Couple of fine-tuning points from Chayei Sara. B'RUCH HASHEM means the BARUCH of HASHEM. B'RUCH is a noun. BARUCH is a verb. A computer search of Tanach for BET-REISH- VAV-CHAF HASHEM resulted in 27 finds (of which, only 5 are in the Chumash), 25 of them are BARUCH HASHEM. The only two people called B'RUCH HASHEM are Eliezer (by Lavan) and Yitzchak (by Avimelech). [Both Lavan and Avimelech had ulterior motives in their dealings with Eliezer and Yitzchak respectively.] Keeping to the same perek, look at 24:51 and 24:67. You will find the similar words UT-HI and VA-T'HI. In 24:51, Lavan (and B'tu'el) say to Eliezer: Here is Rivka before you, take (her) and go, and she will be a wife to the son of your master, as G-d has spoken. UT-HI, future tense. T'HI = she will be. The conjunctive VAV switches from a VAV with a SH'VA to a SHURUK (which also changes the SH'VA under the TAV to a NACH from a NA, to join the SHURUK in the syllable UT. But in 24:67, Yitzchak took Rivka, and she became (past tense) his wife... The VAV at the beginning of VA-T'HI is a VAV HAHIPUCH, a VAV that switches the tense of T'HI from future to past. The SH'VA of the TAV stays NA. [The Parshat Chayei Sara Homepage]
|
