כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְבַּשַּׂר אַבְרָהָם בְּיִצְחָק, מַה כְּתִיב וַיָּקוּמוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיַּשְׁקִיפוּ עַל פְּנִי סְדוֹם. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אַנְהַג קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא טִיבוּ עִם כָּל בְּרִיָין וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לְאִנּוּן דְּאָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחוֹי, דְּאָפִילּוּ בְּזִמְנָא דְּבָעֵי לְמֵידַן עָלְמָא, אִיהוּ גָּרִים לְמַאן דְרָחִים לֵיהּ לְמִזְכֵּי בְּמִלָּה עַד לָא יֵיתֵי הַהוּא דִּינָא לְעָלְמָא. Having related how Abraham was informed of the coming birth of Isaac, the Scripture proceeds: AND THE MEN ROSE UP FROM THENCE, AND LOOKED OUT TOWARD SODOM. Said R. Eleazar: ‘Observe how merciful the Holy One, blessed be He, shows Himself towards all beings, and especially towards those who walk in His paths. For when He is about to execute judgement on the world, before doing so He puts in the way of His beloved the occasion of performing a good act.

דְּתָנִינָן בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָחִים לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ, מְשַׁדֵּר לֵיהּ דּוֹרוֹנָא, וּמַאן אִיהוּ, מִסְּכֵּנָא, בְּגִין דְּיִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ. וְכֵיוָן דְּזָכֵי בֵּיהּ, אִיהוּ אַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ חַד חוּטָא דְּחֶסֶד דְּאִתְמְשַׁךְ מִסְּטַר יָמִינָא וּפָרִישׂ אֲרֵישֵׁיהּ וְרָשִׁים לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּכַד יֵיתֵי דִינָא לְעָלְמָא הַהוּא מְחַבְּלָא יִזְדְּהַר בֵּיהּ, וְזָקֵיף עֵינוֹי וְחָמָא לְהַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ וּכְדֵין אִסְתַּלַּק מִנֵּיהּ וְאִזְדְּהַר בֵּיהּ. בְּגִינֵי כָךְ אַקְדִּים לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמָּה דְּיִזְכֵּי. We have thus been taught that when the Holy One loves a man, He sends him a present in the shape of a poor man, so that he should perform some good deed to him, through the merit of which he shall draw to himself a cord of grace from the right side which shall wind round his head and imprint a mark on him, so that, when punishment falls on the world, the destroyer, raising his eyes and noticing the mark, will be careful to avoid him and leave him alone.

וְתָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַיְתָאָה דִּינָא עַל סְדוֹם, אַזְכֵּי קֹדֶם לְאַבְרָהָם וְשַׁדַּר לֵיהּ דּוֹרוֹנָא לְמִזְכֵּי עִמְּהוֹן בְּגִין לְשֵׁזָבָא לְלוֹט בַּר אֲחוּהָ מִתַּמָּן, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת לוֹט מִתּוֹךְ הַהֲפֵכָה. וְלָא כְּתִיב וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת לוֹט, דְּהָא בִּזְכוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם אִשְׁתְּזִיב. וּמַאי וַיִּזְכֹּר, דְּדָכִיר לֵיהּ מַאי דְּאַזְכֵּי קֹדֶם עִם אִנּוּן תְּלַת מַלְאָכִין. So when the Holy One was about to execute judgement on Sodom, He first led Abraham to do a meritorious action by the present which He sent him, so as thereby to save Lot his brother’s son from destruction. It is therefore written, “And God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow” (Gen. 19, 29). It does not say that God remembered Lot, since he was saved through the merit of Abraham. What God remembered was the kindness which Abraham had shown to those three angels.

כְּגַוְונָא דָא בַּר נָשׁ דְּיִזְכֵּי בִּצְדָקָה עִם בְּנֵי נְשָׁא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְדִינָא שָׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַדְכַּר לֵיהּ לְהַהִיא צְדָקָה דְּעֲבַד. בְּגִין דְּבְּכָל שַׁעֲתָא דְּזָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ הָכִי אַכְתִּיב עֲלֵיהּ לְעֵילָא, וְאֲפִילּוּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְדִינָא שָׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִדְכַּר לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא טִיבוּ דְּעֲבַד וְזָכָה עִם בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי י״א:ד׳) וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת. בְּגִינֵי כָךְ אַקְדִּים לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם בְּגִין דְּיִזְכֵּי וִישֵׁזִיב לְלוֹט. Similarly, the charitable deeds which a man performs are remembered by the Holy One at the time when punishment impends upon the world, for every meritorious action is recorded on high, and when chastisement impends over that man the Holy One remembers the kindness he had performed with other men, as we read: “but charity delivereth from death” (Prov. 11, 4). The Holy One thus afforded Abraham in advance the occasion of a good action, so that by his merit he should deliver Lot from destruction.’

וַיַּשְׁקִיפוּ עַל פְּנֵי סְדוֹם. תָּא חֲזֵי, וַיָּקוּמוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים. מֵהַהִיא סְעוּדָה דְּאַתְקִין לוֹ אַבְרָהָם וְזָכָה בְּהוּ. אַף עַל גַּב דְּמַלְאָכִין הֲווּ, זָכָה בְּהוּ, וְכָל הַהוּא מֵיכְלָא לָא אִשְׁתָּאַר מִנֵּיהּ כְּלוּם, בְּגִינֵי דְּאַבְרָהָם, וּלְמִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ, דְּהָא כְּתִיב וַיֹּאכֵלוּ בְּאֶשָׁא דִלְהוֹן (קכ א) אִתְאֲכִיל. AND THEY LOOKED OUT TOWARD SODOM. This was immediately after “the men rose up from thence”, that is, from the feast that Abraham had prepared for them, so performing a meritorious act. For although they were angels, his hospitality to them was a good action, since of the whole of the food offered them they left nothing over, purposely that Abraham should acquire merit thereby, as it is written, “and they did eat”, the food having been consumed by their fire.

וְאִי תֵימָא הָא תְּלַת מַלְאָכִין הֲווּ. הַאי אֶשָׁ"א. וְהַאי מַיָ"א. וְהַאי רוּחָ"א. אֶלָא כָּל חַד וְחַד כָּלִיל בְּחַבְרֵיהּ וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ וַיֹּאכֵלוּ. כְּגַוְונָא דָא (שמות כ״ד:י״א) וַיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ. אֲכִילָה וַדָּאִית אֲכְלוּ דְּאִתְזָנוּ מִן שְׁכִינְתָּא, אוּף הָכָא וַיֹּאכֵלוּ גָּרְמוּ (נ"א נרמז רמז) לְאִתְזְנָא (מניה) מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְאַבְרָהָם אִתְדְּבַק בֵּיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא אַשְׁאָרוּ מִמַּה דְּיָהִיב לוֹן אַבְרָהָם כְּלוּם. It may be objected that the three angels were one of fire, one of water, and the third of air. The answer to this, however, is that they all partook of each other’s essences, and hence “they did eat”. Analogous to this is the passage “and they beheld God, and did eat and drink” (Ex. 24, 11). There it was truly eating, for they feasted themselves on the Shekinah. So here, “and they did eat” implies that they feasted themselves on that side to which Abraham was attached, and for that reason nothing remained of what Abraham put before them.

כְּגַוְּונָא דָּא בָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְמִשְׁתֵּי מֵהַהוּא כַּסָּא דִּבְרָכָה, בְּגִין דְּיִזְכֵּי לְהַהִיא בְּרָכָה דִּלְעֵילָא. אוּף אִנּוּן אֲכְלוּ מִמַּה דְּאַתְקִין לוֹן אַבְרָהָם בְּגִין דְּיִזְכּוּן לְאִתְזְנָא מִסִּטְרָא דְאַבְרָהָם. דְּהָא מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא נָפִיק מְזוֹנָא לְכֻלְהוּ מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי. For just as it behoves a man to partake of the cup of blessing (after a meal), that he merit the blessing from on high, so the angels also ate from what Abraham prepared for them that they might be privileged to feast on that which proceeds from the side of Abraham, for it is from that side that sustenance issues for all the celestial angels.

וַיַּשְׁקִיפוּ, אִתְעָרוּתָא דְּרַחֲמֵי לְשֵׁיזָבָא לְלוֹט. כְּתִיב הָכָא וַיַּשְׁקִיפוּ וּכְתִיב הָתָם (דברים כ״ו:ט״ו) הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשֶׁךָ. מַה לְּהַלָּן לְרַחֲמֵי אוּף הָכָא לְרַחֲמֵי. AND THEY LOOKED OUT: with an impulse of mercy for the delivery of Lot. The word vayashqifu (and they looked out) here is analogous with its kindred word in “Look forth (hashqifah) from thy holy habitation” (Deut. 26, 15), and as there the implication is an exercise of mercy, so here.

וְאַבְרָהָם הוֹלֵךְ עִמָּם לְשַׁלְּחָם. לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן לְוָיָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יֵיסָא אִי תֵימָא דְּאַבְרָהָם יָדַע דְּמַלְאָכִין אִנּוּן אַמַּאי אַעֲבִיד לוֹן לְוָיָה. אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אַף עַל גַּב דְּהֲוָה יָדַע (רגיל הוה למעכד לכלהו בני נשא דזמינין עמיה למעכד לון לויה) (נ"א מה דהוה רגיל למעבד עם בני נשא עבד בהו ואלוי לון) בְּגִין דְּכָךְ אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ לְמֶעְבַּד לְוָיָה לְאוּשְׁפִּיזִין דְּהָא כֹּלָּא בְּהַאי תַּלְיָא, b>AND ABRAHAM WENT WITH THEM TO BRING THEM ON THE WAY; that is, to escort them. R. Yesa said: ‘This shows that Abraham was not aware that they were angels; for if he was, what need had he to see them off?’ ‘No,’ answered R. Eleazar; ‘although he knew, he kept to his usual custom with them, and saw them off. For it is highly incumbent on a man to escort a departing guest, for this crowns the good act.