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Parashat Lech Lecha
Bereishit 12:1 - 17:27

12:1 Vayomer HASHEM el-Avram LECH LECHA me'artzecha umimoladetecha umibeit avicha el-ha'aretz asher ar'eka
HASHEM said to Avram, "Go from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, [and go] to the land that I will show you.

When Avram was in Charan, G-d told him to leave his father's house, and to abandon his city.  From then on, he was to head twoard the land G-d would later indicate to him.

G-d commanded Avram to exert much effort, to travel and to stay in strange cities, to leave the comfort of his home.  There were four reasons for this:

1. Until then, Avram had suffered greatly at the hands of the people of his city.  There were many wicked people who insulted him.  They would associate themselves with him in order to harm him because he admonished them and explained that the idols they worshiped were vain and useless.  The people said Avram was a powerful magician; he escaped unharmed from the fiery furnace, by his magic, not because of his righteousness. G-d told him to leave this place so that he would not suffer any more.
2. Avram's father dealt in idols, and worshiped them religiously, as we saw in Parashat Noach.  It was unseemly for Avram to live in the same city as his father.  G-d, however, did not want the people to speak against Avram, which they would have done and said he was abandoning his father if he had left during his father's lifetime. The Torah therefore states that Avram left his homeland after "Terach died in Charan" (Bereshit 11:32).  This, however, does not mean that Terach died before Avram left Charan.  Terach actually lived 205 years, Avram was 135 years old when his father died. When Avram left his father's house he was only 75 years old.  Thus, Terach lived for over sixty years after Avram left.  When Terach died, Yitzchak was already 35 years old.  The Scripture wishes to teach us that Terach was wicked, and was therefore considered as if he were dead. (Bereishit Rabbah)  All the wicked are considered dead even while they live.  The righteous, on the hand, are considered alive, even after they die.  The wicked are concerned only with their bodily pleasures, not with their souls. Therefore, even during their lifetimes they are considered dead.  A body without a soul cannot be said to be "alive."  Since Terach was wicked, Avram was commanded to leave him.  He no longer had an obligation to honor his father or to help him.
3. Avram had publicized G-d's existance in the world. Without Avram, people would not even have known that there is a G-d in heaven.  G-d wanted the whole world to know of Avram's greatness. Until now, he was like perfume sealed in a small vial, laying in a cemetery.  No one is aware of its beautiful fragrance, both because the vial is sealed, and because it is in an unsavory place.  Avram was like a precious stone whose value is not recognized.  He lived in the unsavory environment of Charan, whose populace was very wicked.  G-d wanted him to travel about in the world to publicize his good name.
4. Avram and Sarai were both sterile, and it was only in the Land of Yisrael that they would have the merit to have a child miraculously.(Rashi)  Also, changing one's location is one of the four things that can change a person's destiny. (Mizrachi; Zohar - Pinchas) 

As Avram leaves his home to begin a new life, G-d blesses him with seven different benedictions.  So too, at the threshold of their new lives, as they leave their parents' home, newlyweds receive a sevenfold benediction, the Sheva Berachot.  The fourth benediction refers to the perpetual renewal of the human being in the divine form.  In the last three benedictions, a prayer is uttered that G-d may comfort Tziyon, cause happiness to the young couple, and bring about complete exultation in restored Judea and Jerusalem.


The blessings are:

• Blessed are You, HaShem our G-d, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
• Blessed are You, HaShem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has created everything for your glory.
• Blessed are You, HaShem, our G-d, King of the universe, Creator of Human Beings.
• Blessed are You, HaShem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who has fashioned human beings in your image, according to your likeness and has fashioned from it a lasting mold. Blessed are You HaShem, Creator of Human Beings.
• Bring intense joy and exultation to the barren one (Yerushalayim) through the ingathering of her children a midst her in gladness. Blessed are You, HaShem, Who gladdens Tziyon through her children.
• Gladden the beloved companions as You gladdened Your creatures in the garden of Eden. Blessed are You, HaShem, Who gladdens groom and bride.
• Blessed are You, HaShem, our G-d, King of the universe, Who created joy and gladness, groom and bride, mirth, glad song, pleasure, delight, love, brotherhood, peace, and companionship. HaShem, our G-d, let there soon be heard in the cities of Yehudah and the streets of Yerushalayim the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the grooms' jubilance from their canopies and of the youths from their song-filled feasts. Blessed are You Who causes the groom to rejoice with his bride.

The souls of the righteous are fashioned at the foot of the heavenly throne to go and inspire the human bodies and to guide them along the right path.  When G-d sends thse souls from the holy spheres down to the lower regions, He blesses them with a sevenfold benediction just as He blessed Avram when he went into the impurity of Kenaan.  The soul has the same function that the body of Avram had in a pagan land.  It is also אָב־רָם (av-ram), the "supreme father" of the body.  Thus G-d says to the soul, "Go away from your land, from the neighborhood of your birth, and from your Father's home, to the body I shall show you..."  Avram went as G-d had told him.  But Lot, his nephew, doggedly stayed with him.  So too, the evil inclination slips into the body just as the soul arrives.  The argument which will take place between Avram and Lot reflects that inner conflict in the human body between the good and the evil inclinations until they come to a parting of the ways, Lot choosing places of pleasure and debauchery, Avram choosing that difficult land where one seeks and finds G-d (Zohar Kodesh).


venivrechu vecha - and through you, will be blessed

Sod

A Kabbalistic approach sees in the words venivrechu vecha a message that the blessing will filter down from above, seeing that Avraham represents the highest emanation - so that he will be the first one to receive it from G-d - and he will channel it through the lower emanations.  All the blessings the Gentile nations receive will come to them only via Avraham.  This is also why David said, "praise Him, all you peoples,... for great is His steadfast love for us and His faithfulness endures forever" (Tehillim 117:1-2)  The structure of these two verses indicates that the Jewish people and their relationship to G-d are the only reason that G-d suffers the existence of the other nations at all.


Avraham's Blessings

Because Avraham was so righteous, he deserved to be blessed; therefore G-d gave him sixteen blessings:

1. The first blessing G-d gave Avraham was, "I will make you into a great nation."  Understanding this to mean that his family line would be large, Avraham was not satisfied.  He said, "Noach fathered seventy nations.  How will I be different from ?"  G-d replied, "You will father a great nation - the people Yisrael."  The whole world descended from Noach, since only he and his wife and children survived the flood; and they repopulated the world (they were then divided into many nations).  The people Yisrael, on the other hand, would be a single nation, and they all would be considered the descendants of Avraham. (Bereishit Rabbah 39)
2. Avraham was born without fully developed reproductive organs.  G-d promised him that he would be regerated to be able to have children   This was G-d's intent when He said, "I will make you into a great nation."
3. A nomadic existence usually results in three things: (i) It prevents a couple from having children.  (ii) One's expenses when traveling are much greater than while at home.  His wealth is thus diminished.  When a person moves from place  to place, many of his possessions are lost, and unforeseen expenses come up.  Uprooting oneself from city to city can result in many dangers, even in loss of life, because of the hardships of travel as well as changes of climate. (iii) A person's reputation is diminished, especially when eh travels through foreign lands where he is not known.  Also, it is difficult to dress well while traveling; and one's good qualities are not recognized.  G-d promised Avraham that although he would wander through distant places, none of the above problems would occur.  
4. The fourth blessing was that Avraham's reputation would constantly grow   In many ways, he was like a king of the entire civilized world.  He possessed great genius; all the kings of the east and west would come to seek his advice.  Avraham was so great that he even minted a coin which was universally accepted as negotiable tender.  It was similar to the coins struck by kings, who issue coins containing their name.  Only four people ever struck coins that were universally accepted  Avraham, Yehoshua, King David, and Mordekai. (Bereishit Rabbah). Avraham's coins had an old man and woman on one side, and a young man and woman on the other.  (Tosefot Bava Kama 96)  The old man and woman were Avraham and Sarah, while the young couple was Yitzchak and Rivka.  Yehoshua's coin had a bull on one side, and a giant aurochs (r'em - the R'em is also mentioned in BaMidbar 23:22, 24:8, Yeshayahu 34:7, Tehillim 22:22, 29:6, 92:11, Iyov 39:10.  Some identify this creature with the giant unicorn or rhinoceros) on the other.  He came from the tribe of Yosef, which was very powerful, like these two mighty creatures.  Moshe had thus said in his blessing to Yosef, "He has the majesty of a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of the aurochs" (Devarim 33:17). On Kind David's coin, one face had a crook and pouch, the tools of the shepherd.  The other face had a picture of a tower, representing the lofty fortress that Kind David built.  This alluded to the miracle that a shepherd boy such as he had risen to become king.  Although David was king when he minted those coins, he did not hide his humble beginnings.   Mordekai's coin contained a picture of sackcloth and ashes on one side, and a gold crown on the other.  This alluded to the fact that he had begun in such anguish that he was covered with sackcloth and ashes (when Haman issued the decree to kill all Jews).  In the end, however, he became viceroy to King Achashverosh.  Since Avhraham, Yehoshua and Mordekai were commoners, it can be considered unusual that they struck their own coins.  But David was a king; what was so unusual about his minting a coin?  The unusual aspect of King David's coins was that they were accepted even in other countries.  Coins issued in one land are generally not accepted elsewhere.
5. The first blessing of the Amidah (Shemoneh Esrei - the "Standing Prayer" which consists of eighteen blessings) would be ordained to honor Avraham, his son, and his grandson.  The Amidah therefore begins:  "Blessed are You, Ad-nai, our G-d and G-d of our fathers; G-d of Avraham, G-d of Yitzchak, and G-d of Yaakov..."  This blessing then concludes with the words, "Blessed are You Ad-nai, Sheild of Avraham."  The second blessing in the Amidah speaks of G-d's power in resurrecting the dead.  This is a great honor for Avrham: the Amidah begins with his praise; only then does it speak of G-d's greatness.  The first blessing has another advantage.  One must bow twice when reciting it, once at the beginning of the blessing, and a second time when one says, " Blessed are You Ad-nai, Sheild of Avraham."
6. At first, Avraham only had complete control of 243 (of the 248) parts of his body.  There were five parts over which he had no control.  One cannot control his eyes and ears and avoid sin, since the eye can see without one willing it, and the ear can inadvertently hear something.  When Avraham became circumcised, he gained full control of these organs as well.  He did not hear or see anything unless he wanted to.  No other person ever achieved this.  Avraham was perfect in all 248 organs.  The numerical value of Avraham (אַבְרָהָם) is 248.
7. G-d granted Avraham a great benefit in adding the Hebrew letter ה (heh) to his name.  When he was born, he was named Avram (אַבְרָם) .  This was the name he had until he was 99 years old.  After that, his name was changed to Avraham.  The addition of the letter heh was particularly significant, since heh is the one letter (repeated) in the Tetragrammaton.
8. Avraham had great success in his business affairs.  Even other people who had dealings with him were blessed, whether they bought from him or sold to him.  Even before a deal was completed, as soon as a person began to speak to Avraham about a business transaction, the blessing would take effect.
9. All sick people in Avraham's time were cured.  This was certainly true when Avraham visited a sick person and prayed for him; but even when Avraham passed by in the street and a sick person looked at him through the window, he would be healed, although Avraham was not aware of him.  One may ask the question, since Sarah was sterile and Avraham certainly prayed for her, why was she not cured?  The prayers of the righteous only help to bring about miracles for others, not for themselves.  This is similar to the case of an important person who is in prison.  He cannot free himself; he must depend upon others to work to set him free.  The same is true of prayer; the saint can help others through his prayers, but not himself. (Yafeh Toar p. 210)
10. G-d told Avraham, "Until now, all blessings were in My hand. I would bless whomever I pleased, as I blessed Adam and Noach.  But from now on, all blessings are given to you, and you will be able to bless whomever your please.  I will agree to both your blessings and your maledictions.  This last item was a great honor to Avraham.  If a person violates the Torah's commandments and scoffs at the words of the sages, he is not cursed by G-d, but by an angel.  It is thus written, "Those who despise Me shall be cursed" (1Shmuel 2:30).  G-d does not say, "I will curse them," but "[they] shall be cursed."  The cruse is automatic; it is beneath G-d's dignity to curse the wicked.  In the case of Avraham, however, G-d had said, "He who curses you, I will curse."  If a person went against Avraham, G-d Himself would curse him, because Avraham's honor was very precious to G-d.
11. G-d blessed Avraham with success.  He would have children, property, a good old age, and would inherit the (Holy) Land.  He would be blessed with tranquility, and would have an extraordinary number of servants.  He would have success in whatever he did.
12. Rain and dew come because of Avraham's merit.  Other nations are worthy of good only so Yisrael should be able to derive benefit from them.
13. When Avraham came to the land of Kenaan, G-d promised him, "To your offspring I will give this land" (12:7).  This meant that Avraham's descendants would own all the land in question.  This was fulfilled after the Exodus from Egypt, when Yisrael conquered all the cities of Kenaan, as discussed in Sefer Yehoshua.
14. G-d promised that there would be three Patriarchs:  Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov; and four Matriarchs: Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah.  Other than these, we do not refer to any individuals as "Patriarchs" (or "Matriarchs").  Avraham was so precious in G-d's eyes, that He decreed that none other than the above mentioned three should be given the title Patriarch.  The three Patriarchs were very important (in G-d's scheme,) and are therefore often referred to as the Avot Olam (fathers of the world).
15. Avraham was called "G-d's friend."' G-d thus called him, "Avraham, My friend" (Yeshayahu 41:8).
16. Avraham is considered G-d's partner.  G-d wanted to create the world to make His greatness known in it.  Since it was Avraham who publicized G-d's greatness in the world, G-d honored him greatly and called him His partner in creation. (Bereishit Rabbah 41; Yafeh Toar 259)

5 Vayikach Avram et-Sarai ishto ve'et-Lot ben-achiv ve'et-kol-rechusham asher rachashu ve'et-hanefesh asher-asu veCharan vayetze'u lalechet artzah Kena'an vayavo'u artzah Kena'an
Avram took his wife Sarai, Lot, his brother's son, all their possessions they had acquired, and the souls that they had made in Charan, and they set out to go to the land of Kenaan. They came to the land of Kenaan.

ve'et-hanefesh asher-asu veCharan - and the souls that they had made in Charan

With Avram were also a large number of people who had begun to believe in G-d.  As we saw in the Parashat Noach, Avram was very good at convincing people to believe in G-d. When he was 52 years old, he began spreading his doctrine in the world.  Sarai spoke to the women, bringing them to true belief.  In this manner, the two of them proselytized many people.

7 Vayera HASHEM el-Avram vayomer lezar'acha eten et-ha'aretz hazot vayiven sham mizbe'ach l'HASHEM hanir'eh elav
HASHEM appeared to Avram and said: "To your descendants I will give this land." There he built an altar to HASHEM Who had appeared to him.

When Avram entered the land of Kenaan, he built an altar to G-d.  He thanked G-d for His promise that Avram would inherit the land, and that he would have "offspring."  Avram worshiped G-d with his whole being.  After desiring for so long to "contemplate" the Almighty, Avram is carried away with thankfulness and humility before G-d "Who appeared to Him."  He builds his first altar with these feelings, although thoughts of "his descendants and the possession of this land which had just been announced " (Rashi) remain on his mind.

9 Vayisa Avram haloch venasoa hanegbah
Avram journeyed, traveling steadily southward.

Avram then began to migrate toward the south of the Holy Land, heading in the direction of Yerushalayim and Mount Moriyah, destined to be his inheritance.  Wherever he went, he remained for about a month and then went to another city.  He continued until he came to Yerushalayim. (Rashi)

Although Avram was a prophet, he did not experience G-d or see a vision of Him until he came to the Holy Land.  When G-d spoke to him, it was nothing more than a kind of divine inspiration (Rauch HaKodesh).  But when Avram entered the Holy Land and built an altar, G-d appeared to him, and he was able to see a clear vision of the Divine.  It is therefore written, "There he built an altar to HaShem who had appeared to him" (12:7) Avram derived much inner security from this experience.  He then loudly proclaimed the existence of G-d so that all would hear.  The Torah thus concludes, "He called in G-d's Name" (12:8).

10 Vayehi ra'av ba'aretz vayered Avram Mitzrayim lagur sham ki-chaved hara'av ba'aretz.There was a famine in the land. Avram went down to Egypt to live there temporarily, for the famine was severe in the land.

While Avram was in the land of Kenaan, there was a very severe famine in this area; so Avram was forced to leave the Holy Land and move to Egypt.  It is normally forbidden to leave the Holy Land and live somewhere.  But famine is among the very worst of calamities.  If Avram had been able to buy food, even though it was expensive, Avram would not have left merely to save money; he was too perfect for that.  But food had become totally unavailable, so he had no choice.

11 Vayehi ka'asher hikriv lavo Mitzrayimah vayomer el-Sarai ishto hineh-na yadati ki ishah yefat-mar'eh at
As he came near and was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "Behold, I now realize that you are a woman of beautiful appearance.
12 Vehayah ki-yir'u otach haMitzrim ve'amru ishto zot vehargu oti ve'otach yechayu
It will happen when the Egyptians see you that they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me and let you live.
13 Imri-na achoti at lema'an yitav-li va'avurech vechaytah nafshi biglalech.  Please say [therefore] that you are my sister, so that it will go well with me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you."

In Egypt, people were not used to seeing beautiful women.  Avrama was therefore afraid that they would kill him in order to take his wife.  He knjew that they were not godfearing  and would not hesitate to commit such an atrocity.  Avram asked Sarai to begin calling him "brother" as soon as they set out on their journey.  She would then become accustomed to addressing him in this way, and would not accidentally make a mistake.  The Torah therefore says that he told her, "Please say that you are my sister."  From that time on, she should begin addressing him as "brother."

Murder was against the law in Egypt.  But Avram was concerned, since it was also against the law to take another man's wife.  If they killed him, they would be done with him once and for all; while if they took his wife, they would be in constant violation of the law.

14 Vayehi kevo Avram Mitzrayimah vayir'u haMitzrim et-ha'ishah ki-yafah hi me'od
And it was when Avram was entering Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman, because she was very beautiful.
15 Vayir'u otah sarei Far'oh vayehalelu otah el-Par'oh vatukach ha'ishah beit Par'oh
Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh. The woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.

When they came to Egypt, and had to pass through customs, the agents wasked about the contents of the chest.  It was heavy, and obviously full.  Rather than allow them to open the chest, Avram declared that he would pay any duty they requested.  Seeing that Avram was ready to pay anything rather than open the chest, the customs inspector became suspicious.  They forcibly opened the chest, and discovered an extraordinarily beautiful woman inside.  She was so beautiful that her face seemed to glow in the twilight.

The customs inspectors began to fight over her, each one promising Avram huge amounts of money if she were given to him.  The Torah then says, "The woman was taken to Pharaoh's house."  All the officials argued about who would get her.  When they could not come to any agreement, they all said, "She is so beautiful that she should be brought to Pharaoh, king of Egypt.  No commoner can be worthy of her.

Sarai was brought to Pharaoh's palace on the first night of Pesach.  He was so happy that he gave many gifts to the officials who had told him about her.  Avram was also given many gifts.  Avram was the beloved of G-d - he could have received this and more in an honorable fashion, not as the result of such shameful experience.

G-d had actually arranged this.  What happened to the Patriarchs is an allusion to what will happen to their descendants.  Avram came to Egypt and suffered there very much, but in the end, he went out with great wealth.  The same thing happened to his children. They were also in Egypt and suffered very much because they were enslaved; but in the end, they also went out with great wealth.

This also teaches us that a man should always strive to honor his wife, since blessing comes to a home only because of the woman of the house.  Rava thus advised the men of the city Mechuza, "Honor your wives and you will become wealthy."  Rabbi Chelbo derived it from this verse, which can also be read, "It went well with Avram because of her." (12:16)

It is important to tell this to the ignorant who often curse and insult their wives.  This is a serious sin.  Besides the fact that it is wrong, it is also spiritually dangerous.  When there is no peace between husband and wife, the Divine Presence leaves them.

When Sarai was take to Pharaoh's palace, she considered herself to be in great spiritual danger.  The entire night of Pesach, she wept and prayed. Avram also prayed in the manner that he knew.  The angel Gavri'el then came and told her in the Name of G-d not to be afraid at all; He would protect her from Pharaoh.  The angel remained with her all night, assuring her that she was under his protection.  He would punish Pharaoh until he submitted.

18 Vayikra Far'oh le-Avram vayomer ma-zot asita li lamah lo-higadeta li ki ishtecha hi
Pharaoh summoned Avram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife?

19 Lamah amarta achoti hi va'ekach otah li le'ishah ve'atah hineh ishtecha kach valech
Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I would take her as my wife? Now here is your wife; take [her] and go."

Pharaoh continued berating Avram:  "It was your statement that chased all my troubles.  Since you said that Sarai was your sister, I decided to take her as a wife so as to have children just like you.  We have a tradition that most children are like their mother's brother."

Pharaoh then said, "Let bygones be bygones. Just take your wife and leave, the sooner the better.  I'm not saying this because I am angry at you for tricking me.   I'm merely giving you good advice.  You know as well as I do that Egyptians are immoral. I don't want you to stay in Egypt lest something bad happen. (Rashi)

20 Vayetzav alav Par'oh anashim vayeshalechu oto ve'et-ishto ve'et-kol-asher-lo
Pharaoh assigned men to him and they escorted him and his wife and all that was his.

Pharaoh had given Avram many gifts on Erev Pesach when he had taken Sarai.  He now gave him many more gifts along with a great deal of money so that Avram would forgive him.  The Torah later says, "Avram was very wealthy in livestock, silver and gold." (13:2)

If one things about this, he will see that a great miracle happened to Avram.  Pharaoh did not take back all the presents he gave Avram when he thought that Sarai was his sister.  He would have had a good excuse, he had given him the gifts erroneously, thinking that Sarai his sister.  No one voiced such an argument.  It therefore appears that a great miracle occurred; G-d closed their eyes to the fact that Avram was leaving with all the gifts. (RaMBaN; Zohar p. 83)

G-d had done all this in order to enhance Avram's reputation.  It was known that the Egyptians were great sorcerers, and no one had the power to overcome them.  Avram, however, was able to leave Egypt with great wealth.

13:1 Vaya'al Avram miMitzrayim hu ve'ishto vechol-asher-lo veLot imo haNegbah
Avram went up from Egypt; he, his wife, and all that was his, together with Lot into the south.
2 Ve'Avram kaved me'od bamikneh bakesef uvazahav
Avram was very wealthy in livestock, silver and gold.
3 Vayelech lemasa'av miNegev ve'ad-Beit-el ad-hamakom asher-hayah sham aholoh batchilah bein Beit-el uvein ha'Ai
He proceeded on his journeys from the south to Beit-el, until the place where he originally had his tent, between Beit-el and 'Ai.
4 El-mekom hamizbe'ach asher-asah sham barishonah vayikra sham Avram beshem HASHEM
To the site of the altar which he made there at first; and there Avram called in the Name of HASHEM.

The Negev is in the south of the Holy Land.  Since Egypt is to the southwest of the Land of Yisrael, as soon as Avram crossed the border, he was the Negev.

The Torah states that "He proceeded on his journeys."  This indicates that when he returned to the Holy Land from Egypt, he stopped in the same inns that he had stopped in when he went to Egypt.  He did this in order to repay his debts.  During the time of famine, when Avram was in financial difficulty, he borrowed money from a number of people. Now that G-d had given him wealth, he wanted to repay his debts.  Avram would never cheat another person.

14 Va'HASHEM amar el-Avram acharei hipared-Lot me'imo sa na eynecha ure'eh min-hamakom asher-atah sham tzafonah vanegbah vakedmah vayamah
HASHEM said to Avram after Lot had parted from him: "Raise your eyes and look out from the place where you are: northward, southward, eastward and westward.
15 Ki et-kol-ha'aretz asher-atah ro'eh lecha etenenah ulezar'acha ad-olam
For all the land that you see I give to you and to your descendants forever.
16 Vesamti et-zar'acha ka'afar ha'aretz asher im-yuchal ish limenot et-afar ha'aretz gam-zar'acha yimaneh
I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants too will be countable.
17 Kum hithalech ba'aretz le'orkah ulerochbah ki lecha etenenah
Rise, walk the land through its length and breadth, for to you I will give it.
18 Vaye'ehal Avram vayavo vayeshev be'Elonei Mamre asher beChevron vayiven-sham mizbeach l'HASHEM
Avram set up his tent, and he came and settled in the Plains of Mamre which are in Chevron, and he built there an altar to HASHEM.

G-d told Avram to "walk the land," and when Avram did this, he took possession of the land by pacing it out  .  From that time on, the land of Kenaan belonged to Avram.  Yisrael then was able to take possession of the land as an inheritance from Avram.  NO one could argue that they had illegally taken the land by force.  Avrama took leagal possession of the land at G-d's word, and Yisrael inherited it from him legally.  It is therefore rightfully theirs.

After G-d had shown Avram all this, and he had paced out all the land of Kenaan, he set up his household in Chevron, in the house of a good man whose name was Mamre.  Here he built an altar to G-d for his escape unharmed from Pharaoh;  and because G-d had informed him that he would have children and that all the land would be his.

 14:1 Vayehi bimei Amrafel melech-Shin'ar Ari'och melech Ellasar Kedorla'omer melech Elam veTid'al melech Goyim
This happened in the days of Amrafel, king of Shinar; Arioch, king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer, king of 'Elam, and Tidal, king of Goyim.
2 Asu milchamah et-Bera melech Sedom ve'et-Birsha melech Amorah Shin'av melech Admah veShem'ever melech Tzvoyim umelech Bela hi-Tzo'ar
They waged war against Bera, king of Sedom, Birsha, king of 'Amorah, Shin'av, king of Admah, Shem'ever, king of Tzevoyim, and the king of Bela, which is Tzo'ar.