| 21The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people you have rescued from my kingdom and keep the belongings you have retrieved for yourself.” |
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כאוַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־סְדֹ֖ם אֶל־אַבְרָ֑ם תֶּן־לִ֣י הַנֶּ֔פֶשׁ וְהָֽרְכֻ֖שׁ קַח־לָֽךְ: |
| תֶּן־לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ - Give me the people. This means: Of that which was captured from me and which you rescued, return only the people to me. |
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תֶּן־לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ.
מִן הַשְּׁבִי שֶׁלִּי שֶׁהִצַּלְתָּ, הַחֲזֵר לִי הַגּוּפִים לְבַדָּם:
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| 22Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand and sworn to God, the Most High God, maker of heaven and earth, |
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כבוַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַבְרָ֖ם אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ סְדֹ֑ם הֲרִמֹ֨תִי יָדִ֤י אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ אֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ: |
| הרימתי יָדִי - (lit.) I have raised my hand. This is an expression of an oath: “I raise my hand to the Most High God.” Similarly we find the past tense used instead of the present: בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי which means: “By Myself I swear,” and נָתַתִּי כֶּסֶף הַשָּׂדֶה קַח מִמֶּנִּי which means: “I am giving you the money for the field; take it from me.” |
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הרימתי יָדִי.
לְשׁוֹן שְׁבוּעָה, מֵרִים אֲנִי אֶת יָדִי לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן, וְכֵן בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי (בר' כ"ב), נִשְׁבַּע אֲנִי, וְכֵן נָתַתִּי כֶּסֶף הַשָּׂדֶה קַח מִמֶּנִּי (שם כ"ג), נוֹתֵן אֲנִי לְךָ כֶּסֶף הַשָּׂדֶה, קָחֵהוּ מִמֶּנִּי:
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| 23that I will not even retain a thread or a shoe strap from among the returned belongings! Nor will I take anything that you offer me from your treasury as payment, so you will not be able to say, ‘It was I who made Abram rich.’ |
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כגאִם־מִחוּט֙ וְעַ֣ד שְׂרֽוֹךְ־נַ֔עַל וְאִם־אֶקַּ֖ח מִכָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָ֑ךְ וְלֹ֣א תֹאמַ֔ר אֲנִ֖י הֶֽעֱשַׁ֥רְתִּי אֶת־אַבְרָֽם: |
| אִם־מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרֽוֹךְ־נַעַל - Not even a thread or a shoe strap. Will I retain for myself from what was captured. |
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אִם־מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרֽוֹךְ־נַעַל.
אַעֲכֵּב לְעַצְמִי מִן הַשְּׁבִי:
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| וְאִם־אֶקַּח מִכָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָךְ - Nor will I take anything of yours - Even if you wish to pay me out of your own treasury, I will not take it. |
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וְאִם־אֶקַּח מִכָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָךְ.
וְאִם תֹּאמַר לָתֵת לִי שָׂכָר מִבֵּית גְּנָזֶיךָ, לֹא אֶקַּח:
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| וְלֹא תֹאמַר וגו' - So that you will not be able to say…. for the Holy One, blessed be He, has promised to make me wealthy, as it says: “I will bless you….” |
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וְלֹא תֹאמַר וגו'.
שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הִבְטִיחַנִי לְעַשְּׁרֵנִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וְגוֹ':
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| 24That is, except for what the young men have eaten, and the share due the men who came with me into battle, as well as what is due Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. All these may take their share.” |
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כדבִּלְעָדַ֗י רַ֚ק אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽכְל֣וּ הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וְחֵ֨לֶק֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָֽלְכ֖וּ אִתִּ֑י עָנֵר֙ אֶשְׁכֹּ֣ל וּמַמְרֵ֔א הֵ֖ם יִקְח֥וּ חֶלְקָֽם: |
| הַנְּעָרִים - The young men - i.e., my servants “who came with me.” And also “Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre may take their share.” Even though my servants went into battle, as it says, “He and his servants…attacked them,” and Aner and his friends only remained with the equipment to guard it, nevertheless “they may take their share.” And King David learned from him, for he said, “Like the share of the one who goes into battle, so will be the share of the one who guards the equipment; they shall divide the spoil together.” It therefore continues and says: “And so from that day, as was previously (וָמָעְלָה) the practice, David made it as a rule of law.” It does not say “from that day on” (וָהָלְאָה), because the rule had already been instituted in Abram’s time. |
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הַנְּעָרִים.
עֲבָדַי אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אִתִּי וְעוֹד עָנֵר אֶשְׁכֹּל וּמַמְרֵא וְגוֹ'; אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעֲבָדַי נִכְנְסוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו וַיַּכֵּם, וְעָנֵר וַחֲבֵרָיו יָשְׁבוּ עַל הַכֵּלִים לִשְׁמֹר, אֲפִלּוּ הָכִי הֵם יִקְחוּ חֶלְקָם. וּמִמֶּנּוּ לָמַד דָּוִד, שֶׁאָמַר כְּחֵלֶק הַיֹּרֵד בַּמִּלְחָמָה וּכְחֵלֶק הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל הַכֵּלִים יַחְדָּו יַחֲלֹקוּ (שמואל א ל'), וּלְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר וַיְהִי מֵהַיּוֹם הַהוּא וָמָעְלָה וַיְשִׂמֶהָ לְחֹק וּלְמִשְׁפָּט (שם), וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר וָהָלְאָה, לְפִי שֶׁכְּבָר נִתַּן הַחֹק בִּימֵי אַבְרָם:
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| 1After these words of Abram’s, God’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear punishment, Abram; I am a shield for you. Furthermore, your reward will still be very great.” |
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אאַחַ֣ר | הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם בַּמַּֽחֲזֶ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אַל־תִּירָ֣א אַבְרָ֗ם אָֽנֹכִי֙ מָגֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ שְׂכָֽרְךָ֖ הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד: |
| אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה - After these words. Wherever it says the word אַחַר it signifies soon after the preceding event, whereas אַחֲרֵי signifies a long time afterward (Bereshit Rabbah ). Thus “after these words” means after this miracle was performed for him, that he killed the kings, he was worried and said, “Maybe I have now received full reward for all my righteous deeds.” Therefore the Omnipresent said to him: “Do not fear, Abram; I am a shield for you” from punishment, so that you not be punished for all the people you killed; and concerning your anxiety about having received your reward: “your reward will still be very great.” |
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אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה.
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶאֱמַר אַחַר – סָמוּךְ, אַחֲרֵי – מֻפְלָג (בראשית רבה). אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אַחַר שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לוֹ נֵס זֶה, שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַמְּלָכִים וְהָיָה דוֹאֵג וְאוֹמֵר, שֶׁמָּא קִבַּלְתִּי שָׂכָר עַל כָּל צִדְקוֹתַי, לְכָךְ אָמַר לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ, מִן הָעֹנֶשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא תֵּעָנֵשׁ עַל כָּל אוֹתָן נְפָשׁוֹת שֶׁהָרַגְתָּ; וּמַה שֶּׁאַתָּה דוֹאֵג עַל קִבּוּל שְׂכָרְךָ, שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד (בראשית רבה):
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| 2Abram said, “God, of what benefit would anything be that You would give me, seeing that I am childless, and because I have no son, the administrator of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?” |
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בוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֗ם אֲדֹנָ֤י יֱהֹוִה֙ מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י וְאָֽנֹכִ֖י הוֹלֵ֣ךְ עֲרִירִ֑י וּבֶן־מֶ֣שֶׁק בֵּיתִ֔י ה֖וּא דַּמֶּ֥שֶׂק אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר: |
| הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי - Menachem ben Saruk explained עֲרִירִי as meaning “heir,” and so we find it with a similar meaning: עֵר וְעוֹנָה “son and grandson.” However, in our context עֲרִירִי means “without an heir,” the same word being used with an opposite negative meaning, in the same way as it says: “and all my produce תְּשָׁרֵשׁ,” meaning “it will uproot,” although תְּשָׁרֵשׁ can otherwise mean “take root.” So, too, עֲרִירִי means here “without children,” and in Old French “desenfantez” (“childless”). But to me it seems that עֵר וְעוֹנָה is of the same root as: “but my heart is awake (עֵר).” עֲרִירִי, however, is an expression of destruction, and similarly we find: עָרוּ עָרוּ “Destroy! Destroy!” and similarly: עָרוֹת יְסוֹד “destroying the foundation,” and similarly: עַרְעַר תִּתְעַרְעַר “it shall surely be destroyed,” and similarly: כִּי אַרְזָה עֵרָה “for its cedar-work will be destroyed.” |
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הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי.
מְנַחֵם בֶּן סָרוּק פֵּרְשׁוֹ לְשׁוֹן יוֹרֵשׁ, וְחָבֵר לוֹ עֵר וְעֹנֶה (מלאכי ב'), עֲרִירִי, בְלֹא יוֹרֵשׁ, כַּאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר וּבְכָל תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵשׁ (איוב ל"א), תְּעַקֵּר שָׁרָשֶׁיהָ, כָּךְ לְשׁוֹן עֲרִירִי חֲסַר בָּנִים, ובלע"ז דישאנפנטיש. וְלִי נִרְאֶה עֵר וְעֹנֶה מִגִּזְרַת וְלִבִּי עֵר (שיר השירים ה'), וַעֲרִירִי לְשׁוֹן חֻרְבָּן, וְכֵן עָרוּ עָרוּ (תה' קל"ז), וְכֵן עָרוֹת יְסוֹד (חבקוק ג'), וְכֵן עַרְעֵר תִּתְעַרְעָר (ירמ' נ"א), וְכֵן כִּי אַרְזָה עֵרָה (צפניה ב'):
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| וּבֶן־מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: “the provider in my house,” i.e., the person by whose orders my entire household is provided for, similar to: “and by your orders will all my people be provided for (יִשַּׁק),” i.e., my administrator; were I, however, to have a son, my son would be in charge of my affairs. |
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וּבֶן־מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי.
כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, שֶׁכָּל בֵּיתִי נִזּוֹן עַל פִּיו, כְּמוֹ וְעַל פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק (בר' מלכים א), אַפּוֹטְרוֹפּוֹס שֶׁלִּי, וְאִלּוּ הָיָה לִי בֵן, הָיָה בְנִי מְמֻנֶּה עַל שֶׁלִּי:
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| דַּמֶּשֶׂק - Damascus. According to Onkelos’ translation it means that he came from Damascus. But according to an aggadic explanation he was so called because he had pursued the kings until Damascus. In our Gemara it is explained as an acrostic: דּוֹלֶה וּמַשְׁקֶה “one who draws and gives drink” to others of the teachings of his master. |
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דַּמֶּשֶׂק.
לְפִי הַתַּרְגּוּם מִדַּמֶּשֶׂק הָיָה, וּלְפִי מִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה שֶׁרָדַף הַמְּלָכִים עַד דַּמֶּשֶׂק. וּבַתַּלְמוּד דָרְשׁוּ נוֹטָרִיקוֹן דּוֹלֶה וּמַשְׁקֶה מִתּוֹרַת רַבּוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים:
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| 3Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no children. Eliezer, a mere member of my household, will inherit me.” |
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גוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֔ם הֵ֣ן לִ֔י לֹ֥א נָתַ֖תָּה זָ֑רַע וְהִנֵּ֥ה בֶן־בֵּיתִ֖י יוֹרֵ֥שׁ אֹתִֽי: |
| הֵן לִי לֹא נתת זָרַע - You have given me no children. So what purpose, then, is there in all that You will give me? |
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הֵן לִי לֹא נתת זָרַע.
וּמַה תּוֹעֶלֶת בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר תִּתֵּן לִי?
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| 4At that moment the word of God came to him, saying: “This person will not be your heir! Rather, one born from your own flesh will inherit you.” |
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דוְהִנֵּ֨ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א יִירָֽשְׁךָ֖ זֶ֑ה כִּי־אִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵצֵ֣א מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ ה֖וּא יִֽירָשֶֽׁךָ: |
| 5God took Abram outside his tent and said, “Look towards heaven and count the stars—if you can count them!” He said to him, “That is how numerous your descendants will be.” |
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הוַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִֽהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ: |
| וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה - [God] took him outside. According to the straightforward meaning, He brought him out of his tent to look at the stars. But according to its Midrashic explanation, He said to him, “Leave your astrological calculations that you have observed in the constellations that you are not destined to have a son. Abram will not have a son, but Abraham will have a son. Sarai will not give birth, but Sarah will. I will give you both another name and your constellation will thus be altered.” Another explanation: He took him outside the terrestrial atmosphere and lifted him above the stars, and thus the word הַבֶּט is used, indicating looking downward from above. |
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וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה.
לְפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ הוֹצִיאוֹ מֵאָהֳלוֹ לַחוּץ לִרְאוֹת הַכּוֹכָבִים, וּלְפִי מִדְרָשׁוֹ אָמַר לוֹ צֵא מֵאִצְטַגְנִינוּת שֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁרָאִיתָ בַּמַּזָּלוֹת שֶׁאֵינְךָ עָתִיד לְהַעֲמִיד בֵּן, אַבְרָם אֵין לוֹ בֵן, אֲבָל אַבְרָהָם יֵשׁ לוֹ בֵן, שָׂרַי לֹא תֵלֵד, אֲבָל שָׂרָה תֵלֵד; אֲנִי קוֹרֵא לָכֶם שֵׁם אַחֵר וְיִשְׁתַּנֶּה הַמַּזָּל. דָּבָר אַחֵר הוֹצִיאוֹ מֵחֲלָלוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וְהִגְבִּיהוֹ לְמַעְלָה מִן הַכּוֹכָבִים, וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן הַבָּטָה מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה:
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| 6Abram believed in God, and God accounted it for him as an act of righteousness. |
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ווְהֶֽאֱמִ֖ן בַּֽיהֹוָ֑ה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ לּ֖וֹ צְדָקָֽה: |
| והאמין בה' - [Abram] believed in God - i.e., he did not ask Him for a sign about this promise of having descendants. He did, however, ask for a sign about inheriting the land and said to Him, “By what sign can I know…?” |
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והאמין בה'.
לֹא שָׁאַל לוֹ אוֹת עַל זֹאת; אֲבָל עַל יְרֻשַּׁת הָאָרֶץ שָׁאַל לוֹ אוֹת וְאָמַר לוֹ בַּמָּה אֵדַע.
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| וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָֽה - And He accounted it for him as an act of righteousness - i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, considered the faith that Abram had in Him as a meritorious and righteous act. Another explanation of “How will I know…?”: He did not ask Him here for a sign about the inheritance of the land but asked Him: “Let me know by what merit my descendants will continue to remain in the land.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: “Through the merit of the sacrifices.” |
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וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָֽה.
הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חֲשָׁבָהּ לאַבְרָם לִזְכוּת וְלִצְדָקָה עַל הַאֲמָנָה שֶׁהֶאֱמִין בּוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר בַּמָּה אֵדַע, לֹא שָׁאַל לוֹ אוֹת אֶלָּא אָמַר לְפָנָיו, הוֹדִיעֵנִי בְּאֵיזֶה זְכוּת יִתְקַיְּמוּ בָּהּ, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בִּזְכוּת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת:
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