Midrash sobre Génesis 18:25

No man ever concentrated his mind and his heart upon his prayers as intensely as Abraham, our father, when he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Far be it from Thee to do after this manner (Gen. 18:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, upon observing that Abraham pleaded for the sinners of Sodom, so that the world might not be destroyed, began to praise him, saying: Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured on thy lips; therefore, God hath blessed thee forever (Ps. 45:3). Then Abraham asked, “Where am I fairer than the children of man? When I and my son enter a city, no one is capable of distinguishing between us.” (In those days) a man would live to be a hundred or two hundred years old without acquiring the distinguishing features of old age. “It is imperative, Master of the Universe, that You should distinguish between father and son, between old and young, so that the young may pay homage to the old.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “Be assured I will begin to distinguish between young and old with you.” Abraham went to sleep, and when he arose in the morning he found that the hair of his head and beard had turned white. “Master of the Universe,” he exclaimed, “You have made me a public spectacle.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Thy hoary head is a crown of glory (Prov. 16:31), and it says elsewhere: And the beauty of men is the hoary head (ibid. 20:29). Hence, it is said: Abraham was old.

R. Levi stated that the words spoken by Abraham were also spoken by Job. Job, however, spoke harshly, while Abraham spoke gently.⁷Lit., “Job swallowed an unripened (hard) fig, and Abraham swallowed a ripe fig,” which accounts for the differences in their responses. Job exclaimed: It is all one—therefore, I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked (Job 9:22). While Abraham, upon learning what was to take place, declared: Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? and then added (the softening words): But that be far from Thee to do after this manner (Gen. 18:25).

R. Levi said: That thing which Abraham said is the same thing which Job said.³²See Gen. R. 49:9. Job, however, swallowed unripe fruit (i.e., spoke rashly), < while > Abraham ate it cooked. Job said (in Job 9:22): IT IS ALL ONE; THEREFORE, I SAY: HE DESTROYS THE INNOCENT AND THE WICKED. But Abraham, who was wiser, said: WILL YOU ALSO DESTROY … ? < Then > he repented and said (in Gen. 18:25): FAR BE IT FROM YOU TO DO SUCH A THING, TO PUT TO DEATH A RIGHTEOUS PERSON ALONG WITH A WICKED ONE, SO THAT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE FARES LIKE THE WICKED!