Genesis

בייה

Dear Ones, most of us want to do good, help others, and follow the Torah, yet, sometimes, we get distracted, and on occasion, we have bouts of anger, temporary tantrums, do naughty things, and make excuses for ourselves. I don’t have the energy. I feel emotionally drained. My body is flat. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we fail. We battle with our evil inclination, and sometimes, our evil nature gets the best of us. We understand how hellish it can be. Perhaps that is why many highly regard our Father, Abraham. He is a paragon, a megastar, a champion, and a victor to us. Abraham is our ultimate hero. He exhibited good, righteous, just, refined, honest, ethical, moral, and spiritually sensitive characteristics. Abraham is like a graceful grandfather figure who, at 75 years of age, was an experienced, wise, logical, perceptive, determined, devoted, calm, kind, loving, humble, non-assuming, influential, and wealthy individual. (See Genesis 12.4). That is how many of us perceive Abraham. There is a wealth of information on Abraham’s life within the Torah, revealing how he lived and served [the] Lord.

Abraham chose to serve [the] Lord with his entire being, even when it was hellish. Each of us knows there are times when serving [the] Lord, according to (Deuteronomy 5.5) is challenging. ‘You shall love [the] Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your resources.’ There are great rewards for those who achieve loving [the] Lord with all their heart, soul, and resources. Abraham was on a plain all to his own. He accomplished some fantastic spiritual stuff that caused him to stand out.

In our previous study in (Genesis 12), we focused on two different lifestyles: an observant lifestyle and a less observant one. We were trying to imagine Abraham standing at a fork in the path he was on. There were two signs. The sign on the right said God will Bless all who follow this path. The other sign said to continue. In other words, ‘I don’t see anything wrong with me.’ Some people prefer for God not to interfere in their lives or affairs. This type of individual wants to be just a little better than good enough. They want to be a few marks above acceptable. They are not great, but they are good enough.

Genesis chapter 13 draws a painful distinction between Abraham and his nephew, Lot. Abraham said to Lot, ‘Please separate yourself from me; if you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.’ That is sad! Torah Observance between them was a point of contention! Abraham was righteous. He had received a NON-VERBALE directive from [the] Lord that he was doing his best to follow. Lot was also righteous, BUT NOT on the same high level as Abraham. Lot’s character deficiencies hindered and tormented Abraham’s Holy Soul.

Lot did not have a revelation from [the] Lord like his uncle Abraham, who was a Maggid Evangelist, a nomadic preacher, and a narrator of Spiritual stories. Lot was raised in the indecisive environment of his father, Charan, who did not experience God as Abraham did. Charan was influenced by his father, Terach, Lot’s grandfather. Terach was an idolater. Nahor, Charan, and Abraham were raised in an environment of idols and idolatry. Lot had ethical and moral deficiencies in himself, his marriage, his children, his grandchildren, and his servants.

I am reminded of the song sung by Harry Chapin Cat’s in the Cradle. The song is about a man too busy to invest time in his son’s life. The lyrics tell the story of a boy growing up to become just like his father.

Lots Servants

Genesis 13 shares Lot’s failings with his servant relationships. The Torah says, ‘There was strife between the herdsmen of Abraham’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle.’[Genesis 13]

Lots Wife

Lot’s wife was against him. Lot prepared unleavened bread, i.e., Matzah, bread without leaven. The Torah makes it very clear that Lot prepared The Passover Matzah. Lot’s wife did not participate in The Passover Meal. A fierce quarrel broke out over the salt, for he [Lot] said to her [his wife],’ Give these guests a little salt,’ to which she replied, ‘Do you want to introduce that evil practice here also?’ Bereisheit Rabba 50.4 When Lot did not have salt for The Passover meal, she went from house to house requesting salt. She gossiped about Lot. She announced, ‘We have Guests,’ and Lot needs salt for The Feast he is preparing. Bereisheit Rabba 51.5 One of our Sages taught, ‘Lot’s wife turned into salt because she was stingy towards those in need. Lot himself was a generous person, always inviting guests. His wife resented guests and discouraged them. One trick of hers was not to provide salt, a small thing that makes a big difference to guests. Therefore, she was punished using salt, measure for measure.

Our study is entitled Separation (Genesis 13.9), which says, ‘Is not the whole land before you? Please הִפָּרֶד Hee Paw Rehd – separate.’

(Genesis 13.11) Says, ‘They separated themselves, one from the other.’

(Genesis 13.14) Says, ‘And [the] Lord said to [Abraham],

אַחֲרֵי הִפָּרֶד־לוֹט מֵעִמּוֹ after Lot was separated from him…’

The Word פָּרֶד Paw Rehd means to separate, to disintegrate, to loosen, to decompose, to break down. Lot’s weakness is revealed. In Genesis 13, Lot breaks away. Lot divides himself from Abraham. He was attracted to the plains of Sodom. Lot led his family and servants to a perverse, wicked city that was sexually perverted. (Genesis 13.11) Says, ‘Then Lot chose for himself the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed east, and they separated / Divided themselves, one from the other.’

On the other hand, The Lord God of Israel Testified regarding Abraham. (Genesis 18.19) Says, ‘For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of [the] Lord, to do justice and judgment; that [the] Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him.’

The first Letter of The Word פָּרֶד Paw Rehd is The Letter פ Pey. The פ Pey represents the mouth. Notice how the Letter Pey twists around like a creepy crawly thing. The Pey is like the face of a human. The פ Pey represents what we say. In this situation, The פ Pey represented what Lot did not say. Lot followed the observations he learned from Abraham to a degree. That was during Abraham’s stay in Horan. It was during that time Abraham taught the nations The Seven Laws. At the age of seventy Abraham made his first journey to The Land of Canaan. This was in reference to the word ‘had’ in (Genesis 12.1). ‘And [the] Lord had said to Abram, Get out from your country, and from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.’

Dear Ones we want to avoid following Lots path, we should teach our children and those we love to interact with Spiritual People. We want to help those we love to guard the entrances of their lives. Corruption is accessible to each of us, so we must be diligent to protect those we love and take a loving, active, participative role in their lives.

(Genesis 13.1-4) Says, ‘And Abraham went up from Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the Negev. And Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the Negev to Beth-El, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-El and Hai; To the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and there Abraham called on the name of [the] Lord.’ Holy Scripture Informs us of that. (Genesis 12.2) shares how Abraham could וֶהְיֵ֖הVeh Hih Yeh become a blessing. Individuals who are a blessing understand there are conditions. Being a Blessing is not on our terms. Lord Gave Abraham four prerequisites:‘Leave your land, country, territory, and leave your kindred, relatives, offspring – and leave your father’s house, Go to The Land that I show you.’ We see the difference between our righteous father Abraham and his not-as-righteous nephew Lot. Both were greatly blessed, but they were not able to dwell together. (Amos 3.3) Says, ‘Can two walk together unless they are in agreement?’

May we stay within the Torah’s Guidelines of righteous living and repentance. May we help others. May we bring peace and healing to our world. May this coming Sabbath and every Sabbath be a blessed Day.

Shabbat Shalom

Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

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