India's Sources

We know from the very beginning of the parasha that Avraham is a source of blessing, not just for his people but for the whole world.

בראשית י״ב:א׳-ג׳

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃

וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה׃

וַאֲבָֽרְכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה׃

Genesis 12:1-3

The LORD said to Avram, “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

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.

I will bless those who bless you
And curse him that curses you;
And all the families of the earth
Shall be blessed through you.”

The Mishnah, in Avot, says that he has a "good eye" - in contrast to Bilaam, the expert curser, who has a "bad eye".

משנה אבות ה׳:י״ט

עַיִן טוֹבָה, וְרוּחַ נְמוּכָה, וְנֶפֶשׁ שְׁפָלָה, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ.

עַיִן רָעָה, וְרוּחַ גְּבוֹהָה, וְנֶפֶשׁ רְחָבָה, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע.

Pirkei Avot 5:19

Someone with a good eye . . . is of the disciples of Avraham, our father.

Someone with an evil eye . . . is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked.

We know that Bilaam couldn't deliver his curses unless he could see the person. So the eye seems really important. One way to understand it might be to think about a great coach and a bully. A great coach, or a great teacher, can see something positive and say a word of encouragement that magnifies it and makes us stronger. A bully can see something negative and say a word of criticism that trips us up.
Why is that important? Because this is the third time that the world has been created, but the first time with Avraham's quality of "bracha".
Until now there have been no "second chances"

The first world is created in the garden of Eden, but it lasted less than a day. As soon the garden was penetrated by evil, the man and the woman were expelled.

בראשית ג׳:כ״ד

וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃ {ס}

Genesis 3:24

He expelled the man; and east of the garden of Eden he stationed the keruvim and the fiery, turning sword, to guard the road to the tree of life.

The second time is outside the garden, but that world too is penetrated by evil and God decides to destroy it in the flood.

בראשית ו׳:ה׳-ז׳

וַיַּ֣רְא יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכׇל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶמְחֶ֨ה אֶת־הָאָדָ֤ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֙אתִי֙ מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה מֵֽאָדָם֙ עַד־בְּהֵמָ֔ה עַד־רֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַד־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֥י נִחַ֖מְתִּי כִּ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽם׃

Genesis 6:5-7

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that everything he thought of, all day, was evil.

And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it pained Him.

The Lord said: ‘I will blot out the man that I created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and creeping thing, and bird of the air; for it I regret making them.’

But the third world, the world of Avraham, is a world where we do get a second chance.

Lot, Avraham's nephew, who is kidnapped, gets a second chance when he is rescued by

Avraham's band.

Even the people of Sodom get a second chance.

בראשית י״ח:כ״ד

אוּלַ֥י יֵ֛שׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים צַדִּיקִ֖ם בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר הַאַ֤ף תִּסְפֶּה֙ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א לַמָּק֔וֹם לְמַ֛עַן חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים הַצַּדִּיקִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃

. . .

וַ֠יֹּ֠אמֶר אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה אַךְ־הַפַּ֔עַם אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם עֲשָׂרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָעֲשָׂרָֽה׃

Genesis 18:24

What if there should be fifty just people within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the fifty just people in it?

. . . .

[Verse 26] And the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty just people, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”

. . . .

[Verse 32] And he said, “Let not my lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?” “I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten.”

But the second chance is not cost-free. There need to be 50 people in Sodom who can make a difference, who can turn the city around. People like Avraham. People who have the capacity for "brachah".

ספורנו על בראשית י״ח:כ״ו:א׳

אם אמצא בסדום. עתה כשאנסה אותם במלאכי' ששלחתי אם אמצא בסדום נ' צדיקים שימחו ברשעים בסדום

Sforno on Genesis 18:26:1

"If I find in Sodom". Now, when I will test them through my angels, if I find 50 righteous men who will rebuke the evil-doers in Sodom.

ספורנו על בראשית י״ח:כ״ו:ב׳

ונשאתי לכל המקום. לא לצדיקים בלבד:

Sforno on Genesis 18:26:2

"I will forgive the whole place for their sake."

Not only the righteous people alone.