Мидраш к Берешит 19:1

And Hidod lifted up his eyes and saw the man upon the public street, and he went unto his ‎presence and asked him: Whence comest thou and whither dost thou go? And the man ‎replied: I am coming from Hebron and I am going to Elam where my home is. And I came up to ‎this place and the sun hath set over me and I seated myself in the streets, but there is no one ‎here to invite me into his house, though I have bread and water with me as also straw and ‎fodder for my ass; I lack nothing. And Hidod said unto the man: Leave all thy cares to me, and ‎indeed thou shalt not spend thy night in the street. And Hidod having brought the man into his ‎house untied the fine mantle and its cord from the ass, and the traveler slept at his house that ‎night. And in the morning the man rose and made himself ready to start when Hidod begged ‎him, saying: Stay yet a while and support thy heart with a morsel of bread and then thou canst ‎go. And the man did so, and they sat down to take their meal. And they continued eating and ‎drinking together until the man arose in order to leave. But Hidod said unto him: Behold the ‎day is declining and before long it will be night. Now therefore let me prevail upon thee to stay ‎with me and rejoice thy heart another night in my house. And Hidod pressed the man to stay, ‎until he consented to do so. And next morning when the man prepared to leave, Hidod again ‎forced the man saying: Refresh thy heart with a morsel of bread and then thou mayest go. ‎And after they finished eating and drinking and the man arose to go, Hidod again insisted upon ‎him to remain saying: Behold the day is most gone, you better stay another night in my house ‎and leave right in the morning. But the man would not allow himself to be persuaded and was ‎decided upon leaving. And the man went out and saddled his ass hastily. And Hidod’s wife, ‎seeing the man saddling his ass, came unto her husband saying: Behold this man hath been in ‎our house two days and two nights, eating and drinking, and now he is about to leave without ‎paying us anything for it. And Hidod said unto her: Keep thou silent. And the man saddling his ‎ass, said unto Hidod: Will thou now please to give me my mantle with many different colors ‎and the cord? And Hidod said: What is it thou art saying? And the man repeated, saying: I ‎would ask of my lord, to give unto me my mantle of many different colors and the cord, which ‎thou hast hidden in thy house for safe keeping. And Hidod replied unto the man, saying: This is ‎the interpretation of thy dream. The cord signifies that thy life will be prolonged like a cord, ‎and the mantle so rich in colors means, that thou wilt plant a vineyard wherein thou wilt have ‎all kinds of delicious fruit-trees. And the traveler rejoined saying: Not so my lord, I was not ‎dreaming but fully awake when I gave unto thee my mantle woven in so many colors, and a ‎cord, which thou hast removed from my ass and taken into thy house for safe-keeping. And ‎Hidod said unto the man: Well, and have I not fully explained unto thee thy dream and its ‎interpretation? Verily it is a good dream thou hast dreamed. And now the people pay me ‎generally four pieces of silver for interpreting their dreams, but from thee I will not ask more ‎than three pieces.‎

And the man became fearfully enraged and cried out a terrible and bitter cry against Hidod, ‎and he forced Hidod to go with him unto the judge of Sodom whose name was Sherek. And ‎the stranger laid his grievances before the judge, and Hidod replied according to his own story. ‎And the judge in his decision said unto the traveler: It is the truth that this man Hidod was ‎speaking unto thee. For he is known in these cities as the most reliable among interpreters of ‎dreams. But the stranger appealed from the decision of the judge, crying and saying: Not so ‎my lord, but it was in day time that I have surrendered into his care a mantle and cord which I ‎had fastened upon my ass, and which he took into his house for safe keeping. But Hidod ‎denied the allegations of the stranger and they stood before the judge quarreling, each of the ‎men insisting upon the truth of his own statement. And Hidod finally turned unto the man ‎saying: Now since I see what kind of a man thou art, thou must pay me four pieces of silver for ‎the interpretation of thy dream, I will take nothing less; besides thou must give me the money ‎for the four meals thou hast taken in my house. And the stranger replied: The truth is with ‎thee that I should pay for the meals I have eaten at thy house, and I will willingly do so; but ‎then give me my mantle and cord which thou hast hidden in thy house. And Hidod said unto ‎the man: And have I not disclosed unto thee the interpretation of thy dream? The cord shows ‎that thy days will be lengthened like a cord, and the mantle with various. colors signifies that ‎thou wilt have a vineyard wherein thou wilt have planted different kinds of delicious fruit ‎trees? And now give me my hire for interpreting thy dream which is four pieces of silver, for I ‎will not allow thee the least beyond my usual hire. And thus the two men were quarreling ‎before the judge until he became tired and called his servants and they drove both of them ‎out of the house in great haste and confusion. And while they were both ejected from the ‎presence of the judge, still quarreling and fighting, all the people of Sodom surrounded them ‎and hooted at the stranger and abused him, and drove him from the city in disgrace. And the ‎poor man prosecuted his way upon his ass, weeping and lamenting in the bitterness of his ‎soul. And he never ceased crying and lamenting until Sodom was destroyed. And there were ‎in Sodom four judges for the four cities, and these are their names: Sherek, for the city of ‎Sodom; Sharkar, for Gomorrah; Sabnach, for Admah; and Menun, for Zboyim. And Eliezer, the ‎servant of Abraham made puns upon them and he changed their names; and he made of ‎Sherek, Shakra (lie), and of Sharkar, Shakruka (falsehood), and of Sabnach, Casban (liar), and ‎of Menun he made Mazul-indin (perverter of justice).‎

And upon the advice of those judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in ‎the public streets of the cities. And when a traveler came to tarry in their cities they would ‎seize upon him and put him into one of those bedsteads by force. And if he was shorter than ‎the bedstead, six men would lay hands on him and stretch him until he was equal in length; ‎and if he was taller then they would press him against the two sides of the bedstead until he ‎would fit. And they did not give ear to the cries of the strangers but tortured them until they ‎almost reached the gates of death, when they told unto him: So it will be done to ‎everyone that cometh into our land. And all the people hearing of what was done in the cities ‎of Sodom, kept away from coming into these places. And when a poor man came into any of ‎their cities they were extremely liberal with their charity. And they opened their hands and ‎gave unto the needy and destitute silver and gold in great abundance. And after that, they ‎caused it to be proclaimed in a loud voice throughout all their territory that no one dare to give ‎that poor man a morsel of bread for all the money he might offer. And since no man could get ‎out of the land before many days, the poor man had to die of starvation, for no one would ‎give him a morsel of bread in all their cities. And when the poor man was dead, all those that ‎gave him their silver and gold came and recognized it and got it back. And they took away the ‎garments off the poor man and fought over them, and whosoever was strongest took all unto ‎himself. And after the corpse was thus stripped of its garments they buried it in its nudity into ‎one of the ditches of the deserts around them. And so they would do to every stranger that ‎happened to die in their land. And after many days Sarah sent Eliezer to Sodom in order to see ‎Lot and to inquire for his peace. And while on his way Eliezer met one of the Sodomites ‎robbing a stranger of his garments, and then leaving the poor man naked in the field. And the ‎poor man cried unto Eliezer for help, and the poor man wept bitterly on account of what the ‎Sodomite had done unto him. And Eliezer said unto the man of Sodom: Why dost thou act so ‎wickedly towards this poor man who came round here? And the Sodomite replied, saying: Is ‎this man thy brother or have the people of Sodom chosen thee for their judge that thou ‎takest his part and speakest in his behalf? And Eliezer quarreled with the Sodomite concerning ‎the poor man and approached him to take away from him the garments he had stripped the ‎man of, but the Sodomite seized a stone and threw it with great force at Eliezer's forehead. ‎And Eliezer was wounded in his forehead and his blood was streaming from the wound. And ‎the Sodomite seeing the blood took hold upon Eliezer saying: Give me my hire for the ‎bloodletting I have performed on thee, for behold I have relieved thee of all thy bad blood, ‎and such is the law in our land concerning these things. And Eliezer became incensed, saying: Is ‎it not enough that thou hast wounded me and now shall I give thee yet hire for thy ‎wickedness? And Eliezer would not listen to the voice of the man,

and the man took hold of him with force and dragged him before Sherek, the judge of Sodom, ‎to obtain judgment. And the man explained, unto the judge saying: Such and such was the ‎behavior of this man, when I struck him in the forehead with a stone, and a great deal of blood ‎came out of the wound and he refuseth to pay me my hire for relieving him of his bad blood. ‎And the judge spoke unto Eliezer saying: This man speaketh the truth, give him therefore his ‎hire, for such is the law in our land. And Eliezer having heard the judge's decision, hastened ‎and took up a stone and cast it at the judge, and the stone entered his forehead and a great ‎deal a blood streamed out of the wound. Then Eliezer said: And now since thou hast ‎acquainted me with the law of thy land, that one must pay another for wounding him, thou ‎give the hire thou owest unto me, to this man, for that is the just thing according to thy ‎decision. And so Eliezer left the man and his judge, and went on his way. And it was at the time ‎when the kings of Elam carried on war against the kings of Sodom and they had captured all ‎the property of Sodom, that Lot was among the captives with all his property and his people. ‎And Abraham pursued the kings of Elam and snatched from them all the property of Lot and of ‎Sodom. At that time the wife of Lot bare a daughter and her name was called Paltith, for he ‎said: The Lord had saved me and all belonging unto me from the hands of the kings of Elam. ‎And when Paltith, Lot's daughter, grew up, one of the men of Sodom took her for his wife. At ‎that time a poorman came to the city, to make his living in some way and he went around in ‎the place for some time. And all the people of Sodom caused it to be proclaimed in a loud ‎voice that no one shall give a morsel of bread to that poor man until he die in the land. And all ‎the people obeyed the order. But Paltith saw the poor man lying about in the streets of the ‎city and starving, and yet no one gave him a morsel of bread, so that his soul almost departed ‎from him. And her soul was filled with compassion for that poor man, and she supplied him ‎secretly with bread for many days, and thus the poor man was kept alive. And when Paltith ‎went forth to fetch water she would hide the bread in her water-pitcher and when she came ‎to the place of the poor man she took the bread and placed it before the poor man and he ate. ‎And so she did for many days. And the people of Sodom wondered at the poor man that he ‎did not die after so many days. And they said unto themselves: This cannot be otherwise but ‎that he eateth and drinketh somewhere, for no man can sustain life for so long a time without ‎eating and drinking; and yet this man liveth and even his countenance is not changed.‎

And three men concealed themselves accordingly near the place where the poor man was ‎wont to sit, in order to find out who supplied him with bread to eat. And before long Paltith, ‎Lot's daughter, came to fetch water and she gave the poor man some water to drink, and then ‎she took the bread from her pitcher and gave it to him likewise and he eat. And the three men ‎saw it and said unto themselves: Now we know who supports that man and why he did ‎neither suffer hunger nor change his countenance nor die like those before him. And the ‎three men went forth from their hiding place and they seized Paltith and the bread which was ‎yet in the poor man’s hand. And they took Paltith and dragged her before their judges saying ‎unto them: Such things hath she done, and she hath supplied the poor man with bread so that ‎he did not die. And now pronounce ye your judgment, what it is that hath to be done unto her ‎for violating our law. And the judges pronounced their judgment, whereupon all the people of ‎Sodom and Gomorrah assembled, and they kindled a fire in the streets, and they brought the ‎woman and cast her into the fire and she was burnt to ashes. And in the city of Admah was ‎also a maiden, the daughter of one of the wealthiest men of the people of Admah, and they ‎did unto her as follows: A man came over into the city in order to stay there over night and to ‎continue his journey next morning towards home. And he seated himself opposite the house ‎of the father of that maiden, for the sun had sat over him in that place and there he concluded ‎to tarry over night; and the girl saw him sitting before the door of her house. And the man ‎having asked her for some water to drink, she inquired of him: Who art thou? And he replied, I ‎am on my way homewards and now the day hath darkened over me in this place and I will ‎abide here for the night and in the morning I will continue my Journey. And the maiden went ‎into the house and brought unto the man bread and water to eat and drink. And the matter ‎soon became known to the people of Admah and all of them assembled, and they brought the ‎maiden before their judges to punish her for that offense. And one of the judges said: This ‎maiden is under the judgment of death, for such is the punishment for those transgressing our ‎law. And all the people of the cities came together and took the maiden, and after stripping ‎her of all her vestments they anointed her with honey from the crown of her head to the sole ‎of her foot according to the words of the judge, and they placed her before a swarm of bees ‎around their hives. And all the bees came upon her and stung her that all her body was ‎swelled up. And the poor girl cried out in her pain caused by the bees but no one would regard ‎her cries and no one would have mercy upon her. And her shrieks of agony went up to ‎heaven. And the Lord was enraged on account of that as also on account of all other acts of ‎wickedness practiced in Sodom. For they had abundance of food and they lived in peace and ‎security, and yet they would not give help to the needy and destitute, and their sins and their ‎crimes were enormous in the eyes of the Lord. And the Lord sent the three angels which were ‎in Abraham’s house to Sodom and all its cities, to destroy them.‎

And the three angels, after having ceased eating and drinking with Abraham, arose from the ‎door of his tent, and went towards Sodom, where they arrived in the evening. And Lot was ‎seated at that time in the gates of Sodom, and seeing those men he went to meet them and ‎bowed down before them to the ground, and prevailed upon them to come into his house. ‎And he placed before them food to eat and he invited them to abide in his house that night. ‎And the angels said unto Lot: Arise and depart from this place lest thou perish through the sins ‎of this city, for the Lord is about to destroy this place. And the angels took Lot by the hand, as ‎also his wife and his daughters and all belonging unto him, and they carried them outside of ‎the city. And they said unto Lot: Now save thy life. And he arose and fled with all belonging to ‎him. And at that time the Lord let rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah and upon all these cities, ‎brimstone and fire from heaven, and thus he over threw all the cities and all the plain, and all ‎the vegetation of the earth. And Edah, the wife of Lot looked around to see the destruction of ‎the city, for her compassion was aroused for her daughters that did not go along with her but ‎had remained in Sodom. And as she turned backwards to see what hath occurred, she became ‎a pillar of salt. And that pillar is still standing in its place to this very day. And the oxen which ‎frequent that place daily, lick the salt pillar until they come to the toes of its feet, but until ‎morning all they licked off would grow again to be consumed again the coming day, even to ‎this day. And Lot with his remaining two daughters, fled and escaped unto the cave of Adulam ‎and they remained there for several days. - And Abraham arose in the morning, and looking ‎towards Sodom to see what had been done with those cities, saw dense smoke arising from all ‎those cities like unto the smoke of a furnace. And while Lot was tarrying in the cave with his ‎two daughters they gave their father wine to drink and they lay with him, for they thought ‎that all the earth was destroyed and there was no other man left upon the earth of whom ‎they could have an offspring. And both lay with their father and they conceived of him, and ‎both bare sons. And the eldest called her son Moab, saying: For I have conceived him from my ‎father. And the youngest daughter called her son Benamy, he is the father of all the sons of ‎Amon to this day. And after this occurred Lot departed from there and dwelt with his two ‎daughters and their sons on the other side of Jordan. And the sons of Lot grew up and they ‎went and took wives from the land of Canaan, and they bare unto them children and they ‎were fruitful and they multiplied greatly.‎

And the two angels came to Sodom at evening (Gen. 19:1). What is written before this verse? And Abraham drew near and said, “Wilt Thou sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen. 18:23). R. Phinehas the priest, the son of Hama, stated: Certainly the Holy One, blessed be He, does not desire to find any of His creatures guilty, for it is said: I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth (Ezek. 18:32). Furthermore it says: For Thou are not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness (Ps. 5:4); and: As I live, saith the Lord Eternal, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 33:11). What does the Holy One, blessed be He, take pleasure in doing? In proving the righteousness of His creatures, as it is said: The Lord was pleased, for His righteousness’ sake (Isa. 42:21). Proof of this is that even when mankind sins against the Holy One, blessed be He, and provokes him to anger, He relents and seeks an advocate to plead in their behalf. In fact, He suggests the arguments the advocate can employ. Hence, you find that at the time of Jeremiah, He proclaimed: Run ye, to and fro, through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man. If there be any who doeth justly, that seeketh truth, and I will pardon her (Jer. 5:1).

And the two angels came to Sodom (Gen. 19:1). May it please our master to teach us the number of death penalties the Beth Din (the court of seventy-one members) was empowered to impose? Our masters taught us as follows: Four death penalties were imposed by the Beth Din: stoning, burning, decapitation, and strangulation. Which one is the most severe? The rabbis held that death by stoning was the most severe, since it was the punishment inflicted upon blasphemers and idolaters. R. Simeon the son of Yohai maintained that death by fire was the severest punishment because it was inflicted upon the daughter of a priest who was guilty of unchastity. Proof of the seriousness of unchastity is that it was punishable by death through fire. R. Joshua the son of Levi declared in the name of Bar Kappara that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives everything but licentiousness. R. Judah the son of Nehemiah stated: The Holy One, blessed be He, rained fire and brimstone upon the inhabitants of Sodom, and burned them to death, because they committed acts of sexual immorality, as it is said: And the Lord caused to rain down upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire (Gen. 19:24).

And the two angels came to Sodom (Gen. 19:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore, He was turned to be their enemy, He Himself fought against them (Isa. 6:10). R. Jeremiah the son of Eleazar declared: The Holy One, blessed be He, had warned the men of Sodom to repent for fifty-two years by causing the mountains to quake over them. R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: A biblical verse supports this statement: Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, when He overturneth them in His anger (Job 9:5). When they failed to repent, He destroyed them. What was the source of their punishment? The heavens. R. Simeon the son of Lakish stated: Heaven resembles an urn from which a man may draw hot or cold water as he desires. When the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to do so, He sent manna to the Israelites from heaven, as it is said: Behold, I will cause bread to rain for you from heaven (Exod. 16:14), but when He so desired: Then the Lord caused to rain upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven (Gen. 19:24).

And the two angels came to Sodom … and he said: “Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet” (Gen. 19:1–2). There is a proverb which says: Associate with a greasy man and you too will become greasy. Because Lot associated with Abraham he learned to welcome travelers. And they said: “Nay” (ibid.): From this episode our sages taught that one may refuse the request of one’s inferior but not of one’s superior. It is written concerning Abraham that he said: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart … and they said: “So do as thou hast said” (ibid. 18:5), but in reference to Lot it is written: And he urged them greatly; and they turned into his house … and they ate (ibid. 19:3).¹³The angel initially rejected Lot’s invitation to enter his home, but accepted Abraham’s invitation immediately. See Pesahim 86b. Surely, ministering angels do not partake of food. This was done only in order to teach us that proper behavior requires that no man should deviate from the custom of the land. You learn this lesson from Moses as well. It is written that after he ascended the mountain: And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, and he did neither eat bread nor drink water (Exod. 34:28). If it was customary to eat and drink there, he would have done so. Therefore concerning the angels who came to visit Abraham, to destroy Sodom and to rescue Lot, it is written: He made them a feast and baked them unleavened bread, and they ate (Gen. 19:3).

R. Judah b. R. Shallum said: What is the meaning of FAR BE IT FROM YOU (literally) FROM DOING < SUCH A THING >?⁵²Cf. Gen. R. 49:9. "To do" is not written here, but FROM DOING, i.e., neither that nor anything like it.⁵³The interpretation is stressing the partitive sense of FROM. The Divine Presence departed. The Holy One waited for < Abraham > in case he should find < some > merit for them. When he did not find < any > for them, Abraham stood and prayed before the Holy One. (Gen. 18:33:) SO THE LORD WENT AWAY WHEN HE HAD FINISHED < SPEAKING WITH ABRAHAM >. Immediately, on that very day, the angels entered Sodom, as stated (in Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM….

(Gen. 19:1:) THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM IN THE EVENING…. Let our master instruct us: How many < methods for > executions are given over to the court?⁵⁴Tanh., Gen. 4:9. Four, and these are (according to Sanh. 7:1) STONING, BURNING, BEHEADING, AND STRANGULATION.⁵⁵See Sanh. 9:3; Sanh. 49b-50a. And which is the most severe? Our masters have said: Stoning. R. Simeon ben Johay says: Burning, because it was inflicted on a priest's daughter who had committed adultery. See how serious sexual perversion is when < it is punished > by burning. R. {Simeon} [Joshua] ben Levi said in the name of Bar Qappara: The Holy One granted atonement for everything except sexual perversion, as stated (in Prov. 6:29): NO ONE WHO TOUCHES HER WILL BE CLEANSED. R. Joshua bar Nehemiah said: The Sodomites also were liable to fire because they had erupted into sexual perversion. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 19:24): THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN UPON SODOM AND UPON GOMORRAH BRIMSTONE AND FIRE. When they were found guilty, the Holy One said to the angels: Why are you standing about? Go and destroy them. They immediately descended and carried out the keleusis⁵⁶The word is Greek. {i.e., the command} of their Creator. Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM < IN THE EVENING >.

(Gen. 19:1:) IN THE EVENING. What is the meaning of IN THE EVENING? That the Sodomites were dark like the night.⁵⁷See below, 4:21. Another interpretation: IN THE EVENING (ba'erev). The evening of Sodom had arrived.⁵⁸The midrash understands ba‘erev (“in the evening”) as two words, ‘erev (“evening”) and ba (“has come”). See Gen. R. 50:3. (Ibid., cont.:) AND LOT WAS SITTING AT THE GATE OF SODOM, as he had learned from the practice of Abraham. What is written here (in Gen. 18:2) about Abraham? WHEN HE SAW THEM HE RAN < FROM > THE DOOR OF HIS TENT TO MEET THEM < AND BOWED DOWN TO THE EARTH >. Solomon has said in (Prov. 22:6): TRAIN A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO. Because Lot had grown up in Abraham's house, he had acquired < Abraham's > moral standards. < Thus > (in Gen. 19:1, cont.): AND HE BOWED DOWN WITH HIS FACE TO THE GROUND. Just as Abraham had done, he brought them into his house. What is written (in vss. 4-5)? BEFORE THEY LAY DOWN … AND THEY CALLED UNTO LOT … < BRING THEM OUT UNTO US THAT WE MAY KNOW THEM >. The angels began to be astonished, saying: The matter has reached us! Now < there is > much on the subject < that is being passed over > merely in order not to bother you. What did they finally do? One of them rescued Lot, and one of them destroyed Sodom.⁵⁹See Gen. R. 50:2. Now perhaps you will say: He destroyed it with one of his hands. No, < it was > merely with one finger, which is one of five on the hand. Thus it is stated (in Job 28:9): HE PUT OUT HIS HAND BAHALLAMISH.⁶⁰The midrash has interpreted bahallamish (“against the hard rock”) as bahamishi (“with the fifth”). In the world to come the Holy One will heal it (i.e., Sodom);⁶¹So below, 4:22; Exod R. 15:21. and Israel will divide it up, as stated (in Ps. 60:8ff. [6ff.]): I WILL DISTRIBUTE SHECHEM < AND MEASURE OUT THE VALLEY OF SUCCOTH>….⁶²So below, 4:22. Cf. PRK 29(suppl. 2):3. According to Gen. R. 42:5, the valley of Succoth is identified with the valley of Siddim at the Dead Sea (Gen. 14:3).

(Gen. 19:24:) FROM THE LORD. What is written before the verse (in Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM IN THE EVENING.⁷⁴See Gen. R. 50:2. Elsewhere (in Gen. 18:2) three came to Abraham, as stated: WHEN HE RAISED HIS EYES, HE LOOKED, AND BEHOLD, THREE PERSONS. But here there are two, as stated (in Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME. It is simply that the Holy One sent three angels, each one individually to perform his < own particular > mission. One went to bring good tidings to Sarah, one went to save Lot, and one went to destroy Sodom. An angel does not perform two missions, [nor do two angels perform one mission]. Michael went to bring good tidings to Sarah. "Surely we will return unto you" is not written here (in Gen. 18:14), but I WILL RETURN. He performed his mission and went away. Then the < other > two went to perform their missions, as stated (in Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM IN THE EVENING. Elsewhere (in 18:2, 16, 19:5f.) < Scripture > has called them "persons," but here it has called them "angels." R. Alexandri, however, has said: < When angels were > near Abraham, they were < called > humans because angels were common in the house of Abraham.⁷⁵See Qid. 32b; cf. BM 86b. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 31:27): SHE OVERSEES THE ACTIVITIES (rt.: HLK) OF HER HOUSE. Since those who went (rt.: HLK) to the house of Abraham were angels and because he was commonly among angels, they appeared to him in human form.⁷⁶I.e., angelic visits were as common as household activities in Abraham’s house. But for Lot, who was ignorant⁷⁷Gk.: idotes, i.e., “lay person.” < about them >, they appeared as angels. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM….

It is written (in Job 23:13): BUT HE HAS ONENESS; SO WHO CAN TURN HIM? AND WHATEVER HIS SOUL DESIRES, HE DOES.⁷⁸Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Beshallah 7; Tanh. (Buber), Exod. 1:14; Tanh., Exod. 1:18; Cant. R. 1:9:1; see Exod. R.4:3. R. Papias interpreted: Because he stands alone in his world, there is no one to interfere with him. Whatever he wants, he does. R. Aqiva said to him: Enough from you, Papias! One does not < so > interpret here. Rather, he does everything according to the Law. What is the meaning of HAS ONENESS? < That >, just as the petitioner petitions < here > below, so < it is > above. Just as the Sanhedrin conducts proceedings below, so < it is > above, as stated (in I Kings 22:19): I SAW THE LORD SITTING UPON HIS THRONE, AND ALL THE HEAVENLY HOST WAS STANDING BY HIM TO HIS RIGHT AND TO HIS LEFT. Is there a left {and right} above? And has it not already been stated (in Exod. 15:6): YOUR RIGHT HAND, O LORD, GLORIOUS IN POWER, < YOUR RIGHT HAND SHATTERS THE ENEMY > ? It is simply that the ones < on the right > tip the balance toward the side of merit, and the ones < on the left > tip the balance toward the side of guilt. Ergo, everything < proceeds > with justice. And, just as one who is a petitioner petitions < here > below, so < it is > above. Where is it shown? Where Daniel has said so (in Dan. 4:14 [17]): THE RULING IS BY THE DECREE OF THE WATCHERS, AND THE PETITION {BY} THE WORD OF THE HOLY ONES. Now you say: Because he stands alone in his world, he does whatever he wants! What is the meaning of HAS ONENESS (in Job 23:13)? R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest said: Because he alone in his world knows justice for his creatures. [R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite < said >: Because he alone in the world knows the temperament of his creatures.] The one to whom he says: Go on my mission, goes. Hence it says (in Job 23:13): AND WHATEVER HIS SOUL DESIRES, HE DOES. So also Jeremiah stated (in Jer. 1:6): I AM < BUT > A LAD. The Holy One said to him: DO NOT SAY: I AM < BUT > A LAD. So also with Sodom, he conducted the proceedings in their court and saw that their guilt merited destruction. Then after that he sent them (the angels) to destroy them. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM.

Elsewhere (in 18:2, 16, 19:5f.) < Scripture > calls them "persons," but here it calls them "angels." To what is the matter comparable? To someone who received a dominion from the king. All the days that he was traveling on the road, he traveled as a paganus {i.e. alone} ⁷⁹The Latin word means “peasant.” {He did not do otherwise.} When he arrived to take his place, his tax collectors and the natives of the region began honoring him. So < it was with > the angels when they came to destroy the region. Before they entered Sodom, they traveled like humans. After they came to Sodom, it is written (in Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME. Did they depart from Abraham's place at noon and come to Sodom < only > in the evening?⁸⁰Gen. 50:1. It is simply that they were angels of mercy and had waited for the possibility that Abraham might plead < some > merit on their account so that < the city > would not be destroyed. For that reason they had waited until the evening.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 19:1): Why IN THE EVENING? Because the deeds of the Sodomites were dark like evening and night.⁸¹See above, 4:15.

(Gen. 19:1:) AND LOT WAS SITTING AT THE GATE OF SODOM.⁸²Gen. R. 50:3. The written text has SAT (with a vowel letter missing from the Hebrew). There were five judges in Sodom. Now Lot was inferior to all of them, but they had him sit among them, for such is the written text: AND LOT SAT AT THE GATE OF SODOM.⁸³In other words, the written text refers, not to Lot’s continuing to sit at the gate, but to his taking his seat as judge there. (Prov. 22:6:) TRAIN A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO. Since < Lot > had grown up in Abraham's house and had seen him receive travelers, he had learned from him. He therefore brought the angels home with him. What is written there (in Gen. 19:4)? BEFORE THEY HAD LAIN DOWN, < THE MEN OF THE CITY, THE MEN OF SODOM, HAD SURROUNDED THE HOUSE >…. The angels began to be astonished, saying: This matter has reached even us! Lot said to the angels: What have you come here to do? They said to him (in Gen. 19:13): FOR WE ARE DESTROYING < THIS PLACE >.⁸⁴Gen. R. 19:9; 68:2. They revealed their mysterion⁸⁵The word is Greek. {i.e., secret} to him. For that reason they were banished one hundred and thirty-eight years from their precincts. R. Tanhuma said one hundred and thirty years according to the number of the sacred ladder < as reckoned > by gematria.⁸⁶Gk.: geometria or grammateis. The sacred ladder, seen in Jacob’s dream, bridged heaven and earth. The Hebrew word for “ladder” is SLM. By gematria S = 60, L = 30, and M = 40, for a total of 130.

Another explanation: "He who walketh with wise men shall be wise" (ibid.). This refers to Lot, who walked with our father Abraham, and learned of his good deeds and ways. They said: What did our father Abraham do? He made for himself a house opposite to Haran, and he received everyone who entered into or went out from Haran, and he gave him to eat and to drink. He said to them: Say ye, The God of Abraham is the only one in the universe. || When Lot came to Sodom he did likewise. When they made proclamation in Sodom: All who strengthen the hand of the poor or needy with a loaf of bread shall be burnt by fire, he was afraid of the men of the city, (and did not venture) to do so by day, but he did it by night, as it is said, "And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom" (Gen. 19:1). Why did Lot sit in the gate of Sodom? Because he was afraid of the men of the city, (and did not venture) to act (charitably) by day, but he did so by night. He saw the two angels walking in the street of the city, and he thought that they were wayfarers in the land, and he ran to meet them. He said to them: Come and lodge ye overnight in my house, eat and drink, and ye shall go your way in peace. But the men would not accept this for themselves, and he took them by the hand against their will, and brought them inside his house, as it is said, "And he urged them greatly" (Gen. 19:8).

"But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth." (Job 23:13) It was taught: One angel does not carry out two commissions, and two angels do not carry out one commission. And you say "two"!? (Genesis 19:1) Rather, Michael said his tidings and departed, Gabriel was sent to overthrow Sodom, and Raphael to rescue Lot.