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Parashat Lech Lecha – Avraham and Lot Rabbi Aviad Bodner

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Parashat Lech Lecha – Avraham and Lot Rabbi Aviad Bodner Parashat Lech Lecha – Avraham and Lot Rabbi Aviad Bodner בראשית פרק י"ג Bereshit Chapter 13 .1 א ַו ַיּ ַעל ַא ְב ָרם ִמ ִמּ ְצ ַר ִים הוּא ְו ִא ְשׁתּוֹ ְו ָכל - Abram went up out of Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and 1 ֲא ֶשׁר-לוֹ, ְולוֹט ִעמּוֹ-- ַה ֶנּ ְג ָבּה .ב ְו ַא ְב ָרם, Lot with him, into the South. 2 Abram was very rich in ָכּ ֵבד ְמ ֹאד, ַבּ ִמּ ְק ֶה, ַבּ ֶכּ ֶסף וּ ַב ָזּ ָהב .ג ַו ֵיּ ֶל, livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 He went on his journeys from ְל ַמ ָסּ ָעיו, ִמ ֶנּ ֶגב, ְו ַעד- ֵבּית- ֵאל-- ַעד- ַה ָמּקוֹם, the South even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been ֲא ֶשׁר- ָה ָיה ָשׁם ָא ֳהה ַבּ ְתּ ִח ָלּה, ֵבּין ֵבּית- ֵאל, at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the וּ ֵבין ָה ָעי .ד ֶאל- ְמקוֹם, ַה ִמּ ְז ֵבּ ַח, ֲא ֶשׁר- ָע ָשׂה altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called ָשׁם, ָבּ ִרא ֹשׁ ָה; ַו ִיּ ְק ָרא ָשׁם ַא ְב ָרם, ְבּ ֵשׁם on the name of Hashem. 5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had ה’ .ה ְו ַגם- ְללוֹט-- ַה ֹה ֵל, ֶאת - ַא ְב ָרם: ָה ָיה flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 The land was not able to bear צֹאן-וּ ָב ָקר, ְו ֹא ָה ִלים .ו ְולֹא - ָ ָשׂא ֹא ָתם them, that they might live together: for their substance was ָה ָא ֶרץ, ָל ֶשׁ ֶבת ַי ְח ָדּו: ִכּי- ָה ָיה ְרכוּ ָשׁם ָרב, great, so that they could not live together. 7 There was a strife ְולֹא ָי ְכלוּ ָל ֶשׁ ֶבת ַי ְח ָדּו .ז ַו ְי ִהי - ִריב, ֵבּין ֹר ֵעי between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen ִמ ְקֵה- ַא ְב ָרם, וּ ֵבין, ֹר ֵעי ִמ ְקֵה-לוֹט; of Lot's livestock: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in ְו ַה ְכּ ַ ֲע ִי, ְו ַה ְפּ ִר ִזּי, ָאז, ֹי ֵשׁב ָבּ ָא ֶרץ .ח ַויֹּא ֶמר the land at that time. 8 Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there be ַא ְב ָרם ֶאל-לוֹט, ַאל- ָא ְת ִהי ְמ ִרי ָבה ֵבּיִי no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and וּ ֵבי ֶ, וּ ֵבין ֹר ַעי, וּ ֵבין ֹר ֶעי: ִכּי- ֲא ָ ִשׁים your herdsmen; for we are relatives. 9 Isn't the whole land ַא ִחים, ֲא ָ ְחוּ .ט ֲהלֹא ָכל- ָה ָא ֶרץ ְל ָפֶי, before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the ִה ָפּ ֶרד ָא ֵמ ָע ָלי: ִאם- ַה ְשּׂמֹאל ְו ֵאי ִמָה, left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right ְו ִאם- ַה ָיּ ִמין ְו ַא ְשׂ ְמ ִאי ָלה .י ַו ִיּ ָשּׂא-לוֹט ֶאת - hand, then I will go to the left." 10 Lot lifted up his eyes, and ֵע י ָיו, ַו ַיּ ְרא ֶאת - ָכּל- ִכּ ַכּר ַה ַיּ ְר ֵדּן, ִכּי ֻכ ָלּהּ, ַמ ְשׁ ֶקה-- ִל ְפ ֵי ַשׁ ֵחת ה’, ֶאת- ְס ֹדם ְו ֶאת- saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered ֲע ֹמ ָרה, ְכּ ַגן -ה’ ְכּ ֶא ֶרץ ִמ ְצ ַר ִים, ֹבּ ֲא ָכה ,everywhere, before Hashem destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah ֹצ ַער .יא ַו ִיּ ְב ַחר- לוֹ לוֹט, ֵאת ָכּל- ִכּ ַכּר like the garden of Hashem, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. 11 So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot ַה ַיּ ְר ֵדּן, ַו ִיּ ַסּע לוֹט, ִמ ֶקּ ֶדם; ַו ִיּ ָפּ ְרדוּ, ִאישׁ traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the ֵמ ַעל ָא ִחיו .יב ַא ְב ָרם, ָי ַשׁב ְבּ ֶא ֶרץ- ְכּ ָ ַען; 12 ְולוֹט, ָי ַשׁב ְבּ ָע ֵרי ַה ִכּ ָכּר, ַו ֶיּ ֱא ַהל, ַעד- other. Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in ְס ֹדם .יג ְו ַא ְ ֵשׁי ְס ֹדם, ָר ִעים ְו ַח ָטּ ִאים, ַל ה’, the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked ְמ ֹאד .יד ַו ה’ ָא ַמר ֶאל- ַא ְב ָרם, ַא ֲח ֵרי 14 ִה ָפּ ֶרד-לוֹט ֵמ ִעמּוֹ, ָשׂא ָא ֵעיֶי וּ ְר ֵאה, ִמן- and sinners against Hashem. Hashem said to Abram, after ַה ָמּקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר- ַא ָתּה ָשׁם-- ָצ ֹפ ָה ָו ֶ ְג ָבּה, Lot was separated from him, "Now, lift up your eyes, and look ָו ֵק ְד ָמה ָו ָי ָמּה .טו ִכּי ֶאת- ָכּל- ָה ָא ֶרץ ֲא ֶשׁר- from the place where you are, northward and southward and ַא ָתּה ֹר ֶאה, ְל ֶא ְתּ ֶ ָנּה, וּ ְל ַז ְר ֲע, ַעד- eastward and westward, 15 for all the land which you see, I will עוֹ ָל ם .טז ְו ַשׂ ְמ ִתּי ֶאת- ַז ְר ֲע, ַכּ ֲע ַפר give to you, and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your ָה ָא ֶרץ: ֲא ֶשׁר ִאם-יוּ ַכל ִאישׁ, ִל ְמוֹת ֶאת- offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number ֲע ַפר ָה ָא ֶרץ -- ַגּם- ַז ְר ֲע, ִי ָמֶּה .יז קוּם the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be ִה ְת ַה ֵלּ ָבּ ָא ֶרץ, ְל ָא ְר ָכּהּ וּ ְל ָר ְח ָבּהּ: ִכּי ְל, numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in its length and in ֶא ְתּ ֶ ָנּה .יח ַו ֶיּ ֱא ַהל ַא ְב ָרם, ַו ָיּבֹא ַו ֵיּ ֶשׁב ,its breadth; for I will give it to you." 18 Abram moved his tent ְבּ ֵא ֵי ַמ ְמ ֵרא-- ֲא ֶשׁר ְבּ ֶח ְברוֹן; ַו ִיּ ֶבן - ָשׁם and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Hashem. ִמ ְז ֵבּ ַח, ַל ה’ רמב"ן, בראשית יג:ז Nachmanides, Bereshit 13:7 .2 ועל דרך הפשט הייתה המריבה על המרעה, כי לא שא אותם הארץ, וכאשר היה מקה אברם רועה באחו, היו רועי לוט באים בגבולם ורועים שם. והה אברם ולוט היו גרים ותושבים בארץ, ופחד אברם פן ישמע הכעי והפריזי יושב הארץ כובד מקיהם ויגרשום, או יכו אותם לפי חרב וייקחו להם מקיהם ורכושם, כי ישיבת הארץ עתה להם לא לאברם, וזה טעם והכעי והפריזי - כי הזכיר שהיו עמים רבים יושבים בארץ ההיא, ולהם ולמקיהם אין מספר, ולא ישא אותם הארץ ואת אברם ולוט: 1 בראשית פרק ל"ו Bereshit Chapter 36 .3 ו ַו ִיּ ַקּח ֵע ָשׂו ֶאת- ָ ָשׁיו ְו ֶאת- ָבּ ָיו ְו ֶאת- Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the 6 ְבּ ֹ ָתיו, ְו ֶאת- ָכּל- ַ ְפשׁוֹת ֵבּיתוֹ, ְו ֶאת- ִמ ְקֵהוּ ,members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals ְו ֶאת- ָכּל- ְבּ ֶה ְמתּוֹ ְו ֵאת ָכּל- ִק ְ ָיוֹ, ֲא ֶשׁר ָר ַכשׁ and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of ְבּ ֶא ֶרץ ְכּ ָ ַען; ַו ֵיּ ֶל ֶאל- ֶא ֶרץ, ִמ ְפּ ֵי ַי ֲע ֹקב Canaan, and went into a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For ָא ִחיו .ז ִכּי- ָה ָיה ְרכוּ ָשׁם ָרב, ִמ ֶשּׁ ֶבת their substance was too great for them to dwell together, and ַי ְח ָדּו; ְולֹא ָי ְכ ָלה ֶא ֶרץ ְמגוּ ֵרי ֶהם, ָל ֵשׂאת the land of their travels couldn't bear them because of their ֹא ָתם-- ִמ ְפּ ֵי, ִמ ְק ֵי ֶה ם. .livestock בראשית רבה פרשה מ :ה Bereshit Rabbah 40:5 .4 ויהי ריב בין רועי מקה אברם ובין רועי מקה And there was a strife between the herd- men of Abram's לוט- רבי ברכיה בשם רבי יהודה ב"ר סימון cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle. R. Berekiah said in אמר :בהמתו של אברהם אביו היתה יוצאה ,R Judan's name: Abraham's cattle used to go out muzzled זמומה, ובהמתו של לוט לא היתה יוצאה but Lot's did not go out muzzled. Said Abraham's זמומה היו אומרים להם רועי אברהם: הותר herdmen to them: 'Has then robbery been permitted?' To הגזל !? ,which Lot's herdmen replied: 'Thus did the Holy One היו אומרים להם רועי לוט: כך אמר הקב"ה blessed be He, say to Abraham: Unto thy seed will I give לאברהם :לזרעך אתן את הארץ הזאת. this land; now Abraham is a barren mule, who cannot ואברהם פרדה עקרה ואיו מוליד, למחר הוא ,beget children, therefore Lot will be his heir; if they eat מת ולוט בן אחיו יורשו, ואין אכלין, מדידהון they are eating their own’ Said the Holy One, blessed be איון אכלין . He, to them: 'Thus did I say to him: Unto thy seed have I אמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא: כך אמרתי לו: given this land' When? when the seven nations are לזרעך תת י. אימתי? לכשיעקרו שבעה עממים uprooted from it. Now, however, And the Canaanite and מתוכה. והכעי והפרזי אז יושב בארץ ,עד the Perizzite dwelt then in the land, etc.: so far they still עכשיו מתבקש להם זכות בארץ: .have a right in the land פסיקתא רבתי Psikta Rabati .5 בהמותיו של אברהם היו הרועים מוציאים אותם זמומים שלא יגזלו לבריות ובהמותיו של לוט לא היו רועים זוממים אותן התחילו רועים של אברהם מדייין עם רועים של לוט ואומרים להם למה אתם משיאים ללוט שם רע ומוציאים בהמתו שלא זמומה אמרו להם רועים של לוט או הם שאו צריכים למחות בידכם שאתם זוממין את הבהמה שע"י שאתם יודעים שסוף בהמתו של אברהם לחזור ללוט מפי שאיו מוליד אין אתם זין אותה כראוי מפי שאתם יודעים שאין לאברהם בן ולמחר הוא מת ולוט יורשו אתם עושים עצמיכם צדיקים מבהמותיו של אחר? הרב דוד צבי הו פמן פירוש לבראשית יג (R.
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