EXTRA · classical (not a TT unit)

Chayei Sarah 24:39 · EXTRA

Parashas Chayei Sarah · Passuk 24:39

The Complete Passuk

וָאֹמַ֖ר אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֑י אֻלַ֛י לֹא־תֵלֵ֥ךְ הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אַחֲרָֽי׃

And I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not follow me?’

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Rashi on Bereishis 24:39 (classical source on this passuk; not listed as a numbered Torah Temimah unit here).

Lemma / focus: אלי לא תלך האשה.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אלי לא תלך האשה. אלי כְּתִיב, בַּת הָיְתָה לוֹ לֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר, וְהָיָה מְחַזֵּר לִמְצֹא עִלָּה שֶׁיֹּאמַר לוֹ אַבְרָהָם לִפְנוֹת אֵלָיו לְהַשִּׂיאוֹ בִּתּוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ אַבְרָהָם בְּנִי בָרוּךְ וְאַתָּה אָרוּר וְאֵין אָרוּר מִדַּבֵּק בְּבָרוּךְ:

English: It is written “elai” [unto me]; Eliezer had a daughter, and he was looking for a pretext that Avraham would turn to him to marry her to Yitzchak.

On the daf / in context: The defective spelling allows reading “ulai” as “elai”: Eliezer had hoped the mission might fail so that his own daughter might be considered.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Rashi / midrashic spelling) — not a formal named middah of the 13: the missing letter is taken as a hint of Eliezer’s private hope.

What Is Learned

The word “ulai” is written so that it can be read “elai”; Eliezer had a daughter and hoped the mission might turn toward him.