Before resolving to destroy the cities of Sedom and Amora, Hashem first consults his loyal follower Avraham, giving Avraham ample chance to defend the cities. But ultimately, Avraham’s pleas are to no avail, and
And Hashem said, “Am I to cover from Avraham what I am about to do [to Sedom and Amora]? Avraham will soon be a great nation, and all nations of the world will be blessed by his name. For I am attracted to him, because he commands his children and household to keep to the Derech Hashem, to do Tzedek and Mishpat, in order [that Hashem] bring on Avraham what He has promised him.”
Beraishis, 18:17-19
Hashem answers our question Himself ever so clearly in these few pasukim. Avraham is seen as a fatherly figure, a Michaneich, not only to his own children and household, but to even the other nations of the world. Even if Sedom and Amora are not deserving of Avraham’s defense, it would simply be improper for Hashem to destroy them without informing Avraham, a leader who has invested so much in even these rotten cities. In just last week’s parasha we witnessed Avraham valiantly risk his life in order to help the kings of these wicked cities. For sure Avraham at least deserves to hear his people’s sentence before it is carried out.
This opinion, however, is clearly not shared by the Mizrachi, who fervently searches for a connection between the stories of Avraham’s three angelic visitors and his defense of the city of
It seems clear from the Mizrachi’s comments that Avraham did not yet deserve to know about the judgment on Sedom until after he took care of the Malachim. But doesn’t Hashem resolve to inform Avraham based on the merits of his future? If Hashem has already reasoned “Ki Yidativ Lima’an Asher Yitzaveh Es Banav” before He even sent the Malachim, then how could the Mizrachi suggest that Avraham was not yet fit to defend Sedom?
Perhaps we can approach Hashem’s reasoning for informing Avraham from an even simpler angle. Hashem puts a lot of emphasis on the Chinuch Avraham performs. The later generations, Avraham’s descendents, will study and learn from their forefather’s actions; therefore, it is important that Avraham teach his descendents that one should never simply accept Hashem’s Midas HaDin, but should always pray for Rachamim, right until the last moment. Whether Avraham is successful in defending Sedom is of little consequence; we still learn the proper fashion by which we should entreat HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and we still learn how to exhibit proper care for other individuals, even individuals like the members of Sedom and Amora.
But we can also learn from the Malachim’s visit, for we see that Avraham could not defend Sedom or Amora until he had welcomed the Malachim into his home and treated them properly. Avraham surely already merited that Hashem inform him about Za’akas Sedom Va’Amora, but his descendants needed to learn what type of man could argue with Hashem on behalf of others. Through the care Avraham shows for the Malachim, we see exactly what type of person has the Pischon Peh to plead with Hashem on behalf of another’s well-being.
But why then begin the parahsa with the Malachim’s visit? If the Mizrachi’s take – how Hashem first resolved to tell Avraham about Sedom and Amora, then sent the Malachim, and then informed Avraham – is the correct progression of our parahsa’s story, why do we begin with VaYeira Eilav Hashem? Shouldn’t we begin with HaMichaseh Ani MeiAvraham, and then Hashem should appear to Avraham and send the Malachim?
Before we attempt to explain the significance of the parasha’s order, we should take note of something a little more subtle, something that bothered the Mizrachi about his own pshat. Analyzing the first Rashi in the parasha, where Rashi explains that Hashem appeared to Avraham in order to be Mivakeir Choleh, the Mizrachi wonders how Rashi knew that Bikur Cholim was the purpose of Hashem’s visit. Couldn’t it have simply been to inform Avraham about Sedom and Amora? Therefore, the Mizrachi asks on himself, Rashi must have believed that Hashem did not first appear with the intention of informing Avraham about Sedom and Amorah.
Although the Mizrachi leaves the question on himself a rather large Tzarich Iyun, the Levush HaOrah comes to his defense. Had the pasuk intended to tell us that Hashem appeared to Avraham to tell him about Sedom and Amora, the pasuk would have read “VaYeira Hashem Eilav,” Hashem appeared to him. “VaYeira Eilav Hashem,” on the other hand, means that Hashem appeared for him, for Avraham’s personal benefit. This cannot refer to Hashem’s need to tell Avraham about Sedom and Amora, for that futile discussion served no direct benefit to Avraham. Although Hashem did appear to Avraham in order to discuss Sedom, Hashem prioritizes the reasons for His visit and first asks about Avraham’s well-being.
Perhaps it is from this very first pasuk that Avraham learns to argue on Sedom’s behalf. Avraham sees how Hashem puts the urgency of Sedom’s cries to the side in order to attend to another’s health and well being, and so Avraham does the same, forgetting about Hashem’s Din and discussing the prospect of Tzadikim in Sedom. What better a pasuk with which to open the parasha that VaYeira Eilav Hashem, for we learn from it that the actions of our forefathers we so often strive to imitate are really the actions of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Before we can discuss the importance and significance of Avraham’s Midos, the parasha details Hashem’s Midos, anchoring all the “Tzedek and Mishpat” we perform to its most perfect source.
Hashem’s words HaMichaseh Ani MaiAvraham is then not an expression of sympathy but rather one of urgency. We can come to emulate the actions of Avraham, but will we ever recognize that we “keep to the Derech Hashem” by doing so? Through the gestures and conversations of parashat VaYeira, we not only learn a few helpful Midos, but we discover that copying the Avos’ actions will teach us how to live our lives more properly, for nobody had a greater mentor than the Avos did.
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