Commento su Genesi 43:20

בי אדני O, MY LORD — The word בי is an expression of entreaty (בעיא) and supplication. In Aramaic we have בייא בייא “woe, woe!” (Yoma 69b).

‘BI ADONI’ (O, MY LORD). The word bi is an expression of entreaty and supplication. In Aramaic, we have bai bai. Thus the language of Rashi.
Now it is a very strange thing to associate the Hebrew word bi with a word from the Tarsian¹⁹³A dialect of Aramaic. Ramban probably uses the word Tarsi here in a derogatory sense to emphasize the difficulty of associating a word of the sacred Hebrew language with a “Tarsian” root. language, which is unlike it, for the word bai is all one root; it cannot be changed, nor can you obtain the form of the word bi from this Aramaic root.
Moreover, this word bai does not connote entreaty and supplication, as the Rabbi [Rashi] states. Rather it is an expression of distress and affliction over a tragedy and mishap, similar to the word avoi in the Sacred Language. This is well known in the Arabic language, where the poets customarily use it in their elegies, always with a patach under the beth: bai. In the Greek language the word is bia — the beth having a shva — and is used to express distress and grief. Thus you find in Bereshith Rabbah, Seder Bereshith,¹⁹⁴12:10. that the Sages say: “What is the meaning of the verse, Extol Him that rideth upon the skies, the Eternal (‘bayah’) is His Name?¹⁹⁵Psalms 68:5. There is no place whatever that does not have an officer in charge of its grievances. Agricus¹⁹⁶A type of public official. is in charge of grievances in his state; Agratus¹⁹⁶A type of public official. is in charge of grievances in his state. In the same way, who is in charge of the grievances (baya) in His world? [It is] the Holy One, blessed be He.” That is to say, every place has someone in charge of hearing complaints of distress and injustice, and the Holy One, blessed be He, is in charge of the cries of the oppressed, who cry, baya.
Again, before us in the Midrash Bereshith Rabbah of the Parshath (section of) Vayigash Eilav:¹⁹⁷Further, 44:18. Bereshith Rabbah 93:5. “Judah said to Joseph, ‘You do baya (violence)¹⁹⁸You are treating us unjustly. against us. You had said to us thus: That I May set mine eyes upon him.¹⁹⁹Further 44:21. Is this “casting an eye” upon him?’”
And in the Parshath Vay’hi B’shalach,²⁰⁰Exodus 13:17. you find in Shmoth Rabbah:²⁰¹2:8. “Do I ever baya (wrong) any creature?” And in the Parshath Vayishma Yithro,²⁰²Exodus 18:1. we find in Shmoth Rabbah:²⁰³27:8. “Once a man has been appointed and he has put on the mantle of leadership, all communal burdens are upon him. If he sees a man doing baya against his fellow, or committing some transgression, and he fails to protest it, he is punished on account thereof.” And in the Parshath Isha Ki Thazria²⁰⁴Leviticus 12:2. we find:²⁰⁵This Midrash is quoted in Aruch Hashalem, under the root baya. “I raise a cry of violence (baya) against you.” And so also in many places.
Now Onkelos, who translated Bi Adoni here as b’va’u riboni (O please, my lord), did not intend to suggest that the Hebrew word bi is a derivative of the Aramaic ba’u, but he merely translated it in accordance with its context, for the word bi is always found as an expression of supplication.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra says that bi adoni is a shortened form in the Sacred Language, and its meaning is as in the verse, Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity,²⁰⁶I Samuel 25:24. thus meaning, “do to me whatever you wish, but listen to me.” But if this interpretation of Ibn Ezra is correct, it should follow that a person should also be able to say in Hebrew, “‘bi’ my brother,” or “‘bi,’ listen to me.” And yet nowhere do we find the word bi except in conjunction with the word adoni (my lord), or with the Honored Name of G-d when it is written with the letters aleph, daleth,²⁰⁷Such as in Exodus 4:10. which is also an expression of lordship. It is for this reason that I say that the meaning of the word bi is “by myself”: “By my life! you are lord and ruler.” The two pronouns²⁰⁸Bi (by my self) and adoni (my lord). The use of the double first person pronoun when one would be sufficient is for the purpose of emphasis, and it is found in many places in Scripture, as Ramban proceeds to demonstrate. serve for the purpose of emphasis, just as: But me, even me thy servant;²⁰⁹I Kings 1:26. Upon me, my lord, upon me.²¹⁰I Samuel 25:24. Similar to this is the verse, That thou art against Me, against thy help,²¹¹Hosea 13:9. Here the letter beth appears twice: bi be’ezracha, when one would be sufficient: bi ezracha (in Me is thy help). The double beth is for emphasis. meaning “I serve as your help.”

ויאמרו בי אדוני, we have a request; they then proceeded to explain to him what they had experienced with the money, and why they had brought this extra amount with them now.