“Abram passed through the land to the place of Shekhem, until the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land” (Genesis 12:6). “Abram passed through the land…[and the Canaanites were still in the land]” – until then, they still had a right to the land. “The Lord appeared to Abram, and said: To your descendants I will give this land.
And he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him” (Genesis 12:7). “The Lord appeared to Abram, and said: To your descendants…[and he built an altar]” – he built an altar only over the good tidings of [being granted] the Land of Israel. “He relocated from there to the mountain east of Beit El, and he pitched his tent, Beit El to the west, and Ai to the east; he built an altar to the Lord there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8).
“He relocated from there to the mountain east [kedem] of Beit El” – in the past it was called Beit El, and now it is called Beit Aven.52Aven means iniquity. The place Beit Aven is mentioned several times in Tanakh. The Midrash explains that it is a later name for Beit El. After Yerovam placed an idolatrous golden calf there, its name was changed to Beit Aven.
The Midrash expounds kedem in the sense of previously. See Amos 5:5. Rabbi Elazar said: It53A certain idolatrous shrine. did not merit to be called Beit HeAmad, but is called Beit HeAmal. There54In Babylon. they call good deeds amida, and a chamber pot amila.
“He pitched his tent [oholo]” – ohola is written.55Using the feminine suffix. It teaches that he pitched Sarah’s tent first, and then pitched his tent.