זוהר, לך לך ט׳Zohar, Lech Lecha 9

Segment 1א׳

וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ. מַהוּ וַיִּקַּח, אֶלָּא אַמְשִׁיךְ לָהּ בְּמִלֵּי מַעַלְיָיתָא, בְּגִין דְּלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְאֲפָקָא אִתְּתֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ בְּאַרְעָא אָחֳרָא בְּלָא רְעוּתָא דִילָהּ. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר כ׳:כ״ה) קַח אֶת אַהֲרֹן (במדבר ג׳:מ״ה) קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִם. וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם מָשִׁיךְ לָהּ בְּמִלִּין וְאוֹדַע לָהּ אָרְחֵיהוֹן דְּאִנּוּן בְּנִי דָרָא כַּמָּה בִּישִׁין. וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַיִּקַח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ.

AND ABRAM TOOK SARAI HIS WIFE. The word “took” signifies that he pleaded with her and persuaded her. For a man is not permitted to take his wife with him to another country without her consent. The word “take” is used in a similar sense in the texts “Take Aaron” (Num. 20, 25), and “Take the Levites” (Ibid. 3, 45). So Abram spoke persuasively to Sarai, pointing out to her how wicked were the ways of their contemporaries.

Segment 2ב׳

וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו. מָה חָמָא אַבְרָהָם לְדָבְקָא עִמֵּיהּ לוֹט, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּצָפָה בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ דְּזַמִּין לְמֵיפַּק מִנֵּיהּ דָּוִד. וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן. אִלֵּין גֵּרִים וְגִיּוֹרוֹת דְּאַתְקִינוּ נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ, אַבְרָהָם מְגַיֵּיר גּוּבְרִין וְשָׂרָה מְגַיֶּירֶת נָשִׁין וּמַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהוֹן כְּאִלּוּ עֲבְדוּ לְהוֹן.

Further, Abram took LOT HIS BROTHER’S SON. Abram s reason for taking Lot with him was that he foresaw through the Holy Spirit that David was destined to issue from him. AND THE SOULS THAT THEY HAD GOTTEN IN HARAN: these were the male and female proselytes whose souls they had saved. Abram converted the men and Sarai the women, and therefore they are spoken of as if they had made them.’

Segment 3ג׳

אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא אִי הָכִי כַּמָּה בְּנֵי נָשָׁא הֲווּ, אִי תֵימָא דְּכֻלְהוּ אֲזְלוּ עִמֵּיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אִין. (ובגין כלהו ד"א ובגין כך כלהו) בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּהֲווּ אָזְלִין עִמֵּיהּ כֻּלְהוּ אִקְרוּן עַם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם. וְהֲוָה מַעֲבַר בְּאַרְעָא וְלָא הֲוָה דָּחִיל דִּכְתִיב וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ.

Said R. Abba: ‘If so, they must have been a great crowd, if you say that they all went with him.’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘That is so; and therefore the whole company that went with him were called “the people of the God of Abraham”, and he travelled through the land without fear, as it is written, “And Abram passed through the land”.’