Midrash Aggadah Reader

"Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power" (Exodus 15:6). This teaches that the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from the wicked and shields the righteous, for thus said the Holy One, blessed be He: "Let My right hand come and be a shade over those who are destined to receive the Torah from the right hand." Another interpretation: "Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power." In the Scroll of Lamentations it is written, "He has drawn back His right hand" (Lamentations 2:3). That is to say: when they did not wish to hear the Torah that was given from His right hand, they were made into a tributary, and the merit of the Torah turned backward. But when Israel fulfills the Torah, its merit will stand even for the resurrection of the dead, as it is said, "But go your way to the end; and you shall rest, and shall stand up to your lot at the end of the days" (Daniel 12:13). And the salvation is in the right hand, as it is said, "Save with Your right hand, and answer me" (Psalms 60:7).

"And He said to him: Take for Me a three-year-old heifer." This is the bull of the Day of Atonement, and the bull of the congregation for the other commandments, and the bull of idolatry. "And a three-year-old female goat." These are three goats: the goat of the Day of Atonement, the goat of the New Year, and the goat of idolatry. "And a three-year-old ram." These are the three rams that Israel would offer: the guilt-offering ram for one who commits sacrilege against holy things, and the guilt-offering ram for one who misappropriates a deposit, and the ram of the Nazirite. "And a turtledove and a young pigeon." Turtledoves and young pigeons that the poor man brings, as it is said, "and he shall bring his guilt-offering to the LORD" (Leviticus 5:6).

"And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses" (Genesis 15:11) — these are the birds that tear at prey. "And Abram drove them away" — he made them fly off from upon them. Another interpretation: "Take Me a heifer of three years old" (Genesis 15:9) — this is Babylon, which set up three kings over Israel: Nebuchadnezzar, and Evil-merodach, and Belshazzar. And just as a heifer loves to thresh, so the kingdom of Babylon loves to thresh Israel, as it is said, "O my threshing, and the corn of my floor" (Isaiah 21:10). "And a she-goat of three years old" — this is Greece, of which it is written, "And the rough he-goat of the goats came from the west" (Daniel 8:8), and it set up three kings: Alexander of Macedon, and Gaskalnes, and Antoninus. "And a ram of three years old" — this is Media, as it is said, "The ram which you saw having the two horns are the kings of Media and Persia" (Daniel 8:20), and it set up three kings over Israel: Cyrus, and Ahasuerus, and Darius son of Ahasuerus. "And a turtledove" — this is Edom, for thus it is written, "And much increase is by the strength of the ox" (Proverbs 14:4). "And a young pigeon" — these are Israel, as it is said, "the wings of a dove covered with silver" (Psalms 68:14). And why is it called a young pigeon (gozal)? Because these four kingdoms rob (gozelin) Israel. "And he divided them in the midst" — in order to weaken them. "And laid each piece one against another" — for no kingdom touches its fellow even by so much as a hair's breadth. "But the bird he did not divide" — this is the young pigeon, so that Israel should have strength to endure their decrees. "And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses" — this is David son of Jesse, who is called a bird of prey, as it is said, "the speckled bird of prey is My heritage to Me" (Jeremiah 12:9). "And Abram drove them away" — Abraham made them fly off, so that they should have no portion in the World to Come. "And as the sun was about to set" (Genesis 15:12) — this is the Messiah son of David, who is called "sun," as it is said, "and his throne as the sun before Me" (Psalms 89:36). "And a deep sleep fell upon Abram" — until the Messiah comes, Israel will be as though slumbering among them. "And lo, a dread" (Genesis 15:12) — this is the kingdom of Edom, as it is said, "dreadful and terrible and exceedingly strong" (Daniel 7:7). "Darkness" — this is Greece, which darkened the eyes of Israel with their decrees, for they would write upon the horn of Israel's ox: "You have no portion in the God of Israel." "Great" — this is the kingdom of Media, as it is said, "After these things King Ahasuerus made great" (Esther 3:1). "Fell upon him" — this is Babylon, as it is said, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon" (Isaiah 21:9). Four things did the Holy One, blessed be He, show to Abraham: Torah, and sacrifices, and the kingdoms, and Gehinnom. Torah, from where? As it is said, "and a flaming torch" (Genesis 15:17). Sacrifices: "Take Me a heifer of three years old." Gehinnom: "a smoking furnace" (Genesis 15:17). The kingdoms: "dread, darkness." He said to him: All the while that your children occupy themselves with Torah and with the commandments, they are saved from Gehinnom and from the kingdoms; but the Temple is destined to be destroyed and the sacrifices to cease. Abraham said to Him: What do You wish — that Your children descend into Gehinnom, or that they be enslaved to the kingdoms? [Abraham chose for himself the kingdoms; what is the reason? As it is said, "unless their Rock had sold them" (Deuteronomy 32:30), and "their Rock" is none other than Abraham], as it is said, "Look to the rock from which you were hewn; look to Abraham your father" (Isaiah 51:1-2). And from where do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired this matter? As it is said, "and the LORD had given them up" (Deuteronomy 32:30).

"And it came to pass, when the sun went down" (Genesis 15:17) — when the kingdom of the Messiah, who is called "sun," shall arrive. "and it was dark" — upon the nations of the world, as it is said, "and thick darkness the peoples" (Isaiah 60:2). "and behold a furnace of fire and a torch of fire" — that He will judge the nations of the world in Gehinnom, as it is written concerning it, "saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem" (Isaiah 31:9). Another interpretation: "a torch of fire" — this is the salvation of Israel, as it is said, "and the salvation thereof as a torch that burneth" (Isaiah 62:1). "that passed between these pieces" — at the time when Israel shall be saved, the nations of the world shall go down to Gehinnom. Another interpretation: why did "a smoking furnace and a torch of fire" pass through, etc.? The Holy One, blessed be He, made it as an example: at the time when Abimelech gave him sheep and cattle and the two of them cut a covenant — therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Abraham to take a heifer, a goat, and a ram and to cut them in the midst; and now the furnace and torch of fire that passed between the pieces, it was as though the Holy One, blessed be He, passed between them and cut a covenant with Abraham. And concerning this it is said, "In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram," etc. (Genesis 15:18). Another interpretation: "and behold a smoking furnace and a torch of fire." Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, thus say to Abraham, "Which of them do you choose — that your children be subjugated by the kingdoms and be spared the judgment of Gehinnom?" And when he chose the subjugation for himself, He said to him, "You have chosen well," and the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with him.

"And Sarai, Abram's wife, had not borne him [a child]" (Genesis 16:1). The Sages, of blessed memory, said: she had no offspring — that is to say, no womb (literally, "house of offspring"). "And she had a maidservant, an Egyptian, and her name was Hagar" (Genesis 16:1). Pharaoh gave his daughter to Sarai as a maidservant at the time that he took her. And therefore she was called Hagar, for thus he said to Sarai: "Here is your reward" (Hā agrēkh). And likewise Nimrod gave Eliezer his son to Abraham at the time that he was saved from the fiery furnace.

"And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar" — she took her with words. Thus she said to her: "Happy are you if you marry this righteous man" — because she did not want to take him on account of his being old. "At the end of ten years" — from here they said that a man is obligated to marry another woman if he has remained with his wife ten years and she has not given birth. "Of Abram's dwelling" — from here they said that only ten years of dwelling in the land of Israel count for him. "To him as a wife" — and not as a maidservant.

"And he said, Hagar, maid of Sarai," etc. She said to the angel, "From before Sarai my mistress I am fleeing." From here the Sages, of blessed memory, said that a person must state the fault that is in him. And because the angel called her "maid of Sarai," she replied, "From before Sarai my mistress I am fleeing." From here you learn that Hagar became a wife only to Abraham, but to Sarai she was called a maidservant.

Aaron shall place lots on the two goats... (Leviticus 16:8) Why should he do this, and walk that goat to Azazel, and bring him to a great, hard mountain, and push him until he is cut up into many pieces? It is to teach you that we ask from the Creator that just like this goat, which is bearing the sins of Israel on it, just like the goat falls and becomes many pieces, and there remains of it no substance and no benefit, so too, you, King of Kings of Kings, the Holy Blessed One, let fall our transgressions, and may they be lost from your book, and may they have no standing.

And there are those who explain that Israel says: leave the evil inclination, and cast it out [hashlikhu] from upon you, like this goat that is sent out [mishtaleach], and about that is said, the goat bore on it all their sins (of the children of Israel) [to a land cut off] (Leviticus 16:22).

"And he shall be a wild ass of a man" (Genesis 16:12) — that he will grow up in the wilderness like a wild ass and dwell in the wilderness like a wild ass, which is free. "His hand against everyone, and everyone's hand against him" — they are equal. "And in the face of all his brethren shall he dwell" — yet another verse says, "in the face of all his brethren he fell" (Genesis 25:18). As long as he had not stretched out his hand against Israel — "he shall dwell"; after he stretched out his hand against Israel — "he fell."

"Be'er-lahai-roi" (the well of the Living One who sees). The well was named after the angel, who lives forever, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, sent to behold grievances. "Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered." Therefore the angel appeared to her and blessed her, in the merit of Abraham, who sanctified the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and went down into the fiery furnace for His sake.

"And Abram called the name of his son" etc. (Genesis 16:15) — just as the angel said to Hagar. And from here you learn that Abraham was a prophet, for he called him Ishmael. "And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael" (Genesis 16:16). Therefore the years of Ishmael were counted, for he was thirteen years old when his father circumcised him, and he did not object.

"I am El Shaddai." Thus did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Abram: you shall receive the commandment of circumcision; "enough" (dai) for the world are I and you. "Walk before Me." That is to say, perform My mission, and I credit it to you that you do not need Me to hold you up, just as it is said of Noah, "Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). "And be whole." From here you learn that the foreskin is a blemish upon a man, and a man is not called whole in the world unless he is circumcised. A parable: to a king who wished to take a certain maiden, and she was passed before him, and he saw that she had an overgrown nail; the king said, "Repair that nail for her." So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Abram, "Walk before Me and be whole," and He commanded that the foreskin be repaired for him. Another interpretation of "And be whole": that you not be cut off from your wife and not be... from her. This is what Scripture says, "And be whole," as it is said, "You shall be whole with the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 18:13).

"And Abram fell upon his face" (Genesis 17:3). From here we have learned concerning a person who is uncircumcised, that he is unable to stand upon his feet at the time when the Shekhinah speaks with him. And likewise concerning Balaam it says, "fallen, with eyes uncovered" (Numbers 24:4).

"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you" (Genesis 17:4). Abraham did not know from where he should circumcise himself. At the moment when the scorpion's sting struck him, the Holy One, blessed be He, circumcised him. "And you shall be the father of a multitude of nations" (Genesis 17:4): everyone who is circumcised and becomes a convert, you are called his father. From here Rabbi Judah used to say: a convert brings first-fruits and recites, "I declare this day... which You gave to our fathers" (Deuteronomy 26:3), because Abraham our father is a father to all converts.

"And your name shall no longer be called Abram" etc. (Genesis 17:5). And anyone who calls Abraham "Abram" transgresses a negative commandment. And if a person should whisper to you to say: the Men of the Great Assembly called him "Abram," as it says, "You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram" (Nehemiah 9:7) — say to him: rather, they were recounting the [past] deed. Do you not see that afterward they said: "and You set his name Abraham" (ibid.)?

"And I will give to you." From here we learn that Israel did not inherit the land of Canaan from their fathers except through the merit of circumcision. On this condition was the land given to Abraham — that he be circumcised; and on this condition was it given to Isaac and to Jacob — that they be circumcised. And concerning this matter the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Joshua to circumcise Israel at the time they came to enter the land, for had they not been circumcised they would not have been able to enter the land.

"And an uncircumcised male" (Genesis 17:14): from the place where he is male, there he is uncircumcised. From here [we learn] concerning circumcision that in that same place he circumcises the flesh of his foreskin. And he is not liable to karet [excision] except for the male himself, "who has not circumcised the flesh of his foreskin," when he has grown up; but his father or the court are not liable to karet on his account.

"You shall not call her name Sarai." Because "Sarai" implies [that she is a princess] to her own nation alone, but "you shall not call her name [Sarai] but Sarah" implies [a princess] to the whole entire world. And concerning her it is said, "A woman of valor is the crown of her husband" (Proverbs 12:4). And the yod that was taken from "Sarai" was divided between the two heh's: the one for Sarah, and the second for Abraham.

"And Abraham fell on his face and laughed" (Genesis 17:17). For so he said in his heart, that the Holy One, blessed be He, had done this thing, and it was a wonder to all, and they said: Who has seen such a thing, that Abraham, a hundred years old, should beget a child? "And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" (Genesis 17:17). From here we learn that Abraham was not older than Sarah by more than ten years.

"O that Ishmael might live before You" (Genesis 17:18). Abraham said: I do not want any to endure except Ishmael. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: Truly, "Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac" (Genesis 17:19), for all will rejoice in him. And why was his name called Yitzchak? Yod (10) corresponds to the ten trials with which Abraham our father was tested, and he withstood them all. Tzadi (90), for Sarah was ninety years old at the time she bore him. Chet (8), for he was circumcised at eight, a son of eight days. Qof (100), corresponding to Abraham, who was a hundred years old when he was born to him.

"When the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised." Concerning Abraham it is written, "when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised," and concerning Ishmael it is written, "the flesh of his foreskin" (verse 14). Abraham, because he had taken a wife and had marital relations, had no [excess] skin, and did not require periah (the uncovering). But Ishmael, who was a youth and had not yet had marital relations, still had [excess] skin that required periah.

"In the selfsame day." Rabban Gamliel says: He sent and called Shem son of Noah, and he circumcised Abraham and Ishmael his son, as it is said, "In the selfsame day, etc." What is "in the selfsame day"? In the strength of the sun, at midday. And not only that, but on the tenth of the month, on this Day of Atonement, as it is said, "and you shall do no manner of work in the selfsame day" (Leviticus 23:28); and concerning Abraham it is written "in the selfsame day." From here, that he did not delay to perform the circumcision: on the very day that the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke with him, on that same day he circumcised them and uncovered them. And from where do you say that the Holy One, blessed be He, told him to circumcise and to uncover? Another interpretation: "In the selfsame day" — in the full openness of the day, and not in secret. And every year the Holy One, blessed be He, sees the blood of Abraham's covenant and atones for the sins of Israel, as it is said, "for on this day He shall make atonement" (Leviticus 16:30).

"And the LORD appeared to him." You find that the Torah's beginning is lovingkindness, its middle is lovingkindness, and its end is lovingkindness. Its beginning is lovingkindness, for the Holy One, blessed be He, adorned Eve and brought her to Adam, as it is said, "And the LORD God built the rib" (Genesis 2:22) — for in the coastal cities they call the braiding of hair "building." [And its end is lovingkindness, for He buried the dead, as it is said, "And He buried him in the valley" (Deuteronomy 34:6).] In its middle is lovingkindness, for He visited the sick, as it is said, "And the LORD appeared to him" — because Abraham was ill from the circumcision, therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to him; and it was the third day, when Abraham was in great pain. "By the oaks of Mamre." Because Mamre had told Abraham that he should heed the Holy One, blessed be He, and circumcise himself, therefore He appeared at his oaks. "And he was sitting at the door of the tent." When Abraham saw that no passersby were coming to his house, because they knew that he was ill, therefore he sat at the door of the tent, so that he might see travelers and bring them into his house. "In the heat of the day." From here we learn that warmth is good for circumcision. Another interpretation of "in the heat of the day": it was midday. Another interpretation: the Holy One, blessed be He, made that day burn and seethe with heat so that travelers would not pass by, so that Abraham would not be troubled; and when Abraham saw this, he sat at the door of the tent so that he might bring them into his house. Another interpretation: Abraham went to Aner and said to him, "Thus said the Holy One, blessed be He, to me: cut off your foreskin. What do you advise me?" Aner said to Abraham, "Do not cut off your foreskin; if this command were good, why did He not command it to Noah, whom He called righteous and blameless?" He went to Eshcol, and he too answered likewise; he said to him, "He spoke rightly." Abraham left their words and went to Mamre, and said to him, "What do you say to me? For the LORD has spoken to me: cut off your foreskin." Mamre said to him, "Is He not the LORD by His name, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees? Go and accept His words, for if He should say to you, 'Make yourself piece by piece,' do it — and you are afraid of your foreskin?" At once Abraham went and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin; therefore it is said, "as God had commanded him."

"And he lifted up his eyes and saw" (Genesis 18:2). Because the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that Abraham was distressed that no guests were coming to his house, He commanded the ministering angels to come to his house in the manner of guests. "And behold, three men" — who were they? Michael in the middle, Gabriel on his right, Raphael on his left. Raphael came to heal Abraham, and Michael came to bring tidings to Sarah, and Gabriel came to overturn Sodom. "standing over him" — since they saw that he was greatly distressed because of the pain of the circumcision, they stood in their place and did not wish to enter to him. "and he saw and ran" — since they saw that he was very ill, they began to go away; and he, when he saw that they were going, immediately ran toward them. Another interpretation: because he saw that they were standing on his account, he ran toward them to bring them into his house.

"And he said, 'My lord.'" He said to the Holy One, blessed be He, that He should not remove His Shekhinah from there, so that he might go to meet the guests. From here you learn that hospitality to guests is greater than receiving the presence of the Shekhinah. [Another interpretation:] "And he said, 'My lord,' etc." He said it to the greatest among them, and he called all of them "lords"; and to the greatest one he said, "Please do not pass by from your servant."

"Let now a little water be taken" (Genesis 18:4): [by means of a messenger. So too] the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them water by means of a messenger, as it is said, "and you shall strike the rock," etc. (Exodus 17:6). The bread, which he gave by his own hand — the Holy One, blessed be He, likewise gave by His own hand, as it is said, "when the LORD gives you in the evening flesh to eat, and bread," etc. (ibid. 16:8).

"And sustain your hearts." From here you learn that bread sustains the heart, as it is said, "and bread sustains the heart of man" (Psalms 104:15). "After that you shall pass on." This is one of the undecided readings in the Torah, for we do not know whether he said "and sustain your hearts" or "after that you shall pass on." "And they said, So shall you do." From here [we learn] that one does not refuse a great man.

"And Abraham hastened" (Genesis 18:6) — this teaches that the deeds of the righteous are [done] with haste. "Make ready quickly three seahs of meal, fine flour" — three seahs of meal and three seahs of fine flour. "Knead it" — so that the commandment would be performed by her own hand. "And make cakes" — that there should be no leaven there, so that there should be no prohibited thing there.

"And Abraham ran to the herd" (Genesis 18:7). From here we learn that the righteous run to perform a commandment; and further, that the righteous say little and do much. He said only, "and let me fetch a morsel of bread" (Genesis 18:5), but in the end he brought before them three seahs and three calves. "And he took a calf" — that is one; "tender" — two; "and good" — three. And that calf ran from before him as far as Hebron, and it entered the Cave of Machpelah, and Abraham our father entered after it, and he saw Adam and Eve lying there with lamps burning before them, and Abraham said, "This cave is fitting for burial," and he coveted it for much money. "And he gave it to the lad" (Genesis 18:7) — each one gave it to a lad to prepare.

"And he took curd and milk and the calf which he had prepared" (Genesis 18:8). He brought milk first and ate it, and afterward he brought meat and ate it, according to the order of Scripture. And why did he not mention bread at that time? Because at that time Sarah had become a menstruant, and the dough was rendered impure, so he did not bring bread, since Abraham would eat ordinary food in purity. And some say that bread was indeed there, but it is the way of the world that one does not mention the bread. "And he stood by them." And the Holy One, blessed be He, did likewise, for He repaid His children, as it is said, "And the LORD went before them by day" (Exodus 17:21), and another verse says, "God stands in the congregation of God" (Psalms 82:1). "And they ate." But did the angels eat or drink? Rather, they appeared as ones who eat. And from here we have learned that one does not deviate from the custom: that the angels, who do not eat or drink, came among human beings and appeared as ones who eat; and Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, who ascended to the firmament among the angels, did not eat or drink all the days that he was there among them.

"And he said: I will surely return to you." This is Michael, who announced this tidings, because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not send one angel to perform two missions. And he said, "I will surely return to you" — he knew that he would not die. But Elisha, who was of human beings over whom death rules, said to the Shunammite, "At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son" (II Kings 4:17), and he did not say, "I will surely return." "And Sarah was listening." From here that women are given to listening. "the tent door." From here that Sarah was standing at the door of the tent, in order that she might hear the words of the angels. "and it was behind him." The door of the tent was behind the angel, who did not turn his face toward the door of the tent, so that he would not gaze.

"And Sarah laughed within herself" (Genesis 18:12) — at the words of the Omnipresent. Another interpretation of "within herself" (be-kirbah): within her innards (be-karbeha), both in old age and in days. "After I am worn out I have had renewal" — after the flesh has ripened and the wrinkles have been smoothed out and the flesh has been made delicate again. Another interpretation of "renewal" (ednah): the rejuvenation of the flesh and conception. "And my lord is old" — this is Abraham. She represented herself as fit to bear a child, and she represented her husband as old, not fit to beget.

"And I am old." From here [we learn] that the Holy One, blessed be He, altered [the words] for the sake of peace. She said, "and my lord is old" (Genesis 18:12), but the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "and I am old." If so, why was the Holy One, blessed be He, displeased with Sarah for laughing? For behold, regarding Abraham it is written, "and he laughed" (Genesis 17:17), yet the Holy One, blessed be He, was not displeased. Because it is written regarding Sarah, "within herself" (Genesis 18:12), but regarding Abraham it is not written "within himself." And what is [the meaning of] "within herself"? She was gazing into her innards and saying, "Breasts that have shriveled — do they draw forth milk?" Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, was displeased with her.

"Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14). A parable: like one who brought a broken bowl to the smith. He said to him: Do you know how to repair it? The smith said: From the very beginning I know how [to make it]; now [too] I am able to do it. Therefore it is said "within her" (Genesis 18:12) — concerning her womb. She said: From where is He able to create a womb for me? And how do we know that she had no womb? As it is said, "But Sarai was barren; she had no child" (Genesis 11:30) — she had no womb [literally "house of the child"]. "At the appointed time I will return to you" (Genesis 18:14). On Passover Isaac was born, and on Rosh Hashanah Sarah was remembered; and that year was an intercalated [leap] year, and Isaac was born at seven months.

"And the men rose up from there" (Genesis 18:16). Because Abraham was righteous, they were not called angels; and the entire time that they were with him, Abraham did not suppose that they were angels, and therefore Abraham went with them to send them off. "And they looked down upon the face of Sodom" (Genesis 18:16). Every place where "looking down" (hashkafah) is stated is for evil, except for "Look down from Your holy habitation" (Deuteronomy 26:15); for because they give terumot and ma'asrot to their owners, the attribute of punishment turns into blessing.

"And the LORD said: Shall I hide from Abraham [what I am doing]?" (Genesis 18:17) And thus said the Holy One, blessed be He: I gave all this land to Abraham, and now I wish to destroy five cities of his on account of their sin; and if I do not reveal it to him, he will say, "Perhaps the Holy One, blessed be He, has gone back on what He said."

"And the LORD said, etc." To Abraham He said, "Let Me go down now" — to the end, [that is,] their intent, "and I will see" whether there is in their heart [the will] to repent or not. "Whether according to its cry" — I will see: if they return in repentance I will forgive them, and if they do not return in repentance, no. And it says, "For the LORD knows the way of the righteous" (Psalms 1:6). And what were the deeds of the men of Sodom? When a guest would pass by them, each and every one would give a gold coin, but bread they would not give him, and he would die of hunger. After he had died, each and every one would take back his gold coin. Once there was a poor man there and he was dying of hunger, and Lot had a daughter whose name was Kallah, and she would go to draw water, and she would put bread in her jar and give it to that poor man. The men of Sodom said, "From where does this poor man live?" They investigated the matter and understood that the daughter of Lot was sustaining him. And what did they do? They went and stripped her and smeared her with honey, and the bees and the flies were eating the honey and stinging her until they killed her. Therefore it says, "they have done [kallah / an end]." And furthermore, when a poor man would enter there and wished to leave, immediately they would lay him on a small bed, and they would cut off his legs — whatever extended beyond that bed, which was short. And if he was short, they would lay him on a long bed and seize him from his head to his feet, and they would stretch him, so that his body would come out whole like the bed; and they would do thus until they killed him. And there were the judges there: Shakrai and Shakrurai, Zayfi, and Matzlerin. When a whole [unharmed] man entered there, one of them would strike him on his head, and the blood would come out of him; and when the one who was struck went to the judges, the judge would say to him, "Go out and give him his wage for letting your blood." And when a man would bring there fruit or kinds of legumes to sell, each and every one would take one of the fruits, and would say to the owner of the fruit, "I took only a single fruit," and thus they would do to him until they had taken everything that he brought in his hand. One time, Eliezer the servant of Abraham went up there. They sought to lay him down and to do to him what they were accustomed to do to the rest of the guests. He said to them, "Go away from me, for I have taken an oath that I will not lie on a bed until I see the face of my master." On the next day, when he was walking in the marketplace, a certain man came, took up a club, and struck him on his head. Eliezer went to the judge to cry out concerning his being struck. The judge said to him, "Go give him his wage for the blood that he let out of you." What did Eliezer do? He took up a stone and struck the judge on his head, and blood came out. He said to the judge, "The wage that you are to give to me, give it to this one."

"And the men turned away from there" (Genesis 18:22) — for [the Holy One] cleared away from them every measure of mercy. "But Abraham was still standing before the LORD" — from here you learn that the Holy One, blessed be He, hearkened to Abraham, who had said, "Do not, I pray, pass on from your servant" (Genesis 18:3).

"Perhaps there are fifty righteous ones." And why did he open with fifty? Because there were five towns, so that there would be for each and every one ten righteous ones. And because in the generation of the Flood there were eight — Noah and his wife and his three sons and their three wives, behold, eight — and they were not able to save them; for this reason he said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous ones," and so forth.

"Behold now, I have taken upon myself" (Genesis 18:27) — like that which is said, "we have done foolishly" (Numbers 12:11). "And I am dust and ashes" — had the kings with whom I fought killed me, I would have been dust; and had Nimrod burned me, I would have been ashes; but You saved me from both of them, [so] I consider myself dust and ashes before You. And in the merit of his having said "I am dust and ashes," his children merited two commandments: the dust of the sotah and the ashes of the [red] heifer.