Lot and Avram: ASBI Parent-Child Learning Parashat Lekh Lekha 5779

Lot, Avram, and Sarai were travel partners even before the beginning of Parashat Lekh Lekha. See Genesis 11:31.

(לא) וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת־אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ל֤וֹט בֶּן־הָרָן֙ בֶּן־בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם׃

Genesis 11:31

(31) Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan; but when they had come as far as Haran, they settled there.

When God tells Avram to leave his homeland and his family, he takes Lot with him.

בראשית י״ב:ה׳

(ה) וַיִּקַּ֣ח אַבְרָם֩ אֶת־שָׂרַ֨י אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ וְאֶת־ל֣וֹט בֶּן־אָחִ֗יו וְאֶת־כָּל־רְכוּשָׁם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁוּ וְאֶת־הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֣וּ בְחָרָ֑ן וַיֵּצְא֗וּ לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן׃

Genesis 12:5

(5) Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the wealth that they had amassed, and the persons that they had acquired in Haran; and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in the land of Canaan,

Professor Nechama Leibowitz, one of the greatest Torah scholars and educators of the twentieth century, thought that a significant change occurs between Chapter 12 and Chapter 13. Note how Lot is described in Chapter 13 and how it is different than how Lot was described in Chapter 12.

בראשית י״ג:א׳

(א) וַיַּעַל֩ אַבְרָ֨ם מִמִּצְרַ֜יִם ה֠וּא וְאִשְׁתּ֧וֹ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ וְל֥וֹט עִמּ֖וֹ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה׃

Genesis 13:1

(1) From Egypt, Abram went up into the Negeb, with his wife and all that he possessed, together with Lot.

A few verses later and the Torah is describing conflict between Avram and Lot.

בראשית י״ג:ה׳-ז׳

(ה) וְגַם־לְל֔וֹט הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶת־אַבְרָ֑ם הָיָ֥ה צֹאן־וּבָקָ֖ר וְאֹהָלִֽים׃ (ו) וְלֹא־נָשָׂ֥א אֹתָ֛ם הָאָ֖רֶץ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו כִּֽי־הָיָ֤ה רְכוּשָׁם֙ רָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א יָֽכְל֖וּ לָשֶׁ֥בֶת יַחְדָּֽו׃ (ז) וַֽיְהִי־רִ֗יב בֵּ֚ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵֽה־אַבְרָ֔ם וּבֵ֖ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵה־ל֑וֹט וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י אָ֖ז יֹשֵׁ֥ב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

Genesis 13:5-7

(5) Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, (6) so that the land could not support them staying together; for their possessions were so great that they could not remain together. (7) And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and those of Lot’s cattle.—The Canaanites and Perizzites were then dwelling in the land.—

Based on all that you have seen:

1. Was it right for Avram to bring Lot with him?

2. What was the source for Avram and Lot becoming more distant?

3. What was the nature of the conflict described in Gen. 13:7?

See the selected comment of Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, d. 1263) to Genesis 13:7. What does Ramban believe was the cause of the conflict? If you like you can find a longer selection of Ramban in the Rubin Edition of Mikra'ot Gedolot.

רמב"ן על בראשית י״ג:ז׳:א׳

ועל דרך הפשט היתה המריבה על המרעה כי לא נשא אותם הארץ וכאשר היה מקנה אברם רועה באחו היו רועי לוט באים בגבולם ורועים שם

Ramban on Genesis 13:7:1

The plain meaning of the narrative implies that the quarrel was over the cattle, since the land could not bear them and when Abraham's cattle were feeding in the meadow, Lot's shepherds would come along and feed there.

The Midrash presents a different, less pragmatic, foundation for the dispute between Avraham and Lot. How would you characterize this dispute?

בראשית רבה מ״א:ה׳

וַיְהִי רִיב בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה אַבְרָם וּבֵין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה לוֹט (בראשית יג, ז), רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר בְּהֶמְתּוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ הָיְתָה יוֹצְאָה זְמוּמָה, וּבְהֶמְתּוֹ שֶׁל לוֹט לֹא הָיְתָה יוֹצְאָה זְמוּמָה. הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם רוֹעֵי אַבְרָהָם הֻתַּר הַגָּזֵל, הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם רוֹעֵי לוֹט כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית יב, ז): לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, וְאַבְרָהָם פִּרְדָּה עֲקָרָה וְאֵינוֹ מוֹלִיד, לְמָחָר הוּא מֵת וְלוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו יוֹרְשׁוֹ וְאִין אָכְלִין מִדִּידְהוֹן אִינוּן אָכְלִין. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כָּךְ אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ (בראשית טו, יח): לְזַרְעֲךָ נָתַתִּי, אֵימָתַי לִכְשֶׁיֵּעָקְרוּ שִׁבְעָה עֲמָמִים מִתּוֹכָהּ, (בראשית יג, ז): וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי אָז ישֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ, עַד עַכְשָׁו מִתְבַּקֵּשׁ לָהֶם זְכוּת בָּאָרֶץ.

Bereshit Rabbah 41:5

Rabbi Berachiah in the name of Rabbi Yehudah ben Rabbi Simon said: the best of our father Avraham used to go out with a muzzle and Lot's animal had no muzzle. Avraham's shepherds used to say "are you allowed to commit robbery?" And Lot's shepherds would respond, "The Holy Blessed One said to Avraham that this land will be given to your children. Avraham cannot have children of his own. Soon he will die and Lot will inherit him so that even if the cattle are eating in the pastures that belong to others it is ultimately our own property that the cattle are eating."

According to the Midrash, Lot and Avraham had an irreconcilable conflict of values. Can you identify Lot's priorities and Avram's priorities? When Avram and Lot separate, how does Lot choose a new place to live?

בראשית י״ג:י׳-י״ג

(י) וַיִּשָּׂא־ל֣וֹט אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כָּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י כֻלָּ֖הּ מַשְׁקֶ֑ה לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ שַׁחֵ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה אֶת־סְדֹם֙ וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֔ה כְּגַן־יְהוָה֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה צֹֽעַר׃ (יא) וַיִּבְחַר־ל֣וֹ ל֗וֹט אֵ֚ת כָּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיִּסַּ֥ע ל֖וֹט מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיִּפָּ֣רְד֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל אָחִֽיו׃ (יב) אַבְרָ֖ם יָשַׁ֣ב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָ֑עַן וְל֗וֹט יָשַׁב֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י הַכִּכָּ֔ר וַיֶּאֱהַ֖ל עַד־סְדֹֽם׃ (יג) וְאַנְשֵׁ֣י סְדֹ֔ם רָעִ֖ים וְחַטָּאִ֑ים לַיהוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃

Genesis 13:10-13

(10) Lot looked about him and saw how well watered was the whole plain of the Jordan, all of it—this was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—all the way to Zoar, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (11) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they parted from each other; (12) Abram remained in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom. (13) Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked sinners against the LORD.

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki 1040-1105) notes a double-meaning to Lot glancing to the east (Kedem) which can also mean "earlier." See what Rashi says:

רש"י על בראשית י״ג:י״א:ב׳

מקדם. 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:

Rashi on Genesis 13:11:2

מקדם FROM THE EAST — He removed from Abram and went westward of Abram — consequently he travelled from the East to the West. A Midrashic explanation is: He wandered away from the Originator (מקדמונו) of the Universe, saying, “I want neither Abram nor his God” (Genesis Rabbah 41:7).