Comentário sobre Gênesis 18:23

ויגש אברהם AND ABRAHAM DREW NEAR — We find the verb ננש “to come near” used in the sense of coming near to wage war — (2 Samuel 10:13) “So Joab … drew near unto the battle”; — of coming near to persuade by entreaty — (44:18) “And Judah came near to him [and said, Oh, my lord]” — and of coming near to pray — (1 Kings 18:36) “And Elijah the prophet came near [and said, O Lord, God of Abraham etc.]” Abraham employed all these methods — to fight, by speaking stern words, and to persuade by entreaty, and to pray (Genesis Rabbah 49:8).

AND ABRAHAM DREW NEAR AND SAID, WILT THOU ALSO SWEEP AWAY THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE WICKED? The anger¹⁴⁴Ramban understood the verse as Onkelos rendered it, namely, that the word ha’aph does not mean “shall also”, but it means “the anger.” The verse reads: “shall the anger of G-d sweep away.” See Rashi. of the Holy One, blessed be He, is His attribute of justice. Now Abraham thought that this would sweep away the righteous with the wicked, not knowing of G-d’s thoughts in which He thought of them with His mercies, as I have explained.¹⁴⁵At the end of Verse 20 here. Therefore, Abraham said that it is proper and good that He should forgive the entire place because of the fifty righteous inhabitants, but it is inconceivable even according to the Divine attribute of Justice to slay the righteous with the wicked,¹⁴⁶Verse 25 here. for if so the righteous will be as the wicked, and they will say, It is vain to serve G-d.¹⁴⁷Malachi 3:14. And all the more is this inconceivable according to the Divine attribute of Mercy since He is the Judge of all the earth,¹⁴⁴Ramban understood the verse as Onkelos rendered it, namely, that the word ha’aph does not mean “shall also”, but it means “the anger.” The verse reads: “shall the anger of G-d sweep away.” See Rashi. and He does justice,¹⁴⁸With righteousness. (Tur quoting and interpreting Ramban.) even as it is said, And the Eternal of hosts is exalted through justice,¹⁴⁹Isaiah 5:16. and we say in our prayers, “The King of judgment.”¹⁵⁰Literally, “the king, the Justice,” implying that the King is Justice. (See my Hebrew commentary, p. 112.) This prayer is said on the ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. (Berachoth 12b.) This is the significance of the double use of the expression, It is unworthy of Thee.¹⁵¹In Verse 24 here. One for the attribute of justice, and one for mercy, as explained above. And the Holy One, blessed be He, conceded that He would forgive the entire place for the sake of the fifty righteous, for He will conduct Himself towards them with the attribute of Mercy.
What informs you of all this¹⁵²That Abraham thought that they would be judged only by Divine justice, and G-d told him that they would be judged with Divine mercy. is the fact vayomer hashem (And the Eternal said)¹⁵³Verse 26 here. is written with the Tetragrammaton, and all references by Abraham to the Divine Name are written Ado-noy.¹⁵⁴The Tetragrammaton signifies Divine mercy, while the Name beginning with Aleph Dalet signifies Divine justice. This has now been clarified.

תספה, the same as תכלה, “you will destroy.” The word is used in the same sense in Deuteronomy 32,23 אספה עלימו רעות חצי אכלה אכלה בם. “I shall accumulate evils against them; My arrows I shall use up against them.” The root כלה expresses the same thought as אספה but in more intense form.