As quoted in the Hagadah, Yehoshua 24:2 reminds the Jewish people that, “Your ancestors lived across the river: Terach, father of Avraham and of Nachor; and they served strange gods.” God then reminds the people how Esav’s descendants had been living comfortably on Mount Seir for centuries while “Ya‘akov and his sons went down to Mitzrayim.”
But why is Haran not mentioned? Haran’s descendants through Lot, Ammon and Moav, should have been equally on the people’s minds—certainly much more so than than Nachor’s in distant Aram.
[Or I might be misunderstanding the purpose of the mention of Nachor and Esav here—but no matter what the reason, why is Haran not mentioned?]
Answer
Malbim explains (and M'tzudas David alludes) that Terach and Nachor served idols, so that Avraham was surrounded on all sides, so to speak, by idolators: both his father and his brother. The sequel, describing his leaving that environment, is all the greater then. I suppose that either Haran didn't worship idols or, with one of Avraham's brothers mentioned, we know he was surrounded by idolators, so there was no need for the verse to mention another brother.
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