Published: 02 SEP 2010
Preface: I know that G-D caused Moses to write these Five Books of Law, History and Teaching. –
{The quotes used here are According to the Masoretic Text and the JPS 1917 Edition}
6) The Lord said ‘Hear now My words: if there be a prophet among you, I the LORD do make Myself known unto him in a vision, I do speak with him in a dream.
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My servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house;
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with him do I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD doth he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?
I also know that there is no wasted space in the Five Books, So every story, every event presents something for US to learn about G-D, our role, reward and punishment, so anything which seems ordinary means I must look closer and strive to understand that which is placed before me, or Us.
Condition of Abraham prior to this story: Abraham and Lot are no longer together, their wealth being so great with livestock, servants, household members and possessions that these two men went different directions. Lot went to the plains where Sodom and Gomorrah are located. Lot chose this after seeing how fertile the ground was and the water there. Abraham, for his part, continued on with G-D watching over him and his house. Abraham has been so blessed, that when the Kings of the Plains were defeated and spoils(including Lot and his possessions) were taken by other kingdoms, Abram took his men and some allies and recovered all of the spoils.
This is presented as a reminder, lest we forget that Abraham and his possessions have grown with G-D’s blessing.
Genesis 18
We learn that Abraham receives three visitors, who tell him and Sarah that will bear a son this time next year.(abbreviated) Then we are presented with G-D’s thoughts regarding Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, and what is about to happen. Then we are told the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Questions:
Are these Representatives of Hashem? Yes – the evidence is a follows: 1) Abraham is sitting in the door to his tent, looks up, and they are standing over against him. This is not a city or a town, it is a relatively open area with a few people. So unless Abraham was asleep, he would have seen them coming from afar. This did not happen. 2) Abraham acted as though he knew this was G-D. How so? At his advanced age of 99 years, I do not believe that Abraham would have bowed down to the earth for every stranger who passed by, neither would he have given the best of what he had to three unknown strangers –he would have nothing remaining to give Ishmael within the year had this not been a rare event.
Are they really just passing by? This also seems strange and so this is not a casual passing. G-D did not need to pass by Abraham to get to Lot in Sodom. {Note that when Lot saw THEM in the city gate, he fell on his face before THEM – supporting the previous answer.) One of them also checks and asks “where is Sarah?” G-D already Knows, but in asking this question we learn that Sarah is not visible and we are meant to know this as well. When Sarah laughs to herself, Abraham does not perceive this event, so Sarah is meant to know that G-D knows her inner thoughts and that therefore that the statement about the child is true.
What happens if Sodom and Gomorrah are omitted from Abraham’s story?
The best answer to this is only found when we seek all of the issues covered in the Story presented in Genesis 18 and 19. Here is a list of what I find in these two chapters, but mostly in Chapter 18 at this time:
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Abraham sees three strangers suddenly, while he is sitting in the doorway of his tent, during the heat of the day.
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Abraham assumes they are representatives of G-D, and entreats them to stay with him.
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He offers a wash of their feet and a piece of bread to refresh themselves before they depart.
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Abraham then tells Sarah to make bread with the best mix.
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Abraham runs to select the best lamb, to server as Their food.
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Abraham then oversees the service of these Guests.
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Abraham has done all of this in great haste, so that They will not leave before he has provided the banquet, which They did not agree to but did eat.
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At some point One of Them asked about Sarah –This action draws attention to Sarah and gets Sarah’s attention, so she will listen.
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It is then announced that this time next year she will have a son.
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Sarah laughs to herself which is noticed by the Visitors, and questioned. This is not noticed by Abraham, and is therefore for Sarah and US to notice. Note –previously when Abraham was told that he was to have a son, he also laughed. We should note, as Sarah should have noted, that these Visitors Know what she says in her heart, therefore they are Special Messengers sent on missions for G-D.
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The Visitors of G-D had many tasks to do, which explains why They waited. When this portion of the tasks are finished, They depart with Abraham traveling a distance on their journey with them.
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On this little journey G-D said(Gen. 18:17)… ‘Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing; 18) seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19) 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.’ For whom is this text, if not for those seeking to know G-D? We are presented in this short text with: Abraham’s special Status, because of the prophesy in Genesis 12 and that being a deal between G-D and Abraham. The deal here is stated as a known outcome, fulfilled during time of man. The inclusion of this story elevates Abraham in the Torah, restates the job of teaching his children and household after him about G-D, so Abraham is to learn to keep the way of G-D, thereby fulfilling the original Covenant.
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Now the LORD declares the issue regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, and that HE will seek out the truth of the matter. Note –Two or more witnesses are required so that the Truth may be known, hence there are Three Strangers here.
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Abraham now attempts to negotiate with G_D over how many righteous G-D will destroy along with the bad. This section and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah demonstrate how far G-D will go to save the righteous when the evil is too great. At no point did G-D change HIS MIND, only Abraham was negotiating. Note –that before destruction could take place, four people must be made safe [Lot, His wife and two daughters, Lot was unable to get any other family to come away – Genesis 19:14 And Lot went out, and spoke unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said: ‘Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy the city.’ But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that jested.] other examples of G-D’s mercy in similar fashion: Noah and the Ark, and the Prophet Jeremiah in (Jeremiah 5:1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her(Jerusalem).) Here for only one,(Just man who seeks the truth,) G-D will forgive them all, G-D is truly merciful.
Did G-D change HIS mind? No, but we learn about HIS mercy during Abraham’s efforts in negotiation, which demonstrate that we are to seek to be merciful as well as to seek mercy. Although we are not able to be as merciful as the G-D of Abraham, we are meant to try.
Leaving the Abraham portion out of the Sodom and Gomorrah story, what happens to the story? All that has been presented above, and it is a lot, but there is even more: Abraham is elevated in this chapter, for the treatment of strangers, defense of the righteous. This portion also adds to the story of Abraham significantly in volume, context and interactions with G-D.
If G-D did not cause this to be written(as some believe), Who benefits from any of this story? This is about G-D and our potential relationship with our CREATOR.
Shana Tova!
–Yaakov