Rabbi Elazar said: Come and see! It is not written: "So Abram left, as G‑d had spoken to him," but rather that Abram "went," as it is written: "Go yourself". This is so written because they had already left, as it is written [earlier]: "and they went out with them from Ur Casdim to go to the land of Cana'an." Therefore, it is written: "[continued] going" rather than "left."

"As G‑d had spoken to him..." trusting all the promises He had given him. The words, "and Lot went with him," mean that Lot accompanied Abraham to learn from his actions. Even so, Lot did not learn much[other than hospitality for guests]. Rabbi Elazar said: Fortunate are the righteous who study the ways of G‑d in order to follow them and be in awe of Him; in awe of that day of judgment when man will have to account for his deeds before G‑d.

He opened up: "it is sealed by hand of each man; that each men know his deeds." (Job 37:7) This passage has already been explained. But come and see! When the days of man are over and he is about to leave this world, on that day when the body is broken and the soul has to leave it, then that person is permitted to see what he has not been able to see when the body was healthy and in control. Then three angels stand over him and take an account of his merits and his days and his sins and all that he has done in this world. And he openly admits everything, and after that he signs it with his hand. As it is written: "it is sealed by hand of each man..." All are signed with his hand, so a man can be judged for all of his actions in this world, the early and the recent actions, the old and the new deeds - not even one of them is forgotten. Therefore, it is written: "that each men know his deeds." All of the actions he committed in this world together in body and in spirit, so he must account together in body and spirit, before he leaves this world.


Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
Copyright 2003 by KabbalaOnline.org, a project of Ascent of Safed (//ascentofsafed.com). All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, unless with permission, in writing, from Kabbala Online.