Chasidut su Giosuè 15:78

Genesis ‎12,9. “Avram journeyed ‘southward’ in stages.” In order to ‎understand the significance of this verse we must remember that ‎the meaning of the word ‎נגב‎, becomes clear from Joshua 15,19, ‎where Calev is reported as giving his daughter Achsah to whom ‎he had given some land in the southern district of Yehudah, an ‎additional source of irrigation in response to her plea; the ‎‎negev was known already then as a semi arid region. The ‎expression: ‎מנוגב‎, taken from the word ‎נגב‎, means “dried out, ‎lacking in moisture.” In fact, ‎נגב‎ is identical with ‎דרום‎, an allusion ‎to G’d’s attribute of ‎חסד‎, loving kindness. When the word ‎נגבה‎ is ‎used in our verse instead of the word ‎דרומה‎, which in common ‎parlance means the same thing, the reason is that the Torah ‎wished to draw the reader’s attention to the blessing inherent in ‎the word ‎נגב‎. Water, though generally perceived as a blessing, a ‎necessity, also has a down side, as we are all aware of. When the ‎word ‎נגב ‏‎ is used for “south,” this implies that water flowing there ‎is an unmitigated blessing. The moisture mixed with the natural ‎characteristic of ‎נגב‎ results in a perfect blend of two elements. ‎The Torah reports here that Avraham understood how to blend ‎service of the Lord with being of service to the people among ‎whom he lived. He knew how to “get out of his skin,” and to ‎spread the generous nature of which he was possessed far and ‎wide. In doing so, he served his Creator with his entire ‎personality. [Some of these words are my own. Ed.]‎