Sodom's Years of Warning and Abraham Drawing Near to Plead

And there are those who tell it in this manner. Rabbi Levi said: Even if I wished to be silent about her case, the attribute of justice does not let me be silent. There was an incident with two young women who went down to fill water from the spring. One said to her companion, "Why is your face sickly?" She said to her, "Our food has run out, and we are already going to die." What did the first do? She filled her jug with flour, and they exchanged jugs; this one took what was in that one's hand, and that one took what was in this one's hand. And when they sensed the matter, they burned her. The actual tranquility of Sodom was no more than fifty-two years, and of these, for twenty-two years the Holy One, blessed be He, was shaking mountains upon them and bringing tremors upon them, so that they would repent, and they did not. This is what is written, "He who removes mountains and they know it not, who overturns them in His anger" (Job 9:5). "And the men turned from there" (Genesis 18:22). This teaches that angels have no back, [meaning they face every direction]. "But Abraham was still standing" (before the LORD). Rabbi Yishmael said: This is a scribal correction (tikkun soferim); [the verse originally implied] that the Divine Presence was waiting for Abraham. "And Abraham drew near and said" (Genesis 18:23). Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nehemiah and the Rabbis [differed]. Rabbi Yehudah says: "Drawing near" is for battle, as in "And Joab drew near, and the people who were with him, for battle" (1 Chronicles 19:14). Rabbi Nehemiah says: "Drawing near" is for appeasement, as you say, "And the children of Judah drew near to Joshua," for appeasement. The Rabbis say: "Drawing near" is for prayer, as you say, "And it came to pass at the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet drew near and said, 'O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel'" (1 Kings 18:36). Rabbi Elazar resolved it: [Abraham said,] "If for battle I come, if for appeasement I come, if for prayer I come." Rabbi Pinchas and Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: To one who passes before the ark [to lead prayer] they do not say, "Come and do, come and draw near, come and make the public offering," but "Come and draw near to pray." Rabbi Tanchuma said: Why did they institute the blessing of fifteen [words] up to "who hears prayer"? Corresponding to the fifteen mentions of the Divine Name in "Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of might" (Psalms 29) up to "the LORD sits enthroned over the flood," for He brings calamity to an end so it does not come into the world. Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Acha: [Abraham said,] "Will You also sweep away?" "You are dragging along the anger, but the anger will not drag You." Rabbi Yehoshua son of Rabbi Nehemiah said: "The anger that You bring into the world, You destroy with it the righteous along with the wicked, and it is not enough for You that You do not suspend [judgment] upon the wicked for the sake of the righteous, but You even destroy the righteous along with the wicked." Rabbi and Rabbi Yonatan [differed]. Rabbi says: A mortal of flesh and blood is mastered by his rage, but the Holy One, blessed be He, masters His rage, as it is said, "The LORD avenges and is a master of wrath" (Nahum 1:2). Rabbi Yonatan says: A mortal of flesh and blood is mastered by his jealousy, but the Holy One, blessed be He, masters His jealousy, as it is said, "A jealous and avenging God is the LORD." "Will You also sweep away?" Rabbi Simlai asked Rabbi Yonatan: What is the meaning of what is written, "There is one swept away without justice" (Proverbs 13:23)? He said to him: One swept away without the justice of his own place. There was an incident with someone sent to collect [taxes] from the people of Tiberias and the people of Tzippori. While he was collecting in Tiberias, he saw one of the men of Tzippori and seized him. He said, "I am from Tzippori." He said to him, "I have authority to collect from the people of Tzippori." He had not finished collecting from the people of Tiberias before relief came to Tzippori; thus one was swept away without the justice of his place. Rabbi Levi said: It is like a she-bear that was bereaving a beast, and not finding a beast to bereave, bereaved a domestic animal; like a sickle cutting thorns and not satisfied by them, [cutting] a lily and not satisfied by it.