פרשת וירא תש"ו - בקשת אברהם על סדום

Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep away and not forgive the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

FIFTY RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE. Rashi writes: ten [righteous men] for each city... "Will You destroy because of five:" Will there not be nine for each city? And You, the Righteous One of the world, will be counted with them. "Perhaps forty will be found there": And four cities will be saved, and so thirty will save three of them, or twenty will save two of them, or ten will save one.... For fewer [than ten] he did not ask. He said, “In the Generation of the Flood, there were eight: Noah and his sons, and their wives, but they did not save their generation.” And for nine, together with counting [God] he had already asked, but did not find. All these are the words of the Rabbi (Rashi) of blessed memory. But I am perplexed. For if so, what was the purpose of this prayer and supplication that he prayed each time, "Let not my L-rd be angry" and "Behold, now, I have undertaken to speak to my L-rd"? After all, it only makes sense that 40 should save four [cities] and 30 and 20 should save a proportionate number just like 50 were to save five! Also, [I find difficulty] what rashi says, "for nine through joining joining [G-d] he already asked for but couldn't find" but it was for 45 that he asked for joining, but there wasn't 45, but maybe there would be nine! Now its [Rashi's] opinion that a big group is more capable of a big salvation than a small one is of even a small salvation, as [the rabbis] say "A small group of people fulfilling the Torah cant be compared to a large group fulfilling the Torah" Now G-d already agreed that 45 people- by joining with G-d- would save all the cities as if there were fully fifty [righteous people]. That being the case, when there would be 40 righteous people to save 4, these 4 cities should be saved [with 36] by joining with G-d. likewise, the 30, 20, and ten [should be saved by 27, 18, and 9] for G-d already agreed with this [idea] of "joining." Now, you may argue that [G-d] only consented in connection with 45 which is a big group but maybe he wouldn't agree to "joining" with a small group as we said above. [the answer is] its fitting for G-d's righteousness to "join" and save [one city as much as "joining" to save 5] [since G-d already] agreed not to distinguish between many and a few. This is Rashi's opinion. but "there's a smooth road" to the simple understanding of the passukim: That Avram first said 50 to establish a round number of ten for each one. he then continued to diminish as much as he could and he was saying [all these numbers in order] to save ALL. I don't know who forced the rabbi (Rashi) to get involved in the matte he presents.

אולי יש חמשים צדיקים PERADVENTURE THERE BE FIFTY RIGHTEOUS — ten righteous men for each city for there were five localities concerned. Should You, however, say that the righteous cannot save the wicked—but why should You kill the righteous at all?

‎חמישה מאה ומאה מכם רבבה FIVE [OF YOU SHALL PURSUE] A HUNDRED AND A HUNDRED… TEN THOUSAND — But is this the right proportion? Surely it should have stated only “and a hundred of you shall pursue two thousand (and not ten thousand)!? But the explanation is: a few who fulfill the commandments of the Torah cannot compare with the many who fulfill the commandments of the Torah (i. e. the greater the group of those loyal to the Torah, the greater is the morale and, under God’s blessing, the physical strength of each individual belonging to the group) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 2 4).

האף תספה means wilt Thou also destroy. But according to the Targum of Onkelos which translates it (the word האף) in the sense of anger, the explanation would be as follows: will Your anger urge you to destroy righteous with wicked?

חלילה לך FAR BE IT FROM THEE — It is a profanation (חולין) of Yourself. People will say, “That is what He usually busies Himself with: He destroys every one, righteous and wicked alike” —and thus did You indeed do to the generation of the Flood and to that of the dispersal of nations (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 8).

כדבר הזה ANYTHING LIKE THIS THING — neither this nor anything like it (Genesis Rabbah 49:10).

השופט כל הארץ SHALL NOT THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH [DO JUSTICE]? — The 'ה of השופט is punctuated with Chataph Patach because the words express a question: “Should not He who is Judge practice true justice”?

That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from Thee; shall not the judge of all the earth do justly?’

And the LORD said: ‘If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sake.’

Within the city. That is, they display their fear of Heaven openly.