י״ג
ה׳וְגַ֨ם־לְל֔וֹט הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶת־אַבְרָ֑ם הָיָ֥ה צֹאן־וּבָקָ֖ר וְאֹהָלִֽים׃
5Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
ההלך את אברם. מִי גָרַם שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ זֹאת? הֲלִיכָתוֹ עִם אַבְרָם:
ההלך את אברם WHO WENT WITH ABRAM — What brought it about that he possessed all this? The fact that he was accompanying Abram (Genesis Rabbah 41:3; Pesikta Rabbati, שמיני).
ו׳וְלֹא־נָשָׂ֥א אֹתָ֛ם הָאָ֖רֶץ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו כִּֽי־הָיָ֤ה רְכוּשָׁם֙ רָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א יָֽכְל֖וּ לָשֶׁ֥בֶת יַחְדָּֽו׃
6so that the land could not support them staying together; for their possessions were so great that they could not remain together.
ולא נשא אתם. לֹא הָיְתָה יְכוֹלָה לְהַסְפִּיק מִרְעֶה לְמִקְנֵיהֶם, וְלָשׁוֹן קָצָר הוּא, וְצָרִיךְ לְהוֹסִיף עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ וְלֹא נָשָׂא אוֹתָם מִרְעֵה הָאָרֶץ, לְפִיכָךְ כָּתַב וְלֹא נָשָׂא בִּלְשׁוֹן זָכָר:
ולא נשא אתם AND THE LAND WAS NOT ABLE TO BEAR THEM — It could not provide sufficient pasture for their cattle. The phrase is elliptical and a word must be supplied, for instance: the pasturage (מרעה) of the land was not able to bear them — for this reason the word נשא (masculine) is used (to agree in gender with מרעה; the suggestion is that נשא cannot have הארץ as subject since that noun is feminine).
ז׳וַֽיְהִי־רִ֗יב בֵּ֚ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵֽה־אַבְרָ֔ם וּבֵ֖ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵה־ל֑וֹט וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י אָ֖ז יֹשֵׁ֥ב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
7And there was quarreling between the herders of Abram’s cattle and those of Lot’s cattle.—The Canaanites and Perizzites were then dwelling in the land.—
ויהי ריב. לְפִי שְׁהָיוּ רוֹעִים שֶׁל לוֹט רְשָׁעִים וּמַרְעִים בְּהֶמְתָּם בִּשְׂדוֹת אֲחֵרִים, וְרוֹעֵי אַבְרָם מוֹכִיחִים אוֹתָם עַל הַגֶּזֶל, וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים נִתְּנָה הָאָרֶץ לְאַבְרָם, וְלוֹ אֵין יוֹרֵשׁ, וְלוֹט יוֹרְשׁוֹ, וְאֵין זֶה גֶּזֶל, וְהַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי אָז יֹשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ, וְלֹא זָכָה בָהּ אַבְרָם עֲדַיִן (ב"):
ויהי ריב AND THERE WAS A QUARREL because Lot’s shepherds were wicked men and grazed their cattle in other people’s fields. Abram's shepherds rebuked them for this act of robbery, but they replied, “The land has been given to Abram, and since he has no son as heir, Lot will be his heir: consequently this is not robbery”. Scripture, however, states: “The Canaanite and the Perizzite abode then in the land”, so that Abram was not yet entitled to possession (Genesis Rabbah 41:5).
ח׳וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָ֜ם אֶל־ל֗וֹט אַל־נָ֨א תְהִ֤י מְרִיבָה֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔ךָ וּבֵ֥ין רֹעַ֖י וּבֵ֣ין רֹעֶ֑יךָ כִּֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אַחִ֖ים אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃
8Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, between my herders and yours, for we are, after all, kin.
אנשים אחים. קְרוֹבִים, וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה דּוֹמִין בִּקְלַסְתֵּר פָּנִים:
אנשים אחים BROTHERS — i. e. kinsmen. The Midrashic explanation is: that they resembled each other in their facial features (Genesis Rabbah 41:6).
ט׳הֲלֹ֤א כׇל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הִפָּ֥רֶד נָ֖א מֵעָלָ֑י אִם־הַשְּׂמֹ֣אל וְאֵימִ֔נָה וְאִם־הַיָּמִ֖ין וְאַשְׂמְאִֽילָה׃
9Is not the whole land before you? Let us separate:aLet us separate Lit. “Please separate from me.” if you go north, I will go south; and if you go south, I will go north.”
אם השמאל ואימנה. בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר תֵּשֵׁב, לֹא אֶתְרַחֵק מִמְּךָ וְאֶעֱמֹד לְךָ לְמָגֵן וּלְעֵזֶר, וְסוֹף דָּבָר הֻצְרַךְ לוֹ, שְׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם כִּי נִשְׁבָּה אָחִיו וְגוֹ':
אם השמאל ואימינה IF THOU WILT TAKE THE LEFT HAND, THAN I WILL GO TO THE RIGHT —Wherever you settle down I will not go far from you and I will stand by you as a shield and as a helper. Ultimately, indeed, he (Lot) was really in need of him, as it is said, (Genesis 14:14) “And Abram heard that his brother was taken captive etc.”
ואימנה. אַיְמִין אֶת עַצְמִי, כְּמוֹ וְאַשְׂמְאִילָה אַשְׂמְאִיל אֶת עַצְמִי. וְאִם תֹּאמַר הָיָה לוֹ לִנָּקֵד וְאַיְמִינָה, כָּךְ מָצִינוּ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר אִם יֵשׁ לְהֵמִין (שמואל ב י"ד) וְאֵין נָקוּד לְהַיְמִין:
ואימינה I WILL GO TO THE RIGHT — The word means “I will direct myself towards the right”, just as ואשמאילה means “I will direct myself towards the left.” If you say that it should be punctuated וְאַיְמִינָה (the regular Hiphil form) I answer that in another place also we find this form, (2 Samuel 14:19) אם יש לְהֵמִין “none can turn to the right hand”, where the punctuation is not לְהַיְמִין.
י׳וַיִּשָּׂא־ל֣וֹט אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כׇּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י כֻלָּ֖הּ מַשְׁקֶ֑ה לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ שַׁחֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶת־סְדֹם֙ וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֔ה כְּגַן־יְהֹוָה֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה צֹֽעַר׃
10Lot looked about him and saw how well watered was the whole plain of the Jordan, all of it—this was before GOD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—all the way to Zoar, like the garden of GOD, like the land of Egypt.
כי כלה משקה. אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מַיִם:
כי כלה משקה THAT IT WAS WELL WATERED — a land of water-streams.
לפני שחת ה' את סדום ואת עמרה. הָיָה אוֹתוֹ מִישׁוֹר:
לפני שחת ה' את סדום ואת עמורה BEFORE THE LORD DESTROYED SODOM AND GOMORRAHH that land was
כגן ה'. לָאִילָנוֹת:
'כגן ה LIKE THE GARDEN OF GOD in respect of trees,
כארץ מצרים. לַזְּרָעִים (בראשית רבה):
כארץ מצרים LIKE THE LAND OF EGYPT in respect of seed (vegetables) (Genesis Rabbah 41:7).
באכה צער. עַד צֹעַר. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה דוֹרְשָׁהּ לִגְנַאי, עַל שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁטוּפֵי זִמָּה בָּחַר לוֹ לוֹט בִּשְׁכוּנָתָם:
באכה צער means AS THOU GOEST עד צוער to Zoar. The Midrashic explanation (Horayot 10b; Genesis Rabbah 41:7) explains it to Lot’s discredit — just because they (the people of Sodom and Gomorrah) were addicted to lewdness did Lot choose their locality.
י״אוַיִּבְחַר־ל֣וֹ ל֗וֹט אֵ֚ת כׇּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיִּסַּ֥ע ל֖וֹט מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיִּפָּ֣רְד֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל אָחִֽיו׃
11So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they parted from each other;
ככר. מִישׁוֹר, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
ככר The word means “a plain” as the Targum translates it.
מקדם. נָסַע מֵאֵצֶל אַבְרָם וְהָלַך לוֹ לְמַעֲרָבוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָם; נִמְצָא נוֹסֵעַ מִמִּזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה הִסִּיעַ עַצְמוֹ מִקַּדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם; אָמַר אִי אֶפְשִׁי לֹא בְּאַבְרָם וְלֹא בֵאלֹהָיו:
מקדם FROM THE EAST — He removed from Abram and went westward of Abram — consequently he travelled from the East to the West. A Midrashic explanation is: He wandered away from the Originator (מקדמונו) of the Universe, saying, “I want neither Abram nor his God” (Genesis Rabbah 41:7).
י״באַבְרָ֖ם יָשַׁ֣ב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָ֑עַן וְל֗וֹט יָשַׁב֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י הַכִּכָּ֔ר וַיֶּאֱהַ֖ל עַד־סְדֹֽם׃
12Abram remained in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom.
ויאהל. נָטָה אֳהָלִים לְרוֹעָיו וּלְמִקְנֵהוּ עַד סְדוֹם:
ויאהל means he pitched tents for his shepherds and cattle עד סדום throughout the whole district extending AS FAR AS SODOM.
י״גוְאַנְשֵׁ֣י סְדֹ֔ם רָעִ֖ים וְחַטָּאִ֑ים לַיהֹוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃
13Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked sinners against GOD.
ואנשי סדום רעים. וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא נִמְנַע לוֹט מִלִּשְׁכֹּן עִמָּהֶם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ לָמְדוּ מִכָּאן (יומא ל"ח) וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב (משלי י'):
ואנשי סדום רעים BUT THE MEN OF SODOM WERE WICKED, and yet Lot did not refrain from living with them. Our Rabbis learned from here how the text (Proverbs 10:11) “and the name of the wicked shall rot” should be applied (Yoma 38b).
רעים. בְּגוּפָם:
רעים WICKED in their persons
וחטאים. בְּמָמוֹנָם (סנה' ק"ט):
וחטאים AND SINNERS with their wealth (Sanhedrin 109a)
לה' מאד. יוֹדְעִים רִבּוֹנָם, וּמִתְכַּוְּנִים לִמְרֹד בּוֹ:
לה' מאד BEFORE THE LORD, EXCEEDINGLY — They knew their Master and yet intentionally rebelled against Him (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 2 2).
י״דוַֽיהֹוָ֞ה אָמַ֣ר אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם אַחֲרֵי֙ הִפָּֽרֶד־ל֣וֹט מֵֽעִמּ֔וֹ שָׂ֣א נָ֤א עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מִן־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֣ה שָׁ֑ם צָפֹ֥נָה וָנֶ֖גְבָּה וָקֵ֥דְמָה וָיָֽמָּה׃
14And GOD said to Abram, after Lot had parted from him, “Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west,
אחרי הפרד לוט. כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָרָשָׁע עִמּוֹ הָיָה הַדִּבּוּר פּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֵֶּנּוּ:
אחרי הפרד לוט AFTER LOT WAS SEPARATED FROM HIM — So long as the wicked (Lot) was with him the word of God kept away from him (i. e. God had no communion with Abraham) (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayetzei 10).
ט״וכִּ֧י אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לְךָ֣ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
15for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever.
ט״זוְשַׂמְתִּ֥י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ אִם־יוּכַ֣ל אִ֗ישׁ לִמְנוֹת֙ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ גַּֽם־זַרְעֲךָ֖ יִמָּנֶֽה׃
16I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too can be counted.
אשר אם יוכל איש. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לֶעָפָר לְהִמָּנוֹת כָּךְ זַרְעֲךָ לֹא יִמָּנֶה:
אשר אם יוכל איש SO THAT IF A MAN IS ABLE [TO COUNT] —just as it is impossible for the dust to be counted, so, too, your seed shall not be counted.
י״זק֚וּם הִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ בָּאָ֔רֶץ לְאׇרְכָּ֖הּ וּלְרׇחְבָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י לְךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה׃
17Up, walk about the land, through its length and its breadth, for I give it to you.”
י״חוַיֶּאֱהַ֣ל אַבְרָ֗ם וַיָּבֹ֛א וַיֵּ֛שֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֥ם מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}
18And Abram moved his tent, and came to dwell at the terebinths of Mamre, which are in Hebron; and he built an altar there to GOD.
ממרא. שֵׁם אָדָם:
ממרא MAMRE — the name of a man.