Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Kejadian 13:13

According to the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, the Scriptural command, After the doings of the land of Egypt … shall ye not do,²²⁴Verse 3. is a reference to [the practice of sacrificing to] the demons mentioned above [in 17:7]; and after the doings of the land of Canaan … shall ye not do²²⁴Verse 3. is an allusion to the forbidden sexual relationships, in which the Canaanites were very bad and sinful,²²⁵Genesis 13:13. as He stated at the end of this section, For all these abominations have the men of the Land done.²²⁶Further, Verse 27. And in the opinion of our Rabbis in the Torath Kohanim,²²⁷Torath Kohanim, Acharei 9:3. the Egyptians were also addicted to carnality, in all forms of the forbidden relationships, and with males and cattle. This is the truth, [as Scripture states] that there were also sodomites in the Land,²²⁸I Kings 14:24. The verse concludes: they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Eternal drove out before the children of Israel. referring [to the abominations of the nations] which were there from the beginning till now. Scripture further testifies concerning them, the Egyptians, thy neighbors, great of flesh,²²⁹Ezekiel 16:26. and it further says, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses,²³⁰Ibid., 23:20. the term “flesh” being a euphemism [for the sexual organ]. Similarly, in the expressions, his flesh ran with his issue,²³¹Above, 15:2. and her issue in her flesh be blood²³²Ibid., Verse 19. [the term “flesh” is an allusion to the sexual organ].

טרם ישכבו ואנשי העיר אנשי סדום The following explanation is given in Genesis Rabbah 50:5: Before they lay down, the men of the city were a topic of conversation (literally, were in the mouths of the angels), for they asked Lot about their character and doings, and the latter replied that most of them were wicked. They were still speaking about them, 'ואנשי סדום וגו “when the men of Sodom etc.” However the real sense of the text is: The men of the city, wicked men, compassed the house. Because they were wicked he designates them as “men of Sodom”, just as Scripture said, (Genesis 13:13) “And the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners”.

טרם, why did the Torah have to write the wordsאנשי סדום, “the men of Sodom,” having already immediately before identified these men as אנשי העיר, the men of the town?” The Torah wanted to emphasise that by their actions they proved that they must be inhabitants of the city of Sodom. This bore out the Torah’s previous characterisation of the inhabitants of this city as רעים וחטאים, “wicked and sinful,” (13,13)

ואם לא תשמעו לי BUT IF YE WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO ME to study the Torah laboriously in order to fathom the textual interpretation of the Sages…, I also will do this unto you, etc. One might think that this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments! When, however, Scripture states immediately afterwards: “and ye will not do [all my commandments]”, it is evident that the fulfilment of the commandments is mentioned there! How, then, must I explain לא תשמעו לי? Obviously as meaning: “But if you will not hearken unto Me to study the Torah industriously” as I bid you do when I said אם בחקתי תלכו (cf. Rashi on v. 3). And what is the force of the word לי? (To express this idea would it not have sufficed to state: ואם לא תשמעו?) It implies that your disobedience is directed לי against Me. The word לי is used only in the case of such a one who knows his Master and yet of set purpose rebels against Him (i. e. the entire chapter containing these threats of punishment is addressed only to such a person, not to one who sins against God unwittingly). Similarly in reference to Nimrod: (Genesis 10:9) “a mighty hunter before (לפני) the Lord” which means that he knew Him and yet of set purpose rebelled against him. Similarly in reference to the men of Sodom: (Genesis 13:13) “[But the men of Sodom were] evil and sinful against the Lord ('לה‎) exceedingly” — they knew their Master and yet of set purpose rebelled against him (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 2 1-2; cf. Rashi on those two verses).