(יז) וַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אָמָ֑ר הַֽמְכַסֶּ֤ה אֲנִי֙ מֵֽאַבְרָהָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶֽׂה׃ (יח) וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם הָי֧וֹ יִֽהְיֶ֛ה לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל וְעָצ֑וּם וְנִ֨בְרְכוּ ב֔וֹ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (יט) כִּ֣י יְדַעְתִּ֗יו לְמַעַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֶת־בָּנָ֤יו וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט לְמַ֗עַן הָבִ֤יא יְהוָה֙ עַל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֖ר עָלָֽיו׃
(כ) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה זַעֲקַ֛ת סְדֹ֥ם וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה כִּי־רָ֑בָּה וְחַ֨טָּאתָ֔ם כִּ֥י כָבְדָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃ (כא) אֵֽרֲדָה־נָּ֣א וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָ֛הּ הַבָּ֥אָה אֵלַ֖י עָשׂ֣וּ ׀ כָּלָ֑ה וְאִם־לֹ֖א אֵדָֽעָה׃
(כג) וַיִּגַּ֥שׁ אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַאַ֣ף תִּסְפֶּ֔ה צַדִּ֖יק עִם־רָשָֽׁע׃ (כד) אוּלַ֥י יֵ֛שׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים צַדִּיקִ֖ם בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר הַאַ֤ף תִּסְפֶּה֙ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א לַמָּק֔וֹם לְמַ֛עַן חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים הַצַּדִּיקִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃ (כה) חָלִ֨לָה לְּךָ֜ מֵעֲשֹׂ֣ת ׀ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה לְהָמִ֤ית צַדִּיק֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע וְהָיָ֥ה כַצַּדִּ֖יק כָּרָשָׁ֑ע חָלִ֣לָה לָּ֔ךְ הֲשֹׁפֵט֙ כָּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
(כו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה אִם־אֶמְצָ֥א בִסְדֹ֛ם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים צַדִּיקִ֖ם בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר וְנָשָׂ֥אתִי לְכָל־הַמָּק֖וֹם בַּעֲבוּרָֽם׃
(כז) וַיַּ֥עַן אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י וְאָנֹכִ֖י עָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃ (כח) א֠וּלַי יַחְסְר֞וּן חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים הַצַּדִּיקִם֙ חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה...?
(17) Now the Eternal 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 the Eternal by doing righteousness and justice, in order that the Eternal may bring about for Abraham what has been promised to him.”
(20) So the Eternal 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 according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note.”...
(23) Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the righteous along with the wicked? (24) What if there should be fifty righteous within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the righteous fifty who are in it? (25) Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the righteous as well as the wicked, so that righteous and wicked fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”
(26) And the Eternal answered, “If I find within the city of Sodom fifty righteous 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 righteous should lack five...?
(ד) אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֧י תַּעֲשׂ֛וּ וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ לָלֶ֣כֶת בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
(4) My laws shall you perform, and My rules shall you keep: I am the Eternal, your God.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן אֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תַּעֲשׂוּ דְּבָרִים שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא (לֹא) נִכְתְּבוּ דִּין הוּא שֶׁיִּכָּתְבוּ וְאֵלּוּ הֵן עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים וְגָזֵל וּבִרְכַּת הַשֵּׁם
אֶת חוּקּוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ דְּבָרִים שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן מֵשִׁיב עֲלֵיהֶן וְאֵלּוּ הֵן אֲכִילַת חֲזִיר וּלְבִישַׁת שַׁעַטְנֵז וַחֲלִיצַת יְבָמָה וְטׇהֳרַת מְצוֹרָע וְשָׂעִיר הַמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר מַעֲשֵׂה תוֹהוּ הֵם תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֲנִי ה׳ אֲנִי ה׳ חֲקַקְתִּיו וְאֵין לְךָ רְשׁוּת לְהַרְהֵר בָּהֶן
Our Rabbis taught: (It says in Leviticus 18) “My laws (mishpatai) you shall perform...” i.e., such commandments which, even if had not been written, justice would demand that they should be written. And these are: idolatry, sexual immorality, murder, theft and blasphemy.
“...and My rules (chukotai) you shall keep...” i.e., such commandments that the Satan challenges. And they are: not eating pork, not wearing wool and linen, the exemption procedure from the obligation to marry a widowed sister-in-law, the purification of the leper, and the Yom Kippur scapegoat sacrifice. And perhaps someone will say, these are meaningless things! Therefore, the verse ends: “...I am the Eternal.” In other words, I, the Eternal One, have decreed it, and you are not allowed to question it!
דאמר ר' יוחנן לא חרבה ירושלים אלא על שדנו בה דין תורה
אלא דיני דמגיזתא לדיינו
אלא אימא שהעמידו דיניהם על דין תורה ולא עבדו לפנים משורת הדין:
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Jerusalem was destroyed because they ruled only based on Torah law.
Should they have decided cases based the laws of the Magians?!
Rather, say: It was that they established their rulings on the basis of Torah law but did not go beyond the letter of the law.
רבה בר בר חנן תברו ליה הנהו שקולאי חביתא דחמרא שקל לגלימייהו אתו אמרו לרב
אמר ליה הב להו גלימייהו
אמר ליה דינא
הכי אמר ליה אין (משלי ב, כ) למען תלך בדרך טובים יהיב להו גלימייהו
אמרו ליה עניי אנן וטרחינן כולה יומא וכפינן ולית לן מידי
אמר ליה זיל הב אגרייהו
א"ל דינא הכי
אמר ליה אין (משלי ב, כ) וארחות צדיקים תשמור
Some porters broke a barrel of wine they were carrying for Rabbah, son of Bar Hannan. He took their garments. They came and reported this to Rav.
Rav said to him: “Give them their garments.”
He asked: “Is that the law?”
Rav replied: “Yes, in accordance with Proverbs 2:20: ‘So that you will go in the ways of the good’”. He gave them their garments.
They said to him: “We’re poor, and we’ve worked the entire day and we’re exhausted, and we've nothing to show for it.”
Rav said to him: “Go, give them their wages.”
He said to him: “Is that the law?”
He replied: “Yes, in accordance with Proverbs 2:20: ‘and you will keep the paths of the righteous.’”