Vayeira | Sefaria

Vayeira

ByRoss Gianfortune

בראשית י״ח:י״ז

וַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אָמָ֑ר הַֽמְכַסֶּ֤ה אֲנִי֙ מֵֽאַבְרָהָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶֽׂה׃

Genesis 18:17

Now יהוה had said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

בראשית י״ח:י״ח

וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם הָי֧וֹ יִֽהְיֶ֛ה לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל וְעָצ֑וּם וְנִ֨בְרְכוּ־ב֔וֹ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Genesis 18:18

since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him?

בראשית י״ח:י״ט

כִּ֣י יְדַעְתִּ֗יו לְמַ֩עַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֶת־בָּנָ֤יו וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט לְמַ֗עַן הָבִ֤יא יְהֹוָה֙ עַל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֖ר עָלָֽיו׃

Genesis 18:19

For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of יהוה by doing what is just and right, in order that יהוה may bring about for Abraham what has been promised him.”

רש"י על בראשית י״ח:י״ז:ב׳

אשר אני עושה בִּסְדוֹם. לֹא יָפֶה לִי לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר זֶה שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעְתּוֹ. אֲנִי נָתַתִּי לוֹ אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, וַחֲמִשָּׁה כְּרַכִּין הַלָּלוּ שֶׁלּוֹ הֵן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: גְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי מִצִּידֹן בֹּאֲכָה סְדֹמָה וַעֲמֹרָה וְגוֹ' (בראשית י'). קָרָאתִי אוֹתוֹ אַבְרָהָם – אַב הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם, וְאַשְׁמִיד אֶת הַבָּנִים וְלֹא אוֹדִיעַ לָאָב, שֶׁהוּא אוֹהֲבִי?

Rashi on Genesis 18:17:2

אשר אני עושה WHAT I AM DOING in Sodom. It is not proper for Me to do this thing without his knowledge. I gave him this land and these five cities therefore are his — as it is said, (10:19) “And the territory of the Canaanites was from Sidon … as thou goest towards Sodom and Gommorah etc.” I called him Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations; should I destroy the children without informing the father who loves me? (Genesis Rabbah 49:2)

Here G-d rhetorically asks, Am I concealing from Abraham that which I am doing [on earth] considering that he...will instruct his children and household after him to observe the way of Hashem to do righteousness and justice? (Gen. 18:17-19). Throughout Scripture, righteousness and justice are the primary standards by which peoples and nations are judged and it is in heroic commitment to these values that true greatness may be found.* Abrahams behavior toward the strangers made it clear that his family and household were fully imbued with these values and in complete harmony with them. He has proven himself worthy of being informed by Hashem regarding actions He may be taking on earth. Presumably, Abraham is to be given an opportunity to advise the Deity concerning His actions.
https://www.judaic.org/_files/ugd/998ef5_c897562c5775472b9b3fd7b84b73105a.pdf

ספורנו על בראשית י״ח:י״ז:ב׳

המכסה אני. ראוי שלא לכסות מאברהם מדת טובי ולהודיעו שאם היה בין הרשעים איזה מנין צדיקים שבו תקות תשובה לרשעים הייתי מטה כלפי חסד להאריך אפילו לרשעים אולי ישובו כי לא יחפוץ במות המת ושמבלי אין תקות תשובה יעשה בם משפט:

Sforno on Genesis 18:17:2

המכסה אני, it is appropriate that I do not conceal from Avraham my attribute of goodness; I will inform him that if among all these wicked people in Sodom I find even a quorum of 10 righteous people, this will represent hope that eventually all or most of these people will become penitents. In that event I would bend the scales of justice in favour of the town, giving them an extension of time before destroying them. G’d teaches that He is more interested in the return of sinners to the fold than in administering retribution to them.