פרשת וירא תש"ב - המלאכים אצל אברהם ולוט

For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.’

כי ידעתיו FOR I KNOW HIM — this is an expression denoting "affection", as (Ruth 2:1) "kinsman (מודע) of her husband," and (Ruth 3:2) “And is not Boaz our kinsman (מודעתנו), and (Exodus 30:17) “I have distinguished (ידעתיך) thee by name”. Still the primary meaning of these terms connected with the root ידע is really that of knowing, for whoever holds a person in affection attaches him to himself, so that he knows him well and is familiar with him. And why do I hold him dear? למען אשר יצוה BECAUSE HE WILL GIVE HIS CHILDREN CHARGE CONCERNING ME TO KEEP MY WAYS. If, however, you explain it as the Targum, “I know “of” him that he will command his sons etc.”, then the word למען does not fit into the sense.

יצוה HE WILL COMMAND — This form of the verb (the imperfect) expresses frequentative action, as (Job 1.5) "This Job used to do" (יַעֲשֶׂה)

I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.’

הבאה אלי עשו WHETHER THEY HAVE DONE [ACCORDING TO THE CRY OF IT] WHICH IS COME UNTO ME — If they persist in their rebellious ways, (כלה) an end will I make of them; if, however, they do not persist in their rebellious ways, I shall know what I shall do — punishing them only with suffering, but I will not make an end of them. — A similar phrase we find elsewhere, (Exodus 33:5) “There- fore now put off thy ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee”. — For this reason there is a separation marked by a פסיק between עשו and כלה, in order to separate in sense one word from the other. Our Teachers explained the word הכצעקתה “the cry of her”, to refer to the cry of a certain girl whom they put to death in an unnatural manner because she had given food to a poor man, as is explained in the chapter Chelek (Sanhedrin 109b).

If their wailing … is indicative … destruction [shall come]. Alternatively, “If all of them participated” — I will see whether any of them protests

עשו כלה, the vertical line after the word עשו is like a comma between these words, i.e. “if they have done as reported, I will put an end to them.”

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.

Within the city. Even if they are originally from elsewhere. Avraham was hoping that there were other righteous immigrants like Lot.

Behold now, I have two daughters that have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes; only unto these men do nothing; forasmuch as they are come under the shadow of my roof.’

I SHALL BRING THEM OUT TO YOU. From the praise of this man we see his reprehensibility. For he exerted himself a lot for the sake of his guests to save them for they have come under the shelter of his roof; but to appease the men of the city by giving away his daughters (for promiscuity) was nothing but evil heartedness, for [it showed] that promiscuity wasn't disgusting in his eyes, and in his opinion he wasn't doing a great injustice to his daughters. Our rabbis say: The custom of the world is that one gives himself over [to protect] his daughters and wife and kill or be killed, but this one (Lot) gives over his daughters to make sort with them. so G-d said to him "[in the end you'll see] you are keeping them for yourself"! Now Lot was afraid for [his guests] for he thought they were [ordinary] people. But, when "they struck" the men of the city "with blindness" and said to him, "for we are about to destroy this place...and Hashem has sent us to destroy it" he recognized who they are and put his faith [in them] doing all that they commanded. You should know and understand regarding the episode of the concubine in Givah, though its similar to our episode, its not comparable to it in [its] evil. Because it wasn't the intention of those wicked ones [of Givah] to get rid of wayfarers from their place; rather they were steeped in promiscuity, [to the extent] that they desired to have relations even with the man who was a guest, but when they brought his concubine out to them they were appeased with her. The old man (the host) who said to them, "Here are my virgin daughter and concubine; let me bring them out... and you may do them whatever you want" he knew that they wouldn't desire his daughter and not do anything wrong to her, and they therefore refused to listen to him. But when he sent his guests concubine by herself, they stopped demanding [his guest] from him. Now the man who was the master of the house and the guest- both of them- desired to save the man by [giving] the concubine instead. For she was a concubine not a married woman, and was unfaithful to him. Also regarding that breach [of morality]not all the men of the city were [part of] it as was Sodom, of which it says "[the townspeople]…from young to old all the people from every quarter" whereas as by Givah it says, "behold, people of the city, lawless people" [implying:] some of the people who were officials and strongmen in the as the [guest] said "The 'masters' of Givah rose up against me" (judges 20:5). That's why the other townspeople didnt protest against them. At this point, the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel wanted to build a great fence (extra precautions) over the affair to put [the suspects] to death, as it says, "Now turn over the lawless men who are in Givah and we will put them to death" its clear that they didn't do anything to deserve death according to the Torah, for they did not do any act other than to violate the unfaithful concubine, and they didn't intend her death. Also, she didnt die directly at their hands, rather, they sent her away for them at daybreak, and she left them to her masters household, and [only] then died. Maybe she became from all the violation, and then overcome by the cold by the door till the [morning light, where she died. but, because they desired and acted indecently similar to the men of Sodom, the tribes [of Israel] saw fit to make a fence for the Torah that such things never be done or said in Israel, as they said "we will eliminate the evil from Israel" Such legal action is based on what the rabbis sad: "the court [has the right] impose corporal punishment or [capital] punishment not specified by Torah not to override the words of the Torah, rather to make a fence for Torah" the tribe of Benjamin didnt agree to this matter because the suspects hadn't incurred the death penalty by violating the concubine. Its also possible that the people of Benjamin were upset because [the other tribes] didnt sent [word] to the first but came to an agreement without heir knowledge. In my opinion this is the reason for the punishment of Israel why they were initially struck down because the war wasn't undertaken legally. And a fence itself was the responsibility of the tribe of Benyamin to make, not theirs. For its a commandment of the tribe to judge its [own] tribe. Thus both sides deserved to be punished: for Benyamin acted wrong by not punishing the evildoers and not reprimanding them; and Israel by fighting an illegal war. Also they didnt ask the word of G-d about their [plan], rather they sad "Who among us should go up first to fight against Benyamin?" For they agreed on their own to battle under any circumstances.Likewise, they didnt ask regarding victory, "Will You deliver them into our hands" They trusted in human might for they were very numerous they more than ten time the [Benjamites]. They asked only "Who among us should go up first?" and this was like a lottery among them. Maybe each tribe was saying "I won't go up first!" or "I will be first!" So G-d answered them accd. to their question "Yehuda first" meaning Yehuda should always be at the head., for "G-d chose "Yehuda to be the ruler" Therefore he didnt say "Yehuda should go up" like we see elsewhere, for He didn't give them allowance. But he neither stopped them or said "Do not go up and don't fight a war" because of the punishment of Benyamin. So G-d dealt with both with indifference and left them to circumstance. The people of Benyamin where strong and their cities fortified, so they wreaked destruction among Israel who put their trust in human strength. the Benjamites added punishment to punishment. it would have been enough for them to repel the Israelites from Givah, but they struck against them "with destruction of ceaseless hatred" and struck down a great and large number of people, twenty-two thousand [men]. Now, the Israelites when stricken by this great blow, realized their mistake n waging war against their brothers without Divine sanction, and not in accordance with the Torah. Therefore they asked they asked on the second day "Should I once again approach for war with my brothers, the people of Benyamin?" This time they mentioned "brotherhood" to ask if that should forbid them [from going to]fight [with]Benyamin. And G-d allowed them this time on the second day and said "Go up against him" for now it was permitted for them to avenge their brothers blood that was spilled. They [still] didnt ask about victory, for they sill trusted in their own large numbers to win in any event. So G-d didnt clarify to them [if they'd win] and only allowed them to fight. And because[the guilt] of their first punishment still didnt atone for them many died on the second day- eighteen thousand [men]. Then, on the third day they made a fast day and fasted and cried before G-d, and brought burnt-offerings to atone for thoughts of their hearts, that they trusted their own strength; and peace-offerings for they considered themselves survivors of the sword of Benjamin, and this is the proper thing for anyone who escapes injury to bring a thanksgiving offering, like it says, "They'll bring thanksgiving-offerings and tell his works with joyful song" (psalms 107:22). And "Now my head is raised above my enemies around me, and I will bring offering is his tent accompanied by joyous song; I will sing and chant praise to G-d" Now the [number] of dead the two days from the Israelites was 40,000, and 25,000 from Benyamin, besides [the Israelites destruction of everything in Benyamin] "from the people of the cities...to everything that was found in them" And its possible that between the men women and children there were 15,000 so that the punishment of both sides were the same. How esteemed are the words of the Rabbis who say [the reason for G-ds]anger against everyone was because the idol of Micah: G-d said "for My honor you didnt protest; for the honor of flesh and blood you 'did' protest?!" (Sanhedrin 103b). Which means to say: "For My honor you didnt protest against those who deserved death and who lifted their hands against the fundamental principle (belief in One G-d), yet for the honor of flesh and blood you protested beyond the letter of the law!" Therefore He confounded the plans of both sides and emboldened their hearts [against one another]and "they didnt remember the covenant of brotherhood". [only] after they regretted as it says "The people came to Bet-El; they sat there till evening before G-d, … and they wept bitterly they said, "Why Hashem G-d of Israel, has this happened in Israel, that one tribe of Israel should be missing in Israel?" For they recognized their mistake and their punishment. So there tangentially, we have explained a difficult and unclear topic and we mentioned its underlying causes.

אוציאה נא אתהן אליכן, he hoped that the fiancés of his daughters would come to their aid. (compare Hoseah 10,14 for the meaning of the author’s expression קאם שאון).