פרשת וירא תשכ"ו - סדום

Should not depart. The Aramaic translation of¹⁴There seems to be an error in Rashi’s text because Targum renders לא יסוף as לא ישתיצי. The suggested correct text omits the first two words “תרגום של” [=the Aramaic translation of] from Rashi’s text. (Sifsei Chachomim) יִתּם [= will end], for the Targum of עַד תּם¹⁵Bamidbar 32:13. 15 is עַד דְּסָף [until it ended]. But it is impossible to say that it [יָסוּף] is derived from the same root as “lest you perish [תִּסָּפֶה]”¹⁶Bereishis 19:17. or from the same root as “I may perish [אֶסָּפֶה] one day,”¹⁷I Shmuel 27:1. for if it were so, Scripture should have written לֹּא יִסָּפֶה מִזַּרְעָם.

והנה שלשה אנשים AND BEHOLD THREE MEN — one to announce to Sarah the birth of a son, one to overthrow Sodom, and one to cure Abraham, for one angel does not carry out two commissions (Genesis Rabbah 50:2). You may know that this is so because throughout this section it (Scripture) mentions them in the plural — “and they ate” (Genesis 18:8), “and they said unto him” (Genesis 18:9) — whilst in the case of the announcement it states, (Genesis 18:10) “And he said, I will certainly return unto thee”, and with regard to the overthrow of Sodom it says (Genesis 19:22) “For “I” cannot do anything” and (Genesis 19:21) “that “I” will not overthrow [the city]”. Raphael who healed Abraham went thence to rescue Lot; that explains what is stated (Genesis 19:17) “And it came to pass when they had brought them forth, that he said, Escape for thy life”, for you learn from this that only one of these acted as Deliverer