Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah

Or HaChaim on Genesis 19:16/אור החיים על בראשית י״ט:ט״ז

אוַיַּחֲזִיקוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים. הֲגַם שֶׁאֶחָד מֵהֶם הוּא הַמַּצִּיל אֶת לוֹט, אֲבָל הָאַחֵר שֶׁבָּא לַהֲפֹךְ אֵין לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת שְׁתֵּי שְׁלִיחוּיוֹת. אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר כִּי לֶהֱיוֹת שֶׁהַמַּצִּיל שֶׁהוּא רְפָאֵל הוּא הַמַּצִּיל וְגַבְרִיאֵל אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא מְסַיֵּעַ, לֹא מִקְרִי זֶה עוֹשֶׂה שְׁתֵּי שְׁלִיחוּיוֹת. וְטַעַם גַּבְרִיאֵל שֶׁסִּיֵּעַ אֵין זֶה אֶלָּא מַכְשִׁירֵי הַשְׁחָתַת סְדוֹם, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַכֵּב כָּל עוֹד שֶׁהָיָה לוֹט בְּתוֹכָהּ, וְהָיָה רְפָאֵל מוֹנְעוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר עַד שֶׁיֵּצֵא לוֹט.
1 ויחזיקו האנשים בידו. The men took hold of his hand. Although only one of them was charged with saving Lot, the other one could not proceed with his task pending Lot's rescue. Perhaps we should see in Raphael the principal agent of Lot's rescue; in that case the fact that Gabriel assisted (by taking Lot by his hand) is not viewed as his performing an additional task. This is especially so because Gabriel helped Lot only in order to be able to carry out his assignment of destroying the city (seeing he did not have permission to do so while Lot was within its borders).