1)

Why was Avraham traveling constantly southwards?

1.

Kli Yakar: One who want to grow wise should tilt southwards (in Shemoneh Esreh, and the same applies here).

2.

Ha'amek Davar: He saw that the south is better for Korbanos, and all the more so for Torah.

3.

Seforno: He traveled due south, so that the people from both aforementioned towns would have constant access to him - since he saw that some of them had already been attracted to him.

2)

Why does it say "going and traveling"?

1.

Mishnas R. Aharon (Vol. 1, p. 175): One must always go from level to level. It says southwards, for one who wants to grow wise should tilt southwards (in Shemoneh Esreh).

QUESTIONS ON RASHI

3)

Rashi writes: "'Journeying, travelling' (Haloch v'Naso'a) - in segments; [Avraham] would dwell in one place for a month or more, and then travel onwards...." How do we derive that he travelled in this manner?

1.

Gur Aryeh: The verbs Haloch, v'Naso'a, are in the infinitive, indicating a process that is present and ongoing.

4)

Rashi writes: "... for a month or more." How does Rashi know that each stop was for no less than one month?

1.

Gur Aryeh: A person who dwells in a place for a month is considered a local resident for purposes of Nedarim (Bava Basra 8a). Had Avraham's encampments been for less than a month, they would have been considered one long journey rather than many consecutive ones. 1


1

Compare to Rashi to 4:20; refer to 4:20:2:1.

5)

Rashi writes: "Towards the south - of Eretz Yisrael; this is Yerushalayim, in the territory of Yehudah." Isn't Yerushalayim positioned in the middle of Eretz Yisrael?

1.

Gur Aryeh: Yehudah received the south of Eretz Yisrael, and [most of the] Beis ha'Mikdash was in Yehudah's territory, 1 therefore Yerushalayim is considered to be in the south.


1

Although the division of the land among the Tribes had not yet occurred, the Torah commonly describes locations by future people or events. (See Rashi to 2:14; 14:7.) (CS)

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