stayed with them. This led the nation to love him so much that they didn’t want to go to war with Midyan because they knew he was destined to die after this war. Additionally, everyone cried for 30 days after his death due to their great love.
For this reason, we use the words “according to the rules of Moshe and Yisroel” to teach the young couple that even if they have fights and arguments at times, they should continue to live in harmony and peace, just like Moshe and Klal Yisroel remained full of love for each other despite the numerous sources of discord between them.
קַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ וגו’ הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן וַיֵּצְאוּ לָלֶכֶת וגו’ (יב, ה).
And Avrohom took Sarai his wife... and the souls that he made in Charan, and they went to go... (12:5)
The Klalos Are Brachos:
Sefer Botzina D’Nehora quotes Rav Boruch of Mezhibozh zy”a as explaining the words “the souls that he made in Charan” to mean that Avrohom rectified these people with his “charon af” – with his anger.
This sefer goes on to relate several stories that depict how this tzadik provided benefit to people by outwardly acting angrily towards them. He seemed to be cursing them when, in fact, he was granting them great blessings.
Once, a woman came to him in tears, asking for a blessing for her daughter, who was experiencing a difficult childbirth. He began to curse her with such severe curses that she felt faint, which astonished everyone who overheard. He said to them, “Why are you surprised? You should know that the curses that come out of my mouth are blessings.”
He showed them the Zohar Hakadosh in Parshas Vayeishev (Chelek 1, 184A) that says that there are two different types of anger. There is one type of anger that is “a blessing from top to bottom” which is called “Boruch”.
The Apta Rov zy”a would say, “People think that Rav Boruch’l is ‘the angry one’ and I am ‘the nice one’. That is incorrect. In truth, he is the ‘gevurah shebichesed (strength with kindness) and I am the chesed shebigevurah (kindness with strength).”
Rav Boruch was once eating a meal. On one side of him sat his mechutin, Rav Avrohom Dov of Chmelnik zy”a, and on the other side sat his other mechutin, Rav Yosele of Yampoli zy”a. A wealthy man then entered the house and Rav Boruch began to curse and berate him. He told those around him to push the man out of his home, and they did so.
Rav Avrohom Dov asked, “What about the Gemara (Bava Metziah 59A) that says that one who shames his friend in public forfeits his share in Olam Haba?”
Rav Boruch answered, “I saw that harsh decrees had been issued against this man. By shaming him, I exempted him from these decrees. I am prepared to give up my Olam Haba for the sake of a fellow Jew.”
Rav Yosele then said, “This also bothered me but I knew better than to question our mechutin because I was sure that he knew what he was doing.”
Rav Dovid Moshe of Chortkov zy”a related that Rav Boruch had a ben bayis named R’ Leib Letitchiver. At times, Rav Boruch would chastise and curse him. He once got so mad at him that R’ Leib ran out of the house. When he ran out the door, he was approached by a poor man who asked if the Rebbe was home and if he could speak to him. R’ Leib shook the man’s hand and asked where he was from. He answered that he came from Eretz Yisroel. Since Rav Boruch would often rebuke those who left Eretz Yisroel to go abroad, R’ Leib advised him not to go into his house now, saying that he is not in a good mood. However, the poor man didn’t take his advice and went into his house.
A few hours later, R’ Leib returned to the Rebbe’s house and Rav Boruch asked him, “Did you see the Yid who was here from Eretz Yisroel?”
R’ Leib answered in the affirmative and the Rebbe told him, “That man was Eliyahu Hanavi!”
The Chortkover Rebbe said about this, “What can we say about the anger of Rav Boruch? While he was ‘angry’, he merited being visited by Eliyahu Hanavi!”
The Yeitzer Hara Wants Him to Succeed in Business:
My grandfather, the Kretchnifer Rebbe zy”a (Gilyon Kol Emunah 5758), explained this pasuk in the way of mussar by stating that the yeitzer hara may tell a person: If you want to succeed in business, you should shorten your payos and dress in a “modern” way. This is what the king of Sodom – who represents the yeitzer hara - told Avrohom. He said: Give me the souls. Compromise on Yiddishkeit. If you do so, you can take the possessions. You can succeed in business.
However, the facts show that this is incorrect. Even a Yid who keeps the Torah and mitzvos and doesn’t change his appearance at all is able to make a good living, and even to become wealthy.
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ וגו' אֶל אַבְרָם תֶּן לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְ כֻשׁ קַח לָךְ (יד, כא)
And the king said... “Give me the souls, and the possessions take for yourself.” (14:21)
