17
votes
Why didn't Abraham ask the single best question?
We see in Vayeira 18:32
32 And he said, "Please, let the Lord's wrath not be kindled, and I
will speak yet this time, perhaps ten will be found there." And He
said, "I will not destroy for the ...
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10
votes
Accepted
How does the bed of Procrustes appear in Talmud?
The story you saw referenced is in Sanhedrin 109b. You can read an English translation here or an expanded translation here.
This is the part regarding the bed of Procrustes (quoting from the first ...
- 24k
9
votes
Source of story about the Vilna Gaon and immigration policy
This sounds very similar to the story with R' Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, but that story is about Tzedakah, not immigration. (Which makes sense, because I don't think there was a restriction against ...
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9
votes
Did Abraham know that Lot survived the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Rashi on Genesis 20:1:1:
ויסע משם אברהם. (excerpt)
להתרחק מלוט שיצא עליו שם רע שבא על בנותיו
My translation (and context):
The parsha (paragraph) following the story of Lot mentions that Avraham ...
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8
votes
Accepted
How is it that Abraham didn't ask that four save a city, yet four did so?
Rav Ozer Alport in his Parsha Potpourri Points to Ponder addresses this issue:
Question: How was Lot able to intercede in order to save one of the cities (Tzo'ar) from destruction (19:18-22) when ...
- 40.7k
8
votes
Why did the angel overturning Sodom visit Abraham?
The final decree on S'dom was not made until they visited Avraham and Sarah. Their behavior sealed the doom of S'dom. Had Avraham not received them as he did, there would have been an argument not to ...
- 42.8k
7
votes
Why did the angel overturning Sodom visit Abraham?
This is an answer that I heard from one of my Rabbeim. It is from the Sefer Chidushei HaRim, on Bereishis 18:9. While he gives the basic pshat mentioned below, he does not quote every source that I ...
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6
votes
Why did the angel overturning Sodom visit Abraham?
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein raised this point in a shiur of his and answered that we find instances where angels keep to their duty, but utilize some wiggle room, such as Gabriel who had coals he was ...
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5
votes
Did Abraham know that Lot survived the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Maimonides (The Guide of the Perplexed II.42; as explained, I believe, by Rabbi Dr. Menachem Krakowski) maintains that the passage is describing the events as they were prophetically witnessed by ...
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5
votes
Why didn't Abraham ask the single best question?
Seems like a standard debating/negotiating tactic. If Abraham asks what amount of righteous people is necessary, he will receive a direct answer. Any further debating/negotiating has to cause a change ...
- 48.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Why didn't Abraham try to persuade Sodom people to repent and regret for their sins?
He did try.
It writes in the Midrash Aggadas Bereishis 25 here that Avraham specifically set up camp opposite Sodom and its surrounding cities so that he could receive those that passed by as Sodom ...
- 27.3k
5
votes
Accepted
The cruelty with visitors in Sodom and Gomorrah
The gemara in sanhadrin 109b says the following:
הויא להו פורייתא דהוו מגני עלה אורחין כי מאריך גייזי ליה כי גוץ מתחין ליה אליעזר עבד אברהם אקלע להתם אמרו ליה קום גני אפוריא אמר להון נדרא נדרי מן יומא ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Attributes of God--Why does God have to come down to check out Sodom and Gemorrah?
I'm not sure if this answers any of the questions you ask, but I hope that it helps. Rashi's commentary on the first text you cite is
I will descend now: This teaches judges that they should not ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Did Avraham learn Lot's fate?
Yes, Rashi (20:1) says that Avraham moved away from that area (among other things) because he wanted to get away from Lot and the bad reputation he'd gotten from the episode with him and his daughters....
- 168
3
votes
Why did the angel overturning Sodom visit Abraham?
The angels appeared to Avraham in the form of wayfarers. According to the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 26:7) it is improper for a wayfarer to travel with fewer than two companions.
א"ר איבו למדתך תורה ...
- 48.9k
3
votes
Why did G-d flip Sodom and Gomorrah?
Sforno says "hofech" can mean "transform", not just "flip."
Thus, God transformed the entire space into a fiery, sulfury mess.
- 130k
3
votes
Did Avraham learn Lot's fate?
Radak on Bereishit 19:29 writes that Hashem told Avraham that Lot had been saved, to save Avraham from worrying about him.
- 41.3k
3
votes
How could Lot's wife have been behind Lot when looking back?
1) Malbim addresses this by explaining that the destruction had actually began the moment they left the city. He believes this is indicated by the phrase וה' המטיר, arguing that whenever the name ...
- 48.9k
3
votes
Were there any Tzaddikim in Sodom?
The Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah 49:13 discusses this:
וַיֹּאמַר אַל נָא יִחַר לַה' אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם עֲשָׂרָה (בראשית יח, לב), וְלָמָּה עֲשָׂרָה, כְּדֵי כְּנִיסָה לְכֻלָּם. דָּבָר אַחֵר לָמָּה ...
- 27.3k
3
votes
Were there any Tzaddikim in Sodom?
Rashi to Genesis 19:4 says explicitly that there were no righteous people:
כל העם מקצה. מִקְּצֵה הָעִיר עַד הַקָּצֶה, שֶׁאֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶם מוֹחֶה בְיָדָם, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ צַדִּיק אֶחָד אֵין בָּהֶם:
ALL ...
- 3,250
2
votes
Accepted
How does Rashi's explanation of Gen. 19:3 work?
This is not a simple question, but I'll try to keep on the Pshat path. Here's the simple logic of saying what he's saying:
Obviously, because the Midrash (B"R 48,12) says that Avraham meeting the ...
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1
vote
Why is the name of mercy YHWH is mentioned exclusively in the story of Sodom?
The people of Sodom were extremely wicked; notable for their complete disdain of kindness and their immense cruelty. Abraham argues as it were with God, until eventually it becomes evident that there ...
1
vote
Why didn't Abraham ask straight how many Tzaddikim are there in Sodom?
I only have the beginning of an aswer without a reason why. In Bereishis Rabbah 49:12 it writes:
אוּלַי יַחְסְרוּן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִם חֲמִשָּׁה (בראשית יח, כח), אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא ...
- 27.3k
1
vote
God's response: "If I find fifty innocent ones..." - what does "if" mean?
In my answer to the question about God's knowledge and free will, I cited Ralbag's commentary to this story, in which he writes:
The sixteenth lesson is in ideas. And it is to teach us something ...
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1
vote
God's response: "If I find fifty innocent ones..." - what does "if" mean?
Sforno implies that Hashem was going to examine them individually.
אם אמצא בסדום עתה כשאנסה אותם במלאכי' ששלחתי אם אמצא בסדום נ' צדיקים שימחו ברשעים בסדום שהיא ראש לשאר הערים כאמרו סדום ובנותיה ובה ...
- 27.3k
1
vote
Were the men of Sodom bisexual?
Per Radak (19:5; 8), they were not sexual criminals, just bad and evil people (without a specific sexual orientation) with the only intention of murder the visitors . Offering his daughter to them (as ...
- 6,854
1
vote
Prayer for individual tzadikim in Sodom
This bothered me too, and I'll suggest a thought to answer your question.
Avraham initally asked about saving the Tzadikim themselves too, and Hashem answered that no only will he save the Tzadikim, ...
- 5,906
1
vote
Hashem's inconsistent responses about Sedom
See my comments to Alex's answer.
Yes, many commentaries offer explanations. Link to Mikra'os Gedolos here.
The more pshat-focused commentaries note that there is no issue with using a variety of ...
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