| "And the Canaanite was then in the land." Eretz Yisrael is the source from which all blessing and abundance flow to the rest of the world. When everything is in order and the flow of abundance reaches the world as it should, the Land receives first - and from her, it extends to all other lands. But when there is strife or division, the Torah refers to it as "Eretz Canaan", which the sages explain as a play on words: "Kan Ani" - "Here there is poverty." Rebbe Nachman teaches that peace is the vessel for livelihood, while on the other hand, "one dispute can push away a hundred sources of income." That's what we see in this week's parsha: "And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Avram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle." Their argument caused the land to be called "Eretz Canaan," and immediately afterward came a famine. We must learn from this that any form of livelihood must be conducted in an atmosphere of peace—peace between husband and wife, peace between partners, and peace with everyone around us. When we live this way, we will merit the fulfillment of Chazal's words: "And there shall be no Canaanite"—meaning "no poor person here." Instead, all will merit abundance and sustenance in the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, as it was meant to be. |
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