Chewing the Cud: Chabad.Org Chapter 12

Bereishit - Genesis - Chapter 12

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1And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.   אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ:
Go forth: Heb. לֶךְ לְךָ, lit. go to you, for your benefit and for your good, and there I will make you into a great nation, but here, you will not merit to have children. Moreover, I will make your character known in the world. — [from Rosh Hashanah 16b, Tan.]   לך לך: ×œ×”נאתך ולטובתך, ושם אעשך לגוי גדול, וכאן אי אתה זוכה לבנים. ועוד שאודיע טבעך בעולם:
from your land: Now had he not already gone out of there with his father and come as far as Haran? Rather, thus did He say to him, “Distance yourself more from there and leave your father’s house.”   מארצך: ×•×”לא כבר יצא משם עם אביו ובא עד לחרן, אלא כך אמר לו התרחק עוד משם וצא מבית אביך:
that I will show you: He did not reveal the land to him immediately, in order to make it dear in his eyes and to give him reward for every command. Similarly (below 22:2): “your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac.” Similarly (ibid.):  “on one of the mountains that I will say to you.” Similarly (Jonah 3:2): “and proclaim upon it the proclamation that I will speak to you.” [from Gen. Rabbah 39:9]   אל הארץ אשר אראך: ×œ× גלה לו הארץ מיד, כדי לחבבה בעיניו, ולתת לו שכר על כל דבור ודבור. כיוצא בו (בראשית כב ב) את בנך את יחידך אשר אהבת את יצחק, כיוצא בו (כב ב) על אחד ההרים אשר אומר אליך, כיוצא בו (יונה ×’ ב) וקרא עליה את הקריאה אשר אנכי דובר אליך:
2And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing.   בוְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל וַֽאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַֽאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶֽהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה:
And I will make you into a great nation: Since traveling causes three things: 1) it diminishes procreation, 2) it diminishes money, and 3) it diminishes fame (lit. name), therefore, he required these three blessings, namely that He blessed him concerning children, concerning money, and concerning fame. (Other editions: And this is the meaning of and I will aggrandize your name. I will add a letter to your name, for until now, your name was אַבְרָם. From now on [your name will be] אַבְרָהָם, and אַבְרָהָם equals 248, corresponding to a person’s limbs. (Found in an old Rashi . — [from Gen. Rabbah 39:11; Tan. Buber, Chaye Sarah 6)   ואעשך לגוי גדול: ×œ×¤×™ שהדרך גורמת לשלשה דברים ממעטת פריה ורביה, וממעטת את הממון, וממעטת את השם, לכך הוזקק לשלש ברכות הללו שהבטיחו על הבנים, ועל הממון, ועל השם. (וזהו ואגדלה שמך, הריני מוסיף אות על שמך, שעד עכשיו שמך אברם מכאן ואילך אברהם, ואברהם עולה רמ"×— כנגד איבריו של אדם):
and I will bless you: with money (Genesis Rabbah 39:11).   ואברכך: ×‘ממון:
and [you shall] be a blessing: The blessings are entrusted into your hand. Until now, they were in My hand; I blessed Adam and Noah. From now on, you may bless whomever you wish. (Gen. Rabbah) (ad loc.). Another explanation: “And I will make you into a great nation”: This is [the basis] of saying “the God of Abraham.” “And I will bless you”: This is [the basis] of saying “the God of Isaac.” “And I will aggrandize your name”: This is [the basis] of saying “the God of Jacob” [in the initial benediction of the Silent Prayer]. You might think that [the first benediction of the Silent Prayer] should be concluded [by mentioning] them all. Therefore, Scripture states: “and [you shall] be a blessing”: with you they will conclude, and not with them. [i.e., the closing of the blessing is “the shield of Abraham,” and not “the shield of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”] [from Pes. 117b]   והיה ברכה: ×”ברכות נתונות בידך, עד עכשיו היו בידי, ברכתי את אדם ואת × ×— ואותך, ומעכשיו אתה תברך את אשר תחפוץ. דבר אחר ואעשך לגוי גדול זהו שאומרים אלהי אברהם, ואברכך זהו שאומרים אלהי יצחק, ואגדלה שמך זהו שאומרים אלהי יעקב. יכול יהיו חותמין בכולן, תלמוד לומר והיה ברכה, בך חותמין ולא בהם:
3And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you."   גוַֽאֲבָֽרְכָה֙ מְבָ֣רֲכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָֽאֲדָמָֽה:
shall be blessed in you: There are many aggadoth, but this is its simple meaning: A man says to his son, May you be like Abraham. And so is every instance of [the words] “shall be blessed with you” in Scripture. And the following [text] proves this (below 48:20):“With you, Israel shall bless, saying: May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.” - [from Sifrei, Naso 18]   ונברכו בך כל משפחות האדמה: ×™×© אגדות רבות, וזהו פשוטו אדם אומר לבנו תהא כאברהם, וכן כל ונברכו בך שבמקרא, וזה מוכיח (בראשית מח ×›) בך יברך ישראל לאמר ישימך א-להים כאפרים וכמנשה:
4And Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him, and Abram was seventy five years old when he left Haran.   דוַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אַבְרָ֗ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ ל֑וֹט וְאַבְרָ֗ם בֶּן־חָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּצֵאת֖וֹ מֵֽחָרָֽן:
5And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had acquired, and the souls they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan.   הוַיִּקַּ֣ח אַבְרָם֩ אֶת־שָׂרַ֨י אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ וְאֶת־ל֣וֹט בֶּן־אָחִ֗יו וְאֶת־כָּל־רְכוּשָׁם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁוּ וְאֶת־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ בְחָ֑רָן וַיֵּֽצְא֗וּ לָלֶ֨כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן:
and the souls they had acquired in Haran: whom he had brought under the wings of the Shechinah. Abraham would convert the men, and Sarah would convert the women, and Scripture ascribes to them [a merit] as if they had made them (Gen. Rabbah 39:14). (Hence, the expression אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ, lit. that they made.) The simple meaning of the verse is: the slaves and maidservants that they had acquired for themselves, as in [the verse] (below 31:1): “He acquired (עָשָׂה) all this wealth” [an expression of acquisition]; (Num. 24:18): “and Israel acquires,” an expression of acquiring and gathering.   אשר עשו בחרן: ×©×”כניסן תחת כנפי השכינה, אברהם מגייר את האנשים, ושרה מגיירת הנשים, ומעלה עליהם הכתוב כאלו עשאום. ופשוטו של מקרא עבדים ושפחות שקנו להם, כמו (שם לא א) עשה את כל הכבוד ×”×–×”, (במדבר כד ×™×—) וישראל עושה חיל, לשון קונה וכונס:
6And Abram passed through the land, until the place of Shechem, until the plain of Moreh, and the Canaanites were then in the land.   ווַיַּֽעֲבֹ֤ר אַבְרָם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ עַ֚ד מְק֣וֹם שְׁכֶ֔ם עַ֖ד אֵל֣וֹן מוֹרֶ֑ה וְהַכְּנַֽעֲנִ֖י אָ֥ז בָּאָֽרֶץ:
And Abram passed through the land: He entered therein.   ויעבר אברם בארץ: × ×›× ×¡ לתוכה:
until the place of Shechem: to pray for Jacob’s sons when they would come to wage war in Shechem. [from unknown midrashic source, also quoted by Redak]   עד מקום שכם: ×œ×”תפלל על בני יעקב כשיבאו להלחם בשכם:
until the plain of Moreh: That is Shechem. He showed him Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, where Israel accepted the oath of the Torah. [from aforementioned midrashic source]   אלון מורה: ×”וא שכם, הראהו הר גריזים והר עיבל ששם קבלו ישראל שבועת התורה:
and the Canaanites were then in the land: He [the Canaanite] was gradually conquering the Land of Israel from the descendants of Shem, for it fell in Shem’s share when Noah apportioned the land to his sons, as it is said (below 14: 18):“And Malchizedek the king of Salem.” Therefore, (below verse 7): And the Lord said to Abram: To your seed will I give this land. I am destined to restore it to your children, who are of the descendants of Shem. [from Sifra, end of Kedoshim]   והכנעני אז בארץ: ×”×™×” הולך וכובש את ארץ ישראל מזרעו של שם, שבחלקו של שם נפלה כשחלק × ×— את הארץ לבניו, שנאמר (בראשית יד ×™×—) ומלכי צדק מלך שלם, לפיכך (פסוק ×–) ויאמר ×”' אל אברהם לזרעך אתן את הארץ הזאת, עתיד אני להחזירה לבניך שהם מזרעו של שם:
7And the Lord appeared to Abram, and He said, "To your seed I will give this land," and there he built an altar to the Lord, Who had appeared to him.   זוַיֵּרָ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וַיִּ֤בֶן שָׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה אֵלָֽיו:
and there he built an altar: [in thanksgiving] for the good tidings concerning his descendants and the good tidings concerning the Land of Israel. [from Gen. Rabbah 39:15-16]   ויבן שם מזבח: ×¢×œ בשורת הזרע ועל בשורת ארץ ישראל:
8And he moved from there to the mountain, east of Beth el, and he pitched his tent; Beth el was to the west and Ai was to the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord, and he called in the name of the Lord.   חוַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק מִשָּׁ֜ם הָהָ֗רָה מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל וַיֵּ֣ט אָֽהֳלֹ֑ה בֵּֽית־אֵ֤ל מִיָּם֙ וְהָעַ֣י מִקֶּ֔דֶם וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֤ם מִזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה:
And he moved from there: his tent.   ויעתק משם: ××”לו:
east of Beth-el: Heb. מִקֶּדֶם, from the east of Beth-el. Hence, Beth-el was to his west. That is what the Torah means by “Beth-el was in the west.”   מקדם לבית אל: ×‘מזרחה של בית אל. נמצאת בית אל במערבו, והוא שנאמר בית אל מים:
his tent: According to the masoretic text, it is written אהלה, which can be read אָהֳלָה, her tent. First he pitched his wife’s tent and afterwards his own (Gen. Rabbah 39:15).   אהלו: ××”לה כתיב, בתחלה נטה את אהל אשתו ואחר כך את שלו:
and there he built an altar: He prophesied that his sons were destined to stumble there because of the iniquity of Achan, and he prayed there for them. [from Gen. Rabbah 39:16, Yelammedenu]   ויבן שם מזבח: × ×ª× ×‘א שעתידין בניו להכשל שם על עון עכן והתפלל שם עליהם:
9And Abram traveled, continually traveling southward.   טוַיִּסַּ֣ע אַבְרָ֔ם הָל֥וֹךְ וְנָס֖וֹעַ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה:
continually traveling: lit. going and traveling. [He traveled] in intervals, staying here for a month or more, traveling from there, and pitching his tent elsewhere. And all his travels were southward, to go to the south of the Land of Israel, and that is to the direction of Jerusalem, (The meaning is that Jerusalem was in the middle of the world and the end of the Land of Israel. So it is explained in Isaiah.) which is in the territory of Judah, who took [his portion] in the south of the Land of Israel, to Mount Moriah, which was his [Judah’s] heritage. (Gen. Rabbah 39:16). [Note that the parenthetic addendum appears in several editions of Rashi , but its connection to this verse is obscure, because the location of Jerusalem in the middle of the world is irrelevant.]   הלוך ונסוע: ×œ×¤×¨×§×™×, יושב כאן חדש או יותר ונוסע משם ונוטה אהלו במקום אחר, וכל מסעיו הנגבה ללכת לדרומה של ארץ ישראל והוא לצד ירושלים שהיא בחלקו של יהודה, שנטלו בדרומה של ארץ ישראל הר המוריה שהיא נחלתו:
10And there was a famine in the land, and Abram descended to Egypt to sojourn there because the famine was severe in the land.   יוַיְהִ֥י רָעָ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיֵּ֨רֶד אַבְרָ֤ם מִצְרַ֨יְמָה֙ לָג֣וּר שָׁ֔ם כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד הָֽרָעָ֖ב בָּאָֽרֶץ:
a famine in the land: in that land alone, to test him, whether he would think ill of the words of the Holy One, blessed be He, Who ordered him to go to the Land of Canaan, and now He was forcing him to leave it. [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer , ch. 26]   רעב בארץ: ×‘אותה ארץ לבדה, לנסותו אם יהרהר אחר דבריו של הקב"×” שאמר לו ללכת אל ארץ כנען, ועכשיו משיאו לצאת ממנה:
11Now it came to pass when he drew near to come to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Behold now I know that you are a woman of fair appearance.   יאוַיְהִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר הִקְרִ֖יב לָב֣וֹא מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־שָׂרַ֣י אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ הִנֵּה־נָ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö›×™ אִשָּׁ֥ה יְפַת־מַרְאֶ֖ה אָֽתְּ:
Behold now I know: The Midrash Aggadah (Tan. Lech Lecha 5) [states that] until now, he did not recognize her [beauty] because of the modesty of both of them, but now he recognized her [beauty] through an incident. Another explanation: It is customary that through the hardship of travel, a person becomes unattractive, but she remained with her beauty. The simple meaning of the verse is: Behold, now the time has arrived when we must be concerned about your beauty. I have known already for a long time that you are of fair appearance, but now we are coming among black and ugly people, the brothers of the Cushites, and they are not accustomed to a beautiful woman. Similar to this (below 19:2): “Behold now, my lords, please turn.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 40:4]   ×”× ×” נא ידעתי: ×ž×“רש אגדה עד עכשיו לא הכיר בה מתוך צניעות שבשניהם, ועכשיו על ידי מעשה הכיר בה. דבר אחר מנהג העולם שעל ידי טורח הדרך אדם מתבזה, וזאת עמדה ביופיה. ופשוטו של מקרא ×”× ×” נא ×”×’×™×¢ השעה שיש לדאוג על יפיך, ידעתי ×–×” ימים רבים ×›×™ יפת מראה את, ועכשיו אנו באים בין אנשים שחורים ומכוערים, אחיהם של כושים, ולא הורגלו באשה יפה. ודומה לו (בראשית יט ב) ×”× ×” נא אדוני סורו נא:
12And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife,' and they will slay me and let you live.   יבוְהָיָ֗ה כִּֽי־יִרְא֤וּ אֹתָךְ֙ הַמִּצְרִ֔ים וְאָֽמְר֖וּ אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ זֹ֑את וְהָֽרְג֥וּ אֹתִ֖י וְאֹתָ֥ךְ יְחַיּֽוּ:
13Please say [that] you are my sister, in order that it go well with me because of you, and that my soul may live because of you."   יגאִמְרִי־נָ֖א אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ לְמַ֨עַן֙ יִֽיטַב־לִ֣י בַֽעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְ וְחָֽיְתָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ:
in order that it go well with me because of you: They will give me gifts.   למען ייטב לי בעבורך: ×™×ª× ×• לי מתנות:
14And it came to pass when Abram came to Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very pretty.   ידוַיְהִ֕י כְּב֥וֹא אַבְרָ֖ם מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיִּרְא֤וּ הַמִּצְרִים֙ אֶת־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּֽי־יָפָ֥ה הִ֖וא מְאֹֽד:
And it came to pass when Abram came to Egypt: It should have said, when they came to Egypt, but it teaches us that he hid her in a trunk, and when they demanded the customs duty, they opened it and saw her. [from Gen. Rabbah 40:5]   ויהי כבוא אברם מצרימה: ×”×™×” לו לומר כבואם מצרימה, אלא למד שהטמין אותה בתיבה ועל ידי שתבעו את המכס פתחו וראו אותה:
15And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and they praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh.   טווַיִּרְא֤וּ אֹתָהּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיְהַֽלֲל֥וּ אֹתָ֖הּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַתֻּקַּ֥ח הָֽאִשָּׁ֖ה בֵּ֥ית פַּרְעֹֽה:
and they praised her to Pharaoh: They praised her among themselves, saying, “This [woman] is fit for the king.” - [from Targum Onkelos according to Ramban]   ויהללו אותה אל פרעה: ×”ללוה ביניהם לומר הגונה זו למלך:
16And he benefited Abram for her sake, and he had flocks and cattle and he donkeys and men servants and maid servants, and she donkeys and camels.   טזוּלְאַבְרָ֥ם הֵיטִ֖יב בַּֽעֲבוּרָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־ל֤וֹ צֹֽאן־וּבָקָר֙ וַֽחֲמֹרִ֔ים וַֽעֲבָדִים֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת וַֽאֲתֹנֹ֖ת וּגְמַלִּֽים:
and he benefited Abram: Pharaoh [benefited him]for her sake. [from Targum Jonathan]   ולאברם היטיב: ×¤×¨×¢×” בעבורה [נתן לו מתנות]:
17And the Lord plagued Pharaoh [with] great plagues as well as his household, on account of Sarai, Abram's wife.   יזוַיְנַגַּ֨ע יְהֹוָ֧ה | אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֛ה נְגָעִ֥ים גְּדֹלִ֖ים וְאֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ עַל־דְּבַ֥ר שָׂרַ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת אַבְרָֽם:
And the Lord plagued Pharaoh…[with] great plagues: He was stricken with the plague of “ra’athan,” making intercourse harmful to him. Gen. Rabbah (41:2)   וינגע ×”' וגו': ×‘מכת ראתן לקה, שהתשמיש קשה לו:
as well as his household: lit. and his house. As the Targum states: and upon the people of his house, (and its midrashic interpretation (Tan. Lech Lecha 8) is that this includes its walls, pillars, and utensils. In an old Rashi).   ואת ביתו: ×›×ª×¨×’ומו ועל אנש ביתיה (ומדרשו לרבות כותליו ועמודיו וכליו):
on account of Sarai: [The words עַל דְבַר שָׂרַי mean literally] according to her words: she would say to the angel, “Strike,” and he would strike. [from Tan. Lech Lecha 5]   על דבר שרי: ×¢×œ פי דבורה, אומרת למלאך הך והוא מכה:
18And Pharaoh summoned Abram, and he said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?   יחוַיִּקְרָ֤א פַרְעֹה֙ לְאַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֑י לָ֚מָּה לֹֽא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö¥×™ אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ הִֽוא:
19Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to myself for a wife? And now, here is your wife; take [her] and go."   יטלָמָ֤ה אָמַ֨רְתָּ֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא וָֽאֶקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ לִ֖י לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְעַתָּ֕ה ×”Ö´× ÖµÖ¼Ö¥×” אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ קַ֥ח וָלֵֽךְ:
take [her] and go: Not like Abimelech, who said to him (below 20:15): “Here is my land before you.” But he [Pharaoh] said to him, “Go and do not stay, because the Egyptians are lascivious,” as it is said (Ezek. 23:20):“and whose issue is the issue of horses.” - [from Tan. Lech Lecha]   קח ולך: ×œ× כאבימלך שאמר לו (×› טו) ×”× ×” ארצי לפניך, אלא אמר לו לך ואל תעמוד, שהמצרים שטופי זמה הם, שנאמר (יחזקאל ×›×’ ×›) וזרמת סוסים זרמתם:
20And Pharaoh commanded men on his behalf, and they escorted him and his wife and all that was his.   כוַיְצַ֥ו עָלָ֛יו פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וַיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לֽוֹ:
And Pharaoh commanded men on his behalf: on his account, to escort him and to guard him.   ויצו עליו: ×¢×œ אודותיו לשלחו ולשמרו:
and they escorted him: Heb. וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ, to be explained according to the Targum: and they escorted him.   וישלחו: ×›×ª×¨×’ומו ואלויאו: