“Abraham traveled from there” – he turned away because of the stench,8The foul atmosphere of immorality that Lot had created for himself. as people were saying that Lot, the son of Abraham’s brother, had consorted with his two daughters. “To the region of the south” – it [the south] is called by seven names: Darom, negev, teiman (Joshua 12:3), ḥeder (Job 37:9), yam (Psalms 107:3), yamin (I Samuel 23:19), and seninim [variant reading: sinim (Isaiah 49:12)].
They raised an objection: But is it not written: “Nor from the wilderness in the harim”? (Psalms 75:7).9In that context, harim means the south. There is thus an eighth term used for south. He said to them: That, too, is the south.10Indeed, that is an eighth term for south. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: I was passing by the synagogue in Tzippori, and I heard the children sitting and reciting the verse: “Abraham traveled from there.”
I said: ‘Great are the words of the Sages who said: [Warm yourself up by the fire of the Torah scholars,] but be cautious of their glowing coals so that you not be burned, as their bite is like the bite of a fox, and their hiss is like the hiss of a fiery serpent, and all their words are like fiery coals,11That is to say, their rebuke is harsh and enduring. as from the moment that Abraham separated from Lot,12When Abraham told him: “Please, part from me” (Genesis 13:9). his separation was an eternal separation.’13Even now, when Lot sought to go back to Abraham (see Bereshit Rabba 50:11), Abraham traveled away from him.
“He resided in Gerar” – in Geradiki. “Abraham said of Sarah his wife: She is my sister. Avimelekh, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah” (Genesis 20:2). “Abraham said of [el]14Literally: To.
Sarah his wife: She is my sister” – by force, against her will.15He said this to Sarah. He did not ask her, he told her. This is unlike during their journey to Egypt, when Abraham said to her: “Please say you are my sister” (Genesis 12:13), first soliciting her approval.