Comentario sobre Génesis 12:20

ויצו עליו AND PHARAOH GAVE COMMAND CONCERNING HIM— עליו means for his sake — to escort him and to protect him.

ויצו עליו פרעה אנשים, to protect both him and his wife, so that the Egyptians would not molest them.

וישלחו אותו ואת אשתו ואת כל אשר לו, “they escorted him and his wife and all his belongings.” Even though Avraham had treated them badly they did not take back the gifts they had given to him.”

Concerning him. Rashi is answering the question: If [ויצו עליו means] Pharaoh commanded Avraham some-thing, why does the verse not say what it was? Thus Rashi says it means, “Concerning him, to escort and protect him.” But a question remains: How did Rashi know that this is what Pharaoh had commanded? Perhaps he commanded that they let Avraham depart in peace, unhindered, not that he be protected. To answer this, Rashi explains that וישלחו means as the Targum says: “They escorted him.” And this implies, “To protect him.” [Note: The text of Rashi’s commentary on 13:1-2 was apparently in a different order than it appears today.] But a question still remains: How did the Targum know this? To answer this, Rashi explains that כבד מאוד (v. 2) means, “He was laden with baggage.” Since the Torah relates Avraham’s honor at length, his departure from Egypt must also have been in an honorable fashion. And that is why Rashi explained כבד מאוד before ויעל אברם, contrary to the order of the verses.

ויצו עליו. Nach Aben Esras Meinung wäre dies ein freundliches Benehmen gegen Abraham gewesen, es wäre das Verbot ergangen, dass keiner ihm und den Seinigen zu nahe trete. Allerdings ist צוה על in der Regel ein Verbot, eine Beschränkung; allein dann bezieht sich das על immer auf die Person oder den Gegenstand, der beschränkt werden soll, so ועל הנביאים צויתם Amos 2, 12. ועל העבים אצות Jesaias 5, 6. Also auch hier: Pharao legte Abraham eine Beschränkung auf, er bestellte Leute über ihn, die dafür zu sorgen hatten, dass er das Land verlasse — ganz so wie später gegen Israel, wie denn überhaupt die ganze Begebenheit eine merkwürdige Analogie für die spätere Geschichte bietet. —

וישלחו AND THEY ACCOMPANIED HIM — as the Targum has it: they gave him an escort.)

וישלחו אותו, as far as the border of the country.