The Tumah Perspective

Chayeh Sarah (25:6) וְלִבְנֵ֤י הַפִּֽילַגְשִׁים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם נָתַ֥ן אַבְרָהָ֖ם מַתָּנֹ֑ת וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֞ם מֵעַ֨ל יִצְחָ֤ק בְּנוֹ֙ בְּעוֹדֶ֣נּוּ חַ֔י קֵ֖דְמָה אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ קֶֽדֶם׃.  Rashi says נתן אברהם מתנות. פֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֵׁם טֻמְאָה מָסַר לָהֶם (סנהדרין צ"א). דָּ"אַ מַה שֶּׁנִּתַּן לוֹ עַל אוֹדוֹת שָׂרָה וּשְׁאָר מַתָּנוֹת שֶׁנִתְּנוּ לוֹ, הַכֹּל נָתַן לָהֶם, שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה לֵהָנוֹת מֵהֶם:  The Targum Yonasun and Rashbam assume not like the Gemorah.  In the words of the Targum: וְלִבְנֵיהוֹם דִפְלַקְתּוּן דִלְאַבְרָהָם יְהַב אַבְרָהָם נִכְסִין וּמְטַלְטְלִין לְמַתְּנָן וְתַרְכִינוּן and Rashbam מתנות - ממון הרבה.  The Rishonim ask why would Avrohom give a name of טומאה, evil forces to the sons of the Pilagshim?

It may be that the gift that Avrohom gave to the sons of the Pilagshim was also a gift to Yitzchak.  How so?  The שֵׁם טֻמְאָה that Avrohom gave doesn't only mean an actual power to bring tumah into the world, its a perspective.  Almost all false, evil and destructive ideas start with what appears to be true and noble intentions.  The Rambam (beginning of Laws of Avodah Zarah,) traces the root of avodah zarah itself to thoughts that it was the right way to serve Hashem.  It is such ideas that Avrohom didn't want to seep into the heads of his true descendants, the descendants of Yitzchak. To avoid such confusion he gave over the perspective of tumah to the sons of the Pelagshim so that it will be obvious that their ideas couched in whatever noble, peaceful, progressive form they package it in, it will be able to be revealed as merely another act of tumah.  Avrohom saw that in the future these tests of faith will become present and he sought to thwart it by attaching their message to falsehood. (Based upon Torat Hanefesh by Rav Chayim Zeitchik.)