Derasha 1 on Lech Lecha 13:2

TT #1 · Parashas Lech Lecha · Second Aliyah · Passuk 13:2

Complete Passuk

וְאַבְרָ֖ם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד בַּמִּקְנֶ֕ה בַּכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַזָּהָֽב׃

And Avram was very heavy with livestock, with silver, and with gold.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Tanna de-vei Eliyahu / parallel (R. Nehorai): Torah honors a person and protects him from all evil in his youth and gives him an end and hope in his old age — as with Avraham.

Core Text

Core Text תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי נְהוֹרַאי אוֹמֵר: הַתּוֹרָה מְכַבַּדְתּוֹ לָאָדָם וּמְשַׁמַּרְתּוֹ מִכָּל רַע בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ וְנוֹתֶנֶת לוֹ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָה בְּזִקְנוּתוֹ, וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ… בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ הוּא אוֹמֵר וְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד… וּבְזִקְנוּתוֹ הוּא אוֹמֵר וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַה׳ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל.
English of Core Text: It was taught: R. Nehorai says, the Torah honors a person and guards him from all evil in his youth and gives him an end and hope in his old age; so you find with Avraham our father… in his youth it says “Avram was very heavy…,” and in his old age “Avraham was old, coming into days, and Hashem blessed Avraham with everything.”
On the daf / in context: The derasha pairs the wealth of 13:2 with the later blessing of “bakol” to show Torah’s lifelong accompaniment of the one who keeps it.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Material weight in youth and comprehensive blessing in old age are both read as the fruit of Avraham’s Torah.