Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 2:7/אבן עזרא על שמות ב׳:ז׳
אותאמר. ותינק. בעלי היו"ד בראשונה יש מתחלף היו"ד, כי מן ידע בוי"ו תודיע, ויש שיושם נח נעלם בין האות המשרת והעי"ן תחת יו"ד, ופעם נכתב, ופעם לא נכתב וככה ותניק לך את הילד:
1THEN SAID…THAT SHE MAY NURSE. The first yod in roots whose first letter is a yod occasionally change,107 in peh yods are either occasionally dropped or changed to a yod. as evidenced in the word todi’a (you shall inform) which comes from the root yod, dalet, ayin and is spelled with a vav.108 the yod changes to a vav. In other cases a silent missing letter109. See note 88. which is at times written and at times omitted110 is followed by a yod the silent letter is visible. When the tzere is not followed by a yod the silent letter is missing. is substituted for the yod and placed between the prefix and the middle root letter. This is the case with the word ve-tenek (that she may nurse)111. The yod of the root is swallowed by the tzere. in that she may nurse the child for thee.