Abraham and Sodom

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Abraham's Plea for Sodom

TANAKH

Abraham's boldness in questioning God's decision to destroy Sodom highlights the importance of justice and mercy. In the book of Genesis, Abraham engages in a profound dialogue with God, advocating for the innocent in Sodom.

The agents went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before יהוה. Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?

Genesis 18:22-23

Abraham's Intercession

COMMENTARY

Unlike Noah, Abraham was given the chance to intercede on behalf of the people of Sodom. Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar’s 18th-century commentary, Or HaChaim, explores the differences in divine communication and expectations between Noah and Abraham.

Noach became convinced from what G'd told him that any prayer of his would be futile, that the fate of these people had been sealed beyond reprieve. All of this is contained in the words: "the end of all flesh has come before Me, here I am about to destroy them." When G'd told Abraham (Genesis 18,20-21) about the sinful nature of the people of Sodom He did not use such kind of language at all. On the contrary, He told Abraham that He was going to examine if what had come to His attention was indeed so, etc…

Or HaChaim on Genesis 6:13:5-6

Abraham's Bold Challenge

COMMENTARY

The paradox of finite, fallible human beings challenging God is an integral part of their faith. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his commentary on the Torah portion 'Vayera,' explores Abraham's confrontation with God over the fate of a city as an act of spiritual heroism.

Yet how can this be? How can finite, fallible human beings challenge God Himself, and this, not in opposition to faith, but as part of the life of faith itself? For it is notable that it is not heretics, skeptics or atheists who raise these questions, but heroes of the spirit. How, in our parasha, can Abraham, who describes himself as mere “dust and ashes,” confront “the Judge of all the earth,” challenging God’s verdict on the people of Sodom? The answer is given by the Torah itself. Immediately prior to Abraham’s intervention, we read these words:…

Covenant and Conversation; Genesis; The Book of the Beginnings, Vayera, Challenging God 14-17

The Inhospitality of Sodom

TALMUD

The inhabitants of Sodom were notorious for their extreme and cruel social customs, particularly their inhospitable behavior towards guests. The Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin recounts the story of Eliezer, Abraham's servant, who cleverly navigated these customs to ensure he could eat at a wedding in Sodom.

This is what the people of Sodom stipulated among themselves: Whoever invites a man to a wedding, his cloak will be removed. There was this wedding, and Eliezer, servant of Abraham, arrived there and they did not give him bread. When he sought to dine, Eliezer came and sat at the end, behind everyone. They said to him: Who invited you to here? He said to the one sitting next to him: You invited me. That man said to himself: Perhaps they will hear that I invited him and they will remove the garment of that man, referring to himself…

Sanhedrin 109b:8

The Dual Mission of the Angels in Sodom

COMMENTARY

The story of Sodom's destruction involves a complex interplay of divine missions and angelic roles. Radak, a medieval Jewish commentator, explains the dual mission of the angels in Sodom, emphasizing the necessity of saving Lot before the city's destruction.

הנה נא מצא עבדך חן בעיניך, seeing that the angel had told him המלט על נפשך, “save yourself,” it had become clear that the angel’s mission was to save him. Actually, both angels were on a mission of both saving Lot and destroying Sodom. The one who was speaking did so only because he was the senior of the two. The one who tried to save Lot said לבלתי הפכי את העיר, “I cannot yet overturn the city.” (verse 21) He also admitted that he was unable to destroy the town until Lot had been saved (verse 22).

Radak on Genesis 19:19:1

The Rise and Fall of Sodom

MIDRASH

The extraordinary prosperity of Sodom, with its natural wealth and lushness, starkly contrasts with the divine retribution that eventually befell the city. Vayikra Rabbah, a fifth-century midrash on the book of Leviticus from the land of Israel, offers a vivid description of Sodom's wealth and the moral lessons derived from its downfall.

Another matter, "When He quiets, who can condemn?” – He granted tranquility to the people of Sodom; who, then, could come and condemn them? What tranquility did He grant them? “A land from which bread emerges…a source of sapphires…a path unknown by bird of prey” (Job 28:5–7). Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan bar Sheona: The buzzard spots its food from a distance of eighteen mil. How much is it? A small portion. Rabbi Meir says: Two handbreadths, Rabbi Yehuda says: One handbreadth, Rabbi Yosei says: Two or three fingerbreadths…

Vayikra Rabbah 5:2

God's Confidence in Abraham

COMMENTARY

The unique relationship between God and Abraham is highlighted by God's consideration for Abraham's feelings and his role as the father of many nations. Rashi, the renowned medieval French rabbi, explains why God felt it necessary to inform Abraham about the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

אשר אני עושה WHAT I AM DOING in Sodom. It is not proper for Me to do this thing without his knowledge. I gave him this land and these five cities therefore are his — as it is said, (10:19) “And the territory of the Canaanites was from Sidon … as thou goest towards Sodom and Gommorah etc.” I called him Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations; should I destroy the children without informing the father who loves me? (Genesis Rabbah 49:2)

Rashi on Genesis 18:17:2

The Mystical Cry of Sodom

KABBALAH

The Zohar delves into the specific linguistic choice of 'her cry' instead of 'their cry' when referring to Sodom and Gomorrah, hinting at a deeper, mystical reason behind this wording. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, offers esoteric interpretations of the Torah, including the story of Abraham and Sodom.

It is written here: “According to the cry of it.” Why not of them, since two cities are mentioned here?

Zohar, Vayera 14:213

The Fate of Sodom

MIDRASH

Abraham's reflection on the fate of the Sodomites offers a profound moral and ethical lesson. Midrash Tanchuma, an early collection of midrash, provides a detailed interpretation of biblical verses to explain the ultimate punishment of those who fled Sodom.

R. Judah the son of (R.) Shalum said in the name of R. Judah the son of Simon: At the time that Amraphel and his allies fought the Sodomites, they seized Lot; Abraham heard about it and set out to do battle with them. After he slew the kings, the Sodomites escaped, as it is said: And he divided himself against them by night (Gen. 14:15), and Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled (ibid., v. 10). Abraham reflected upon the matter, saying to himself: The kings that attacked the Sodomites have been slain…

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 7:2

A Warning from Sodom

COMMENTARY

The fate of Sodom serves as a stark warning to the Israelites about the dire consequences of forsaking the Torah and its laws. Rabbeinu Bachya, a medieval Jewish commentator, uses the story of Sodom to illustrate how the land of Israel itself responds to the perversion of human and religious values.

What happened to the Sodomites was an illustration of how the very earth of ארץ ישראל responds to the perversion of all human and religious values such as practiced by the people who live on it. Sodom’s destruction was to serve as a warning to the Israelites in the future not to become guilty of similar acts. Before the Israelites conquered the land they themselves became witnesses to the manner in which the land vomited the Canaanites. Even the spies had described the land as “consuming its inhabitants,” (Numbers 13,32) but they had misinterpreted the cause for this…

Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 19:29:3

Abraham's Defense and Future Atonement

MUSAR

Abraham's defense of Sodom was not just a reaction to God's revelation but also a future atonement for the accusation against Isaac. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz, in his 17th-century work Shenei Luchot HaBerit, connects the events of Sodom to the birth of Isaac.

Let us return to our statement that G–d revealed to Abraham that the attribute of Justice was in full control of the fate of the people in the cities Sodom, etc., and that thereupon Abraham immediately began to defend them. By doing so at this time he was able to atone in the future for the accusation that would be leveled against Isaac, about whose birth he had been informed at this meal.

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Vayera, Torah Ohr 39

Conditional Mercy for Sodom

COMMENTARY

Abraham's prayers for Sodom reveal a complex interplay between justice and mercy. The Siftei Chakhamim, a supercommentary on Rashi’s Torah commentary, delves into Abraham’s conditional plea to God regarding the fate of Sodom.

And if You will respond that the righteous will not save... Rashi says this because the verses seem to contradict one other. First Avraham says, “Would You... not bear with the place?” implying he is praying also for the wicked. Then he says, “It would be sacrilege... to kill the righteous with the wicked” implying he is praying for the righteous only. Thus Rashi explains that it means, “And if You will respond that the righteous will not save the wicked...”

Siftei Chakhamim, Genesis 18:24:2

Sparing the Righteous

TARGUM

Abraham's plea to spare Sodom if ten righteous people are found highlights God's willingness to forgive for the sake of the righteous. The Targum Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, reflects Abraham's negotiation with God, emphasizing themes of mercy and justice.

And he said, I implore mercy before Thee! Let not the anger of the Lord,the Lord of all the world, grow strong, and I will speak only this time. Perhaps ten may be found there; and I and they will pray for mercy upon all the land, and Thou wilt forgive them. And He said, I will not destroy for the sake of the ten who may be innocent.

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 18:32

Abraham Sees Sodom in Flames, James Tissot, 1896-1902

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