Ethical Dilemmas

(17) Now יְהוָה had said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, (18) since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him? (19) For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of יְהוָה by doing what is just and right, in order that יְהוָה may bring about for Abraham what יְהוָה has promised him.” (20) Then יְהוָה said, “The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave! (21) I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note.” (22) The men went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before יְהוָה.

(23) Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? (24) What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? (25) Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (26) And יְהוָה answered, “If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” (27) Abraham spoke up, saying, “Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: (28) What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will You destroy the whole city for want of the five?” And יְהוָה answered, “I will not destroy if I find forty-five there.” (29) But he spoke to יְהוָה again, and said, “What if forty should be found there?” And יְהוָה answered, “I will not do it, for the sake of the forty.” (30) And he said, “Let not my Lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?” And יְהוָה answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” (31) And he said, “I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there?” And יְהוָה answered, “I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty.” (32) And he said, “Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?” And יְהוָה answered, “I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten.” (33) When יְהוָה had finished speaking to Abraham, יְהוָה departed; and Abraham returned to his place.

(1) And the two angels came to Sodom at evening (Gen. 19:1). What is written before this verse? Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?” (Gen. 18:23). R. Phinehas the priest, the son of Hama, stated: Certainly the Holy Blessed One, does not desire to find any of God's creatures guilty, for it is said: I have no pleasure in the death of those that die (Ezek. 18:32). Furthermore it says: For You are not a God that takes pleasure in wickedness (Ps. 5:4); and: As I live, says Adonai Elohim, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 33:11). What does the Holy Blessed One, take pleasure in doing? In proving the righteousness of God's creatures, as it is said: Adonai was pleased, for righteousness’ sake (Isa. 42:21). Proof of this is that even when humankind sins against the Holy Blessed One, and provokes God to anger, God relents and seeks an advocate to plead in their behalf. In fact, God suggests the arguments the advocate can employ. Hence, you find that at the time of Jeremiah, He proclaimed:

Roam the streets of Jerusalem,

Search its squares,

Look about and take note:

You will not find a man,

There is none who acts justly,

Who seeks integrity—

That I should pardon her.

(Jer. 5:1).

(2) Similarly, after the Sodomites had transgressed, God revealed God's intentions to Abraham in order to discover something to their credit, as it is said: And the Lord said: “Shall I hide from Abraham?” Abraham began to plead in their behalf, as it is said: Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?” (Gen. 18:23). Came Forward is an expression used to indicate prayer, as is said: When it was time to present the meal offering, the prophet Elijah came forward and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel!"​​ (I Kings 18:36).

(1) The two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening, as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to greet them and, bowing low with his face to the ground, (2) he said, “Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house to spend the night, and bathe your feet; then you may be on your way early.” But they said, “No, we will spend the night in the square.” (3) But he urged them strongly, so they turned his way and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. (4) They had not yet lain down, when the townspeople, the men of Sodom, young and old—all the people to the last man—gathered about the house. (5) And they shouted to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with them.” (6) So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the door behind him, (7) and said, “I beg you, my friends, do not commit such a wrong. (8) Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you please; but do not do anything to these men, since they have come under the shelter of my roof.” (9) But they said, “Stand back! The fellow,” they said, “came here as an alien, and already he acts the ruler! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” And they pressed hard against the person of Lot, and moved forward to break the door. (10) But the men stretched out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. (11) And the people who were at the entrance of the house, young and old, they struck with blinding light, so that they were helpless to find the entrance.

(1) Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test. He said to him, “Abraham,” and he answered, “Here I am.” (2) And God said, “Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.” (3) So early next morning, Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him. (4) On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place from afar. (5) Then Abraham said to his servants, “You stay here with the ass. The boy and I will go up there; we will worship and we will return to you.” (6) Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. He himself took the firestone and the knife; and the two walked off together. (7) Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he answered, “Yes, my son.” And he said, “Here are the firestone and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” (8) And Abraham said, “God will see to the sheep for His burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together. (9) They arrived at the place of which God had told him. Abraham built an altar there; he laid out the wood; he bound his son Isaac; he laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. (10) And Abraham picked up the knife to slay his son. (11) Then an angel of יְהוָה called to him from heaven: “Abraham! Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” (12) And he said, “Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me.”