The Art of Peace 

Shalom,

The following verse appears in the book of Job. 

 נֹטֶה צָפוֹן עַל-תֹּהוּ;    תֹּלֶה אֶרֶץ, עַל-בְּלִי-מָה

He stretcheth out the north over the empty space, and hangeth the earth over nothing (Job 26:7)

Our sages gave the following interpretation to this verse.

אֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְקַיֵּים , אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל מִי שֶׁבּוֹלֵם אַתְּ עַצְמוֹ בִּשְׁעַת מְרִיבָה

A free translation of that would be:

The world existence is for the sake of the one, who refrains (stops) himself in the time of a quarrel / fight. 

Please note that the sages used a “game of words” / pun related to the word בלי-מה (as appears in the verse) which literally means ‘without something’, while the word בלימה means ‘stop‘.

Now, the Hebrew word מְרִיבָה appears in the Torah portion לֵךְ לְךָ which we will read this Saturday. 

וַיְהִי-רִיב, בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה-אַבְרָם, וּבֵין, רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה-לוֹט וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי, וְהַפְּרִזִּי, אָז, יֹשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ

 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל-לוֹט, אַל-נָא תְהִי מְרִיבָה בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ, וּבֵין רֹעַי, וּבֵין רֹעֶיךָ:  כִּי-אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים, אֲנָחְנוּ.

And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land.
(Gen 13:7)

And Abram said unto Lot: ‘Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren. (Gen 13:8)

Please pay attention that in the first verse the Hebrew word for the English translation “strife” (in both verses) is ריב ‘RIV’ while in the second verse it’s  מריבה ’MERIVA’.

Although these Hebrew words a come from the same root ריב, there must be a certain difference there.

Pay also attention that the word ריב  is masculine, while the word מריבה  is feminine.

Rabbi Ben Ish Chai says that the difference between the two is reflected in the difference between the genders.

As the feminine gender is fruitful and is able to multiply, the same way is the condition of מריבה , where an initial condition of discord can multiply and avalanche to a condition of a big quarrel / fight.

This way we can understand the interpretation of our sages:

The existence of this world is for the sake of the one, who refrains (stops) himself in the time of a quarrel / fight. 

The person who does not let a dispute/discord to develop into a big quarrel/fight is the one that enables the existence of this world.

Now we can understand what Abraham meant when he spoke to his nephew Lot.

In the first verse, Abraham actually noted that there has already been a discord/dispute between his herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot.

Here he uses the Hebrew word ריב.

וַיְהִי-רִיב, בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה-אַבְרָם, וּבֵין, רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה-לוֹט; וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי, וְהַפְּרִזִּי, אָז, יֹשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ

And there was a discord between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land.
(Gen 13:7)

Abraham wants this to stop and not to develop into a strife/fight – therefore he uses now the Hebrew word מריבה

 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל-לוֹט, אַל-נָא תְהִי מְרִיבָה בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ, וּבֵין רֹעַי, וּבֵין רֹעֶיךָ:  כִּי-אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים, אֲנָחְנוּ

And Abram said unto Lot: ‘Let there be no fight, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren. 
 

(Gen 13:8)

Wishing you a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom,

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