Abraham Builds Three Altars in the Land

(Genesis 12:6-9) "And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem." Until now merit was still being sought for them in the land. "And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, To your seed I will give this land, and he built there an altar" (Genesis 12:7). This is the altar he built for the good tidings of the land. "And he moved from there to the mountain on the east" (Genesis 12:8). Formerly it was called Beth-El, and now it is called Beth-Aven. "And he pitched his tent [aholo]." It is written "her tent" [aholah]: at first he pitched the tent of Sarah, and afterward he pitched his own tent. "And he built there an altar." He built three altars: one for the good tidings of the land, one for its acquisition, and one that his descendants should not fall at Ai. This is what is written, "And Joshua rent his garments and fell on his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust upon their heads" (Joshua 7:6). They began to recall the merit of the fathers, the merit of Abraham our father, who said, "and I am but dust and ashes" (Genesis 18:27). Did Abraham then build an altar at Ai for nothing? Rather, it was so that his descendants should not fall at Ai. "And he called on the name of the LORD" (Genesis 12:8): [this means] he prayed.