Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 13

5Lot, who had accompanied Abram, had also acquired flocks, cattle, and tents.   הוְגַ֨ם־לְל֔וֹט הַֽהֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶת־אַבְרָ֑ם הָיָ֥ה צֹֽאן־וּבָקָ֖ר וְאֹֽהָלִֽים:
הַֽהֹלֵךְ אֶת־אַבְרָם - Who had accompanied Abram. What brought about that he had this wealth? His accompanying Abram.   הַֽהֹלֵךְ אֶת־אַבְרָם.  מִי גָרַם שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ זֹאת? הֲלִיכָתוֹ עִם אַבְרָם:
6The pasturage of the land between Bethel and Ai could not support them living together, for their possessions were so extensive that they could not remain together.   ווְלֹֽא־נָשָׂ֥א אֹתָ֛ם הָאָ֖רֶץ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו כִּֽי־הָיָ֤ה רְכוּשָׁם֙ רָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א יָֽכְל֖וּ לָשֶׁ֥בֶת יַחְדָּֽו:
וְלֹֽא־נָשָׂא אֹתָם - (lit.) It could not support them - means: it could not provide sufficient pasture for all their livestock. It is an abbreviated phrase and a word must be added to it, i.e., the pasturage of the land could not support them. It is for this reason that וְלֹא נָשָׂא is written in the masculine.   וְלֹֽא־נָשָׂא אֹתָם.  לֹא הָיְתָה יְכוֹלָה לְהַסְפִּיק מִרְעֶה לְמִקְנֵיהֶם, וְלָשׁוֹן קָצָר הוּא, וְצָרִיךְ לְהוֹסִיף עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ וְלֹא נָשָׂא אוֹתָם מִרְעֵה הָאָרֶץ, לְפִיכָךְ כָּתַב וְלֹא נָשָׂא בִּלְשׁוֹן זָכָר:
7A quarrel arose between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. The Canaanites and the Perizites were then living in the land.   זוַֽיְהִי־רִ֗יב בֵּ֚ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵֽה־אַבְרָ֔ם וּבֵ֖ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵה־ל֑וֹט וְהַכְּנַֽעֲנִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י אָ֖ז ישֵׁ֥ב בָּאָֽרֶץ:
וַֽיְהִי־רִיב - A quarrel arose. Since Lot’s herdsmen were wicked and let their animals graze in other people’s fields, Abram’s herdsmen would admonish them about the theft thereby involved. They replied, “The land was given to Abram; since he has no heir, his nephew Lot will inherit him, and this is not considered theft.” But the verse says: “the Canaanites and the Perizites were then living in the land,” meaning that Abram had not yet acquired of it.   וַֽיְהִי־רִיב.  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"ר):
8Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there not be contention between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen. After all, we are relatives.   חוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָ֜ם אֶל־ל֗וֹט אַל־נָ֨א תְהִ֤י מְרִיבָה֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔ךָ וּבֵ֥ין רֹעַ֖י וּבֵ֣ין רֹעֶ֑יךָ כִּֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אַחִ֖ים אֲנָֽחְנוּ:
אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים - (lit.) Brothers - means here: “relatives.” And the aggadic explanation is: They resembled each other in their facial features.   אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים.  קְרוֹבִים, וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה דּוֹמִין בִּקְלַסְתֵּר פָּנִים:
9Look, the whole land is before you. So please, separate yourself from me. If you go to the north, I will go to the south; if you go to the south, I will go to the north.”   טהֲלֹ֤א כָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הִפָּ֥רֶד נָ֖א מֵֽעָלָ֑י אִם־הַשְּׂמֹ֣אל וְאֵימִ֔נָה וְאִם־הַיָּמִ֖ין וְאַשְׂמְאִֽילָה:
אִם־הַשְּׂמֹאל וְאֵימִנָה - (lit.) If you go to the left, I will go to the right - means: Wherever you settle, I will not go far from you, and I will stand by you for protection and assistance. In the end, he indeed needed him, as it says: “Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive….” 1   אִם־הַשְּׂמֹאל וְאֵימִנָה.  בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר תֵּשֵׁב, לֹא אֶתְרַחֵק מִמְּךָ וְאֶעֱמֹד לְךָ לְמָגֵן וּלְעֵזֶר, וְסוֹף דָּבָר הֻצְרַךְ לוֹ, שְׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם כִּי נִשְׁבָּה אָחִיו וְגוֹ':
וְאֵימִנָה - means “I will direct myself to the right,” just as וְאַשְׂמְאִילָה means “I will direct myself to the left.” If you ask that this word should be punctuated וְאַיְמִינָה as is usual in the hif’il (causative) form, I answer that we find elsewhere a similar form: אִם אִשׁ לְהֵמִין “Can one possibly turn to the right…?” 2 where it is not punctuated לְהַיְמִין.   וְאֵימִנָה.  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:
10Lot looked up and saw that all of Kikar, the plain of the Jordan River, was well irrigated. Before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was like God’s own garden and like Egypt, and it extended as far as the city Tzo’ar.   יוַיִּשָּׂא־ל֣וֹט אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כָּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י כֻלָּ֖הּ מַשְׁקֶ֑ה לִפְנֵ֣י | שַׁחֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶת־סְדֹם֙ וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֔ה כְּגַן־יְהֹוָה֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּֽאֲכָ֖ה צֹֽעַר:
כִּי כֻלָּהּ מַשְׁקֶה - That it was all well irrigated - i.e., it was a land of water streams.   כִּי כֻלָּהּ מַשְׁקֶה.  אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מַיִם:
לִפְנֵי שַׁחֵת ה' אֶת־סדום וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה - Before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah - that plain was   לִפְנֵי שַׁחֵת ה' אֶת־סדום וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה.  הָיָה אוֹתוֹ מִישׁוֹר:
כְּגַן־ה' - like God’s own garden - with regard to the quality of its trees,   כְּגַן־ה'.  לָאִילָנוֹת:
כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם - and like Egypt. with regard to the quality of its plants.   כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם.  לַזְּרָעִים (בראשית רבה):
בֹּֽאֲכָה צֹֽעַר - (lit.) Towards Tzo’ar - means: as far as Tzo’ar. But the aggadic explanation explains this verse to Lot’s discredit: Lot chose their locality because they were steeped in immorality. So is it stated in the tractate Horayot.   בֹּֽאֲכָה צֹֽעַר.  עַד צֹעַר. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה דוֹרְשָׁהּ לִגְנַאי, עַל שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁטוּפֵי זִמָּה בָּחַר לוֹ לוֹט בִּשְׁכוּנָתָם:
11So Lot chose for himself all of Kikar, the plain of the Jordan River. Lot journeyed first westward from the east. Thus they separated from one another.   יאוַיִּבְחַר־ל֣וֹ ל֗וֹט אֵ֚ת כָּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיִּסַּ֥ע ל֖וֹט מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיִּפָּ֣רְד֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל אָחִֽיו:
כִּכַּר - Kikar. This is a plain, as Onkelos translates it.   כִּכַּר.  מִישׁוֹר, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
מִקֶּדֶם - From the east. He traveled away from Abram and went to the west of Abram; thus he traveled from east to west. The aggadic explanation is that he journeyed away from the One who preceded the world (קַדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם), saying, “I want neither Abram nor his God.”   מִקֶּדֶם.  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:
12Abram lived in Canaan, while Lot dwelt in the cities of the Jordan River plain, and pitched his tents throughout the whole plain, as far as Sodom.   יבאַבְרָ֖ם יָשַׁ֣ב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָ֑עַן וְל֗וֹט יָשַׁב֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י הַכִּכָּ֔ר וַיֶּֽאֱהַ֖ל עַד־סְדֹֽם:
וַיֶּֽאֱהַל - Pitched his tents. He pitched tents for his herdsmen and for his cattle throughout the district “as far as Sodom.”   וַיֶּֽאֱהַל.  נָטָה אֳהָלִים לְרוֹעָיו וּלְמִקְנֵהוּ עַד סְדוֹם:
13The inhabitants of Sodom and its neighbors were wicked and sinners. They sinned against God deliberately, in order to anger Him.   יגוְאַנְשֵׁ֣י סְדֹ֔ם רָעִ֖ים וְחַטָּאִ֑ים לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד:
וְאַנְשֵׁי סדום רָעִים - The inhabitants of Sodom were evil - but nevertheless Lot did not refrain from living among them. Our rabbis 3 learned from this verse, where the Sodomites are spoken of with disdain, a source for the proverb: “and let the name of the wicked rot away.” 4   וְאַנְשֵׁי סדום רָעִים.  וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא נִמְנַע לוֹט מִלִּשְׁכֹּן עִמָּהֶם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ לָמְדוּ מִכָּאן (יומא ל"ח) וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב (משלי י'):
רָעִים - Evil - with their bodies (i.e., immoral)   רָעִים.  בְּגוּפָם:
וְחַטָּאִים - And sinners. with their possessions.   וְחַטָּאִים.  בְּמָמוֹנָם (סנה' ק"ט):
לה' מְאֹֽד - Against God deliberately (lit., “extremely”). They knew their Master, yet they deliberately rebelled against Him.   לה' מְאֹֽד.  יוֹדְעִים רִבּוֹנָם, וּמִתְכַּוְּנִים לִמְרֹד בּוֹ:
14After Lot had separated from him, God said to Abram, “Raise your eyes and, from the place where you are, look to the north, to the south, to the east, and to the west.   ידוַֽיהֹוָ֞ה אָמַ֣ר אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הִפָּֽרֶד־ל֣וֹט מֵֽעִמּ֔וֹ שָׂ֣א נָ֤א עֵינֶ֨יךָ֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מִן־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֣ה שָׁ֑ם צָפֹ֥נָה וָנֶ֖גְבָּה וָקֵ֥דְמָה וָיָֽמָּה:
אַֽחֲרֵי הִפָּֽרֶד־לוֹט - After Lot had separated. As long as the wicked Lot was with him, the word of God (i.e., Divine Communication) kept away from him.   אַֽחֲרֵי הִפָּֽרֶד־לוֹט.  כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָרָשָׁע עִמּוֹ הָיָה הַדִּבּוּר פּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֵֶּנּוּ:
15For I will give all the land that you see to you and to your offspring forever.   טוכִּ֧י אֶת־כָּל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לְךָ֣ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ עַד־עוֹלָֽם:
16I will make your offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth: if a man will be able to count the particles of dust in the world, then your offspring, too, will be countable.   טזוְשַׂמְתִּ֥י אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ כַּֽעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר | אִם־יוּכַ֣ל אִ֗ישׁ לִמְנוֹת֙ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ גַּם־זַרְעֲךָ֖ יִמָּנֶֽה:
אֲשֶׁר אִם־יוּכַל אִישׁ - If a man will be able to - means: just as it is impossible for dust to be counted, so, too, will it be impossible for your offspring to be counted.   אֲשֶׁר אִם־יוּכַל אִישׁ.  כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לֶעָפָר לְהִמָּנוֹת כָּךְ זַרְעֲךָ לֹא יִמָּנֶה:
17Rise, walk through the land, along its length and breadth, for I will give it to you in the future.”   יזק֚וּם הִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ בָּאָ֔רֶץ לְאָרְכָּ֖הּ וּלְרָחְבָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י לְךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה:
18Abram set up tents, and came and settled in Elonim, the plains of Mamre the Amorite, in Hebron. There, he built an altar to God and offered up a sacrifice on it.   יחוַיֶּֽאֱהַ֣ל אַבְרָ֗ם וַיָּבֹ֛א וַיֵּ֛שֶׁב בְּאֵֽלֹנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֥ם מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהֹוָֽה:
מַמְרֵא - Mamre. This is the name of a man.   מַמְרֵא.  שֵׁם אָדָם: