Parashat Chayei Sara - Ulai לפרשת חיי שרה

Why is the word Ulai spelled with a Vav in Pasuk 5, but later on when Eliezer repeats his story in chpater 24 pasul 39, Ilau is without a Vav?

On pasuk 39 it is spelled without a VAV. Rashi writes according to the Midrash in Bereshith Rabba 59:9

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָעֶבֶד (בראשית כד, ה), הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (הושע יב, ח): כְּנַעַן בְּיָדוֹ מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה לַעֲשֹׁק אָהֵב. כְּנַעַן זֶה אֱלִיעֶזֶר. בְּיָדוֹ מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה, שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וּמַשְׁקִיל אֶת בִּתּוֹ, רְאוּיָה הִיא אוֹ אֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה. לַעֲשֹׁק אָהֵב, לַעֲשֹׁק אֲהוּבוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, זֶה יִצְחָק, אָמַר: אוּלַי לֹא תֹאבֶה, וְאֶתֵּן לוֹ אֶת בִּתִּי. אָמַר לוֹ אַתָּה אָרוּר וּבְנִי בָּרוּךְ וְאֵין אָרוּר מִתְדַּבֵּק בְּבָרוּךְ.

According to this Midrash, Eliezer is K’na’an.  K’naan was the son of Cham, grandson of Lot. We learned that Lot cursed K’naan:

יֹּאמֶר אָרוּר כְּנָעַן עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים יִהְיֶה לְאֶחָיו:

Eliezer (who is also Knaan) told Avarahm that if the girl would not want to come with him, may be Yizhak will get married with his daughter.

Avraham answered him that his son, Izhak, is blessed, and he, Eliezer (Knaan) is cursed (by Lot), and “cursed” and “blessed” cannot be matched together.

So , ULY is spelled in Hebew אלי that can be read (the Torah does not have nekudot, vowels) as ELAI.

But if this is the case, then on Pasuk 5, it should have been spelled without VAV !

Why? 

One reason is, Avraham told him not to take a woman from the nations in Erertz K’naan: Enar, Eshkol and Mamre. So, Eliezer thought to himself that if Avraham does not want to take a woman from those nations, 

then certainly, he does not want him to take from Eliezer’s nation, Knaan; therefore, he did not think to bring up this idea about his daughter.

but, when Avraham said that if the woman will not agree to go with Eliezer, then “Venikita Mishvuati” - “you will be absolved of the oath”.  “Oh” thought Eliezer, "if I will be absolved of that oath, it means that in this case I will be able to take a woman from Eretz K’naan (Enar, Eshkok and Mamre)". It means, it the woman will not agree to walk with me, then i am exempt of the oath, and I can take a woman from the nations of Eretz K’naan. In this case, why not my daughter?  It means that only after the Pasul “Venikita Mishvuati” Eliezer had the idea that there is a chance here, that he will give his dauughter as a wife to Yizhak. So from now, he can say “ELAI"

Another reason of why in the later pasuk he said without VAV (Elai) is because Lavan blessed him “Bo Baruch Adonay”.  “Oh”, thought Eliezer to himself “I am Baruch now! Avraham said that a cursed person cannot be matched with a blessed person, but now I am BARUCH, blessed, there is no problem now!” so not he could say “Elai” hoping that his daughter will get married to Izhak.

There is another reason, a thirrd one, but i need to go now…

Shavua Tov,

Aharon