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GENESIS — 13:8 strife

GEN802 Peer pressure seems to be a very powerful force in our society, causing people to alter their intended actions and behavior. … When the shepherds of Lot, Abraham’s nephew who lived with Abraham, began quarrelling with the shepherds of Abraham, the reaction of Abraham was swift: Rather than fighting the possible negative influences of Lot and his shepherds, Abraham ordered his nephew and his shepherds to immediately leave his household and part company.  … Thus we can see the fear of peer pressure that Abraham displayed.  Rather than combatting Lot’s beliefs, which were contrary to his own, he immediately ordered Lot to leave before any negative values could be acquired by his household.  We may also postulate that the peer pressure and negative influence of Lot himself influenced the views of his shepherds.  Lot then moves to Sodom, where his new peers more truly reflected his outlook on life.  AMEMEI 214

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GENESIS — 13:8 strife

GEN803 What should a person do when he wants to hate someone, as the Torah forbids hating?  How can he or she be around this person and see the object of his or her hatred on a regular basis, and not display this emotion?  The Rabbis, based on the precedent of Abraham, give us one possible remedy. When Abraham saw that his nephew Lot and Lot’s shepherds were acting in an immoral and despicable manner (by stealing the grazing land of others), in order not to come to the forbidden emotion of hate over these actions, Abraham asked Lot to depart from him and gave him the choice of the best lands.  Thus, by choosing to avoid any further contact with these people, Abraham rid himself of his ill feelings before those feelings could turn into actual hatred.  AMJV 130

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GENESIS — 13:10 before

GEN804 Both Judaism and the secularists make use of the concept of justice for the rationalization of the unethical. However, Judaism’s conception of the nature of justice and the manner of its implementation differs radically from that of the secularist. As we have previously noted, the secularist limits the concept of justice to interhuman affairs. Its origin is attributed to enlightened self-interest, and its concretizations reflect a compromise between the enlightened self-interest of the individual and of the group. For Judaism, justice is not the product of human intelligence applied to human experience; human intelligence and experience merely play a role in its implementation.  Justice is a principle that governs the whole of the universe, for “Justice and righteousness are the foundations of God’s throne” (Psalm 89:15). Justice is present in the affairs of men. Men have been endowed by God with the ability to become conscious of its presence and to apply it to their affairs. But the concept of justice reaches far beyond the human. The existence of the whole of creation, not only of an enlightened human society, is dependent upon the preservation of “The foundations of God’s throne.” One of the fundamental doctrines, therefore, of the Biblical–Rabbinic tradition is that men’s violation of justice affects the whole universe. “He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein” (Psalm 107:33 – 34). It was man’s unethically motivated acts that brought on the flood (Genesis 6:11) and the transformation of “The well-watered plane of the Jordan which was like the Garden of Eden” [this verse] into a wilderness (Genesis 19:13-25).  Note that the biblical narrative very specifically includes all the inhabitants of Sodom, “From the young to the old, all of the people,” in the intention to act wickedly toward Lot’s guests (Genesis 19:4). This is apparently in response to Abraham’s plea to save the city even if there be but ten righteous inhabitants (Genesis 18:32). God Himself is concerned with preserving the foundations of His throne, and the viability of His creation. The implementation of justice in human affairs places a two-fold responsibility upon man: (a) to harbor and implement the ethical intention to treat one’s fellow man justly. One is called upon to do this as a matter of divinely enlightened self-interest.  A self-interest which is securely rooted may, as we have pointed out, counsel one to act unjustly; but a self-interest enlightened by faith that God is concerned with the implementation of justice can never counsel even temporary violation of justice. (b) to harbor and implement intentions to curb those who act unjustly. Such intentions must on occasion be unethical, since they involve subjecting the wrongdoer to restraints or punishments which are not intended for his welfare, but primarily for the welfare of society as a whole or of the individual who had been wrong.  GREENBERG 55-56

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GENESIS — 13:13 sinners

GEN805 … one is obligated to observe and understand children, and to distinguish between one who is perverse and warped (Deuteronomy 32:5) and one who goes upright--all of this for an exalted purpose ... [presumably, to protect one's children from negative influences (see Zeh Hasha'ar)].When you see gluttonous people who disregard the need to wash their hands before meals, who sit and eat bread without reciting the brachach [blessing] before and after the meal, (Grace after Meals is derived from the Torah Deuteronomy 8:10) and flout the restrictions of many other such Rabbinic rulings and enactments – through this they can be appraised, and through this you will be able to know and discern their ways, tor they re exceedingly evil and sinful towards Hashem [this verse] and their end will be eternal ruin Numbers 24:20.  It is in respect to these that the Sages said: “Anyone who violates a Rabbinic ruling is punishable with death.”  This is because these actions are not forced by one’s yetzer – these people are not swayed to sin as a result of their earthiness, through their physical desire.  They emerge solely from one’s evil disposition and the desire to throw off the yoke of Heaven from their necks.  Indeed, they are like the throng of that class of evil-doers who say to God: “Leave us alone; we have no desire to know Your ways.” Job 21:14. These, too, are far from the way of truth.  GATES 169-171

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GENESIS — 13:13 sinners

GEN807 R. Yehudah said: “Evil,” in their bodies, as in Genesis 39:9: ‘How can I do this great evil [adultery] and be sinful to God!’; “sinful,” with respect to their money, as in Deuteronomy 23:22: ‘And it [not paying what you owe] will be sinful in you.’” In a Mishnah it was taught: “evil,” with respect to their money, as it is written Deuteronomy 15:9: ‘And your eye will be evil against your poor brother’: “sinful,” in their bodies, as it is written: ‘…and be sinful to God’” Sanhedrin 109a. TEMIMAH-GEN 61

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