We first hear of Sedom as the Torah records the genealogies of the children of Noach. “And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you come to Gerar, until Gaza, as you come to Sedom and Amora and Admah and Zeboiim, until Lesha.” (Breisheet 10:17).
It was, as we learn a few chapters later, a most fertile land. “And Lot raised his eyes, and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was entirely watered; before the Lord destroyed Sedom and Amora, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar” (Breisheet 13:10). Sounds like a great place to live, which is exactly why Lot moved there. However, while the topography was great, the people who lived there less so. “But the men of Sedom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Breisheet 13:16).
While Lot may not have known what the people of Sedom were like[1], by the time G-d decides to destroy the city Avraham surely knew. By then he had been living in Israel for many years and word would surely have reached him. This is especially so as Avraham kept watch over his nephew, estranged as they may have bee. He even went to war against a much more powerful foe to rescue Lot from captivity. And just to ensure Avraham knew exactly what the people were like, G-d Himself told Avraham how evil they were. “And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sedom and Amora is great, and because their sin is very grievous”.
Why then did Avraham argue so vociferously – with G-d no less – to save the people of Sedom? This took real chutzpah, something Avraham recognized himself, “And Avraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes” (Breisheet 13:27). And yet he argued and argued and argued some more. They were not any old bad people, they were very evil people.
Moreover, it seems G-d told him about His plans to wipe out Sedom precisely so Avraham would argue with Him. “And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Avraham that thing which I intend to do?”. This G-d surmised would not be fair. After all, the Torah continues, “Avraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him” (Breisheet 12:18). Avraham is not just the father of the Jewish nation but of all nations – “Neither shall thy name any more be called Avram, but thy name shall be Avraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee” (Breisheet 17:5) – and thus has a right to know what will be of the people of Sedom. He might want them saved and hence G-d gave Avraham advance notice so that he could respond. Yet if they were truly evil why not just destroy these evil people? Why did Avraham not encourage G-d to do exactly that?
Apparently, such is the not the Jewish way. We always must look for alternative ways to deal with evil in place of destruction. Even if G-d is doing the destroying G-d wants us to “convince Him” not to. Maybe they can be convinced to change, maybe others can influence them, maybe a new environment will herald changed behaviours, maybe, maybe there is another way. Contrary to how it may appear, G-d did not reject Avraham’s pleas. G-d agreed with him and had ten righteous people be found “in the midst of the city[2]” the city would have been spared. The problem was that no such people were to be found. Sadly, at times there is no choice but to destroy – but only as a last resort.
And it is for this type of attitude that G-d chose Avraham to be the founding father of the Jewish people. After stating that Avraham will lead a great nation through which other nations will be blessed the Torah tells us why. “For I have singled him out, so that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the Lord by doing tzedakah umipshat, what is just and right, in order that the Lord may bring about for Abraham what has been promised him” (Breisheet 18:19).
What is just and right for a Jew is to care for each and every human being, seeing the divine image in which they were created. It is a sad day when those created in G-d’s image are so evil that they forfeit their right to life. We must do our utmost to try and prevent such.
[1] Fascinatingly, there is no indication in the text that Lot had any idea what the people of Sedom were like. After separating from Avraham he needed a place to live and why not choose a most fertile land. If this is correct it puts a new perspective on Lot’s character and helps explain why he was worthy of being saved. The fact that he did not move once he realized what the people were like is not a fair question for those living in the fleshpots of the Diaspora to ask. It is not easy to uproot yourself – especially a second time.
[2] For the righteous people to save the people of Sedom they had to dwell “in the midst of the city”. Had they separated themselves from the community living in their own “bubble their righteousness would have had no impact on Sedom.