Chayei Sarah
The passuk states, “and I (Eliezer) said to my master, אלי [קרי אולי] לא תלך האשה אחרי.” Rashi points out that it is written as אלי – to me, without a vov (ו”ו) to hint that Eliezer had a daughter and he personally wanted Yitzchak to marry her. The Gra from Vilna asks: how did Rashi know that Eliezer had personal interests? Maybe he simply wanted to know what to do in case the girl would not want to come with him?
The Gra writes that there are two ways of saying something by way of a doubt. One way is “פן” and another way is “אולי.” The word פן is used when one does not want that possibility to come about into fruition; “hopefully not.” This is as it states, “פן יהיה דבר עם לבבך בליעל” and “פן יפתה לבבכם.” The outcome of listening to one’s heart is not wanted. Whereas the word “אולי” is used when the outcome is indeed wanted, as it states, “אולי יש חמישים צדיקים,” hinting at hopefully there are, as הלואי. When Eliezer spoke, he stated אולי, to express that hopefully, the girl will not want to come. This was because Eliezer himself had a daughter and he wanted this shidduch.
The Torah uses the word אולי twice; the first time is with a vov and the second time is without. When Eliezer was speaking to Avraham it states, אולי with a vov; afterwards when Eliezer repeats the story to Besu’el, the passuk leaves out the vov (אלי). Since Eliezer wanted the shidduch from the beginning, why doesn’t the passuk leave out the vov the first time it is mentioned?
The Rebbe from Slonim answered that in truth, Eliezer wanted his daughter to marry Yitzchak from the beginning. Therefore, he asked, “Maybe she won’t want to come;” hoping no one would come and then his daughter would marry Yitzchak. However, he did not realize that he raised this question because of his own personal interest until later on. After looking back, Eliezer realized that אלי – his own self-interest was mixed-in the matter. The Torah teaches us that he was blinded by his own desire and wasn’t ready to let his daughter miss this opportunity.
May Hashem help us think honestly to successfully fulfill the will of Hashem without getting lost with our own personal interests.
