Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 13:13/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ג:י״ג
אוְטַעַם וְאַנְשֵׁי סְדֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים יַאֲשִׁים הַכָּתוּב אֶת לוֹט שֶׁלֹּא נִמְנַע מִלִּשְׁכּוֹן עִמָּהֶם, כְּדִבְרֵי רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"ג:י"ג), וִידַבֵּר עוֹד בִּזְכוּת הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁלֹּא נָפַל חֶבְלוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר שָׁמָּה הָרֶשַׁע, כִּי לֹא יָנוּחַ שֵׁבֶט הָרֶשַׁע עַל גּוֹרַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, וְכָל עָרֵי הַכִּכָּר רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַה' מְאֹד כִּי עַל כֵּן נֶהֶפְכוּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּל בְּנֵי כְּנַעַן אַנְשֵׁי תּוֹעֵבוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת כִּי כֵן כָּתוּב (ויקרא יח כז):
1NOW THE MEN OF SODOM WERE WICKED AND SINNERS. The purport thereof, as Rashi wrote, is that Scripture accuses Lot for not restraining himself from dwelling with them and also speaks of the merit of the righteous one [Abraham] whose lot did not fall in a place of wickedness for the rod of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous.107 And all the cities of the Plain were wicked and sinners against the Eternal exceedingly. This was why they alone were overthrown even though all the Canaanites were people of great abominations, for so it is written.108