Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 18:20/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ח:כ׳

אוַיֹּאמֶר ה' זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"ח:כ'), וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁעָשָׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר, שֶׁלֹּא יְכַסֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ. וְאָמַר רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם (אבן עזרא על בראשית י"ח:י') כִּי נִכְנַס פָּסוּק "וַיִּפְנוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים" בֵּנְתַיִם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כִּי בְּעֵת שֶׁבָּאוּ לִסְדוֹם אָז אָמַר הַשֵּׁם לְאַבְרָהָם "זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה". וְכֵן דַּעַת כָּל הַמְּפָרְשִׁים כִּי עִם אַבְרָהָם יְדַבֵּר, וּלְפִי זֶה הַנָּכוֹן בַּפָּסוּק "וַיִּפְנוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים" לוֹמַר כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר הַשֵּׁם לְאַבְרָהָם בִּנְסֹעַ הָאֲנָשִׁים מִמֶּנּוּ "זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה", עָמַד אַבְרָהָם בִּתְפִלָּה וּתְחִנָּה לְפָנָיו לִמְחֹל לָהֶם וְלָתֵת לוֹ רְשׁוּת לְדַבֵּר, וְהֶאֱרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים סְדֹמָה, וְאָז נִגַּשׁ אַבְרָהָם וְאָמַר, "הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה". אוֹ יִהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁוֹ שֶׁשָּׁב לְבָאֵר "עוֹדֶנּוּ עֹמֵד לִפְנֵי ה'", כִּי נִגַּשׁ אַבְרָהָם וְאָמַר "הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה". וְהִנֵּה הֶאֱרִיךְ בִּתְחִנָּה לְפָנָיו בְּכָל פַּעַם לֵאמֹר "אַל יִחַר אַף ה'", וְהָיָה עוֹד מְכַוֵּן דַּעְתּוֹ בְּכָל פַּעַם לִנְבוּאָה עַד שֶׁשָּׁמַע תְּשׁוּבָה לִדְבָרָיו מִפִּיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְהֶאֱרִיכוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם בָּזֶה, וַיֵּלֶךְ ה' בָּעֶרֶב כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה לְדַבֵּר אֶל אַבְרָהָם, וּבָאוּ שְׁנֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים סְדֹמָה:

1AND THE ETERNAL SAID, THE CRY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH. Rashi comments: “And the Eternal said to Abraham, thus doing what He had said, i.e., that He would not conceal the matter from him,”And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the verse, And the men turned from there,¹²⁹ was inserted in the middle of the account¹³⁰, actually took place before our present verse for it was after the angels had walked toward Sodom that G-d said to Abraham, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah… However, Verse 22 was entered later in the account in order to let us know the time of G-d’s word to Abraham — the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah, etc. — was when they came to Sodom. in order to let us know that at the time the angels arrived in Sodom, then G-d said to Abraham: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great.The opinion of all commentators is likewise that G-d was speaking with Abraham. Now according to this, the correct interpretation of the verse, And the men turned from there,¹²⁹ is that when G-d said to Abraham after the men journeyed from him, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, Abraham stood in prayer and supplication before Him to forgive them and to give him permission to speak. And he prolonged his prayer until the men came to Sodom, and then Abraham drew near and said, Wilt Thou also sweep away the righteous with the wicked?¹³¹ Or the explanation may be that Scripture itself returns to clarify the expression, Abraham stood yet before the Eternal,¹³². as meaning that Abraham drew near and said, Wilt Thou also sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Thus he prolonged his supplication before Him, saying each time, “Let not the anger of the Eternal blaze,”¹³³ and directing the intent of his mind each time towards prophecy until he heard an answer to his words direct from the Holy One, blessed be He. They continued in this manner the entire day [until, as the verse says], the Eternal finished speaking with Abraham,¹³⁴ and the two angels came to Sodom.

בזַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה הִיא זַעֲקַת עֲשׁוּקִים יִזְעֲקוּ וִישַׁוְּעוּ מִזְּרוֹעַ רִשְׁעָתָם. וְהָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאמַר הַכָּתוּב זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמֹרָה שָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי רָבָּה, אוֹ שֶׁיֹּאמַר זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמֹרָה רָבָּה וְחַטָּאתָם כָּבְדָה מְאֹד, אֲבָל עִנְיַן הַכָּתוּב, זַעֲקַת סְדוֹם וַעֲמֹרָה וְחַטָּאתָם שֶׁגָּדְלוּ מְאֹד אֵרֵד וְאֶרְאֶה אִם כֻּלָּם חָטְאוּ בָּהֶם, וְאִם לֹא אֵדָעָה מִי הַחוֹטְאִים. וְעִנְיַן הַיְּרִידָה וְהָרְאִיָּה אָמַר רַשִׁ"י בְּדֶרֶךְ הַדְּרָשׁ, לִמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא יִפְסְקוּ דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת אֶלָּא בִּרְאִיָּה. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרָצָה הקב"ה לְגַלּוֹת לְאַבְרָהָם עִנְיַן סְדוֹם וּלְהוֹדִיעוֹ כִּי אֵין בָּהֶם עֹשֶׂה טוֹב, אָמַר אֵלָיו זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה, אֵרֵד לִרְאוֹת, כְּלוֹמַר בָּאתִי לִשְׁפֹּט, אִם חָטְאוּ אֶעֱשֶׂה בָּהֶם כָּלָה, וְאִם לֹא אֵדָעָה מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה בָּהֶם, וּפָקַדְתִּי בְשֵׁבֶט פִּשְׁעָם וּבִנְגָעִים עֲוֹנָם, הוֹדִיעוֹ כִּי אֵין עוֹד נִגְמַר דִּינָם, וְכִי עַתָּה יִפְקֹד עֲוֹנָם וְיִשְׁפֹּט אוֹתָם. וְזֶה כִּלְשׁוֹן "ה' מִשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁקִיף עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דֹּרֵשׁ אֶת אֱלֹהִים הַכֹּל סָר יַחְדָּיו נֶאֱלָחוּ" (תהלים יד ב ג). וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר בּוֹ סוֹד מִיַּלְדֵי נָכְרִים יַסְפִּיקוּ בּוֹ. וַאֲנִי אֶרְמֹז לְךָ דַּעַת מְקַבְּלֵי הָאֱמֶת, דָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ירושלמי תענית פ"ב) בַּפָּסוּק "כִּי הִנֵּה ה' יֹצֵא מִמְּקוֹמוֹ וְיָרַד וְדָרַךְ עַל בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ" (מיכה א ג), יוֹצֵא וּבָא לוֹ מִמִּדָּה לְמִדָּה, יוֹצֵא מִמִּדַּת רַחֲמִים וּבָא לוֹ לְמִדַּת הַדִּין. וְכֵן הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל לִבּוֹ זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה, אֵרֵד מִמִּדַּת רַחֲמִים אֶל מִדַּת הַדִּין (זהר קה), וְאֶרְאֶה בְּרַחֲמִים אִם כְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין עָשׂוּ כָּלָה (שם קו), וְאִם לֹא אֵדָעָה וַאֲרַחֵם, כְּדֶרֶךְ "וַיֵּדַע אֱלֹהִים" (שמות ב כה). וְאַחַר שֶׁסִּפֵּר הַכָּתוּב דַּעַת הָעֶלְיוֹן, חָזַר אֶל הָעִנְיָן הָרִאשׁוֹן וְסִפֵּר בְּמַעֲשֶׂה כִּי הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁקִיפוּ עַל פְּנֵי סְדוֹם לָלֶכֶת שָׁמָּה וְשִׁלְּחָם אַבְרָהָם, הִגִּיעוּ שָׁמָּה, וְאַבְרָהָם מֵעֵת הִפָּרְדָם מִמֶּנּוּ וְעַד הַגִּיעָם שָׁם עוֹדֶנּוּ עוֹמֵד לְפָנָיו, כִּי קְרָאוֹ וְהִגִּיד לוֹ כִּי הַמַּלְאָכִים הֵם הַשְּׁלוּחִים הָאֵלֶּה לְהַשְׁחִית הַמָּקוֹם כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר. וְלֹא הֻצְרַךְ לְפָרֵשׁ מָתַי עָמַד לְפָנָיו, כִּי מֵעֵת שֶׁאָמַר "הַמְכַסֶּה אֲנִי מֵאַבְרָהָם" נוֹדַע שֶׁהִגִּיד לוֹ:

2THE CRY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH. This is the cry of the oppressed, crying out and begging for help from the arm of their wickedness. It would have been proper for Scripture to say, “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah I heard because it is great” or “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very heavy.” But the purport of the verse is to state that “I will go down and see the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah and their sin which have become very great. If they have all sinned, I will bring the law to bear down on them, and if not, I will know who are the sinners.”Concerning the matter of “going down and seeing,” Rashi said by way of derash:¹³⁵ “This teaches that judges are not to give decisions in cases involving capital punishment except after having carefully looked into the matter.”According to the simple meaning of Scripture, the explanation is as follows: Since the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to reveal to Abraham the matter of Sodom and to inform him that there was none among them who did good, He said to him “Because it is great, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah will I go down to see, meaning I have come to judge. If they have sinned, I will make an end of them, and if not, I shall know what I shall do to them: Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes.”¹³⁶ He thus informed him that their judgment was not yet complete for now He will visit their sin and judge them. This is like the verse: The Eternal looketh from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any man of understanding, that did seek after G-d. They are all corrupt; they are together become impure.¹³⁷, 14:2-3.Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said concerning this¹³⁸ [“going down and seeing”] a mystery [i.e., a mysterious explanation], pleasing himself with foreign offspring.¹³⁹ I shall now intimate to you the opinion of those who received the truth. Our Rabbis have exposited¹⁴⁰ from the verse, For behold, the Eternal cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth:¹⁴¹ “He cometh forth and goeth from attribute to attribute; He cometh forth from the attribute of mercy, and goeth to the attribute of justice.” We interpret this matter similarly. And the Eternal said in His heart, “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it is great, I will go down from the attribute of mercy to the attribute of justice, and I will see in mercy if they have done according to the cry of it which is come unto Me through the attribute of justice, and if so, punishment; and if not, I will know and I will show mercy,” just as in the verse, And G-d knew.¹⁴² (I will know) bespeaks Divine mercy. Now after Scripture tells of the knowledge of the Most High, it returns to the first matter and relates the story of how the men who glanced towards Sodom with the intention of going there and whom Abraham sent away arrived there. And Abraham, from the moment they left him until they arrived there, still stood before the Eternal for He called him and told him that the angels were those messengers who would destroy the place, as He had said. It was not necessary for Scripture to explain when Abraham stood before Him for from the moment He said, Shall I conceal it from Abraham,¹⁴³ it is known that He told him.