Комментарий к Берешит 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.

האף תספה צדיק עם רשע, Avraham felt that the way G’d had worded the decree with the word כי רבה, that what G’d might have meant was that as long as the majority of the people were guilty this would justify eliminating the entire city, including the innocent. In that event G’d would not be perceived as meting out justice.

ויגש אברהם. Abraham approached, etc. When G'd had mentioned כלה, He meant that all the people in Sodom were doomed by the attribute of Justice; should it be G'd's intention to save the individual good people by allowing them to escape as happened to Lot, Abraham argued that perhaps there would be a substantial number of such people, i.e. fifty. The words האף תספה, "Will You also wipe out, etc?" mean "will You still wipe out the wicked despite the presence of so many innocent people?" The presence of the fifty should protect the entire population against mass destruction. When Abraham referred to the fifty good people as בקרבה, in the midst of the city, he implied that they should not be made to move in order to be saved. G'd would do better to remove the guilty and destroy them elsewhere. He used the expression חלילה לך, "it would be a profanation of Your name," when he referred to the remote possibility that the innocent actually share the fate of the guilty; concerning his second request that the presence of the righteous should serve as an umbrella for the guilty, he realised that this would be an act of kindness, not justice.

ויגש, the term גישה, ויגש, when used with a place, מקום, invariably refers to the subject משפט, judgment. Avraham enquired how it was possible that the entire population of a city should deserve extinction. Surely, there had to be some righteous people, and why would they have to share the fate of the wicked? Onkelos understands the word האף as a reference to G’d’s anger, wrath, as if Avraham asked if because G’d was angry the innocent would suffer the fallout of that anger and be punished for the sins of the wicked.

האף תספה צדיק עם רשע?, “are You really going to wipe out the righteous with the wicked?” Avraham meant if G’d would really apply the attribute of Justice also to the people who had not directly aroused His anger as a result of the reports which had come to His attention. חלילה לך מעשות כדבר הזה, “surely You would not do something which would make people conclude that there was no advantage in leading a righteous life if they had to die with the wicked people surrounding them.” Especially, seeing that G’d normally applies His attribute of Mercy when judging people, how could such an attribute be denied the righteous whose very existence is the reason that G’d tempers justice with mercy when judging mankind? This is why the word חלילה, “far be it,” appears twice in our verse.

ויגש אברהם ויאמר האף תספה, “Avraham approached and said: ‘Are you really going to destroy, etc.?” If you will take an analytical look at this paragraph you will observe that Avraham was under the impression that G’d wanted to destroy everybody and everything in these towns by employing the attribute of Justice. This is why he phrased his question as “are You really going to destroy the just together with the wicked, will You indeed destroy and not forgive the place?” The word תספה is not to be understood as in the second person i.e. Avraham addressing G’d in dialogue, but as third person feminine, a reference to the attribute of Justice, as if to say: “will the attribute of Justice indeed kill both the guilty and the innocent?” It would be analogous in construction to Hoseah 14,3 כל תשא עון וקח טוב, which the author understands as “address your words to the One (the attribute of Mercy) who can tolerate all kinds of guilt, etc.” All of Avraham’s prayers in this paragraph must be perceived as addressing themselves exclusively to the attribute of Justice This is also why he prefaced his remarks in verse 27 by saying (employing the name א-דני) “here I have already agreed to speak up, etc.” [It takes a great deal more courage to appeal to the attribute of Justice than to appeal to the attribute of Mercy. Ed.] Avraham therefore repeatedly used words to justify his intercession on behalf of the people of Sodom altogether (compare verse 30, “do not become angry,” or verse 31, “I have already begun, etc.” and again in verse 32 “please do not become angry.”) Avraham repeated the words חלילה לך מעשות כדבר הזה, “may it be far from You to do such a thing.” By repeating the word חלילה, Avraham made it plain that he addressed both the attribute of Justice and the attribute of Mercy. He meant that even the attribute of Justice must not be perceived as killing the Just together with the guilty, etc. This would only result in an increase of the number of people who denied that there is a G’d and that this G’d practices Justice. There would be no point in the exercise of free choice, i.e. to choose being good rather than evil, and there would also be a decrease in the number of people devoting their lives to the service of the Lord. The second חלילה is an exclamation underlining that if the destruction of all the people in Sodom had been decreed by the attribute of Mercy, the argument Avraham had just presented would be even stronger, even more powerful. After all, the One who claims to be the Judge of the whole earth must certainly be perceived as practicing Justice! We repeatedly point out on New Year’s Day in our prayers that G’d practices Justice. A few examples of such statements: ויגבה ה' צבאות במשפט, “and the Lord of Hosts is exalted by Justice” (Isaiah 5,15); at the conclusion of a benediction in the principal prayer עמידה we refer to G’d as המלך המשפט, “the King who represents absolute Justice.
In response to Avraham’s question and concern, G’d informed him that man’s considerations and G’d’s considerations are not identical. Contrary to what Avraham thought, He would relate to the people of Sodom by invoking the attribute of Mercy even while performing Judgment, i.e. Justice. As proof of this you will note that G’d is referred to throughout this paragraph by His attribute as the merciful One, by the four-lettered name י-ה-ו-ה.

Yehudah approached him. Many find difficulty with this proof, since Rashi himself explains later (44:18) that Yehudah in fact spoke sternly to Yosef. In truth, it is a scribe’s error. The text should read: “The children of Yehudah approached,” a verse that is in Yehoshua (14:6).

(23-24) ספה ,תספה kommt in ähnlicher Beziehung in der Bedeutung vor, dass etwas, was für sich allein von dem Unglück frei geblieben wäre, im Zusammenhange mit andern, die von einem Verderben betroffen werden, mit in das Verderben hineingeraten. So gedenkt David (Sam. 1. 26, 10) drei Arten, in welchen Saul umkommen könnte, a. Gott kann ihn plötzlich sterben lassen, b. die ihm bestimmte Lebenszeit läuft ab, oder c. er geht in einen Krieg, ונספה und kommt dort mit um, ohne dass bereits יבוא יומו, und ohne dass direkt ד׳ יגפנו. Ebenso 4. B. M. 16, 26 סורו וגו׳ פן תספו בכל חטאתם und sonst. Es ist verwandt mit ספח: ianschließen und שפה: Rand, Meeresuser, wodurch Land in den Bereich des Meeres hineingezogen wird, und wovon die hinausgeworfenen Wellen wieder in die Masse zurückfließen.

האף תספה means wilt Thou also destroy. But according to the Targum of Onkelos which translates it (the word האף) in the sense of anger, the explanation would be as follows: will Your anger urge you to destroy righteous with wicked?

When Abraham said והיה כצדיק כרשע, that the righteous would wind up just like the wicked, he indicated that if G'd applied the same yardstick to all creatures alike, the righteous would be deprived of every incentive to be righteous.

Zwei Weisen des Sodom drohenden Verhängnisses waren Abraham angekündigt, כלה: völlige Vernichtung oder ידיעה: Bestrafung der Schuldigen beim Fortbestand des Ganzen. Da Gott ihn dieses Einblicks in seinen Ratschluss gewürdigt, fühlt und denkt er sich in dessen Vollzug hinein, und ringt nach Klarheit über einen Gedanken, der ihn peinigt. Nicht, dass er darüber irgend einen Zweifel hegte, dass nicht, selbst wenn die Entartung den Untergang des ganzen sodomitischen Kreises fordere, dennoch die etwa sich dort findenden Unschuldigen, und wäre es einer unter Millionen, doch gerettet bleiben, und nicht etwa den Gerechten wie den Schuldigen gleiches Verderben träfe, das auch nur zu denken, spricht er Raw Hirsch on Genesis 18: 25 aus, wäre ihm Entweihung. Allein, er fühlt sich in die Lage eines aus dem Untergange eines solchen Ganzen geretteten Gerechten hinein, fühlt, was er in einer solchen Lage fühlen würde, fühlt, wie, wenn er das Unglück ge habt hätte, in Sodom zu wohnen, er es nie hätte fehlen lassen, unablässig die Besserung der entarteten Stadt- und Landesgenossen zu versuchen, wie er nie die Hoffnung aufgegeben, und wie er mit dem Untergang einer jeden Seele, an deren Rettung er gearbeitet, auf deren Rettung er gehofft, den eigenen Untergang erleiden würde, und wagt nun den Gedanken, ob denn nicht vielleicht das Leid, das die Gerechten durch die Teilnahme an dem schrecklichen Untergange ihrer bisherigen Genossen treffen würde, einer Berücksichtigung würdig sein dürfte, ob es nicht sonst ein ספות הצדיק עם רשע, eine Mitleidenschaft des Gerechten an dem Untergange des Schuldigen wäre, ob dieses nicht so stark sein könnte, dass Gott למען הצריקים zu Gunsten der Gerechten, um diesen das große Seelenleid zu sparen, der ganzen schuldigen Gesamtheit Verzeihung angedeihen lassen könnte?

The second time Abraham used the expression חלילה לך, he referred to the second alternative of saving the wicked because of the presence of a substantial number of righteous people in their midst. Abraham did not want G'd to destroy the wicked under such circumstances. Another meaning of this plea could be that Abraham reminded G'd that He had sworn after the deluge not to bring on mass destruction on mankind by invoking the ultimate rigor of the attribute of Justice (compare our comments on Genesis 9,11).

Für diese Auffassung spricht alles. Die Bedeutung des תספה gegenüber dem להמית und והיה כצדיק כרשע im Raw Hirsch on Genesis 18: 25, welches er von selbst als unmöglich zurückweist.

Ebenso die Wahl des Ausdruckes למען הצריקים wodurch die Gerechten nicht als Ursache, sondern als Zweck der Gesamtverzeihung hingestellt werden. Während nämlich בגלל immer die Veranlassung, בעבור größtenteils freilich den Zweck, jedoch auch mitunter die Veranlassung ausdrückt, bezeichnet למען immer den Zweck. Abraham denkt sich die Rettung des Ganzen als Belohnung und Beglückung des teilnehmend mitfühlenden Gerechten darin.

Endlich spricht dafür das sowohl in Abrahams Frage, als in der Erwiderung Gottes so charakteristisch hervorgehobene: בתוך העיר. Abraham sagt nicht ׳אולי יש נ צדיקים בעיר sondern בתוך העיר, die Antwort lautet sogar בסדום בתוך העיר. Dieses בתוך העיר erscheint ganz so wie בתוך עמי אנכי יושבת (Kön. II. 4, 13). Das Ideal eines Gerechten in Mitten einer sodomitischen Entartung, das Abraham vorschwebt, um dessentwillen die Gesamtheit gerettet werden dürfte, ist nicht ein solcher, der in hochmütigem Selbstgefühl die Menge preisgibt, ihrem sitllichen Untergange müßig zusieht, sich in die Einsamkeit zurückzieht und glaubt, genug getan zu haben, wenn er nur sich und höchstens die eigenen Seinen rettet. Ja, ein solcher wäre ihm gar nicht der Gerechte, hätte mit nichten der Verpflichtung genügt, die der Bessere in solcher Umgebung trüge, und wäre am wenigsten geeignet, um seinetwillen die Gesamtheit, die er ja längst preisgegeben, gerettet zu sehen. Der Untergang der Gesamtheit ließe einen solchen ja kalt, ja erfüllte ihn vielleicht gar mit befriedigender Genugtuung.

Das ist Abrahams Gerechter, dessen Berücksichtigung die Rettung der Gesamtheit bewirken sollte, nicht. Sein Gerechter befindet sich בתוך העיר "in Mitten der Stadt" in Mitten und in lebendiger Beziehung zu allen und allem. Er lässt nicht ab und zu ermahnen, zu lehren, zu warnen, zu bessern, zu retten, wo und wie er kann. Alle und alles liegt ihm am Herzen, und er wird nicht müde, Besserung zu versuchen, wie fern auch immer die Hoffnung des Gelingens: Sein menschlich Herz verzweifelt am Menschen nie, und treibt ihn unablässig zur Tätigkeit für die Menschen. Das sind die Gerechten, die er בתוך העיר voraussetzt, denen jede Seele aller dieser Tausende schmerzlich absterben würde, wie dem Gärtner die Pflanze, um deren Gedeihen er sich früh und spät bemüht, und von deren fünfzig Abraham die Erhaltung des Ganzen zu erhoffen wagt.

Beim Untergange Jerusalems — lehren die Weisen — wurden gerade die "Gerechten", die das Gesetz von א bis ת erfüllt hatten, zuerst dem Untergange geweiht, weil sie eben nicht בתוך העיר gewesen, und sich um die Besserung ihrer Mitbürger nicht bemüht (Sabb. 59 a. zu Jechesk. 9).

ולא תשא למקום, wir finden מקום zur Bezeichnung einer ganzen Gegend, ja eines ganzen Landes. So 4) נסעים אנחנו אל המקום אשר אמר ד׳. B. M. 10, 29). So auch (4. B. M. 14, 40) von dem ganzen Lande, והנה המקום מקום מקנה (das.32,1) von einer Gegend.