(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יי אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃
(1) The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
לך לך. לַהֲנָאָתְךָ וּלְטוֹבָתְךָ, שָׁם אֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָדוֹל, כָּאן אִי אַתָּה זוֹכֶה לְבָנִים, וְעוֹד שֶׁאוֹדִיעַ טִבְעֲךָ בָּעוֹלָם:
לך לך GET THEE OUT (literally, go for thyself) — for your own benefit, for your own good: there I will make of you a great nation whilst here you will not merit the privilege of having children (Rosh Hashanah 16b). Furthermore, I shall make known your character throughout the world (Midrash Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 3)
(ב) וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה׃
(2) I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing.
ואעשך לגוי גדול. לְפִי שֶׁהַדֶּרֶךְ גּוֹרֶמֶת לִשְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים, מְמַעֶטֶת פְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה וּמְמַעֶטֶת אֶת הַמָּמוֹן וּמְמַעֶטֶת אֶת הַשֵּׁם, לְכָךְ הֻזְקַק לִשְׁלֹשָׁה בְּרָכוֹת הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁהִבְטִיחוֹ עַל הַבָּנִים וְעַל הַמָּמוֹן וְעַל הַשֵּׁם:
ואעשך לגוי גדול AND I WILL MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION —Since travelling is the cause of three things—it decreases (breaks up) family life, it reduces one’s wealth and lessens one’s renown, he therefore needed these three blessings: that God should promise him children, wealth and a great name (Genesis Rabbah 39:11).
ואברכך. בְּמָמוֹן (בראשית רבה):
ואברכך AND I WILL BLESS THEE —with wealth (Genesis Rabbah 39:11).
והיה ברכה. הַבְּרָכוֹת נְתוּנוֹת בְּיָדְךָ; עַד עַכְשָׁו הָיוּ בְיָדִי, בֵּרַכְתִּי לְאָדָם וְנֹחַ, וּמֵעַכְשָׁו אַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ אֶת אֲשֶׁר תַּחְפֹּץ (בראשית רבה). דָּבָר אַחֵר ואעשך לגוי גדול זֶה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים אֱלֹקֵי אַבְרָהָם, ואברכך זֶה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים אֱלֹקֵי יִצְחָק, ואגדלה שמך זֶה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים אֱלֹקֵי יַעֲקֹב. יָכוֹל יִהְיוּ חוֹתְמִין בְּכֻלָּן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה, בְּךָ חוֹתְמִין וְלֹא בָהֶם:
והיה ברכה AND BE THOU A BLESSING — Blessings are entrusted to you; hitherto they were in My power — I blessed Adam and Noah — but from now on you shall bless whomsoever you wish (Genesis Rabbah 39:11) Another explanation is: AND I WILL MAKE THEE A GREAT NATION, this alludes to the fact that we say in our prayer “God of Abraham”; AND I WILL BLESS THEE — that we say, “God of Isaac”; AND I WILL MAKE THY NAME GREAT — that we say, “God of Jacob”. One might think that we should conclude the benediction in which these invocations are recited by mentioning again the names of all the patriarchs — the text therefore states “Be thou a blessing” meaning, with you (i.e. with your name only) shall they conclude the benediction and not with them (their names) (Pesachim 117b).
מארצך. וַהֲלֹא כְבָר יָצָא מִשָּׁם עִם אָבִיו וּבָא עַד חָרָן? אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמַר לוֹ הִתְרַחֵק עוֹד מִשָּׁם וְצֵא מִבֵּית אָבִיךָ:
מארצך FROM THY LAND — But had he not already departed from there together with his father and had reached as far as Haran (Genesis 11:31)? But thus God in effect said to him: Go still further away — leave now thy father’s house also.
אשר אראך. לֹא גִּלָּה לוֹ הָאָרֶץ מִיָּד כְּדֵּי לְחַבְּבָהּ בְּעֵינָיו, וְלָתֵת לוֹ שָׂכָר עַל כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר; כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ, אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק (ברא' כ"ב), כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ, וכיו"בּ וּקְרָא אֵלֶיהָ אֶת הַקְּרִיאָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי דֹּבֵר אֵלֶיךָ (יונה ג'):
אשר אראך WHICH I WILL SHOW THEE — He did not reveal to him at once which land it was in order that he should hold it in high esteem and in order to reward him for complying with each and every command. Similar is, (Genesis 22:2) “Take thy son — thine only son — whom thou lovest — even Isaac”; similar is (Genesis 22:2) “upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of”; similar is, (Jonah 3:2) “And make unto it the proclamation that I shall tell thee of” (Genesis Rabbah 39:9).
(ג) וַאֲבָֽרֲכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה׃
(3) I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.”
ונברכו בך. יֵשׁ אַגָּדוֹת רַבּוֹת, וְזֶהוּ פְשׁוּטוֹ, אָדָם אוֹמֵר לִבְנוֹ תְּהֵא כְּאַבְרָהָם, וְכֵן כָּל וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא, וְזֶה מוֹכִיחַ בְּךָ יְבָרֵךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹקִים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה (בר' מ"ח):
ונברכו בך AND IN THEE SHALL BE BLESSED — There are many Agadoth concerning this but the plain sense of the text is as follows: A man says to his son, “Mayest thou become as Abraham”. This, too, is the meaning wherever the phrase ונברכו בך “And in thee shall be blessed” occurs in Scripture, and the following example proves this: (Genesis 48:20) בך יברך “By thee shall Israel bless their children saying, “May God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh”.
(יד) וַיְהִ֕י כְּב֥וֹא אַבְרָ֖ם מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיִּרְא֤וּ הַמִּצְרִים֙ אֶת־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּֽי־יָפָ֥ה הִ֖וא מְאֹֽד׃
(14) When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw how very beautiful the woman was.
ויהי כבוא אברם מצרימה. הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר כְּבוֹאָם מִצְרַיְמָה? אֶלָּא לִמֵּד שֶׁהִטְמִין אוֹתָהּ בְּתֵבָה, וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁתָּבְעוּ אֶת הַמֶּכֶס פָּתְחוּ וְרָאוּ אוֹתָהּ:
ויהי כבא אברם מצרימה AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN ABRAM WAS COME INTO EGYPT —It should have said, “when they were come into Egypt”; but the use of the singular teaches us that he hid her in a chest, and when they demanded the custom dues they opened it and discovered her (Genesis Rabbah 40:5).
(ג) וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ לְמַסָּעָ֔יו מִנֶּ֖גֶב וְעַד־בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל עַד־הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָ֨יָה שָׁ֤ם אהלה [אָֽהֳלוֹ֙] בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה בֵּ֥ין בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל וּבֵ֥ין הָעָֽי׃
(3) And he proceeded by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been formerly, between Bethel and Ai,
וילך למסעיו. כְּשֶׁחָזַר מִמִּצְרַיִם לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ וְלָן בָּאַכְסַנְיוֹת שֶׁלָּן בָּהֶם בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ לְמִצְרַיִם, לִמֶּדְךָ דֶּרֶך אֶרֶץ, שֶׁלֹּא יְשַׁנֶּה אָדָם מֵאַכְסַנְיָא שֶׁלּוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר בַּחֲזָרָתוֹ פָּרַע הַקָּפוֹתָיו (בראשית רבה):
וילך למסעיו AND HE WENT ON HIS JOURNEYS — When he returned from Egypt to the land of Canaan he went and lodged in the same inns as he had stayed when he travelled to Egypt. This teaches you good manners: that one should not change his inn (Arachin 16b); (where the reason is given that one who does this constantly brings discredit on himself and on others). Another interpretation: on his return he paid the debts he had previously incurred (Genesis Rabbah 41:3). (In both these comments emphasis is placed on “his” — he went on his journeys i.e. the routes he had taken before.)
מנגב. אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בִּדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן:
מנגב FROM THE SOUTH — the land of Egypt lies to the South of the land of Canaan.
(ה) וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃
(5) He took him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He added, “So shall your offspring be.”
ויוצא אתו החוצה. לְפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ הוֹצִיאוֹ מֵאָהֳלוֹ לַחוּץ לִרְאוֹת הַכּוֹכָבִים, וּלְפִי מִדְרָשׁוֹ אָמַר לוֹ צֵא מֵאִצְטַגְנִינוּת שֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁרָאִיתָ בַּמַּזָּלוֹת שֶׁאֵינְךָ עָתִיד לְהַעֲמִיד בֵּן, אַבְרָם אֵין לוֹ בֵן, אֲבָל אַבְרָהָם יֵשׁ לוֹ בֵן, שָׂרַי לֹא תֵלֵד, אֲבָל שָׂרָה תֵלֵד; אֲנִי קוֹרֵא לָכֶם שֵׁם אַחֵר וְיִשְׁתַּנֶּה הַמַּזָּל. דָּ"אַ הוֹצִיאוֹ מֵחֲלָלוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וְהִגְבִּיהוֹ לְמַעְלָה מִן הַכּוֹכָבִים, וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן הַבָּטָה מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה:
ויוצא אתו החוצה AND HE BROUGHT HIM FORTH OUTSIDE — Its real meaning is: He brought him outside his tent so that he could look at the stars. Its Midrashic explanation is: Go forth from (give up) your astrological speculations — that you have seen by the planets that you will not raise a son; Abram indeed may have no son but Abraham will have a son: Sarai may not bear a child but Sarah will bear. I will give you other names, and your destiny (מזל planet, luck) will be changed. Another explanation: He brought him forth from the terrestrial sphere, elevating him above the stars, and this is why He uses the term הבט ‘‘look”, when He said “look at the heavens” — for this word signifies looking from above downward (Genesis Rabbah 44:12).