<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 12/3/08, <b class="gmail_sendername">Ira Tick</b> <<a href="mailto:itick1986@gmail.com">itick1986@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">I actually wondered recently how Eliezer did not violate the rule that a man must see his intended before kiddushin can be made. I am of course assuming, and could be very wrong, that when Eliezer gave her the rings, he was acting as a shliach for Yitzchak to affect kiddushin on his behalf.</blockquote>
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<div>I would like to see discussion somewhere on whether giving those rings was kiddushin.</div>
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<div>But even if they were, and Eliezer did indeed violate the rule, so what? Is Eliezer bound by a rule in the Gemara which is either advice or at most a d'rabbanan? Yes, it's important advice based on Chazal's knowledge of human nature, but is it absolute? No.</div>
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<div>This reminds me of a conversation I had with someone a while back about what it was that Eliezer did when Avraham told him "Sim na yad'cha tachas yereichi." According to many meforshim, Avraham told him to hold the milah as a chetfza shel mitzvah, similar to how in Halacha, litigants are told to hold a sefer Torah or tefillin while making a shevuah. "Ah," he asked, "but we know that it's assur to touch one's eiver, how could Eliezer have done that?"</div>
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<div>His mistake was taking a d'rabbanan harchaka that he knew l'maaseh, and assuming it was universally true. I wonder if you're making the same mistake.</div>
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<div>KT,</div>
<div>Michael</div></div>