Not Easy Being Blessed
I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great. You will be a blessing. Those who bless you, I will bless. Those who curse you, I will curse. Through you all the families of the land will be blessed. (Sefer Beresheit 12:2-3)
I. Hashem’s promises to Avraham
Hashem tells Avraham to leave his homeland, the land of his birth, his father’s home and to travel to a land that He will appoint for him. In the above passages, He reveals to Avraham the blessings He will bestow upon him. He will be the patriarch of a great nation. He will be blessed with wealth. He will be renowned. These blessings will be so extensive that those wishing well upon another will invoke Avraham’s example – “May you be blessed as Avraham.” Hashem will reward those who support Avraham and punish those who oppose him. Finally, Hashem tells Avraham that through their association with Avraham, the families of humankind will draw and benefit from his blessings.[1]
II. Greatness and jealousy
Hashem promises Avraham that he will enjoy prosperity and the love and respect of his neighbors. This combination of blessings should not be taken for granted. Greatness often engenders jealousy and evokes conflict. Those who achieve greatness must contend with the constant opposition of those who wish their demise.
There are examples of this phenomenon in the Torah. The most glaring is the story of Yosef. Yosef saved Egypt from famine. He also used Egypt’s resources to sustain the surrounding nations. Did Yosef earn the love of the Egyptians or of the people of Cana’an whom he feed?
Yosef was Paroh’s chief minister. During the years leading up to and during the famine, they were intimate. However, despite Yosef’s continued role as his leading minister, after the crises Paroh distanced himself from Yosef. When Yaakov died, Yosef sought Paroh’s permission to travel to Cana’an and bury his father. No longer could he direct his request to Paroh; instead, Yosef addressed the king through an intermediary.[2]
Paroh granted Yosef’s request. He, his brothers, and their families brought their father’s body to the Land of Cana’an for burial. They arrived at the border to the land. Our Sages comment that they were greeted by the kings of the nations of Cana’an and the princes of Yishmael. They were prepared to wage war against Yosef and his brothers. Yosef removed his crown and placed it upon his father’s casket. Yosef was communicating that he had come to their land only to honor his father, Yaakov. The kings and princes relented out of their respect for Yaakov.[3] These kings and princes were sustained by Yosef during a terrible famine. Yet, when he came with his brothers to the border of their land, rather than welcoming him, they confronted Yosef prepared to wage war.
They took all the property of Sedom and Amorah, all their food, and they left. They took Lote, his property – the nephew of Avram – and they went. He dwelt in Sedom. (Sefer Beresheit 14:11-12)
III. Plots against Avraham
War breaks-out. The cities of Sedom and Amorah are conquered and sacked. Lote – Avraham’s nephew – lives in Sedom. He is taken captive and his property seized. In the above passages, the Torah separately describes the sacking of Sedom and the capture of Lote with his property. This indicates that Lote was not taken captive because he lived in Sedom. He was specifically targeted. The passages also explain the reason he was taken captive; he was the nephew of Avraham. Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno explains that the conquerors intended to demand a ransom from Avraham. In other words, the conquerors coveted Avraham’s wealth and took Lote captive to lay claim to it.[4],[5]
These incidents illustrate that acquiring wealth and achieving success very often evokes jealousy and leads to contention. Avraham experienced these responses to his blessings. Hashem told Avraham that this jealousy would ultimately be replaced by love and respect. According to Ramban – Nachmanides, our parasha describes this transition.
There was contention between the shepherds of the flocks of Avram and the shepherds of the flocks of Lote. And the Cana’ani and the Perizi then dwelt in the land. (Sefer Beresheit 13:7)
IV. Avraham’s fears
How did Lote come to dwell in Sedom? The Torah explains that upon arriving in the Land of Cana’an, Lote and Avraham dwelled together. However, as their wealth increased, their flocks grew. Pasture was limited. Conflicts arose between the shepherds of Avraham and those of Lote. Avraham was disturbed by the conflict. He said to Lote, “Let there not be a conflict between us and between my shepherds and your shepherds; for we are people who are brothers.”[6]
In the above passage, the Torah describes the conflict between the shepherds. The passage then adds that the Cana’ani and Perizi were then dwelling in the land. Why does the Torah note that the people of these nations were present? Ramban suggests that Avraham expected the conflict between the shepherds to draw the attention of the people dwelling in the land. They would note that Avraham and Lote had amassed such large flocks that the land could not support them both. They would worry about the welfare of their own flocks which also required use of the disputed pastures. Avraham anticipated that the attention he and Lote were attracting would lead either to their expulsion from the land or the expropriation of their flocks by people of the land.[7]
Arise, travel through the land – its width and its length for I will give it to you. (Sefer Beresheit 13:17)
V. The moment of transition
Avraham’s experience was very typical. Hashem bestowed upon him wealth and success, but these blessings had shortcomings. His wealth evoked jealousy, fear, and even provoked the kidnapping of his nephew, Lote. Hashem had told Avraham that he would earn the love and respect of the nations. It seems that this aspect of the promised blessing eluded Avraham for some time.
In the above passage Hashem speaks to Avraham. He tells him to travel the length and breadth of the land. What is the meaning of this directive? Ramban offers a number of possibilities. One of these is that Hashem was not directing Avraham to travel throughout the land. He was telling him that he should no longer fear the land’s inhabitants. Hashem will protect him. In other words, up to this point, Avraham’s moved about the land cautiously. He was regarded as a foreigner by the people dwelling there. Avraham did not wish to provoke their jealousy or anger. Hashem is telling Avraham he no longer needs to restrict his travel in the land. He should treat the land as his own. Hashem will protect him from harm.
At this point, Avraham’s relationship with the people of the land begins to change. He is gradually accepted. He abandons his wandering and settles in Chevron.[8] Eventually, the people recognize him as a prince of the land and seek to be associated with him.[9] Wealth and success alone did not secure this recognition. His acceptance and recognition resulted from Hashem’s blessing.
And Hashem said to Avram: Go from your land, from the land of your birth, from your father’s home to the land that I will show you. (Sefer Beresheit 12:1)
VI. Avraham’s trial
Ramban does not explain why Hashem bestowed wealth and success upon Avraham but withheld from him the blessing of peace and harmony with his neighbors. Perhaps, the answer is provided in the above passage. Hashem tells Avraham that he must leave all that is familiar and exile himself to an unknown land. He tells Avraham that He will bestow His blessings upon him in this land. Avraham must experience the Land of Cana’an as an exile and as a foreigner. He is required to sever even his relationship with his nephew Lote. Only after Avraham is utterly alone, a complete stranger in the land, an absolute exile, does Hashem bestow upon him the blessing of peace and harmony with his neighbors. Only after he has completely fulfilled Hashem’s commandment, does Hashem bring about acceptance and recognition from the nations of the land.
VII. The past reflects the future
Ramban explains that the experiences of the Patriarchs are blueprints or harbingers of the destiny of their descendants.[10] Avraham’s wealth and success did not secure the respect of appreciation of his neighbors. Instead, their jealousy was evoked. Avraham was accepted and recognized by the people of the land only through Hashem’s intervention.
The experience of our people reflects Avraham’s trails. Over the course of our history and at many points during our wandering in exile we have achieved success. We have contributed to our host countries and to civilization. Our success has not always brought us acceptance. Many times, we have relived Avraham’s experience of being confronted with jealously and hatred. The blessing of peace and harmony is not one we can secure on our own; it is bestowed by Hashem.
[1] This interpretation of the passages is based upon Rabbaynu David Kimchi (Radak), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 12:3-4.
[2] Sefer Beresheit 50:4.
[3] Mesechet Sotah 13a.
[4] Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 14:12.
[5] HaKatav VeHaKabalah (Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 14:12.) provides a more cynical explanation for the targeting of Lote. One of the conquerors of Sedom was Amraphel, King of Shinar. Our Sages explain that Amraphel was the king, Nimrod. Nimrod and Avraham were long-standing adversaries. Many years before this war, Nimrod responded to Avraham’s rejection of idolatry by condemning him to death. Avraham escaped. Nimrod’s hatred of Avraham seethed for years. Now, he took Lote captive. He expected Avraham to attempt to rescue Lote. He would have the opportunity to take his vengeance.
[6] Sefer Beresheit 13:8.
[7] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban / Nachmanides), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 13:7.
[8] Sefer Bereseheit 13:18. See comments of Radak and Sforno.
[9] Sefer Beresheit 23:6.
[10] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban / Nachmanides), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 12:6.