Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Genesis 12:2/אור החיים על בראשית י״ב:ב׳
אוְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וְגוֹ׳. לֶהֱיוֹת שֶׁצִּוָּה לוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה, קָבַע לוֹ כְּנֶגְדָּם שָׁלֹשׁ: וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ וְגוֹ׳ כְּנֶגֶד ״לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ״, וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ כְּנֶגֶד ״וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ״, וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה כְּנֶגֶד ״וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ״. שֶׁתִּמְצָא כִּי בִּהְיוֹת הָאָדָם בְּאַרְצוֹ תּוֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ וּבֵית אָבִיו יֶשְׁנוֹ בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים: הָא׳ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הַרְבֵּה מַכִּירִים וְרֵעִים וְאוֹהֲבִים. ב׳ שֶׁבְּנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ תְּפָאֲרֵהוּ וְכָבוֹד וְהָדָר תְּעַטְּרֵהוּ כְּדֶרֶךְ כָּל מִשְׁפָּחָה לִבְנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתָּם. ג׳ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִזּוֹן וּמִתְפַּרְנֵס וּמִתְרַחֵם מִבֵּית אָבִיו לְצְרָכָיו. וּכְשֶׁיּוֹצֵא מֵאַרְצוֹ וְכוּ׳ חָסֵר לְכֻלָּן, וְלָזֶה אָמַר אֵלָיו ה׳ כְּנֶגֶד ״מֵאַרְצְךָ״ אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה לְךָ הַרְבֵּה אוֹהֲבִים מִמְּךָ מִיּוֹצְאֵי חֲלָצֶיךָ. וּכְנֶגֶד חֶסְרוֹן הַתּוֹעֶלֶת שֶׁל בְּנֵי הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה כַּנִּזְכָּר ״וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ״, וּכְנֶגֶד חֶסְרוֹן הַמּוֹעִיל מִבֵּית אָבִיךָ ״וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה״.
1 ואעשך לגוי גדול. I shall make a great nation out of you. Since G'd had given Abraham a threefold commandment, He now promised that fulfilment of these three steps would result in three benefits to Abraham. 1) The promise that Abraham would become a great nation was the reward for leaving his country. 2) The promise to bless Abraham and make him a great name was a reward for his leaving his birthplace. 3) The promise that Abraham himself would become a source of blessing was a reward for his leaving his father's home. These three promises were compensations for things people normally enjoy when they are in familiar surroundings. 1) They have many friends and acquaintances. 2) They enjoy a degree of honour and respect within their family. 3) Inasmuch as they are part of a family their economic needs are taken care of should they fall on hard times. When a person emigrates to a totally strange country, he knows that he gives up the mental and economic stability that he took for granted in his home.