Why God Stays Silent for Abraham Alone at Sodom

It is written (Job 41:4): "I will not keep silent concerning his boastings, nor his mighty word, nor the grace of his array." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Lest people say, "We too may speak with the Holy One, blessed be He, just as Abraham spoke, and He keeps silent toward us," the Holy One, blessed be He, said: No — "I will not keep silent concerning his boastings"; rather, to Abraham alone do I keep silent. Why? Because he kept silent toward Me, I too keep silent toward him. When did Abraham keep silent? When I said to him, "For in Isaac shall seed be called to you" (Genesis 21:12), and afterward I said to him, "Take now your son" (Genesis 22:2), and he kept silent toward Me, as it is said, "But I am like a deaf man, I hear not" (Psalms 38:14). I too will keep silent toward him. And even though he spoke harsh things, as it is said, "nor his mighty word" (Job 41:4), yet "the grace of his array" was sweet to Me. And what mighty things did he speak? See what is written: "And Abraham drew near and said, 'Will You indeed sweep away?'" (Genesis 18:23). Abraham said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, "Far be it from You," and so forth — lest those who come into the world say, "Such is His craft, that He destroys the generations with the measure of cruelty. He destroyed the generation of Enosh, and the generation of the Flood, and the generation of the Dispersion; He does not abandon His craft." [Therefore Abraham said,] "Far be it from You." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Thus have you said. Come and see, and I will cause to pass before you all the generations that I destroyed, and I will show you that I did not exact more than their due in punishment from them. And if it should enter your mind that I did not act fittingly, teach Me, and I will do so, as it is said, "What I see not, teach You me; if I have done iniquity, I will do so no more" (Job 34:32) — and I will do so no more. They said before Him: Master of the universe, peace to You; You do not pervert judgment upon any creature, as it is said, "Therefore, you men of understanding, hearken to me: far be it from God that He should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that He should commit iniquity" (Job 34:10); rather, "For the work of a man He repays him," and so forth (Job 34:11). Therefore he says, "Far be it from You," and so forth.