י״ב
י״דוַיְהִ֕י כְּב֥וֹא אַבְרָ֖ם מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיִּרְא֤וּ הַמִּצְרִים֙ אֶת־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּֽי־יָפָ֥ה הִ֖וא מְאֹֽד׃
14When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw how very beautiful the woman was.
ויהי כבוא אברם מצרימה. הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר כְּבוֹאָם מִצְרַיְמָה? אֶלָּא לִמֵּד שֶׁהִטְמִין אוֹתָהּ בְּתֵבָה, וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁתָּבְעוּ אֶת הַמֶּכֶס פָּתְחוּ וְרָאוּ אוֹתָהּ:
ויהי כבא אברם מצרימה AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN ABRAM WAS COME INTO EGYPT —It should have said, “when they were come into Egypt”; but the use of the singular teaches us that he hid her in a chest, and when they demanded the custom dues they opened it and discovered her (Genesis Rabbah 40:5).
ט״ווַיִּרְא֤וּ אֹתָהּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיְהַֽלְל֥וּ אֹתָ֖הּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַתֻּקַּ֥ח הָאִשָּׁ֖ה בֵּ֥ית פַּרְעֹֽה׃
15Pharaoh’s courtiers saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s palace.
ויהללו אותה אל פרעה. הִלְּלוּהָ בֵינֵיהֶם לוֹמַר הֲגוּנָה זוֹ לַמֶּלֶךְ:
ויהללו אותה אל פרעה AND THEY PRAISED HER TO PHARAOH — They praised her among themselves saying, “This woman is worthy of the king (i. e. they praised her as being suitable אל פרעה for Pharaoh).
ט״זוּלְאַבְרָ֥ם הֵיטִ֖יב בַּעֲבוּרָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־ל֤וֹ צֹאן־וּבָקָר֙ וַחֲמֹרִ֔ים וַעֲבָדִים֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת וַאֲתֹנֹ֖ת וּגְמַלִּֽים׃
16And because of her, it went well with Abram; he acquired sheep, oxen, donkeys, male and female slaves, jennies, and camels.
ולאברם היטיב. פַּרְעֹה בעבורה:
ולאברם הטיב בעבורה AND TO ABRAM HE DEALT WELL — he means Pharaoh — בעבורה FOR HER SAKE.
י״זוַיְנַגַּ֨ע יְהֹוָ֧ה ׀ אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֛ה נְגָעִ֥ים גְּדֹלִ֖ים וְאֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ עַל־דְּבַ֥ר שָׂרַ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת אַבְרָֽם׃
17But GOD afflicted Pharaoh and his household with mighty plagues on account of Sarai, the wife of Abram.
וינגע ה' וגו'. בְּמַכַּת רָאתָן לָקָה, שֶׁהַתַּשְׁמִישׁ קָשֶׁה לוֹ (בראשית רבה):
'וינגע ה' וגו AND THE LORD PLAGUED PHARAOH etc. — He was smitten with the disease of Raathon for which marital relations are harmful.
(ואת ביתו כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וְעַל אֱנַשׁ בֵּיתֵהּ וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ לְרַבּוֹת כֹּתָלָיו וְעַמּוּדָיו וְכֵּלָיו בְּרַשִׁ"י יָשָׁן):
ואת ביתו AND HIS HOUSE — Take it as the Targum has it: “and the people of his house”. A Midrashic explanation is: the word את is used here to imply that included in the curse were also its walls, pillars and its utensils (Midrash Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 5). The whole of this explanation of ואת ביתו is given in an old text of Rashi.
על דבר שרי. עַל פִּי דִּבּוּרָהּ; אוֹמֶרֶת לַמַּלְאָךְ הַךְ, וְהוּא מַכֶּה;
על דבר שרי BECAUSE OF SARAI (literally, by the word of Sarai) — at her orders: she said to the angel “Smite” and he smote (Midrash Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 5).
י״חוַיִּקְרָ֤א פַרְעֹה֙ לְאַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֑י לָ֚מָּה לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י כִּ֥י אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ הִֽוא׃
18Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me! Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
י״טלָמָ֤ה אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא וָאֶקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ לִ֖י לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְעַתָּ֕ה הִנֵּ֥ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ קַ֥ח וָלֵֽךְ׃
19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife; take her and begone!”
קח ולך. לֹא כַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ, אֶלָּא אָמַר לוֹ לֵךְ וְאַל תַּעֲמֹד, שֶׁהַמִּצְרִים שְׁטוּפֵי זִמָּה הֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְזִרְמַת סוּסִים זִרְמָתָם: (יחזקאל כ"ג):
קח ולך TAKE HER AND GO AWAY — Not as Abimelech who said to him (Genesis 20:15) “Behold, my land is before thee; dwell wherever it seemeth proper to thee”: but he (Pharaoh) said to him, “Go and do not stay here,” for the Egyptians are greatly addicted to lewd-living, as it is said. (Ezekiel 23:20). “And whose issue is like the issue of horses” (Midrash Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 5). (The passage deals with the immoral practices of the Egyptians).
כ׳וַיְצַ֥ו עָלָ֛יו פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־לֽוֹ׃
20And Pharaoh put some men in charge of him, and they sent him off with his wife and all that he possessed.
ויצו עליו. עַל אוֹדוֹתָיו, לְשַׁלְּחוֹ וּלְשָׁמְרוֹ:
ויצו עליו AND PHARAOH GAVE COMMAND CONCERNING HIM— עליו means for his sake — to escort him and to protect him.
וישלחו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וְאַלְוִיאוּ:
וישלחו AND THEY ACCOMPANIED HIM — as the Targum has it: they gave him an escort.)
י״ג
א׳וַיַּ֩עַל֩ אַבְרָ֨ם מִמִּצְרַ֜יִם ה֠וּא וְאִשְׁתּ֧וֹ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ וְל֥וֹט עִמּ֖וֹ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה׃
1From Egypt, Abram went up into the Negeb, with his wife and all that he possessed, together with Lot.
ויעל אברם וגו' הנגבה. לָבֹא לִדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְֹרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לְמַעְלָה הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה, לְהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה; וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם כְּשֶׁהוּא הוֹלֵךְ מִמִּצְרַיִם לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, מִדָּרוֹם לְצָפוֹן הוּא מְהַלֵּךְ, שֶׁאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בִּדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמוֹ שֶׁמּוֹכִיחַ בַּמַּסָּעוֹת וּבִגְבוּלֵי הָאָרֶץ:
ויעל אברם וגו' הנגבה AND ABRAM WENT UP [OUT OF EGYPT] …TOWARDS THE NEGEB — He went up to proceed to the Southern part of the land of Israel — as it is said above (Genesis 12:9) “going on more and more to the Negeb” — to the Mount Moriah. Still, when one goes from Egypt to the land of Canaan, one proceeds from South to North, because Egypt is to the South of the land of Israel, as may be proved from the account of the journeys that the Israelites made in the wilderness and from the description of the boundaries of the land of Israel (see Numbers 33 and Numbers 34).
ב׳וְאַבְרָ֖ם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד בַּמִּקְנֶ֕ה בַּכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַזָּהָֽב׃
2Now Abram was very rich in cattle, silver, and gold.
כבד מאד. טָעוּן מַשָּׂאוֹת:
כבד מאד VERY RICH (literally, very heavy) — heavily laden with burdens.
ג׳וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ לְמַסָּעָ֔יו מִנֶּ֖גֶב וְעַד־בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל עַד־הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָ֨יָה שָׁ֤ם אׇֽהֳלֹה֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה בֵּ֥ין בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל וּבֵ֥ין הָעָֽי׃
3And he proceeded by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been formerly, between Bethel and Ai,
וילך למסעיו. כְּשֶׁחָזַר מִמִּצְרַיִם לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ וְלָן בָּאַכְסַנְיוֹת שֶׁלָּן בָּהֶם בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ לְמִצְרַיִם, לִמֶּדְךָ דֶּרֶך אֶרֶץ, שֶׁלֹּא יְשַׁנֶּה אָדָם מֵאַכְסַנְיָא שֶׁלּוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר בַּחֲזָרָתוֹ פָּרַע הַקָּפוֹתָיו (בראשית רבה):
וילך למסעיו AND HE WENT ON HIS JOURNEYS — When he returned from Egypt to the land of Canaan he went and lodged in the same inns as he had stayed when he travelled to Egypt. This teaches you good manners: that one should not change his inn (Arachin 16b); (where the reason is given that one who does this constantly brings discredit on himself and on others). Another interpretation: on his return he paid the debts he had previously incurred (Genesis Rabbah 41:3). (In both these comments emphasis is placed on “his” — he went on his journeys i.e. the routes he had taken before.)
מנגב. אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בִּדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן:
מנגב FROM THE SOUTH — the land of Egypt lies to the South of the land of Canaan.
ד׳אֶל־מְקוֹם֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥שָׂה שָׁ֖ם בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֥א שָׁ֛ם אַבְרָ֖ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה׃
4the site of the altar that he had built there at first; and there Abram invoked GOD by name.
אשר עשה שם בראשנה. וַאֲשֶׁר קָרָא שָׁם אַבְרָם בְּשֵׁם ה' וְגַם יֵשׁ לוֹמַר וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם עַכְשָׁו בְּשֵׁם ה':
אשר עשה שם בראשונה [UNTO THE PLACE OF THE ALTAR] WHICH HE HAD MADE THERE AT THE FIRST and WHERE ABRAM HAD CALLED [UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD] (that is, ויקרא does not introduce a further action of Abram done at that time, but refers to a former one when he had called upon the Name of the Lord); but it may also be explained that it means that Abram now called there upon the Name of the Lord.