Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 18:23/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ח:כ״ג

אוַיִּגַּשׁ אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמַר הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה צַדִּיק עִם רָשָׁע אַפּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הִיא מִדַּת דִּינוֹ, וְחָשַׁב אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהִיא תִּסְפֶּה צַדִּיק עִם רָשָׁע, לֹא יָדַע מַחְשְׁבוֹת ה' אֲשֶׁר חָשַׁב עֲלֵיהֶם בְּרַחֲמָיו כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי, וְלָכֵן אָמַר כִּי הָגוּן וְטוֹב הוּא שֶׁיִּשָּׂא לְכָל הַמָּקוֹם לְמַעַן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִים. אֲבָל לֹא יִתָּכֵן גַּם בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם רָשָׁע, שֶׁאִם כֵּן יִהְיֶה כַּצַּדִּיק כָּרָשָׁע וְיֹאמְרוּ "שָׁוְא עֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים" (מלאכי ג יד), וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹפֵט כָּל הָאָרֶץ וְהוּא הָעֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט, כְּעִנְיַן "וַיִּגְבַּהּ ה' צְבָאוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט" (ישעיהו ה טז), וְאָמְרֵנוּ (ברכות יב) "הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמִּשְׁפָּט". וְזֶהוּ עִנְיַן הַכֶּפֶל "חָלִילָה לָךְ". וְהקב"ה הוֹדָה שֶׁיִּשָּׂא לְכָל הַמָּקוֹם בַּעֲבוּרָם, כִּי בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים יִתְנַהֵג עִמָּהֶם. וּמָה שֶׁיּוֹדִיעַ אֵלֶיךָ כָּל הָעִנְיָן הֱיוֹת "וַיֹּאמֶר ה'" כָּתוּב יוּ"ד הֵ"א, וְכָל אֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּיר אַבְרָהָם אָלֶ"ף דָּלֶ"ת. וְהִנֵּה זֶה מְבֹאָר:

1AND ABRAHAM DREW NEAR AND SAID, WILT THOU ALSO SWEEP AWAY THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE WICKED? The anger¹⁴⁴ 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.¹⁴⁵ 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,¹⁴⁶ for if so the righteous will be as the wicked, and they will say, It is vain to serve G-d.¹⁴⁷ And all the more is this inconceivable according to the Divine attribute of Mercy since He is the Judge of all the earth,¹⁴⁶ and He does justice,¹⁴⁸ even as it is said, And the Eternal of hosts is exalted through justice,¹⁴⁹ and we say in our prayers, “The King of judgment.”¹⁵⁰ This is the significance of the double use of the expression, It is unworthy of Thee.¹⁵¹ 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 this¹⁵² is the fact vayomer hashem (And the Eternal said)¹⁵³ is written with the Tetragrammaton, and all references by Abraham to the Divine Name are written Ado-noy.¹⁵⁴ signifies Divine justice. This has now been clarified.