## Sforno on Genesis Chapter 13

###### Sforno on Genesis 13:2:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:2:1)

**וְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה.** וְהֻצְרַךְ לְהִתְנַהֵל לְאִטּוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה חָפֵץ לָשׁוּב מְהֵרָה אֶל מְקוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת כְּרִאשׁוֹנָה, וּלְפִיכָךְ:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואברם כבד מאד במקנה, this is why he had to travel slowly, even though he wanted to return quickly to the site of the altar where he wanted to continue his preaching as he had done before the famine.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:3:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:3:1)

**וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו.** שֶׁהֵם מַסַּע הָרוֹעִים הַנּוֹסְעִים מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם בִּכְלוֹת הַמִּרְעֶה מִמָּקוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וילך למסעיו, this is why he traveled on his routes, i.e. the routes all the shepherds took when journeying in that direction.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:6:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:6:1)

**וְלֹא נָשָׂא אוֹתָם הָאָרֶץ.** מִרְעֵה הָאָרֶץ לֹא הָיָה מַסְפִּיק לִשְׁנֵיהֶם, לְפִיכָךְ:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ולא נשא אותם הארץ, the grazing land available in that region was inadequate for their combined herds.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:7:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:7:1)

**וַיְהִי רִיב בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה אַבְרָם וּבֵין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה לוֹט.** הָיְתָה בֵּינֵיהֶם מְרִיבָה לִרְאוֹת מִי נִדְחֶה מִפְּנֵי מִי מִן הַמִּרְעֶה שֶׁיִּמְצְאוּ:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויהי ריב בין רועי מקנה אברם ובין רועי מקנה לוט, there was an argument between who would succeed to drive out the other from the available grazing land they would find.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:7:2
[Sforno on Genesis 13:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:7:2)

**וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי אָז יוֹשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ.** וְלָכֵן הָיָה הָרִיב בֵּין שְׁנֵי אַחִים גֵּרִים מַבְאִישׁ אֶת רֵיחָם בְּעֵינֵי הַתּוֹשָׁבִים, כִּי בִּהְיוֹת מְרִיבָה בֵּין הָאַחִים הַגֵּרִים יַחְשְׁבוּ אוֹתָם הַתּוֹשָׁבִים לְאַנְשֵׁי רִיב, וְיִשְׂאוּ קַל וָחוֹמֶר בְּעַצְמָם:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
והכנעני והפריזי אז יושב בארץ. This is why a quarrel between two brothers who lived side by side was especially embarrassing and harmful to the image of Avram among the surrounding tribes. When those tribes would see the brothers quarrel, they would assume that neither of them was a peace-loving individual and they would reason that they had even more reason to quarrel with either one of those recent immigrants.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:8:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:8:1)

**בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ.** לֶעָתִיד כְּשֶׁיִּבְחַר אֶחָד מִמֶּנּוּ אֵיזֶה מִרְעֶה:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ביני ובינך, in the future. When either one of them would select for his herds a certain grazing area.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:8:2
[Sforno on Genesis 13:8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:8:2)

**אַל נָא תְּהִי מְרִיבָה.** שֶׁיִּרְצֶה אוֹתוֹ גַּם חֲבֵירוֹ:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אל נא תהי מריבה, the result of competing aspirations to the same grazing land.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:8:3
[Sforno on Genesis 13:8:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:8:3)

**וּבֵין רוֹעַי וּבֵין רוֹעֶיךָ.** עַתָּה בְּשִׁבְתֵּנוּ פֹּה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ובין רועי ובין רועיך, now that we dwell here.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:9:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:9:1)

**הֲלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֶיךָ.** כִּי אָמְנָם אַתָּה תִּבְחַר הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁתִּרְצֶה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
הלא כל הארץ לפניך, I’ll let you choose the area which you prefer.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:9:2
[Sforno on Genesis 13:9:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:9:2)

לְפִיכָךְ **הִפָּרֶד נָא מֵעָלָי**, הִפָּרֵד אַתָּה אֶל הַצַּד אֲשֶׁר תִּבְחַר וַאֲנִי אֶסַּע אֶל הֶפְכּוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
Therefore, הפרד נא מעלי, move away from me in the direction you prefer and I will move in the opposite direction. If you select grazing land to the left, I will select grazing land to the right.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:9:3
[Sforno on Genesis 13:9:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:9:3)

**אִם הַשְּׂמֹאל.** אִם תִּבְחַר לְבַקֵּשׁ מִרְעֶה אֶחָד בְּצַד שְׂמֹאל:


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:9:4
[Sforno on Genesis 13:9:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:9:4)

**וְאֵימִינָה.** אֲנִי אֲבַקְשֶׁנּוּ בְּצַד יָמִין.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:11:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:11:1)

**וַיִּבְחַר לוֹ לוֹט אֵת כָּל כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן.** בָּחַר כָּל אוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁיּוּכַל הוּא לְבַדּוֹ וְרוֹעָיו לְבַקֵּשׁ בּוֹ מִרְעֶה, וְלֹא יוּכְלוּ זֶה אַבְרָהָם וְרוֹעָיו שָׁם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויבחר לו לוט, he selected as much area as he himself with his shepherds would manage to control as their grazing land. In this section of the earth Avram and his shepherds would not be allowed to graze.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:11:2
[Sforno on Genesis 13:11:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:11:2)

**וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם.** לֹא נָסַע לְיָמִין וְלֹא לִשְׂמֹאל שֶׁהֵם צָפוֹן וְדָרוֹם, אֲבָל נָסַע מִן הַמִּזְרָח לַמַּעֲרָב לְהִתְרַחֵק מֵאַבְרָהָם שֶׁהָיָה מוֹשָׁבוֹ בְּמִזְרָחָה שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל קָרוֹב לָעַי, שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים בָּאֵי הָאָרֶץ רִאשׁוֹנָה בְּבוֹאָם מֵעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרָחָה (יהושע ד).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויסע לוט מקדם, he did not turn right or left which were north and south, but he moved from the east to the west to distance himself from Avram [the author translated מקדם as meaning “from the east,” though this is difficult to reconcile with the fact that the Jordan valley is east from the region of Bet El and Ai where Avram and Lot had been reported last in verse 3. The area of the Jordan valley was the area from which the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua would enter the land of Canaan (Joshua chapter 4)


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:11:3
[Sforno on Genesis 13:11:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:11:3)

**וַיִּפָּרְדוּ אִישׁ מֵעַל אָחִיו.** לֹא בְּמִרְעֶה לְבַד אֲבָל גַּם בְּדִירָתָם.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:12:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:12:1)

**אַבְרָם יָשַׁב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁסְּדוֹם וְחַבְרוֹתֶיהָ הֵם מִגְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי, מִכָּל מָקוֹם יוֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ לֹא הָיוּ כְּנַעֲנִים. אָז אָמַר, אִם כֵּן, שֶׁאַבְרָם בָּחַר לָשֶׁבֶת בְּאוֹתוֹ הַחֵלֶק מִן הָאָרֶץ שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִים בּוֹ בְּנֵי כְנַעַן, שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ כָּל כָּךְ רָעִים כְּאַנְשֵׁי סְדוֹם, וְלֹא קָרַב לִגְבוּל סְדוֹם כְּלָל.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אברם ישב בארץ כנען, even though the city of Sodom and its satellite towns are on the border of the land of Canaan, the people living in those cities at that time, were not Canaanites. It was therefore in order for the Torah to write that Avram- as opposed to Lot- settled in the land of Canaan. He settled in the part of the land inhabited by Canaanites. They were not as evil as the Sodomites. Avram did not move close to the boundary of Sodom at all.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:14:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:14:1)

**אַחֲרֵי הִפָּרֶד לוֹט.** וְלֹא אָמַר זֶה בִּהְיוֹת לוֹט עִמּוֹ, פֶּן בִּכְבוֹדוֹ יִתְיַמְּרוּ וְיִתְגָּאוּ לוֹט וְרוֹעָיו וְיִתְאַמְּצוּ לִגְזֹל:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אחרי הפרד לוט, G’d did not say what follows while Lot was still in Avram’s company, so that the latter would not boast and his shepherds would engage in stealing grazing land from the local inhabitants claiming G’d’s promise to Avram of future possession as their justification.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:17:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:17:1)

**לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה.** שֶׁגַּם בְּיָמֶיךָ תִּהְיֶה בְּעֵינֵי הַתּוֹשָׁבִים נְשִׂיא אֱלֹהִים וּנְשׂוּא פָּנִים (בראשית כג:ו):

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לך אתננה, for even in your own lifetime you will be regarded as a prince of G’d, and deserving of great honour (compare Genesis 23,6)


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:18:1
[Sforno on Genesis 13:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:18:1)

**וַיֶּאֱהַל אַבְרָם.** עָשָׂה וְסִדֵּר אָהֳלֵי מִקְנֵהוּ אָנָה וְאָנָה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויאהל אברם, an expression denoting the encamping, erecting one’s many tents.


###### Sforno on Genesis 13:18:2
[Sforno on Genesis 13:18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/13:18:2)

**וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵלוֹנֵי מַמְרֵא.** וְהוּא אַחַר כָּךְ בָּא וְקָבַע דִּירָתוֹ בְּאֵלוֹנֵי מַמְרֵא.