בערב. מהו בערב, שהיו הסדומים חשוכים כלילה. ד"א בערב, שהגיע ערבה של סדום, ולוט ישב בשער סדום, שלמד ממעשיו של אברהם, מה כתיב כאן באברהם, וירא וירץ לקראתם פתח האהל (שם יח ב), אמר שלמה חנוך לנער על פי דרכו (משלי כב ו), על ידי שגדל לוט בביתו של אברהם תפש מדותיו. וישתחו אפים ארצה (שם שם), כשם שעשה אברהם הכניסם לתוך ביתו, מה כתיב טרם ישכבו וגו' (שם ד), ויקראו אל לוט וגו' (שם ה), התחילו המלאכים תמיהים לומר אצלינו הגיע הדבר, והענין הרבה אלא שלא להטריח בפניכם, לסוף מה עשו, אחד מהם הציל את לוט, ואחד מהם הפך את סדום, ושמא תאמר באחד מידיו הפכה, לא אלא באצבע אחד, שהוא אחד מחמשה ביד, שנאמר בחלמיש שלח ידו (איוב כח ט), לעולם הבא הקב"ה מרפא אותה, וישראל מחלקים ואתה, שנאמר אחלקה שכם וגו' (תהלים ס ח).
(Gen. 19:1:) IN THE EVENING. What is the meaning of IN THE EVENING? That the Sodomites were dark like the night.57See below, 4:21. Another interpretation: IN THE EVENING (ba'erev). The evening of Sodom had arrived.58The midrash understands ba‘erev (“in the evening”) as two words, ‘erev (“evening”) and ba (“has come”). See Gen. R. 50:3. (Ibid., cont.:) AND LOT WAS SITTING AT THE GATE OF SODOM, as he had learned from the practice of Abraham. What is written here (in Gen. 18:2) about Abraham? WHEN HE SAW THEM HE RAN < FROM > THE DOOR OF HIS TENT TO MEET THEM < AND BOWED DOWN TO THE EARTH >. Solomon has said in (Prov. 22:6): TRAIN A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO. Because Lot had grown up in Abraham's house, he had acquired < Abraham's > moral standards. < Thus > (in Gen. 19:1, cont.): AND HE BOWED DOWN WITH HIS FACE TO THE GROUND. Just as Abraham had done, he brought them into his house. What is written (in vss. 4-5)? BEFORE THEY LAY DOWN … AND THEY CALLED UNTO LOT … < BRING THEM OUT UNTO US THAT WE MAY KNOW THEM >. The angels began to be astonished, saying: The matter has reached us! Now < there is > much on the subject < that is being passed over > merely in order not to bother you. What did they finally do? One of them rescued Lot, and one of them destroyed Sodom.59See Gen. R. 50:2. Now perhaps you will say: He destroyed it with one of his hands. No, < it was > merely with one finger, which is one of five on the hand. Thus it is stated (in Job 28:9): HE PUT OUT HIS HAND BAHALLAMISH.60The midrash has interpreted bahallamish (“against the hard rock”) as bahamishi (“with the fifth”). In the world to come the Holy One will heal it (i.e., Sodom);61So below, 4:22; Exod R. 15:21. and Israel will divide it up, as stated (in Ps. 60:8ff. [6ff.]): I WILL DISTRIBUTE SHECHEM < AND MEASURE OUT THE VALLEY OF SUCCOTH>….62So below, 4:22. Cf. PRK 29(suppl. 2):3. According to Gen. R. 42:5, the valley of Succoth is identified with the valley of Siddim at the Dead Sea (Gen. 14:3).
בערב. מהו בערב, שהיו הסדומים חשוכים כלילה. ד"א בערב, שהגיע ערבה של סדום, ולוט ישב בשער סדום, שלמד ממעשיו של אברהם, מה כתיב כאן באברהם, וירא וירץ לקראתם פתח האהל (שם יח ב), אמר שלמה חנוך לנער על פי דרכו (משלי כב ו), על ידי שגדל לוט בביתו של אברהם תפש מדותיו. וישתחו אפים ארצה (שם שם), כשם שעשה אברהם הכניסם לתוך ביתו, מה כתיב טרם ישכבו וגו' (שם ד), ויקראו אל לוט וגו' (שם ה), התחילו המלאכים תמיהים לומר אצלינו הגיע הדבר, והענין הרבה אלא שלא להטריח בפניכם, לסוף מה עשו, אחד מהם הציל את לוט, ואחד מהם הפך את סדום, ושמא תאמר באחד מידיו הפכה, לא אלא באצבע אחד, שהוא אחד מחמשה ביד, שנאמר בחלמיש שלח ידו (איוב כח ט), לעולם הבא הקב"ה מרפא אותה, וישראל מחלקים ואתה, שנאמר אחלקה שכם וגו' (תהלים ס ח).
(Gen. 19:1:) IN THE EVENING. What is the meaning of IN THE EVENING? That the Sodomites were dark like the night.57See below, 4:21. Another interpretation: IN THE EVENING (ba'erev). The evening of Sodom had arrived.58The midrash understands ba‘erev (“in the evening”) as two words, ‘erev (“evening”) and ba (“has come”). See Gen. R. 50:3. (Ibid., cont.:) AND LOT WAS SITTING AT THE GATE OF SODOM, as he had learned from the practice of Abraham. What is written here (in Gen. 18:2) about Abraham? WHEN HE SAW THEM HE RAN < FROM > THE DOOR OF HIS TENT TO MEET THEM < AND BOWED DOWN TO THE EARTH >. Solomon has said in (Prov. 22:6): TRAIN A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO. Because Lot had grown up in Abraham's house, he had acquired < Abraham's > moral standards. < Thus > (in Gen. 19:1, cont.): AND HE BOWED DOWN WITH HIS FACE TO THE GROUND. Just as Abraham had done, he brought them into his house. What is written (in vss. 4-5)? BEFORE THEY LAY DOWN … AND THEY CALLED UNTO LOT … < BRING THEM OUT UNTO US THAT WE MAY KNOW THEM >. The angels began to be astonished, saying: The matter has reached us! Now < there is > much on the subject < that is being passed over > merely in order not to bother you. What did they finally do? One of them rescued Lot, and one of them destroyed Sodom.59See Gen. R. 50:2. Now perhaps you will say: He destroyed it with one of his hands. No, < it was > merely with one finger, which is one of five on the hand. Thus it is stated (in Job 28:9): HE PUT OUT HIS HAND BAHALLAMISH.60The midrash has interpreted bahallamish (“against the hard rock”) as bahamishi (“with the fifth”). In the world to come the Holy One will heal it (i.e., Sodom);61So below, 4:22; Exod R. 15:21. and Israel will divide it up, as stated (in Ps. 60:8ff. [6ff.]): I WILL DISTRIBUTE SHECHEM < AND MEASURE OUT THE VALLEY OF SUCCOTH>….62So below, 4:22. Cf. PRK 29(suppl. 2):3. According to Gen. R. 42:5, the valley of Succoth is identified with the valley of Siddim at the Dead Sea (Gen. 14:3).