Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, we learn about the famous war of the four kings against the five kings, a massive world conflict that swept up Avram's nephew, Lot, who was living in the wicked city of Sodom. When the victorious four kings capture Lot and take all his possessions, a fugitive escapes to bring the news to Avram, who is dwelling peacefully by the plains of Mamre.
Upon hearing that his kinsman has been taken captive, Avram does not hesitate. He immediately musters his household of three hundred and eighteen men and pursues the powerful armies all the way to Dan, where he wages a miraculous night battle to rescue Lot and restore all the captured people and spoils.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
וַיְהִיAnd it wasבִּימֵיin the days ofאַמְרָפֶלAmraphelמֶלֶךְking ofשִׁנְעָרShinarאַרְיוֹךְAriochמֶלֶךְking ofאֶלָּסָרEllasarכְּדָרְלָעֹמֶרChedorlaomerמֶלֶךְking ofעֵילָםElamוְתִדְעָלand Tidalמֶלֶךְking ofגּוֹיִם׃Goyim
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
עָשׂוּthey madeמִלְחָמָהwarאֶת—בֶּרַעBeraמֶלֶךְking ofסְדֹםSodomוְאֶתand withבִּרְשַׁעBirshaמֶלֶךְking ofעֲמֹרָהGomorrahשִׁנְאָבShinabמֶלֶךְking ofאַדְמָהAdmahוְשֶׁמְאֵבֶרand Shemeberמֶלֶךְking ofצבייםZeboiimצְבוֹיִיםZeboiimוּמֶלֶךְand the king ofבֶּלַעBelaהִיאit isצֹעַר׃Zoar
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
כָּלAll ofאֵלֶּהtheseחָבְרוּjoined forcesאֶלatעֵמֶקthe Valley ofהַשִּׂדִּיםSiddimהוּאit isיָםthe Sea ofהַמֶּלַח׃Salt
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
שְׁתֵּיםTwelveעֶשְׂרֵה·שָׁנָהyearsעָבְדוּthey servedאֶת—כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶרChedorlaomerוּשְׁלֹשׁand thirteenעֶשְׂרֵה·שָׁנָהyearsמָרָדוּ׃they rebelled
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
וּבְאַרְבַּעand in fourעֶשְׂרֵהtenשָׁנָהyearבָּאcameכְדָרְלָעֹמֶרChedorlaomerוְהַמְּלָכִיםand the kingsאֲשֶׁרwhoאִתּוֹwere with himוַיַּכּוּand they defeatedאֶת—רְפָאִיםthe Rephaimבְּעַשְׁתְּרֹתin AshterothקַרְנַיִםKarnaimוְאֶתand —הַזּוּזִיםthe Zuzimבְּהָםin Hamוְאֵתand —הָאֵימִיםthe Emimבְּשָׁוֵהin Shavehקִרְיָתָיִם׃Kiriathaim
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
וְאֶתand —הַחֹרִיthe Horitesבְּהַרְרָםin their mountain ofשֵׂעִירSeirעַדuntilאֵילthe plain ofפָּארָןParanאֲשֶׁרwhich isעַלbyהַמִּדְבָּר׃the wilderness
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
וַיָּשֻׁבוּAnd they returnedוַיָּבֹאוּand they cameאֶלtoעֵיןEinמִשְׁפָּטMishpatהִואitקָדֵשׁKadeshוַיַּכּוּand they smoteאֶת—כָּלallשְׂדֵהthe field ofהָעֲמָלֵקִיthe Amalekiteוְגַםand alsoאֶת—הָאֱמֹרִיthe Amoriteהַיֹּשֵׁבwho dweltבְּחַצְצֹןin Chatzatzonתָּמָר׃Tamar
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
וַיֵּצֵאAnd went outמֶלֶךְthe king ofסְדֹםSodomוּמֶלֶךְand the king ofעֲמֹרָהGomorrahוּמֶלֶךְand the king ofאַדְמָהAdmahוּמֶלֶךְand the king ofצבייםZeboiimצְבוֹיִםZeboiimוּמֶלֶךְand the king ofבֶּלַעBelaהִואit isצֹעַרZoarוַיַּעַרְכוּand they arrangedאִתָּםwith themמִלְחָמָהbattleבְּעֵמֶקin the valley ofהַשִּׂדִּים׃Siddim
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
אֵת—כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶרKedorlaomerמֶלֶךְking ofעֵילָםElamוְתִדְעָלand Tidalמֶלֶךְking ofגּוֹיִםGoyimוְאַמְרָפֶלand Amraphelמֶלֶךְking ofשִׁנְעָרShinarוְאַרְיוֹךְand Ariochמֶלֶךְking ofאֶלָּסָרEllasarאַרְבָּעָהfourמְלָכִיםkingsאֶתagainstהַחֲמִשָּׁה׃the five
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וְעֵמֶקAnd the valley ofהַשִׂדִּיםSiddimבֶּאֱרֹתwas pits ofבֶּאֱרֹתpits ofחֵמָרclayוַיָּנֻסוּand they fledמֶלֶךְthe king ofסְדֹםSodomוַעֲמֹרָהand Gomorrahוַיִּפְּלוּand they fellשָׁמָּהthereוְהַנִּשְׁאָרִיםand those remainingהֶרָהto the mountainנָּסוּ׃fled
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
וַיִּקְחוּAnd they tookאֶת—כָּלallרְכֻשׁthe wealth ofסְדֹםSodomוַעֲמֹרָהand Gomorrahוְאֶתand —כָּלallאָכְלָםtheir foodוַיֵּלֵכוּ׃and they went
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
וַיִּקְחוּAnd they tookאֶת—לוֹטLotוְאֶתand —רְכֻשׁוֹhis possessionsבֶּןthe son ofאֲחִיthe brother ofאַבְרָםAvramוַיֵּלֵכוּand they departedוְהוּאand heיֹשֵׁבwas dwellingבִּסְדֹם׃in Sedom
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
וַיָּבֹאAnd there cameהַפָּלִיטthe fugitiveוַיַּגֵּדand he toldלְאַבְרָםto Avramהָעִבְרִיthe Hebrewוְהוּאand heשֹׁכֵןwas dwellingבְּאֵלֹנֵיin the plains ofמַמְרֵאMamreהָאֱמֹרִיthe Amoriteאֲחִיbrother ofאֶשְׁכֹּלEshkolוַאֲחִיand brother ofעָנֵרAnerוְהֵםand theyבַּעֲלֵיwere allies ofבְרִיתthe covenant ofאַבְרָם׃Avram
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
וַיִּשְׁמַעAnd he heardאַבְרָםAvramכִּיthatנִשְׁבָּהwas capturedאָחִיוhis brotherוַיָּרֶקand he armedאֶת—חֲנִיכָיוhis disciplesיְלִידֵיthose born ofבֵיתוֹhis houseשְׁמֹנָהeightעָשָׂרtenוּשְׁלֹשׁand threeמֵאוֹתhundredוַיִּרְדֹּףand he pursuedעַדuntilדָּן׃Dan
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
וַיֵּחָלֵקAnd he deployedעֲלֵיהֶםagainst themלַיְלָהat nightהוּאheוַעֲבָדָיוand his servantsוַיַּכֵּםand he defeated themוַיִּרְדְּפֵםand he pursued themעַדas far asחוֹבָהChovahאֲשֶׁרwhich isמִשְּׂמֹאלto the leftלְדַמָּשֶׂק׃of Damasek
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
וַיָּשֶׁבAnd he brought backאֵת—כָּלall ofהָרְכֻשׁthe possessionsוְגַםand alsoאֶת—לוֹטLotאָחִיוhis kinsmanוּרְכֻשׁוֹand his possessionsהֵשִׁיבhe brought backוְגַםand alsoאֶת—הַנָּשִׁיםthe womenוְאֶתand —הָעָם׃the people
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
וַיֵּצֵאAnd went outמֶלֶךְthe king ofסְדֹםSodomלִקְרָאתוֹto meet himאַחֲרֵיafterשׁוּבוֹhis returnמֵהַכּוֹתfrom defeatingאֶת—כְּדָרלָעֹמֶרChedorlaomerוְאֶתand —הַמְּלָכִיםthe kingsאֲשֶׁרwhoאִתּוֹwere with himאֶלtoעֵמֶקthe Valley ofשָׁוֵהShavehהוּאitעֵמֶקis the Valley ofהַמֶּלֶךְ׃the King
פָּסוּק יח
Pasuk 18
וּמַלְכִּיAnd MalkiצֶדֶקTzedekמֶלֶךְking ofשָׁלֵםShalemהוֹצִיאbrought outלֶחֶםbreadוָיָיִןand wineוְהוּאand heכֹהֵןwas a priestלְאֵלto Godעֶלְיוֹן׃Most High
פָּסוּק יט
Pasuk 19
וַיְבָרְכֵהוּAnd he blessed himוַיֹּאמַרand he saidבָּרוּךְBlessed isאַבְרָםAvramלְאֵלof GodעֶלְיוֹןMost HighקֹנֵהCreator ofשָׁמַיִםheavenוָאָרֶץ׃and earth
פָּסוּק כ
Pasuk 20
וּבָרוּךְand blessed isאֵלGodעֶלְיוֹןMost HighאֲשֶׁרWhoמִגֵּןdeliveredצָרֶיךָyour enemiesבְּיָדֶךָinto your handוַיִּתֶּןand he gaveלוֹto himמַעֲשֵׂרa tenthמִכֹּל׃of everything
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
The aliyah details the rebellion of the five kings of the Jordan Valley against Chedorlaomer, leading to a devastating invasion by the four kings who plunder Sodom and Gomorrah and capture Lot. Avram launches a daring rescue mission, defeating the four kings, recovering all the captives and booty, and is subsequently greeted by the king of Sodom and blessed by Melchizedek, the king of Salem, to whom Avram gives a tenth of everything.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
The Torah goes into great detail describing the massive world war of the four kings against the five kings, a global clash of empires that shook the entire region. Yet, the Gemara and our Chazal reveal the deep pshat behind all this geopolitical noise: the whole war only happened for the sake of Avraham Avinu, so that he could rescue his nephew Lot and bring him back. To the rest of the world, it looked like massive historical movements of armies and kings, but in reality, the entire world stage was being shaken up by Hashem just for the sake of one tzaddik and his family.
This is a tremendous yesod in emunah and how we look at the world. Lichoira, we look at the news, the politics, the global events, and we feel so small and insignificant. But the Tanna is telling us that the entire world is run b'davka for the sake of the Yidden and their avodas Hashem. The big, noisy events of the world are just the background scenery that Hashem moves around to set up the exact nisayon or the exact yeshua that a single Yid needs for his neshama.
When you realize this, your whole perspective on life changes. You are not a helpless bystander in a world of giant forces. Hashem is running the entire universe, from the smallest detail to the biggest global event, with you in mind. Mimeila, when things around you are in turmoil, don't get lost in the noise. Focus on your avodah, on doing the ratzon Hashem right where you are, knowing that He is orchestrating everything for your ultimate good.
Today, when you hear or read about stressful world events or major changes around you, don't get swept up in the anxiety; instead, pause and remind yourself: 'Hashem runs the entire world, and everything happening is ultimately to set the stage for the Torah and avodah of the Jewish people.'