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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2015 19:40:17 -0500<BR>From: Sholom Simon via
Avodah <avodah@lists.aishdas.org><BR><BR>Much ado is made of the world
"Ulai" that the servant {Eliezer] used <BR>(at 24:5) when he said "perhaps the
woman" will not want to come back <BR>-- as though he wished that possibility
would happen. As opposed to <BR>if he had used the word "pen".<BR><BR>But
in Toldos (29:12) [ed note: that should be 27:12] Yaakov says the same thing:
"Ulai" my father <BR>will discover me. I looked at a Mikraos Gedolos and
didn't really <BR>see anything on that word (not that I'm very fluent).
Surely <BR>somebody must talk about the similarity in language, no?<BR><BR>(My
own thought is that perhaps Yaakov (Mr. Emes) was so <BR>uncomfortable that he
had subconscious thoughts that we wanted to get caught).<BR><BR>Thoughts
anyone?<BR><BR>-- Sholom</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV>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.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT><BR><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>--Toby
Katz<BR>t613k@aol.com</STRONG></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#ffffff size=2
face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>..</STRONG></FONT><FONT
lang=0 color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><STRONG>=============</STRONG><BR><BR><BR>-------------------------------------------------------------------
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