>>>>
 
The answer to your question is in Rashi on Toldos 24:39 where Eliezer is  
telling Besuel and Lavan the whole story and quotes himself as having said,  
"Ulai lo selech ha'isha acharai."  The word "ulai" here is written without  
the vov and can therefore be read "eilai" -- "to me."  Maybe if the woman  
doesn't want to come with me (he said to Avraham) or you guys don't want to 
send  her with me (he said unconsciously, hopefully, to Besuel and Lavan), 
then  Avraham will be forced to turn to me -- eilai -- and take my daughter 
for his  son.
 
In contrast, when Yakov says "ulai yemusheini avi" -- "Perhaps my father  
will feel me" -- the word ulai is spelled the normal way, with the  vov. And 
therefore there is no drasha to be made on the word.
 
PS After writing the above, I saw that RGD quoted someone who did make a  
drasha on that word.  It was similar to RSS's speculation that Yakov had an  
unconscious desire to get caught.  It sounds far-fetched to me but if  true, 
is yet another answer to RET's question (dated Nov 13 with the subject  
line "truth") about Yakov's being called "the epitome of truth -- titen emes  
le'Yakov" -- and yet seemingly having trouble in precisely that area.  IOW  
he really, really, really did not want to deceive his father even for a short 
 time!  His mother forced his hand in service of the greater truth -- viz,  
that he rightfully deserved the bracha, as Yitzchak came to acknowledge.
 
 

--Toby  Katz
t613k at aol.com
..
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