God plans to destroy the city of Sedom because the people there have been terrible. But Avraham tries to convince God not to destroy the city. Avraham wonders if there are fifty good people in the city. In that case, he says:
חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה
לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם רָשָׁע
וְהָיָה כַצַּדִּיק כָּרָשָׁע
חָלִלָה לָּךְ
הֲשֹׁפֵט כׇּל הָאָרֶץ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט׃
“Far be it from You to do such a thing,
to kill the innocent together with the guilty,
so that innocent and guilty are treated the same way.
Far be it from You!
Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?!”
- What are Avraham’s arguments? Would saving a whole city of wicked people for 50 righteous people be strict "justice," or is that something else? What are other solutions to the problem Avraham raises, instead of his suggestion (which is to save everyone)?
- Are you surprised by Avraham’s tone? Why is he talking that way? Why does God allow him to?
- What can Avraham’s words teach us about what it means to be Jewish (as a descendant of Avraham)?
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