Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 29:11/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״ט:י״א
אלעברך. שם הפועל. כטעם ויעברו בין בתריו. והנה מלת עבר בחסרון בי״ת להפך:
1THAT THOU SHOULDEST ENTER INTO THE COVENANT. Le-ovrekha (that thou shouldest enter) is an infinitive.24 It is like va-ya’avru (and passed) in and passed between the parts thereof (Jer. 34:18).25 (that thou shouldest enter) means that you should pass, i.e., that you should enter the covenant, for they used to cut an animal in half when making a covenant and walk between the halves. Observe, the word avar (passed) minus the bet26 has the opposite meaning.27 preceding brit means to violate the covenant. Hence our verse reads, le-ovrekha bi-verit. Had our verse read, le-ovrekha berit, it would have meant that you should violate the covenant.