Derasha 1 on Lech Lecha 14:21

TT #1 · Parashas Lech Lecha · Fifth Aliyah · Passuk 14:21

Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־סְדֹ֖ם אֶל־אַבְרָ֑ם תֶּן־לִ֣י הַנֶּ֔פֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻ֖שׁ קַֽח־לָֽךְ׃

The king of Sodom said to Avram: Give me the people, and take the property for yourself.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to R. Yochanan: Avraham was punished with 210 years of Egyptian bondage because he allowed people to be turned away from the wings of the Shechinah.

Core Text

Core Text אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִפְּנֵי מָה נֶעֱנַשׁ אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ וְנִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּ בָּנָיו לְמִצְרַיִם מָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִפְרִישׁ בְּנֵי אָדָם מִלְּהִכָּנֵס תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר תֶּן לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְכוּשׁ קַח לָךְ.
English of Core Text: R. Yochanan said: Why was Avraham our father punished and his children enslaved in Egypt for two hundred ten years? Because he turned people away from entering under the wings of the Shechinah, as it is said “Give me the people, and take the property for yourself.”
On the daf / in context: By agreeing to return the captives to the king of Sodom, Avraham is read as forgoing the opportunity to bring them under the covenant.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Relinquishing souls that could have been brought near is treated as a cause of later national suffering.