פרשת לך לך תש"ח - מלכי-צדק

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was priest of God the Most High.

And Malchitzedek king of Shalem – This is what is written “And the daughter of Tyre shall seek your presence with tribute, those who are the richest of the people.” (Tehillim 45:13) ‘Malchitzedek the king of Shalem’, this place makes its inhabitants righteous (matzdik) – Malchitzedek, Adonitzedek (Yehoshua 10:1). Jerusalem is called righteousness as it says, “…in which righteousness would lodge…” (Isaiah 1:21) ‘king of Shalem’ R’ Yitzchak the Bavli says (he is called this) because he was born circumcised. "brought out bread and wine, and he was a priest to the Most High God" (Bereshit 14:18) R’ Shmuel bar Nachmani and the Rabbanan argue, R’ Shmuel said that the laws of the High Priesthood were revealed to him – ‘bread’ is the show bread, ‘wine’ are the libations. The Rabbanan say that Torah was revealed to him as it says, “"Come, partake of my bread and drink of the wine I have mingled.” (Mishle 9:5) ‘and he was a priest to the Most High God’ R’ Aba bar Kahana said every mention of wine written in the Torah makes an impact except for this, R’ Levi said that even this we did not escape, because from there He called upon him “…and they will enslave them and oppress them, for four hundred years.” (Bereshit 15:13)

והוא ישב בסדם FOR HE DWELT IN SODOM — What made this happen to him? The fact that he was dwelling in Sodom (Genesis Rabbah 42:7).

ויבא הפליט AND THERE CAME THE ONE WHO ESCAPED — According to the real meaning this was Og who had escaped from the battle with the Rephaim (see Genesis 5:5) and it is to this that the text refers (Deuteronomy 3:11) “For only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim”, and this is what is meant by נשאר “left”, for Amraphel and his allies did not kill him when they smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim. So is the statement in the Tanchuma 4:6:25 (Chukat). But according to the Midrash Genesis Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 42:8) it refers to Og in allusion to him as the only one of the generation of the Flood who escaped that catastrophe, and this is what is meant (Deuteronomy 3:11) “of the remnant of the Rephaim”, for it is said. (Genesis 6:4) “The Nephilim (= Rephaim cf. Genesis Rabbah 26) were in the earth etc.” His intention in telling Abraham that his nephew was captured was that Abraham should wage war against the kings and that he should be killed so that he, himself, might marry Sarah.

בא כדרלעמר CHEDORLAOMER CAME — Because the matter concerned him mostly, “he bore the heavier side of the beam" (Genesis Rabbah 42:6).

תן לי הנפש GIVE ME THE PERSONS — Of that which was captured of mine and which you have rescued give me back the people only.

אם מחוט ועד שרוך נעל NOT ANYTHING FROM A THREAD EVEN TO A SANDAL TIE shall I retain for myself from the spoil.

ואם אקח מכל אשר לך NOR ANYTHING THAT IS THINE WILL I TAKE — And if you say that you will reward me from your own treasures I will still not accept anything

And the king of Sodom said unto Abram: ‘Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.’

Rabbi Abbahu said that Rabbi Elazar said: For what reason was Abraham our Patriarch punished and his children enslaved to Egypt for 210 years? Because he made a draft [angarya] of Torah scholars, as it is stated: “He led forth his trained men, born in his house” (Genesis 14:14). These trained men that he took to war were actually his disciples, who were Torah scholars.

And Abram heard that his brother had been captured; and he armed the young men born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued unto Dan.

And they turned back, and came to En-mishpat—the same is Kadesh—and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar.

And Abram said to the king of Sodom: ‘I have lifted up my hand unto the LORD, God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth,