📖 Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 27

נִסָּיוֹן הַשִּׁשִּׁי, בָּאוּ עָלָיו כָּל הַמְּלָכִים לְהָרְגוֹ, וְאָמְרוּ: ״נַתְחִיל רִאשׁוֹן בְּבֶן אָחִיו וְאַחַר כָּךְ נַתְחִיל בּוֹ״. וּבִשְׁבִיל לוֹט לָקְחוּ אֶת כָּל רְכוּשׁ סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת לוֹט וּרְכֻשׁוֹ״.

THE TRIALS OF ABRAHAM (continued) THE sixth trial was (when) all the kings came against him to slay him. They said: Let us first begin with the house of his brother, and afterwards let us begin with him. On account of Lot they took all (the wealth of) Sodom and Gomorrah, as it is said, "And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah" || (Gen. 14:11). Afterwards they took Lot captive, and all his wealth, as it is said, "And they took Lot… and his goods" (Gen. 14:12).

וּבָא מִיכָאֵל וְהִגִּיד לְאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיָּבֹא הַפָּלִיט וַיַּגֵּד לְאַבְרָם הָעִבְרִי״. וְשֶׁל עוֹלָם הוּא מַגִּיד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״גַּם בְּמַדָּעֲךָ מֶלֶךְ אַל תְּקַלֵּל, כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגֵּיד דָּבָר״. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פָּלִיט? שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוֹרִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא סָמָאֵל וְאֶת כַּת שֶׁלּוֹ מִמְּקוֹם קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, אָחַז בִּכְנָפָיו שֶׁל מִיכָאֵל לְהַפִּילוֹ עִמּוֹ, וּפְלָטוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִיָּדוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פָּלִיט. וְעָלָיו אָמַר יְחֶזְקֵאל: ״בָּא אֵלַי הַפָּלִיט מִירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר הֻכְּתָה הָעִיר״ וְכוּ'.

Michael came and told Abraham, as it is said, "And there came one who had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew" (Gen. 14:13). He is the prince of the world, he was the one who told, as it is said, "Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought;… he who hath wings shall tell the matter" (Eccles. 10:20). Why was his name called "Paliṭ" ("One who had escaped")? Because in the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, caused Sammael and his band to descend from heaven from their holy place, he caught hold of the wings of Michael to make him fall with himself, and the Holy One, blessed be He, saved him from his power; therefore was his name called "The one who had escaped." Concerning him Ezekiel said, "One who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is smitten" (Ezek. 33:21).

הִשְׁכִּים אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וְלָקַח אֶת שְׁלֹשֶׁת תַּלְמִידָיו עִמּוֹ, עָנֵר אֶשְׁכּוֹל וּמַמְרֵא וְאֶת אֱלִיעֶזֶר עַבְדּוֹ עִמָּם, וְרָדַף אַחֲרֵיהֶם עַד דָּן, זוֹ פַּמְיָאס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיִּרְדֹּף עַד דָּן״. וְשָׁם נִתְעַכֵּב הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁשָּׁם נֶאֱמַר לוֹ: ״אַבְרָהָם, תְּהִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁמִּבְּנֵי בָנֶיךָ עֲתִידִים לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שָׁם״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיַּעַשׂ שְׁנֵי עֶגְלֵי זָהָב וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הָאֶחָד בְּבֵית אֵל וְאֶת הָאֶחָד בְּדָן״. וְשָׁם הִנִּיחַ אֶת שְׁלֹשָׁה תַּלְמִידָיו וְלָקַח אֶת עַבְדּוֹ אֱלִיעֶזֶר שֶׁבְּמִנְיַן שְׁמוֹ שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת, וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם עַד מִשְּׂמֹאל לְדַמֶּשֶׂק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיִּרְדְּפֵם עַד חוֹבָה״.

Abraham rose up early in the morning, and he took his three disciples, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, with him, and Eliezer his servant with him (also), and he pursued after them as far as Dan, which is Pameas, as it is said, "And he pursued as far as Dan" (Gen. 14:14). And there the righteous man was hindered, for there it was told him: Abraham, know thou that in the future thy children's children will serve idols in this place; therefore was he hindered there. Whence do we know that Israel served idols there? Because it is said, "And he made two calves of gold… and he set the || one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan" (1 Kings 12:28, 29). There he left his three disciples, and he took his servant Eliezer. The numerical value of the letters of his name equals 318. He pursued them as far as the left of Damascus, as it is said, "And he pursued them unto Hobah" (Gen. 14:15).

שְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן אוֹמֵר: שָׁם נֶחְלְקָה הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁיָּצְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, הוּא הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁהִכָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת בְּכוֹרֵי מִצְרַיִם, הוּא הַלַּיְלָה שֶׁהִכָּה אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַמְּלָכִים וְאֶת מַחֲנֵיהֶם עִמָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֵּחָלֵק עֲלֵיהֶם לַיְלָה הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו״.

Samuel the Younger said: There the night was divided for him; (the night) when the children of Israel went forth out of Egypt, that was the night in which Abraham smote the kings and their camps with them, as it is said, "And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants" (ibid.).

הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן אוֹמֵר: לָקַח אַבְרָהָם אֶת כָּל רְכוּשׁ סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה וְאֶת כָּל רְכוּשׁוֹ שֶׁל לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו, וְחָזַר לְשָׁלוֹם וְלֹא נֶעְדַּר לוֹ אֲפִלּוּ אָדָם אֶחָד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיָּשֶׁב אֵת הָרְכֻשׁ וְגַם אֶת לוֹט וּרְכֻשׁוֹ״ וְכוּ'.

Hillel the Elder said: Abraham took all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the wealth of Lot, the son of his brother, and he returned in peace, and not even one of his men failed him, as it is said, "And he brought back all the goods, and also his brother Lot" (Gen. 14:16).

רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: אַבְרָהָם הִתְחִיל רִאשׁוֹן לְעַשֵּׂר. לָקַח הַמַּעֲשֵׂר מִכָּל מַה שֶּׁהֵשִׁיב מִן הָרְכוּשׁ שֶׁל סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה וְאֶת כָּל מַעְשַׂר רְכוּשׁ לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו וְנָתַן לְשֵׁם בֶּן נֹחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל״.

Rabbi Joshua said: Abraham was the first to begin to give a tithe. He took all the tithe of the kings and all the tithe of the wealth of Lot, the son of his brother, and gave (it) to Shem, the son of Noah, as it is said, "And he gave him a tenth of all" (Gen. 14:20).

יָצָא שֵׁם בֶּן נֹחַ לִקְרָאתוֹ, וְרָאָה אֶת כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים שֶׁעָשָׂה וְאֶת כָּל הָרְכוּשׁ שֶׁהֵשִׁיב, וְהָיָה תָּמֵהַּ בְּלִבּוֹ. הִתְחִיל מְהַלֵּל וּמְפָאֵר וּמְשַׁבֵּחַ לְשֵׁם עֶלְיוֹן, וְאוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר מִגֵּן צָרֶיךָ בְּיָדֶיךָ״. עָמַד אַבְרָהָם וְהָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר: רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים! לֹא בְּכֹחַ יָדִי וְלֹא בְּכֹחַ יְמִינִי עָשִׂיתִי אֶת כָּל אֵלֶּה, אֶלָּא בְּכֹחַ יְמִינְךָ שֶׁאַתָּה מָגֵן לִי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאַתָּה ה' מָגֵן בַּעֲדִי״ – בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה; ״כְּבוֹדִי וּמֵרִים רֹאשִׁי״ – לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְעָנוּ הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְאָמְרוּ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם.

Shem, the son of Noah, came forth to meet him, and when he saw all the deeds which he had done and all the wealth which he had brought back, || he wondered in his heart. He began to praise, to glorify, and to laud the name of the Most High, saying: "And blessed be God the Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand" (ibid.). Abraham arose and prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: Sovereign of all worlds ! Not by the power of my hand, nor by the power of my right hand have I done all these things, but by the power of Thy right hand with which Thou dost shield me in this world and in the world to come, as it is said, "But thou, O Lord, art a shield about me" (Ps. 3:3) in this world; "my glory, and the lifter up of mine head" (ibid.) in the world to come. The angels answered and said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the shield of Abraham.