And There Was Friction Between Avram’s Herdsmen and Lot’s Herdsmen

Written by Rafi Jager

And there was friction between Avram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen...and Avram said to Lot ‘Let’s not have friction between me and you and my herdsmen and your herdsmen'(Biraishis 13:7-8).

The Netziv explains that Avram told Lot that he was afraid that the herdsmen’s fight might spill over to them, as it says in Mishlei 17:14 “The beginning of strife is like letting out water”. ie. If you have a small hole in a water barrel, the more water goes through it, the bigger the hole gets. Quarreling is like a poisonous growth: Nip it in the bud !!

Good Shabbos