Sohar, Lech Lecha 23

1He illustrated this from the text: O God, keep thou not silence, hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God (Ps. 83, 2), which he expounded thus. ‘David said: “O God, keep thou not silence.” These words represent an impulse to Elohim to exert His sway. David said in effect: “Elohim, cease not to rouse the Highest and to associate thyself with the Right.”

2Wherefore so? Because “thine enemies make a tumult, etc.”, they have consulted together with one consent, against Thee do they make a covenant. “Therefore, O God, be not silent,” as explained. For when Elohim is joined with the Right, then the enemies are crushed, as it is written, “Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power, thy right hand, O Lord, dasheth in pieces the enemy.”

3Note that, when all those kings joined together to make war on Abram, they designed to make away with him. But so soon as they got possession of Lot, his brother’s son, they went off (as it is written, AND THEY TOOK LOT, ABRAM’S BROTHER’S SON, AND HIS GOODS AND DEPARTED), the reason being that Lot closely resembled Abram, so that thinking they had Abram, they went off.

4The reason of their enmity to Abram was that Abram weaned men from idolatry and taught them to worship God. Also God incited them to make their invasion in order to aggrandise Abram and to attract him to his service.

5Esoterically speaking, when Abram started to pursue them, then God “did not keep silent” until the whole was linked up with Abram; then when the whole was linked up with Abram, then all those kings were crushed before him, as we have said.’