וה’ אמר אל אברם אחרי הפלט מעמו

כל זמן שהרשע עמו, הי-ה הדיבור פורש ממנו (רש”י)

Hashem spoke to Avraham AFTER he parted ‘with him’ (Lot)

Rashi explains that as long as Avraham was with Lot the Shechina left him.

The midah that Avraham personified here is something of great importance.  Avraham understands that when he is with a rasha the shechina leaves his presence. Yet, when he is walking here with Lot he doesn’t utter a word and keeps quiet. The level a person must have attained to have the shechina talk with him is obviously of very high caliber. What greater honor is there? Why would anyone, once achieved, want to give up even the possibility of not being able to be spoken to by Hashem for even a minute amount of time?

Yet this was the midah personified by Avraham. The gemarah in Shabbos (127a) says ‘Gedolah hachnasas orchim yoser mikabalas p’nei HaShechina’. Welcoming someone into your home; being mechabed someone - is greater than actually greeting the shechina. Even though speaking with Hashem is on the greatest level, still - a person must not distance himself from another-because hachnasas orchim is greater.

It was for this reason that Avraham wasn’t anxious to get rid of Lot. However, eventually when each others shepherds started arguing over the sheep THEN Avraham called it quits and had to part with Lot.

We learn here a valuable lesson from Avraham Avinu. All men are not created equal. Just because someone is different than you, or on a lower level than you doesn’t mean one should turn him away.  On the contrary, embrace him and get close to him. Lot was a rasha, not just on a ‘lower level’ than Avraham. Yet, Avraham tried to have a hashpa’ah on him.  He said if I turn away from him the shechina will be back. But if I never try to influence him he’ll never consider changing. So Avraham stood with him, abandoned the shechina (so to speak) in order to try to be mechazek Lot and try to change him.  When a person sees that there’s someone less fortunate than him, don’t run away.  Try to have an influence on him. Put your needs on the side for a moment and try to get close to him.

The gemarah (Moed Koton 17a) says if the Rav is similar to a malach Hashem then you shall seek torah from him and if he is not comparable to a malach then do not try and learn torah from him. Many of the mefarshim struggle with this gemarah. Firstly, how can man be like a malach? And secondly, how are we supposed to know how malachim act? How can we tell if he’s like the malachim or not?

Some of the meforshim answer, that the underlying difference between a malach and man is the ability to spiritually grow and fall. A malach cannot grow spiritually; he is what he is and can neither strive higher nor fall lower than his current level. Man was blessed with the ability to constantly strive higher (and unfortunately sink lower). The ultimate Rebbi is one who acts as a malach and forfeits his own growth for the sake of the growth of his talmidim. One who has the ability to focus on his students needs and place them before his own is worthy of being a Rebbi. THAT’S how one can tell.

Avraham put his needs, of conversing with the shechina, aside and tried to have a hashp’ah on Lot. That’s a rebbe.  We must also remember that this applies only if it won’t bring a person down by doing so.  If it will merely prevent a person from growing, says Rav Shach ZT”L, one should do it.  But if it will bring a person down then of course one need not do this.

It’s no easy task but with practice we can all hopefully adapt to this wonderful midah. May we all be zoche.

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