Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Genesis 15:1/ספורנו על בראשית ט״ו:א׳
אאַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם. אַל תִּירָא שֶׁיִּנָּקְמוּ הָאַרְבָּעָה מְלָכִים מִמְּךָ.
1אל תירא אברם, do not worry that the four kings will avenge themselves on you.
בשְׂכָרְךָ. לֹא דַּי שֶׁלֹּא הִתְמַעֲטוּ זְכֻיּוֹתֶיךָ בִּשְׁבִיל מַה שֶׁהִצַּלְתִּיךָ, אֲבָל עִם זֶה יֵשׁ שָׂכָר לִפְעֻלָּתְךָ זֹאת שֶׁגָּמַלְתָּ חֶסֶד לְאָחִיךָ וְזוּלָתוֹ לְהַצִּיל גְּזוּלִים מִיַּד עוֹשְׁקִים:
2שכרך, not only that, but your reward over and beyond that is so great that your merits have not decreased on account of your success in that battle. You deserve much more reward for having gone to the assistance of your brother, displaying a supreme degree of love for him and for those belonging to him. You have liberated the victims of kidnappers.
גהַרְבֵּה. בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה:
3הרבה מאד, both in this world
דמְאֹד. לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם, כְּאָמְרָם דְּבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, מֵהֶם גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים (פאה א:א).
4 and in the world to come. We have been taught, and recite daily in our prayers, that there are things for which one receives some dividends in this world, whereas the principal comes due in the hereafter. One of the good deeds which qualify for such reward is known as גמילות חסדים, the performing of deeds of loving kindness involving not only one’s checkbook but one’s very body (Peah, 1,1).