Genesis-Chap-13:1-17
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye
shall NOT ADD
TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may
keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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“Genesis Chapter 13:1-18”
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
The Return to Promise.
Genesis Chapter 13 marks a pivotal “return” in the journey of Avram. After descending into Egypt due to famine a period often
seen as a detour of faith, Avram journeys back to
the Negev and then to Beth-el.
This is not merely a geographic relocation but a spiritual restoration. He
returns specifically to the “place of the altar” where he first called upon the
Name of יְהוָה - the LORD.
The chapter serves as a study in how spiritual maturity handles material success
and the inevitable conflicts that arise when resources are limited but
"substance is great".
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Let us read Bereshit -
Genesis Chapter 13:1-18: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
1. “And Avram
went up out of Egypt,
he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South. 2. And Avram was very rich in
cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3. And he went
on his journeys from the South even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent
had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai; 4. unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the
first; and Avram called there on the Name of יְהוָה - the
LORD. 5. And Lot
also, who went with Avram, had flocks, and herds, and
tents. 6. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance
was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7. And
there was a strife between the herdmen
of Avram’s cattle and the herdmen
of Lot’s cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land. 8. And
Avram said unto Lot:
‘Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we
are brethren. 9. Is not the whole land before
thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou
wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou take the right
hand, then I will go to the left’. 10. And Lot
lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well
watered every where, before יְהוָה - the
LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of יְהוָה - the
LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar. 11. So Lot chose him all
the plain of the Jordan; and
Lot journeyed east; and they separated
themselves the one from the other. 12. Avram dwelt in the land
of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities
of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13. Now
the men of Sodom
were wicked and sinners against יְהוָה - the
LORD exceedingly. 14. And יְהוָה - the
LORD said unto Avram, after that Lot
was separated from him: ‘Lift up now thine eyes, and
look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and
westward; 15. for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for
ever. 16. And I will make thy seed as the dust
of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy
seed also be numbered. 17. Arise, walk through
the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I
give it’. 18. And Avram
moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the terebinths
of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built there an altar unto יְהוָה - the
LORD”.
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Let us now view the Commentary of the 18 verses:
Faith, Generosity, and Divine Vision.
1. The
Weight of Riches (Verses 1-7):
Avram and Lot return from Egypt with immense wealth in
cattle, silver, and gold. However, the text notes that “the land was not able
to bear them”. This creates a conflict between their respective herdsmen. A key
detail in the JPS-1917 text is the mention that “the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land”. This highlights that
their internal strife was occurring in the presence of outsiders, potentially
compromising their testimony and safety.
2. The Peacemaker’s
Proposal (Verses 8-9):
Avram takes the initiative to resolve the conflict,
appealing to their shared identity: “for we are brethren”. Despite being the
elder and the one to whom the land was promised, Avram
displays profound humility by allowing Lot the
first choice. He offers to go “to the right” if Lot
takes “the left”, or vice-versa, prioritizing peace and family over personal
gain.
3. The Choice of Sight
vs. the Choice of Faith (Verses 10-13):
Lot “lifted up his eyes” and saw the well-watered plain of the Jordan, which looked like the “garden of יְהוָה - the
LORD” or the “land
of Egypt”. He chose based
on immediate visual appeal and material advantage. In doing so, he “journeyed
east”, moving toward the cities of the plain and pitching his tent near Sodom,
even though the inhabitants were “wicked and sinners against יְהוָה - the
LORD exceedingly”. Lot chose the fertile land
but inherited a morally bankrupt environment.
4. The Renewed Promise
(Verses 14-19):
It is only “after that Lot was separated from
him” that יְהוָה - the
LORD speaks to Avram again. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) instructs Avram to “lift up now thine eyes”
and look in every direction north, south, east, and west. While Lot chose a specific slice of land, אֱלֹהִים - Elohim gives Avram everything he
can see, promising it to him and his “seed for ever”. Avram
is invited to “walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of
it”, symbolically taking possession of the Divine gift through active faith.
And “Avram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the “terebinths of Mamre”, which are
in Hebron, and
built there an altar unto יְהוָה - the
LORD, יְהוָה בָּרוּךְ
- Bless the LORD!
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My Closing Message:
The Path of True Inheritance.
The separation of Avram and Lot teaches that what we “grab” for ourselves based on
sight is often fleeting and fraught with danger, while what we “surrender” in
faith is restored to us by אֱלֹהִים - Elohim in greater measure. Avram’s willingness to let go of the “best” land allowed
him to receive the entire land from a higher
authority. The chapter concludes with Avram moving
his tent to the terebinths
of Mamre in Hebron, where he
builds another altar, continuing his life of worship and reliance on יְהוָה - the
LORD!
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“Return
unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi -
Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be
with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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