Parashat Lech Lecha

 

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Chapter 13;v.10

י וַיִּשָּׂא־לוֹט אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־כָּל־כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן כִּי כֻלָּהּ מַשְׁקֶה לִפְנֵי | שַׁחֵת יְהֹוָה אֶת־סְדֹם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה כְּגַן־יְהוָֹה כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בֹּֽאֲכָה צֹֽעַר:

  1. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.

When Lot raised up his eyes, all he saw was the lush plain of the Jordan; whereas Abraham, when he looked upward, saw the stars. Perhaps this is the difference between the righteous person and one who is less so. The righteous person has visions of spritual matters – stars, whereas the other sees only the material luxuries of this world.(Merotz HaZvi)

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ג. וַֽאֲבָֽרְכָה מְבָרֲכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָֽאֲדָמָֽה

And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you; and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.

It is possible to explain the word אאור as meaning not “I will curse” but rather “I will enlighten”. At such time as the knowledge of Hashem covers the earth as the waters cover the sea, those who formerly cursed the children of Abraham will be enlightened and realize that the people of God are the source of blessing for all humanity.(Vilna Gaon)