Real love and real peace both include honest rebuke
Avraham’s rebuke of Avimelekh over the stolen well becomes the occasion for two teachings: Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina holds that true love must include reprimand (as in Proverbs 9:8), while Reish Lakish holds that true peace likewise requires reprimand. The midrash then clarifies the definition of a gazlan (robber) as one who takes something openly, in public or before a quorum of people, distinguishing him from a thief who steals before nine or fewer people, and notes that robbery is defined by physically removing an object from another's hand. Bar Kappara, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, and Rabbi Abahu give these definitions, with the thief stealing before nine or fewer people and the robber before ten.AI summary · anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5
“Abraham said: I will swear” (Genesis 21:24). “Abraham reprimanded Avimelekh regarding the well of water that Avimelekh's servants had stolen” (Genesis 21:25). “Abraham reprimanded Avimelekh…” – Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: Reprimand leads to love, as it is stated: “Rebuke a wise person, and he will love you” (Proverbs 9:8). This is consistent with [another] opinion of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina, as he said: Any love that is not accompanied by reprimand is not [true] love. Reish Lakish said: Reprimand leads to peace – “Abraham reprimanded Avimelekh.” This is consistent with [another] opinion of his, as he said: Any peace that is not accompanied by reprimand is not [true] peace.
“Regarding the well of water that Avimelekh’s servants had stolen [gazlu]” – what is a robber [gazlan]? Bar Kappara said: It is one who steals something in public, as it says: “They robbed everyone who passed them on the road” (Judges 9:25) – just as the road is in public, so, too, robbery is in public. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai derived it from here: “You brought [as sacrifices] the stolen [gazul] [animal], the lame, and the ill” (Malachi 1:13) – just as lameness and illness are visible, so too, a robber [gazlan] is visible [when he steals]. Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Reish Lakish: [If one steals] in the presence of nine people, he is a thief; in the presence of ten people, he is a robber. Rabbi Tanḥuma in the name of Rabbi Huna: One is not considered a robber until he takes something out of someone’s hand, as it is stated: “He stole [vayigzol] the spear from the hand of the Egyptian” (II Samuel 23:21).
“Avimelekh said: I did not know who did this matter, neither did you tell me, nor did I hear of it, other than today” (Genesis 21:26). “Avimelekh said: I did not know…neither did you tell me” – by means of a messenger, “nor did I hear of it, other than today.”
וְהוֹכִחַ אַבְרָהָם אֶת אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וגו' (בראשית כא, כה), אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא הַתּוֹכַחַת מְבִיאָה לִידֵי אַהֲבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ט, ח): הוֹכַח לְחָכָם וְיֶאֱהָבֶךָּ, הִיא דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא דְּאָמַר כָּל אַהֲבָה שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהּ תּוֹכָחָה אֵינָהּ אַהֲבָה. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ תּוֹכָחָה מְבִיאָה לִידֵי שָׁלוֹם, וְהוֹכִחַ אַבְרָהָם אֶת אֲבִימֶלֶךְ, הִיא דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּאָמַר כָּל שָׁלוֹם שֶׁאֵין עִמּוֹ תּוֹכָחָה אֵינוֹ שָׁלוֹם. (בראשית כא, כה): עַל אוֹדוֹת בְּאֵר הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר גָּזְלוּ עַבְדֵי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ, וְאֵי זֶהוּ גַּזְלָן, בַּר קַפָּרָא אָמַר זֶה שֶׁהוּא גוֹזֵל בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא, הֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (שופטים ט, כה): וַיִּגְזְלוּ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹר עֲלֵיהֶם בַּדָּרֶךְ, מַה דֶּרֶךְ בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא אַף גַּזְלָן בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי מַיְיתֵי לָהּ מֵהָכָא (מלאכי א, יג): וַהֲבֵאתֶם גָּזוּל וְאֶת הַפִּסֵּחַ וְאֶת הַחוֹלֶה, מַה פִּסֵּחַ וְחוֹלֶה מוּמִין בְּגָלוּי אַף גַּזְלָן בְּגָלוּי. רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְּשֵׁם רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר לִפְנֵי תִּשְׁעָה גַּנָּב, וְלִפְנֵי עֲשָׂרָה גַּזְלָן. רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי הוּנָא לְעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ גַּזְלָן עַד שֶׁיִּגְזְלָהּ מִיָּדוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב כג, כא): וַיִּגְזֹל אֶת הַחֲנִית מִיַּד הַמִּצְרִי. (בראשית כא, כו): וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לֹא יָדַעְתִּי, וְגַם אַתָּה לֹא הִגַּדְתָּ לִי, עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ, וְגַם אָנֹכִי לֹא שָׁמַעְתִּי בִּלְתִּי הַיּוֹם.