For Arguments Sake

(9) They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he replied, “There, in the tent.” (10) Then one said, “I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him. (11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years; Sarah had stopped having her periods. (12)And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Now that I’ve lost the ability, am I to have enjoyment—with my husband so old?” (13) Then ה׳ said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?’ (14) Is anything too wondrous for ה׳ ? I will return to you at the same season next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (15) Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was frightened. Came the reply, “You did laugh.”

(3) [WITHIN HERSELF.] In her mind. God revealed Sarah’s inner thoughts to the angel.

(17) Now ה׳ had said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, (18) since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him? (19) For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of ה׳ by doing what is just and right, in order that ה׳ may bring about for Abraham what has been promised him.”

(20) Then ה׳ said, “The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave! (21) I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note.”

(22) The agents went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before ה׳. (23) Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? (24) What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? (25) Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”

(26) And ה׳ answered, “If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”

(27) Abraham spoke up, saying, “Here I venture to speak to my lord, I who am but dust and ashes:

(28) What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will You destroy the whole city for want of the five?” “I will not destroy if I find forty-five there.” (29) But he spoke up again, and said, “What if forty should be found there?” “I will not do it, for the sake of the forty.”

(30) And he said, “Let not my lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?” “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” (31) And he said, “I venture again to speak to my lord: What if twenty should be found there?” “I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty.” (32) And he said, “Let not my lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?” “I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten.” (33) Having finished speaking to Abraham, ה׳ departed; and Abraham returned to his place.

(4) Now Abimelech had not approached her. He said, “O lord, will You slay people even though innocent?

(1) AND THE ETERNAL SAID. I.e., to the host of heaven standing by Him, or to the angel messengers. It is possible that the word amar (He said) refers to thought, meaning that He thought He should not keep it hidden from Abraham on account of these reasons. Similarly: I ‘said,’ in the noontide of my days I shall go;And he ‘said’ to slay David. Likewise all expressions of speaking within the heart refer to thought.

(6) Rabbi Azarya in the name of Rabbi Aḥa began: “You love righteousness and abhor wickedness. Because of this, God, your God, has anointed you over your counterparts with the oil of joy” (Psalms 45:8).

Rabbi Azarya interpreted the verse regarding Abraham. When our forefather Abraham arose to seek mercy for the Sodomites, what is written there? “Far be it from You to do a thing like this, to kill the righteous with the wicked, and [the righteous] will be…” (Genesis 18:25). Rabbi Aḥa said: [Abraham argued:] ‘You took an oath saying that You would not bring a flood upon the world. Are You seeking to evade Your oath? That is astonishing. You [swore that You] will not bring a flood of water, but you may bring a flood of fire? If so, You have not fulfilled Your oath.’

Rabbi Levi said: “Shall the Judge of all the earth not practice justice?” (Genesis 18:25) – [Abraham argued”] ‘If You wish to have a world, there can be no strict justice, and if you wish strict justice, there can be no world. But you seek to hold the rope at both ends; You wish [to have] a world and You wish [to have] strict justice. Choose one of them. And if You do not ease up a bit, the world will be unable to endure.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: “You love righteousness and abhor wickedness.” “Over your counterparts” – what is “over your counterparts”? From Noah until you there were ten generations, and from among all of them, I did not speak with any of them except for you.

(8)Abraham approached, and he said: Would You even destroy the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23). “Abraham approached, and he said…” – Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda says: The term approaching means for battle – “Yoav and the people who were with him approached Aram to battle” (I Chronicles 19:14). Rabbi Neḥemya said: Approaching means for conciliation, as it says: “The children of Judah approached Joshua” (Joshua 14:6). ...

Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Levi, and Rabbi Yoḥanan: When one passes before the ark, one should not say to him [when inviting him to lead the prayers]: ‘Go and perform,’ or ‘Go and do battle,’ or ‘Go and wage the battle of the congregation,’ but rather, ‘Go and do battle in prayer.’

(1) (Devarim 32:8) :When the Most High caused nations to inherit": Before the advent of our father Abraham, the Lord judged the world with severity: The men of the flood sinned — He flooded them like sparks on the face of the waters. The men of the tower of Bavel sinned — He scattered them from one end of the world to the other. The men of Sodom sinned — He swept them away with fire and brimstone. But when our father Abraham came to the world, afflictions materialized (in place of destruction), viz. (Bereshith 12:9) "And there was a famine in the land, and Avram went down to Egypt." And if you would ask "Why are there afflictions?" (the answer is) Because of His love for Israel (i.e., to avoid destroying them!)

(9)“Far be it from You to do something like this, to kill the righteous with the wicked, and the righteous will be as the wicked. Far be it from You; shall the Judge of all the earth not practice justice?” (Genesis 18:25). “Far be it [ḥalila] from You” – Rabbi Yudan said: It is profane for You, it is foreign to You. Rabbi Aḥa said: Ḥalila ḥalila, twice – this entails profaning [ḥilul] the name of Heaven. Rabbi Abba said: “From doing this thing” is not written here, but rather, “to do something like this” – neither it, nor something similar to it, nor something lesser than it.

“Perhaps there are fifty righteous men in the city; would You destroy it and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it?” (Genesis 18:24) Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Abraham said: ‘Incorporate my righteous deeds and let them be included in the tally of fifty.’ Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: [Abraham said:] ‘Are You not the righteous One of the world? Incorporate Yourself with them so they reach the tally of fifty.’

Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: This is what Abraham said to Him: ‘With a mortal king, one can suspend his ruling by means of an appeal from commander to prefect, from prefect to governor. But You, because you have no one who can be used to suspend judgment for an appeal, will You not perform justice?’

(10)“The Lord said: If I find in Sodom fifty righteous people within the city, I will forgive the entire place for their sake” (Genesis 18:26). “... “I am silent for him with his claims [badav]” (Job 41:4) – [God said to Abraham:] ‘For you and for the branches [badim] that emerge from you, I will be silent.’ For Abraham, who said: “Far be it from You to do something like this”; for Moses, who said: “Why, Lord, will Your wrath be enflamed against your people?” (Exodus 32:11); for Joshua, who said: “Why did You take this people across…?” (Joshua 7:7); and for David, who said: “Why do You stand far off, Lord? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalms 10:1). “And his strident speech, and the elegance [ḥin] of his presentation” (Job 41:4) – grace [ḥen] was granted [to him] for the presentation of his lips, when he asked for mercy for the Sodomites.

(1)Now after these events

, God put Abraham to the test, saying to him, “Abraham.” He answered, “Here I am.” (2) “Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.” (3) So early next morning, Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him. (4) On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place from afar. (5) Then Abraham said to his servants, “You stay here with the ass. The boy and I will go up there; we will worship and we will return to you.” (6) Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. He himself took the firestone and the knife; and the two walked off together. (7) Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he answered, “Yes, my son.” And he said, “Here are the firestone and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”(8) And Abraham said, “It is God who will see to the sheep for this burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together. (9) They arrived at the place of which God had told him. Abraham built an altar there; he laid out the wood; he bound his son Isaac; he laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. (10) And Abraham picked up the knife to slay his son. (11) Then a messenger of ה׳ called to him from heaven: “Abraham! Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” (12) “Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me.” (13) When Abraham looked up, his eye fell upon a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. (14) And Abraham named that site Adonai-yireh, whence the present saying, “On the mount of ה׳ there is vision.” (15) The messenger of ה׳ called to Abraham a second time from heaven, (16) and said, “By Myself I swear, ה׳ declares: Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your favored one, (17) I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes. (18) All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command.” (19) Abraham then returned to his servants, and they departed together for Beer-sheba; and Abraham stayed in Beer-sheba.

(10)“Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will see, as it is said to this day: On the mount where the Lord will be seen” (Genesis 22:14). “Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will see” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, when You said to me: “Take you your son, your only one,” I had something to argue in response: Yesterday you said: “For it is through Isaac [that descendants will be considered for you[”…” and now You say: “Take you your son … [and offer him up]”? (Genesis 22:2). But, God forbid, I did not do so. Rather, I suppressed my mercy to fulfill Your will. May it be Your will, Lord our God, when Isaac’s descendants encounter transgressions and wicked deeds, may this binding [of Isaac] be remembered for them, and may You become filled with mercy towards them.’