Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 21

22At that time, Avimelech, accompanied by Pichol, chief of his troops, said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.   כבוַֽיְהִי֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ וּפִיכֹל֙ שַׂר־צְבָא֔וֹ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר אֱלֹהִ֣ים עִמְּךָ֔ בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֖ה עֹשֶֽׂה:
אֱלֹהִים עִמְּךָ - God is with you. They said this because they saw that he had left the locality of Sodom in peace, he had fought the kings and they had fallen into his hands, and his wife had been remembered with a child in his old age.   אֱלֹהִים עִמְּךָ.  לְפִי שֶׁרָאוּ שֶׁיָּצָא מִשְּׁכוּנַת סְדוֹם לְשָׁלוֹם, וְעִם הַמְּלָכִים נִלְחַם וְנָפְלוּ בְיָדוֹ, וְנִפְקְדָה אִשְׁתּוֹ לִזְקוּנָיו:
23So now, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my grandson. The same kindness that I have shown you, welcoming you in my land, you will show to me and to the people of the land in which you have sojourned.”   כגוְעַתָּ֗ה הִשָּׁ֨בְעָה לִּ֤י בֵֽאלֹהִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה אִם־תִּשְׁקֹ֣ר לִ֔י וּלְנִינִ֖י וּלְנֶכְדִּ֑י כַּחֶ֜סֶד אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֤יתִי עִמְּךָ֙ תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה עִמָּדִ֔י וְעִם־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־גַּ֥רְתָּה בָּֽהּ:
וּלְנִינִי וּלְנֶכְדִּי - Nor with my son, nor with my grandson. This is the extent of a father’s concern for his descendants.   וּלְנִינִי וּלְנֶכְדִּי.  עַד כָּאן רַחֲמֵי הָאָב עַל הַבֵּן:
כַּחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי עִמְּךָ תַּֽעֲשֶׂה עִמָּדִי - The same kindness that I have shown you, you will show to me. This refers to what I told you, “My land is here before you.” 1   כַּחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי עִמְּךָ תַּֽעֲשֶׂה עִמָּדִי.  שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לְךָ הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ (בראשית רבה):
24Abraham replied, “I will swear.”   כדוַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם אָֽנֹכִ֖י אִשָּׁבֵֽעַ:
25Abraham then disputed with Avimelech over the well of water that Avimelech’s servants had seized.   כהוְהוֹכִ֥חַ אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ עַל־אֹדוֹת֙ בְּאֵ֣ר הַמַּ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּֽזְל֖וּ עַבְדֵ֥י אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ:
וְהוֹכִחַ - means: he argued with him about it.   וְהוֹכִחַ.  נִתְוַכֵּחַ עִמּוֹ עַל כָּךְ:
26Avimelech said, “I do not know who did this thing, nor did you tell me, nor did I hear about it until today.”   כווַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי מִ֥י עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וְגַם־אַתָּ֞ה לֹֽא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֗י וְגַ֧ם אָֽנֹכִ֛י לֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי בִּלְתִּ֥י הַיּֽוֹם:
27Abraham took flocks and cattle and gave them to Avimelech, and the two of them made a treaty.   כזוַיִּקַּ֤ח אַבְרָהָם֙ צֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לַֽאֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם בְּרִֽית:
28Abraham then set aside seven ewes of the flock.   כחוַיַּצֵּ֣ב אַבְרָהָ֗ם אֶת־שֶׁ֛בַע כִּבְשׂ֥ת הַצֹּ֖אן לְבַדְּהֶֽן:
29Avimelech asked Abraham, “What are these seven ewes that you have set aside by themselves?”   כטוַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם מָ֣ה הֵ֗נָּה שֶׁ֤בַע כְּבָשׂת֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִצַּ֖בְתָּ לְבַדָּֽנָה:
30He replied, “You are to accept these seven ewes from my hand as testimony that I dug this well.”   לוַיֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֚י אֶת־שֶׁ֣בַע כְּבָשׂ֔ת תִּקַּ֖ח מִיָּדִ֑י בַּֽעֲבוּר֙ תִּֽהְיֶה־לִּ֣י לְעֵדָ֔ה כִּ֥י חָפַ֖רְתִּי אֶת־הַבְּאֵ֥ר הַזֹּֽאת:
בַּֽעֲבוּר תִּֽהְיֶה־לִּי - (lit.) So that it be [as testimony] for me - referring to this action.   בַּֽעֲבוּר תִּֽהְיֶה־לִּי.  זאת:
לְעֵדָה - עֵדָה is the feminine form of one bearing testimony, as in: “and the monument will be a witness (עֵדָה).” 2   לְעֵדָה.  לְשׁוֹן עֵדוּת שֶׁל נְקֵבָה, כְּמוֹ וְעֵדָה הַמַּצֵּבָה (בראשית ל"א):
כִּי חָפַרְתִּי אֶת־הַבְּאֵר - That I dug [this] well. Avimelech’s shepherds were quarreling with Abraham’s shepherds about the well, saying, “We dug it.” They both decided that whoever would appear by the well and its water would rise toward him, the well belonged to him, and the water rose toward Abraham.   כִּי חָפַרְתִּי אֶת־הַבְּאֵר.  מְרִיבִים הָיוּ עָלֶיהָ רוֹעֵי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְאוֹמְרִים אֲנַחְנוּ חֲפַרְנוּהָ, אָמְרוּ בֵּינֵיהֶם כָּל מִי שֶׁיִּתְרָאֶה עַל הַבְּאֵר וְיַעֲלוּ הַמַּיִם לִקְרָאתוֹ, שֶׁלּוֹ הִיא, וְעָלוּ לִקְרָאת אַבְרָהָם:
31That place was therefore called Beersheba [“Well of the Oath”], for there the two of them made an oath.   לאעַל־כֵּ֗ן קָרָ֛א לַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כִּ֛י שָׁ֥ם נִשְׁבְּע֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם:
32When they had made this treaty in Beersheba, Avimelech and Pichol, chief of his troops, departed and returned to Philistia.   לבוַיִּכְרְת֥וּ בְרִ֖ית בִּבְאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיָּ֣קָם אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ וּפִיכֹל֙ שַׂר־צְבָא֔וֹ וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים:
33Abraham opened an inn in Beersheba. There he proclaimed the name of God, God of the Universe.   לגוַיִּטַּ֥ע אֵ֖שֶׁל בִּבְאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיִּ֨קְרָא־שָׁ֔ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵ֥ל עוֹלָֽם:
אֵשֶׁל - (lit.) A tree. Rav and Shemuel differ as to what this was: one said it was an orchard to provide fruit for the travelers’ meals, and the other said it was an inn for lodging, containing all types of food. Although it is usually used to mean planting trees, etc., we find the verb נטע used concerning pitching tents, as it says: “He will pitch (וְיִטַּע) the tents of his palace.” 3   אֵשֶׁל.  רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל, חַד אֲמַר פַּרְדֵּס לְהָבִיא מִמֶּנוּ פֵּרוֹת לָאוֹרְחִים בַּסְּעוּדָה, וְחַד אֲמַר פֻּנְדָּק לְאַכְסַנְיָא וּבוֹ כָּל מִינֵי פֵּרוֹת. וּמָצִינוּ לְשׁוֹן נְטִיעָה בְּאֹהָלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְיִטַּע אָהֳלֵי אַפַּדְנוֹ (דניאל י"א):
וַיִּקְרָא־שָׁם וגו' - (lit.) There he proclaimed…. means: through that אֵשֶׁל, the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, was proclaimed as God of the entire universe. After the travelers had eaten and drunk, he would tell them, “Bless the One of whose food you have eaten. Do you think that you ate of my food? You have eaten of that which belongs to the One who spoke and the world came into existence.”   וַיִּקְרָא־שָׁם וגו'.  עַל יְדֵי אוֹתוֹ אֵשֶׁל נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֱלוֹהַּ לְכָל הָעוֹלָם, לְאַחַר שֶׁאוֹכְלִים וְשׁוֹתִים אוֹמֵר לָהֶם בָּרְכוּ לְמִי שֶׁאֲכַלְתֶּם מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, סְבוּרִים אַתֶּם שֶׁמִּשֶּׁלִּי אֲכַלְתֶּם? מִשֶּׁל מִי שֶׁאָמָר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם אֲכַלְתֶּם (סוטה י'):
34Abraham sojourned in Philistia for one year more than he had lived in Hebron, i.e., for 26 years.   לדוַיָּ֧גָר אַבְרָהָ֛ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים:
יָמִים רַבִּֽים - (lit.) For many years. This indicates that these years were more than those at Hebron: he spent 25 years in Hebron, and 26 years here. For he was in his 75th year when he left Charan, and in the same year “he came and settled in Elonim, the plains of Mamre the Amorite, in Hebron”; 4 for we do not find that he settled anywhere else beforehand, since in all other places he was only like a visitor, stopping briefly and then continuing on traveling, as it says: “Abram traveled through the land…. From there he moved on…. There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt” 5 – and he spent only three months in Egypt, for Pharaoh sent him away. Immediately, “He continued on his travels,” 6 until “he came and settled in Elonim, the plains of Mamre the Amorite, in Hebron,” where he lived until Sodom was overturned. Immediately afterwards, “Abraham journeyed from there” 7 because he was ashamed of Lot, and he came to the land of the Philistines. He was then 99 years old, since the angels who announced the destruction of Sodom came to him on the third day after his circumcision, thus making altogether 25 years since the time he had settled in Hebron. Here it is written “many years,” indicating that they were more than the first years, and since the verse does not mean to be ambiguous but explicit, if they would have exceeded the previous period by two years or more it would have said so. It must then be that the “many years” were not more than one year more than the previous years – making 26 years in the land of the Philistines. Immediately afterwards, he left there and returned to Hebron, and that year was 12 years before the binding of Isaac. This is all recounted in Seder Olam. 8   יָמִים רַבִּֽים.  מְרֻבִּים עַל שֶׁל חֶבְרוֹן. בְּחֶבְרוֹן עָשָׂה כ"ה שָׁנָה וְכָאן כ"ו, שֶׁהֲרֵי בֶּן ע"ה שָׁנָה הָיָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן, אוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה וַיָבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא, שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ קֹדֶם לָכֵן שֶׁנִּתְיַשֵּׁב אֶלָּא שָׁם, שֶׁבְּכָל מְקוֹמוֹתָיו הָיָה כְּאוֹרֵחַ חוֹנֶה וְנוֹסֵעַ וְהוֹלֵך, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם, וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם, וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ וַיֵּרֶד אַבְרָם מִצְרַיְמָה (בראשית י"ב), וּבְמִצְרַיִם לֹא עָשָׂה אֶלָּא שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים שֶׁהֲרֵי שְׁלָחוֹ פַרְעֹה מִיָּד, וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו עַד וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא אֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן (שם י"ג), שָׁם יָשַׁב עַד שֶׁנֶּהֱפְכָה סְדוֹם, מִיָּד וַיִּסַּע מִשָּׁם אַבְרָהָם מִפְּנֵי בוּשָׁה שֶׁל לוֹט וּבָא לְאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וּבֶן צ"ט שָׁנָה הָיָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי בַשְּׁלִישִׁי לְמִילָתוֹ בָּאוּ אֶצְלוֹ הַמַּלְאָכִים, הֲרֵי כ"ה שָׁנָה, וְכָאן כְּתִיב יָמִים רַבִּים, מְרֻבִּים עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, וְלֹא בָא הַכָּתוּב לִסְתֹּם אֶלָּא לְפָרֵשׁ, וְאִם הָיוּ מְרֻבִּים עֲלֵיהֶם שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים אוֹ יוֹתֵר הָיָה מְפָרְשָׁם, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אֵינָם יְתֵרִים יוֹתֵר מִשָּׁנָה, הֲרֵי כ"ו שָׁנָה; מִיָּד יָצָא מִשָּׁם וְחָזַר לְחֶבְרוֹן, וְאוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה קָדְמָה לִפְנֵי עֲקֵדָתוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק י"ב שָׁנִים, בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם: