“The Lord said to Abram, after Lot parted from him: Raise now your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward” (Genesis 13:14). “The Lord said to Abram…” – Rabbi Yuda says: There was anger towards our forefather Abraham when he distanced his nephew Lot from him. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘He attaches himself to everyone else,41Abraham always sought to bring people closer to God. but to his own kinsman, Lot, he does not attach himself?’
Rabbi Neḥemya said: [On the contrary,] The Holy One blessed be He was angry while Lot was traveling with Abraham our forefather. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I said to him: “To your descendants I have given this land” (Genesis 15:18), and he attaches Lot to him, so that he should inherit [from] him? If so, let him go and find two foundlings in the street and bequeath to them what is his, as he wishes for his nephew.’
That is what is written: “Banish the scoffer, and strife will depart” (Proverbs 22:10). “Banish the scoffer” – this refers to Lot; “and strife will depart” – “there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Abram’s [livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock]….” “And contention and disgrace will cease” (Proverbs 22:10) – “Please, let there not be a quarrel [between me and you]….” “One who loves purity of heart, he who has grace on his lips, his friend is a king” (Proverbs 22:11) – the Holy One blessed be He loves whoever is pure of heart.
“He who has grace on his lips, the king is his friend” – this refers to Abraham, who was faultless and pure of heart and became one who loved the Omnipresent, as it is stated: “Descendants of Abraham who loved Me” (Isaiah 41:8). Because he had “grace on his lips,” as it is stated: “Speaking of his feats, and the grace of his speech” (Job 41:4), the Holy One blessed be He became like a friend to him, saying to him: “To your descendants I have given this land” (Genesis 15:18).